Trump replacing the Garbage in Biden's Administration with his own Garbage

 While Biden's garbage is leaving the White House, Trump is sending his own garbage in. Draining the swamp is not happening. Trump has been called a 'bullshiter'. Others called him a 'fraudster'. That must be the best description of someone managing to suffer six bankruptcies and still becoming the President of the USA. How they still want to deal with him after each bankruptcy is mind boggling. In most cases, people in business would just touch him with a long pole, asking who is next to be conned by him.

This coming Presidency is going to be Trump's biggest bankruptcy. Financially, strategically and morally he is destroying the USA that he failed to do so in his previous stint that some had predicted.

Republican voters are going to find out the hard way now, while Democrat voters are going to be the collateral damage.

Anonymous

No American president interested in solving the $35 trillion debt

 This is call 'kicking the can further down the road'. There are many things that the USA does which is just 'kicking the can further down the road' for the next successor to hopefully do something, but that is never going to happen.

Just like the US$35 trillion debt. Every new USA President is intent on outdoing his predecessor and piling on the debts and spending like no tomorrow to make themselves sound great. They have no responsibility to reduce the debt, and it is other people's business. Same with the homeless problem. Lots of talk and shifting the homeless people out of sight is no solution. They just returned to the same place to eat, shit and sleep as soon as the law departs. It will never be solved.

Now the USA has a big problem selling its debts or Treasuries. How long this is going to continue is uncertain. China is not going to buy any more treasuries going forward. China is in fact trying to get rid of the toxic Treasuries, touted to be the safest investment.

Japan has enough financial problem of its own and is also getting out of treasuries to save its Yen, now slipping into the sewers. If Japan cannot extricate itself from its economic malaise, we may live to see new Japanese banana notes version 2 in our lifetime. 

Anonymous

Trump will go after Japan and China in tariffs

 Japan is getting worse economically. The weakening Yen is a big problem as Japan has to import most of its oil. Adding to its problem is the expected shrinkage of Japan's exports to the USA which will get worse under Trump. Trump's intention to add tariffs on goods from every country, friend or foe is going to affect Japan and China most of all.

Japanese goods are expensive for competing in the Global South countries anyway and can only sell well in the USA and EU market, its biggest. Escalating tariffs will hit Japan hard. But Trump is not going to care. It is always USA first under Trump. Japan can continue to avoid by building more factories in the USA. But relying only on the USA market is not the way forward.

Chinese goods are cheaper for the Global South and China may be affected by Trump's tariffs, but not on the scale of Japan, as there is the Global South for China to exploit.

Japan will end up like the EU. Being an enemy of the USA is dangerous, being its friend is fatal. Time for Japan to find out the hard way.

Anonymous

Lebanon Israel Ceasefire - Another victory for the Israelis..and the Lebanese did not know why

 Some are cheering that the IDF was defeated and Nethanyahu had to beg for a ceasefire. The Lebanese are cheering that at least for the moment, the war is over. Some even think they have defeated the Israelis invasion. Is that so? Who is the winner and who is the loser?

Why was Lebanon involved in the conflict and ended with the Israeli invasion? The Lebanon launched rocket attacks across the border in support of the Palestinian cause, to try to stop the Genocide in Gaza. With the ceasefire, the Lebanese cannot send rockets across the border into Israel anymore. 

Who is the loser? The poor Palestinians, now losing one of their supporters to put pressure on the Israelis. The winner of course is the Israelis, with their northern border now safe and secure and their illegal occupation of Palestinian land can continue, can send more illegal settlers to occupy the Palestinian land in the north.

What about the Lebanese? They can have peace and their people returned to their homes, mostly destroyed and tens of thousands killed. A large part of southern Lebanon is now in ruins, and many Lebanese had been displaced or became refugees in Syria or in Turkey. The war was all for nothing but they ended paying a high price in lives and properties destroyed. And they even forgot why they were involved in this war in the first place. Are they still on the side of the Palestinians and want to stop the Genocide?

Israel is the biggest winner. They launched the attack on Lebanon to stop them from supporting the Palestinians and from attacking Israel with rockets, and they succeeded. Israel stopped the Lebanese without paying anything in return.

This is in a way like how the Americans deal with the Chinese. When the Americans want to negotiate with the Chinese to get items A, B, and C, they would expect the Chinese to ask for 3 items in return, a fair exchange. So, before meeting the Chinese, the Americans would accuse, sanction, or raise tariff etc etc as bargaining chips. At the negotiating table, they demanded A, B, and C in return for whatever they accused, sanctioned or tariffs they raised before the trip. And if China were to accept the dropping of the accusation, removed sanction or tariffs in return for giving A, B, C, to the Americans, in reality, the Americans did not give up anything and got A, B, and C for nothing. And the Chinese gave but did not get anything in return.

This tactic had been used by the Americans for a long time. Not sure if the Chinese have learnt anything or get wiser from it. We are seeing the same formula being in play in the Lebanese Israel Ceasefire. The Israelis got peace and the Lebanese to stop attacking them in the North, without acceding anything. And the Lebanese thought they won and happily accepting the Ceasefire and celebrating.

Poor Palestinians ended the real loser. Lebanon, the loser that did not know they lost, and Israel quietly walked away, not saying anything about winning the war.

Stupidity has no cure.

Pictorial essay of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain，玉龙 雪山，in Lijiang, Yunnan

 The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is a major tourist spot for visitors both from China and abroad. It is a nice change for those from the South or tropical region to enjoy the cold and the snow. The facilities are well developed with coaches and cable cars to ferry the visitors up the mountain. And the last lap, to the peak, would be left to the climbers to decide, if they are fit enough, and the weather permit, to take up the challenge. 

Unlike the gruelling and tortuous climb to the Everest or many other high mountains, this climb may not be that tough or dangerous, and many may try it without all the strenuous exercises and preparation to reach 5,500 metres. Portable oxygen tanks are readily available for RMB 80 to RM100 per canister.

I bought 4 canisters for the whole trip to be on the safe side, but used up only 3. Actually 2 should be enough unless one's body demands for more.

 

Viewing platform of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, 4,506m high. From here, reached by cable cars, some could venture higher to the peak of the mountain if they are able to withstand the lack of oxygen. Today was snowing and the peak was hidden by the clouds, more than 5,500m. I did not stay long and quickly went indoors as my feet were frozen. Click to enlarge pics.

 

The floor was very slippery with frozen ice. I almost slipped down on my first step on the wooden stairs.

 

Stairway to the peak behind the white cloud.

 

A fuller view of the stairway going up.

 

View of the mountain range, half way up the mountain.Very beautiful view of a different kind for a change, high snow capped mountains, pine trees covered with snow, etc etc.

 

Another view of the mountain range taken from within the coach. Reminds me of the song Highlands of Tibetan Plateau 西藏高原.