The government in Kosovo wants to implement Kosovo license plates in the Serbian north, but the Americans asked them to hold off for a month before doing so. Serbs see a potential trick in this, and fear that their local community authorities will be upended by Pristina.
Likely true. US and China are playing the same game that Left and Right have been playing with great success for decades now. Keeps us minions buying into our country’s story.
Obviously they were never gonna shot her out of the sky lol!
It's early in the game though, massive exercises announced around all of Taiwan including territorial Taiwanese waters so the escalation game is still on.
“Under Biden’s command!” Let’s not kid ourselves here. The guy can’t even choose his own ice cream flavor. He’s not pushing ships around on some grand strategy board deep in the War Room.
OK, I’ll admit it. I don’t have the faintest idea what Nancy Pelosi is doing, or why she is taking the lead on this, or why any of this is happening. There may be some deep plan here I don’t understand, or it may be completely chaotic, with everybody just doing what they think they should be doing for their own reasons! I can make up theories, but I’m hoping that at some point somebody will come out in the open and explain what the hell is going on!
I think the US is over stretched. Also competing with China is a fools game. The unipolar world is ending. If Asia dominates the future and China Asia, then maybe the US can have the rest.
This is the core. The Onion had it right when they asked "What do the Taiwanese think of this visit?" and the answer - "Who cares? This is about us and China."
Definitely. The traditional show of power by the USA in the South China Sea is for its navy to pass a few vessels through the strait. This is an escalation, but fits within the already established pattern.
I could have told you she would. The airfield at NASA Moffatt was being used to test the airforce jets engines for about 6 weeks - 24/7 - that would escort her. The noise was constant. I would bet she has twice as many U.S. fighters over Taiwan than the Chinese do. People often mistake Pelosi for those she represents, and, let's just say the woman is shrewd and savvy. Nothing gets past her.
My best guess is that this is another nail that the powers that be are using to drive into Biden's, at least now, theoretical coffin. By ignoring his public statements, the powers that be are establishing his lack of control and it will be used as one of many justifications for pushing him out the door to be replaced by Gavin Newsom or whoever.
This is an interesting take. DNC is sorta in a corner with Joe and Kamala. This sort of 'rebellion' by DNC power players could be a way of not letting a true wildcard(as unlikely as it is) enter the shit show coming up once prez campaign season hits.
As my comment was definitely speculation, the sort of thing I'll be looking for to see if it is correct will be comments like "Joe clearly lost sight of the US mission in China" or more bold propaganda like "Gavin Newsom has extensive experience with immigrants from Mao's China". That sort of thing.
China came in looking weak. They shouldn't have made a big deal about this when they clearly couldn't do anything about it. But they did and gave the US an easy W.
Biden will probably give them a few things under the table to assuage them, assuming the Chinese don’t decide to ramp up “exercises” to a degree that causes damage or death
Just because the White House publicly says they're against it doesn't mean they are. She can't order military jet escorts herself. Only Joe can help her with that.
Anything is possible but I don't think you can bully/trick/play the commander-in-chief (esp from your own party) into allowing this without serious wrath being sent your way. I think if she forced him into a corner with this, we'd have seen more blow back for her. There'd be a lot more of "credible" people on TV arguing against her position, many dramatic op-eds being written about this, she'd be getting calls from people within the party, etc. Anything is possible when it comes to stuff that's happening behind closed doors/involves dynamics we aren't necessarily aware of, but I think it's generally really hard to pull off crossing POTUS/the leader of your own party when it comes to something so serious and involves military resources. The US not only provided the jets but also moved ships. Ultimately IDK but I think he most likely approved of this trip. I'm most curious if it's just a Cold War 2.0 game or if there's something to the timing.
It's a 4D chess move to get the CHIPS Act expedited. Nancy will be rewarded handsomely for restoring microchip manufacturing by raking in a fortune from Paul's Nvidia longs.
Could this mean that Nancy Pelosi, late in her “Leftist” career, has come over to the side of the American people?
Of course not.
So what does it mean?
My best educated guess is that it is a ploy, or “dirty trick,” to create the impression that the “Democrat” political party, reeling from the disastrous reputation they have created by advancing the puppets Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the appearance of being in charge of the Executive Branch, needs to put the idea out there that they are a force of resistance against the juggernaut of the Chinese Communist Party.
So everyone oohs and aahs about Pelosi’s “daring” trip, while behind the scenes it’s dirty business as usual with Xi Jinping and his commies.
But there is a catch. Besides the CCP and the “Democrat” party, there’s a third force ruling the USA: the element which former president Eisenhower called the “military-industrial complex.” What would they want?
Money and power, of course: the power that comes from money and the money that comes from power. Yes they make high-tech weapons and the weapons get deployed, and used, as in Ukraine. But war is not healthy for children, and other living things, and military-industrial complexes. They don’t want real war, just saber-rattling.
Did General Milley call his counterpart in the PLA to ask if Pelosi’s plane would really get shot down if Pelosi visited Taiwan? I really don’t know. But I would be surprised if he did.
Nancy has never been a friend of tbe PRC. Pro-Tibet, was against granting Most favored nation status for China, unfurled a pro-democracy banner in Tianammen square
Dem's internal polling show they need to come off as more patriotic after the radical wing of the party quickly marched thru most US institutions. Hence, Dems are now "tough on China and Russia," your neighbor is flying a Ukrainian flag and Top Gun is popular again. We're only 4 years away from US' 250th anniversary and they can't ride out "We're a terrible and racist country" any longer.
Politics are still in Extreme Cynical mode and it's exhausting. You have to give it to them: the Dems' marketing team never sleeps.
A lot of the time I’m thinking that they (the newest version of the “left” and that “Democrat” party they hijacked) are at the end of their rope and are going out in a blaze of glory.
But the rest of the time I’m thinking that it’s we who are finished; no glory, no blaze, no guts. The whimper, not even a bang.
“Washington is sending more arms to Ukraine”. If I were looking for a proper military payback - like China keeps threatening - I’d use some that fancy equipment that China keeps displaying, and blow some of that gear up. You play with fire you get burned is getting old. You keep interfering with the internal affairs of other countries, you get schooled. Added bonus, as we know Ukraine isn’t NATO; so no harm no foul.
China cares about Russia but it doesn’t care about Ukraine. China needs Kazakhstan (and other ‘Stan’s for Silk Road transit, energy, minerals, etc and right now the Kazakh government is neither pro-Putin or anti-Ukraine
The government in Kosovo wants to implement Kosovo license plates in the Serbian north, but the Americans asked them to hold off for a month before doing so. Serbs see a potential trick in this, and fear that their local community authorities will be upended by Pristina.
That's it, really.
Leave a comment if the mood strikes you and feel free to bring up anything else in the meantime as this is an open thread.
usa foreign policy is all hollywood now... the only substance is the money that goes to the military and wall st complex...
Likely true. US and China are playing the same game that Left and Right have been playing with great success for decades now. Keeps us minions buying into our country’s story.
Obviously they were never gonna shot her out of the sky lol!
It's early in the game though, massive exercises announced around all of Taiwan including territorial Taiwanese waters so the escalation game is still on.
Wait, so she just did it of her own accord...?
That's the official story.
which of course is absurd. the air force answers to the commander
her husband is on trail for something this week, so it was a good week to leave dodge..
Drunk driving.
the usaf jet and the us navy task groups west of formosa are under biden's command
biden, blackmailed by pelosi(?) is in on the gambit!
biden was establishing a line of denial that plays unquestioned in the supporting propaganda outlets usa calls media.
“Under Biden’s command!” Let’s not kid ourselves here. The guy can’t even choose his own ice cream flavor. He’s not pushing ships around on some grand strategy board deep in the War Room.
OK, I’ll admit it. I don’t have the faintest idea what Nancy Pelosi is doing, or why she is taking the lead on this, or why any of this is happening. There may be some deep plan here I don’t understand, or it may be completely chaotic, with everybody just doing what they think they should be doing for their own reasons! I can make up theories, but I’m hoping that at some point somebody will come out in the open and explain what the hell is going on!
obviously wouldn't be about the mid term elections that the dems were set to lose big time..
Gotta love the inventiveness of the Dems. Endless series of distractions completely devoid of relevance to actually implementing some policy.
Well those mid terms losses aren't really materializing so i don't think it has anything to do with that.
also it really implies complete disorder from within the usa admin... who is running the show?? it looks totally scatter brain..
The 2022 version of deliberate ambiguity?
Follow the money is always a good play with the Pelosis.
Clowns
I think the US is over stretched. Also competing with China is a fools game. The unipolar world is ending. If Asia dominates the future and China Asia, then maybe the US can have the rest.
I think the US and China have both realized they are stronger playing off of each other.
This is the core. The Onion had it right when they asked "What do the Taiwanese think of this visit?" and the answer - "Who cares? This is about us and China."
Well, once China said she couldn't go, it was pretty much the only option, wasn't it?
Definitely. The traditional show of power by the USA in the South China Sea is for its navy to pass a few vessels through the strait. This is an escalation, but fits within the already established pattern.
I could have told you she would. The airfield at NASA Moffatt was being used to test the airforce jets engines for about 6 weeks - 24/7 - that would escort her. The noise was constant. I would bet she has twice as many U.S. fighters over Taiwan than the Chinese do. People often mistake Pelosi for those she represents, and, let's just say the woman is shrewd and savvy. Nothing gets past her.
My best guess is that this is another nail that the powers that be are using to drive into Biden's, at least now, theoretical coffin. By ignoring his public statements, the powers that be are establishing his lack of control and it will be used as one of many justifications for pushing him out the door to be replaced by Gavin Newsom or whoever.
Interesting speculation!
This is an interesting take. DNC is sorta in a corner with Joe and Kamala. This sort of 'rebellion' by DNC power players could be a way of not letting a true wildcard(as unlikely as it is) enter the shit show coming up once prez campaign season hits.
As my comment was definitely speculation, the sort of thing I'll be looking for to see if it is correct will be comments like "Joe clearly lost sight of the US mission in China" or more bold propaganda like "Gavin Newsom has extensive experience with immigrants from Mao's China". That sort of thing.
Ahh, I gotcha. Time to be on the lookout to what extent Joe has lost Walter Cronkite
Eric Burnett: by Jove I think you’ve got it. The brain trust of the D’s need rid of doty old Joe.
Would fit with the regime media starting to admit what's obvious: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/09/us/politics/biden-age-democrats.html
China came in looking weak. They shouldn't have made a big deal about this when they clearly couldn't do anything about it. But they did and gave the US an easy W.
Not like those Wily Orientals at all.
Biden will probably give them a few things under the table to assuage them, assuming the Chinese don’t decide to ramp up “exercises” to a degree that causes damage or death
They did this in the 90s as well, didn't they?
Just because the White House publicly says they're against it doesn't mean they are. She can't order military jet escorts herself. Only Joe can help her with that.
I agree with you, but just to play devil's advocate. If there is truth to the story, even if they disagreed they weren't gonna let her get blasted
Anything is possible but I don't think you can bully/trick/play the commander-in-chief (esp from your own party) into allowing this without serious wrath being sent your way. I think if she forced him into a corner with this, we'd have seen more blow back for her. There'd be a lot more of "credible" people on TV arguing against her position, many dramatic op-eds being written about this, she'd be getting calls from people within the party, etc. Anything is possible when it comes to stuff that's happening behind closed doors/involves dynamics we aren't necessarily aware of, but I think it's generally really hard to pull off crossing POTUS/the leader of your own party when it comes to something so serious and involves military resources. The US not only provided the jets but also moved ships. Ultimately IDK but I think he most likely approved of this trip. I'm most curious if it's just a Cold War 2.0 game or if there's something to the timing.
It's a 4D chess move to get the CHIPS Act expedited. Nancy will be rewarded handsomely for restoring microchip manufacturing by raking in a fortune from Paul's Nvidia longs.
Fascinating…
Could this mean that Nancy Pelosi, late in her “Leftist” career, has come over to the side of the American people?
Of course not.
So what does it mean?
My best educated guess is that it is a ploy, or “dirty trick,” to create the impression that the “Democrat” political party, reeling from the disastrous reputation they have created by advancing the puppets Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the appearance of being in charge of the Executive Branch, needs to put the idea out there that they are a force of resistance against the juggernaut of the Chinese Communist Party.
So everyone oohs and aahs about Pelosi’s “daring” trip, while behind the scenes it’s dirty business as usual with Xi Jinping and his commies.
But there is a catch. Besides the CCP and the “Democrat” party, there’s a third force ruling the USA: the element which former president Eisenhower called the “military-industrial complex.” What would they want?
Money and power, of course: the power that comes from money and the money that comes from power. Yes they make high-tech weapons and the weapons get deployed, and used, as in Ukraine. But war is not healthy for children, and other living things, and military-industrial complexes. They don’t want real war, just saber-rattling.
Did General Milley call his counterpart in the PLA to ask if Pelosi’s plane would really get shot down if Pelosi visited Taiwan? I really don’t know. But I would be surprised if he did.
I would NOT be surprised if he did, I wrote. Or thought I wrote.
Nancy has never been a friend of tbe PRC. Pro-Tibet, was against granting Most favored nation status for China, unfurled a pro-democracy banner in Tianammen square
Interesting …
Mission accomplished. Any yes, I DO suspect that Milley cleared it in advance with his PLA pal.
https://www.reuters.com/world/pelosi-departs-taiwan-capping-visit-that-infuriated-china-2022-08-03/
Exactly! (Cartoon by the superb free Chinese cartoonist, Cian Ci. https://twitter.com/cian_ci/status/1554862459692924929?s=21&t=w9GDuoKjDEj9UsYVl1tlog
Dem's internal polling show they need to come off as more patriotic after the radical wing of the party quickly marched thru most US institutions. Hence, Dems are now "tough on China and Russia," your neighbor is flying a Ukrainian flag and Top Gun is popular again. We're only 4 years away from US' 250th anniversary and they can't ride out "We're a terrible and racist country" any longer.
Politics are still in Extreme Cynical mode and it's exhausting. You have to give it to them: the Dems' marketing team never sleeps.
A lot of the time I’m thinking that they (the newest version of the “left” and that “Democrat” party they hijacked) are at the end of their rope and are going out in a blaze of glory.
But the rest of the time I’m thinking that it’s we who are finished; no glory, no blaze, no guts. The whimper, not even a bang.
You very well may be right. The number of true believers and activists with influential positions and access to decision making is incredibly high.
“Washington is sending more arms to Ukraine”. If I were looking for a proper military payback - like China keeps threatening - I’d use some that fancy equipment that China keeps displaying, and blow some of that gear up. You play with fire you get burned is getting old. You keep interfering with the internal affairs of other countries, you get schooled. Added bonus, as we know Ukraine isn’t NATO; so no harm no foul.
China cares about Russia but it doesn’t care about Ukraine. China needs Kazakhstan (and other ‘Stan’s for Silk Road transit, energy, minerals, etc and right now the Kazakh government is neither pro-Putin or anti-Ukraine