The Current Impasse

[sahib]

...................... It takes decades to assimilate people from other cultures without losing your own..............
DaveP

Hi Dave,

Hope you are doing well.

I would replace the word "assimilate" with "integrate".

 

[fazer]

This previous bickering is over the policy differences between Biden and Trump but actually goes back to Obama and Bush. The use of the asylum policy for immigration has overwhelmed the US and needs clarification with some hard choices.

The immigration bill purposed was tied to 100B in aid for Ukraine and Israel & Taiwan. It allowed for 5k to 8.5k crossing per day (2M/year) legally and 20B for border police allowing more processing per day.

Unacceptable by the republicans that want a realistic immigration policy first.

Why can’t the bills be separated into multiple bills instead of a Omni bill bate and switch military industrial complex bill? This is all while insider stock trades by Congress makes multiple millionaires out of reps and senators whose re-elections are funded by lobbyists representing the special interest of the military complex and big pharma. This is to say nothing about the displacement of people caused by the wars the funding creates.

 

[DaveP]

I would replace the word "assimilate" with "integrate".

Hi Sahib, I have no problem with that, my Glaswegian friend.

DaveP

 

[JohnRoberts]

When we disagree among ourselves, our enemies rejoice, this is just the point I was trying to make.

Some political movements (modern and historic) are based on dividing populations so we don't realize our common interests.

We have to accept that people have different views and find a way forward together in a common purpose.

That sounds nice.... but we are in the middle of a presidential campaign where powerful interests are working to make us distrust each other to hopefully win/retain power.

In my experience, arguments are never won, the reality on the ground is what changes opinions.

But what is the "reality" on the ground? Who can we trust media (not me of course)? The practice of politics is all about swaying opinion.

Polling has revealed that immigration (border security) is the top concern for voters this cycle. In response President Biden is visiting Brownsville TX today for a photo op, ex-President Trump will visit Eagle Pass, TX. The two sites are expected to return dramatically different visuals.

In fact since TX Governor Abbot secured his (our) southern border with razor wire, the volume of crossings there has dropped dramatically and shifted west, to AZ and CA.

Democracy is a hard game to play, the only thing harder is being under a dictatorship.

DaveP

"Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried." Winston Churchill 1947

JR

PS: Regarding visuals history students are reminded of The concept of the "Potemkin Village" is an impressive facade or show designed to hide an undesirable fact or condition (18th century Russia). We were reminded recently when the Chinese leader visited San Francisco and the streets were spotless. I recall back last century while visiting dealers with a rep in Germany, we took a brief side tour several blocks into East Berlin. I recall seeing normal looking building facades with almost nothing behind them. This was decades ago so I suspect East Berlin has recovered since then.

 

[boji]

 

[DaveP]

I suspected this was going on


Something similar with the US too
DaveP

 

[DaveP]

EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton told reporters in Paris Friday that the bloc also faced challenges finding the raw materials for gunpowder.

"To make powder, you need a specific kind of cotton, which mostly comes from China," he said.

Rheinmetall is a major manufacturer of 155mm artillery shells © Axel Heimken / AFP/File
Nitrocellulose, also known as guncotton, is a key ingredient in gunpowder manufacture.

"Would you know it, deliveries of this cotton from China stopped as if by chance a few months ago," Breton added.

DaveP

 

[sahib]

.............................

"Would you know it, deliveries of this cotton from China stopped as if by chance a few months ago," Breton added.

DaveP

Because the Chinese are busy trying to full fill a much bigger and better paid order they got from Russia.

This shows how much of an incompetent bunch these people are.

 

[cyrano]

I really don't understand how that would show incompetence. Can you explain, please?

 

[AnalogPackrat]

I really don't understand how that would show incompetence. Can you explain, please?

Inability to manage critical supply chain and/or inventory to ensure availability in case of, oh maybe war?

 

[sahib]

Incompetent in the sense of analysis of future risks. The same thing happened with gas from Russia.

You (I do not mean you) are running a defence industry and your major supplier is China? Make them economically (hence militarily) rich and then be surprised that they cut the supply? What do you expect?

Russia and China have been investing in African countries heavily, forming better alliances than Europe. Do you think Russia gives a damn that Europe stopped buying energy from them? They are selling diesel to Brazil in tanker loads and cashing in.

My motto for my own failures has always been that I am the reason for them. So, what is happening now is the fault of our so called leaders for not paying attention to what might happen in the future. Risk analysis.

I don't know, I might be wrong. May be I should read the article fully and it may turn out that they have something else up their sleeve.

 

[sahib]

Well, AnalogPackrat was quicker and summed it all up in a single sentence.

 

[cyrano]

Inability to manage critical supply chain and/or inventory to ensure availability in case of, oh maybe war?

OK, thanks guys. I read it like you found the Chinese to be incompetent. Now it makes sense...

 

[DaveP]

The article also mentioned that (I think) the Swedes were working on a substitute. This stuff is needed for the propellant and the quantity needed varies with the range apparently, the shell itself is filled with high explosive. I would also classify incompetance as relying on a foreign power for critical defence procurement.
DaveP

 

[Disco Volante]

That is a very clean workshop...