[AmGreatness] While the Left continues to lose its mind over Russia and the fairytale of collusion, the fact is Russia simply is not a real threat to the future of our democracy. By any measure, the threat to America’s future freedom is China.
When Trump first brought up the issue of tariffs, a great wailing erupted from the free traders on the Right decrying that he was about to begin a trade war. While it’s a convenient narrative to say that this is about a trade war, it’s fundamentally not that at all. Sure, if tariffs really did kick in and goods were to go up in price, and if in response to this China slapped tariffs on American goods, there would be a trade war. But think of tariffs on steel and aluminum as an opening salvo, a skirmish, about something far bigger: we are already immersed in economic warfare with China, in a great struggle to see who controls the technology of the future and what our future as a country really looks like.
The reason Trump must play hardball with China on trade right now is that China doesn’t want to win an economic competition in a free trade arena and it doesn’t want trade partners: it wants to dominate and create tributaries.
What Does America Want to Be?
With upwards of $3.5 trillion in forced technology transfers over the last decade, a figure we could actually double when we toss in outright theft, China declared economic warfare on us decades ago. Throw in the fact that China has been flooding our markets with subsidized goods, in steel and other sectors, in attempts to destroy our capabilities for national security and we’ve come right to the edge of a very real threat against it: what superpower in its right mind would ever concede its abilities to produce steel and aluminum? So all of this talk of a trade war is lost on many who are looking at a much broader picture.
Because this confrontation with China isn’t really about a trade war. It’s not even about Donald Trump, the Republican Party, or even the 2018 midterms.
It’s about who we want to be as a people 20 or 30 years from now and whether we actually want to be free.
Because on an even higher level, this is about a totalitarian state versus a free society, and without even a shot being fired, a totalitarian state potentially bringing us, and our way of life, to our knees through economic coercion. Based on the trends, and where we are right now, this might be one of the last chances to fight.
And if we don’t fight, we will regret it for the next 100 years.
Free Trade Naïveté
No matter how many free traders tell us that China needs to buy our goods, it’s naïve to think that will continue for much longer. The current Chinese regime has its "Made in China 2025" effort underway. The goal of this program is for Chinese industries to possess 80 percent of their home market in the listed sectors that include: new advanced information technology; automated machine tools and robotics; aerospace and aeronautical equipment; maritime equipment and high-tech shipping; modern rail transport equipment; new-energy vehicles and equipment; power-generating equipment; agricultural equipment; new materials; and bio-pharma and advanced medical products.
To be clear, China is on the path domestically to producing as many products as possible only seven years from now. The Chinese have no intention of buying American goods in perpetuity. Ask yourself what happens when the tables turn in the very near future and China no longer needs our goods, continues to control a decent size of our debt, and has helped devalue the American dollar so much that it’s no longer the international monetary standard?
Instead of people losing their minds over trade wars, perhaps they should step back and realize that we are on the road to becoming a tributary state of China’s. Yet right now, Beijing is bluffing big time. The Chinese economy is far more fragile than people think. And if their economy collapses, the regime collapses. President Xi and his government cannot engage in a destructive trade war with the United States. It’s simply a question of survival for them.
So now is the time to force a change in the rules of engagement and demand the Chinese accept new rules. For starters, they will stop stealing our technology through forced transfers and will allow American companies full market access.
Instead of Trump pulling back on tariffs, he should come back with $400 billion in tariffs and keep raising the stakes until China folds. And trust me, if China sees that the American people are supporting Trump in this, China will fold.
#2
Instead of people losing their minds over trade wars, perhaps they should step back and realize that we are on the road to becoming a tributary state of China’s.
Anyone who doubt the validity of that statement, please have a look at what is going on throughout the Pacific.
China is concentrating on the '25 meter' targets first. Make no mistake, we're in the their target folder. We always have been.
#5
Some predict China will become the world's economic power in ca. 15-20 years. Time for the US to pass the torch, like the Brits and the Dutch before.
[PJ] It would probably give Robert Mueller a nervous breakdown, not to mention James Comey, Andrew McCabe and the rest of the FBI cabal, past and present, but at this point the special counsel seems to be actually causing the reelection of Donald Trump. Most of the country, other than the greed heads in the media and extreme Democratic Party operatives, no longer gives a hoot in Hades about the "Russia Probe." They're frustrated and sick of it.
There's a dawning national consensus of "enough already" reflected by Judge Ellis when he demanded to know exactly what Paul Manafort's possible money laundering schemes of years ago had to do with Trump colluding with Russia in the 2016 election. The same might be said of Stormy Daniels, whose Russia connection is even more remote.
But let's skip past the subplots of the moment to the greatest of all unintended consequences of this endless investigation -- the decline and fall of the Democratic Party.
Yes, you read that correctly. Like a crackhead addicted to the next puff, Democrats and their media allies have spent most of the last sixteen months fixated on whether Trump somehow, some way, colluded with Putin. Meanwhile, a zillion issues slipped by, some important, others less so, but the Democrats barely weighed in on anything, other than to whine about Trump.
#1
As long as all white collar jobs - in particular, "public service" is gated through the educational system - and they own the educational system, they've nothing to fear.
#4
I like the idea of "them" all backslapping and saying "We're riding high boys, riding high..."
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
05/07/2018 8:45 Comments ||
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#5
Mueller's 'Deep State' handlers will not permit him to stop digging. They do not care about his professional reputation, or how stupid or corrupt he appears. The goal is strategic deception and diversion. He's still accomplishing both.
#6
Thus proving that Trump's Tweets, like them or hate them, are effective at distracting them from mentioning issues which people really care about.
Who cares if he banged some whore 10-20 years ago? What are you going to do about the thugs in the streets? What are you going to do about people who can't put food on the table because some illegal alien has taken their job? Or has a neighbor who's daughter was raped by an illegal who was then let go to avoid having him deported by the feds?
What about the rule of law? Why are some 'protected' people apparently above the law? While others are persecuted because of their christian beliefs?
#9
Ditto gorb. I got to a point quickly where I got tired of Starr when he wound up focused on Monica. I don't recall the other items but I know that they seemed more criminal than a denied BJ.
[Townhall] Oh yes, they were added to the speaking list. Lynette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, more commonly known by their social media names Diamond and Silk, addressed the National Rifle Association’s Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas last Friday in which the sisters proceeded to torch the Democratic Party, gun control policies, and remind people to vote in 2018.
The pair voiced their support for the Second Amendment, slamming anti-gunners in the process.
#2
What the fascists on the left don't get, is that normally voices like these would not be heard much in minority circles. If they had left well enough alone, the status quo would continue for a while.
But by thrusting them into the spotlight while trying to oppress their speech, they have allowed them to reach ears they never normally would have been able to reach.
By trying to shut them up, the left has hastened their destruction by getting more minorities to see what the hell is going on.
#4
Getting Blacks and Latins publicly in favor of conservative policies/philosophy and pushing the "we're all in this together" would be better for the 'pubs then concentrating on the differences.
The left is all about tribalism trying to pick on those issues which divide us.
[RedState] The special counsel investigation into the possible "collusion" between Donald Trump’s campaign and the Russian government appears to be coming to a close a lot sooner than many would expect.
It’s not that Mueller has signaled the end ‐ to the contrary, Mueller hasn’t signaled much of anything. However, the pace of the investigation and the movement of the case through the courts seems to indicate they are running out of steam. And, if this is the case, then it’s all but assured that’s it’s going to be "Game Over" for Mueller and the Democrats.
Things have stalled. The Department of Justice is now being challenged in court, and some judges do not appear to be amused by some of the antics that have been going on. In both of those cases, those are the highest-profile indictments the investigation has doled out, and if they are in trouble, then the investigation itself is in trouble.
...Part of me thinks this is really why Giuliani was brought on. He’s going to talk a tough ‐ and, at times, insane ‐ game. He and Mueller will strike a deal, and both sides will claim they did their job. At the end of the day, though, the investigation will produce nothing the Democrats can cling on to, and considering many of them have put their eggs in this basket, that’s bad news for them. Assuming that your opponents are sane and able to do political calculations can be fatal mistake - just ask Julius Caesar
#2
And America misses the point yet again. The investigation "Should" have focused on Russian intervention. But no, the FBI made it an internal political witch hunt with no real objective to stop Russian interference. Now here we sit, almost a year later, millions spent, and the Russians are still operating in our political system unfettered. EVERYONE at DOJ/FBI that has worked this need to be tried for sedition. They have let the American people down and left our nation at greater risk than before. They have failed. Even if they removed the president, which was their goal, they would have then not only failed to protect us, but made the Russian goal of disrupting our nation a full blown success. As far as I'm concerned the FBI was acting on Russia's behalf over the last year.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
05/07/2018 16:32 Comments ||
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#3
It’s worse than that, Pan. They have actively subverted our institutions and the rule of law. They have infiltrated our institutions so they have been infected with the cancer of their ideology. There is no punishment for malfeasance in their duties. The American people are being boxed into a corner where the govt has weaponized laws against the people they serve. How bad does it have to get before it is stopped? We will see.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
05/07/2018 16:53 Comments ||
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#4
It’s starting to feel like Attorney General Sessions gave Mr. Mueller enough rope to hang himself instead of fighting him directly.
I agree, look at all that has been revealed, all the dirty players flushed out from their cover and masks dropped. Had the Left just shut up and accepted their loss, they might not be facing their doom.
[National Review] There are lots of possible counterfactuals to think about had Hillary Clinton won the presidency as all the experts had predicted.
The U.S. embassy would have stayed in Tel Aviv. "Strategic patience" would likely still govern the North Korea dilemma. Fracking would be curtailed. The ‐ rather than "our" ‐ miners really would be put out of work. Coal certainly would not have been "beautiful." The economy probably would be slogging along at below 2 percent GDP growth.
China would be delighted, as would Iran. But most important, there would be no collusion narrative ‐ neither one concerning a defeated Donald Trump nor another implicating a victorious Hillary Clinton. In triumph, progressives couldn’t have cared less whether Russians supposedly had tried to help a now irrelevant Trump; and they certainly would have prevented any investigation of the winning Clinton 2016 campaign.
In sum, Hillary’s supposedly sure victory, not fear of breaking the law, prompted most of the current 2016 scandals, and her embittering defeat means they are not being addressed as scandals.
#2
I don't think Harvey had to 'cruse' much. Meryl Strep, and not a few others Hollywood 'stars', were more than willing to provide him with victims right where he was.
#3
For example, why would FBI director James Comey have been so foolish as to ask for a FISA warrant request without fully informing the judge of the compromising details of the Steele–Fusion GPS dossier?
And why was the judge so easily hoodwinked?
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/07/2018 11:35 Comments ||
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#4
Meryl Strep. I like that one.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
05/07/2018 12:59 Comments ||
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#5
For example, why would FBI director James Comey have been so foolish as to ask for a FISA warrant request without fully informing the judge of the compromising details of the Steele–Fusion GPS dossier?
And why was the judge so easily hoodwinked?
95% FISC approval rate. Appears the rubber stamp was baked in.
#6
95% FISC approval because there is no consequence for cooking up this type of fraud. Until there's some slap downs for the prosecution or judge there's no reason not to just keep on keepin' on.
Speaking of roles in which Streep could go out with a bang... I'm sure most of us who went digging for more info on the African "collector" story a few weeks ago came back thinking, among other things, "Crikey, what a great and terrible movie that would make!" Okay, not a funny topic, but I cracked up when I saw the guy's picture, hearing, loud and clear as a porkchop, "Meryl, baby, have I got a part for you!" Eye hod a fom in off ree kah.
Totally wasn't thinking of Harveygate and all that, but damned if that doesn't work, too. So, who'll play Meryl playing the monster in an epic film about film, swan-singing as the Trumpkins blast their way into BerlinParis Hollywood? Twilight of the Stars. Last Days of LA. Rape-Rape Land. The burning of Atlanta Casablanca. Director's cut. Special Collector's Edition. "Honey, get me Shipman!"
[National Review] The economy is improving, and our political and economic institutions, though stressed, remain sound.
Liberals are truly obsessed with what they think is the menace of President Trump. New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof claims that Trump "is systematically undermining American institutions and norms that underlie democratic government: courts, law enforcement, journalism, the intelligence community, truth." He darkly warns: "Epic battles will follow."
Watching television this weekend, I could understand how liberals can fill their brain bandwidth with nothing but Trump Thoughts. In the space of a few minutes, Trump launched fresh attacks against Special Counsel Robert Mueller and contradicted his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani’s statement that the president had known about a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. For his part, Giuliani had this bizarre exchange on ABC’s This Week:
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
