Vlad the Impaler speaks

[finnbow]

Vladimir Putin says "They are living beyond their means and shifting a part of the weight of their problems to the world economy....They are living like parasites off the global economy and their monopoly of the dollar."


http://news.yahoo.com/putin-says-u-p...191447751.html

Pretty tough (and politically-inspired) talk, but with certain elements of truth to it. It's pretty sad to be on the receiving end of a (mostly deserved) economic lecture from this jagoff.

[BlueStreak]

As the world grows smaller and smaller with globalization, it will become increasingly impossible for our internal affairs to not directly affect others. (And vice-versa.) What we do has affected them in the past, this is true. But, now it moves much more quickly and more profoundly. And that will only increase going forward.

I ponder this a lot lately.

Because, if we don't get our act together....eventually, someone might just get fed up and try to do it for us.

I shudder to think of it.

Dave

[Combwork]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

As the world grows smaller and smaller with globalization, it will become increasingly impossible for our internal affairs to not directly affect others. (And vice-versa.) What we do has affected them in the past, this is true. But, now it moves much more quickly and more profoundly. And that will only increase going forward.

I ponder this a lot lately.

"Because, if we don't get our act together....eventually, someone might just get fed up and try to do it for us."

I shudder to think of it.

Dave

"Because, if we don't get our act together....eventually, someone might just get fed up and try to do it for us."

That's an interesting thought. To do this the "someone" would have to have, or be perceived to have both power (economic and military) and a stable political system; one where changes at the top would not start a revolution. China is seen to be the most powerful economically and with a very strong export market, but with the possible exception of Taiwan they don't seem to have military ambitions outside their own border; nothing equivalent to the U.S.S.R. in the days of Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Having achieved a worldwide lead as a manufacturing and exporting country, if this market was threatened would the Chinese adopt the equivalent of 19th century gunboat diplomacy? Or something more subtle?

Just as an aside, does America still have a treaty to protect Taiwan from invasion by whatever means necessary?

[flacaltenn]

Combwork:

Just as an aside, does America still have a treaty to protect Taiwan from invasion by whatever means necessary?

Not truely.. We've backed off all the exercises in the China sea with Taiwan once the mainland started sending missiles over Taiwan.. But we WILL stand right behind as their "real estate agent" when the deal is negotiated with PRC. We'll get them as good a deal as Hong Kong got eh?

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by Combwork

Just as an aside, does America still have a treaty to protect Taiwan from invasion by whatever means necessary?

Originally Posted by flacaltenn

Not truely.. We've backed off all the exercises in the China sea with Taiwan once the mainland started sending missiles over Taiwan.. But we WILL stand right behind as their "real estate agent" when the deal is negotiated with PRC. We'll get them as good a deal as Hong Kong got eh?

The treaty obligation does exist and in quite specific language. The fact that our government wisely chooses to ignore this relic of John Foster Dulles-inspired Cold War brinksmanship doesn't alter that fact.

John

[flacaltenn]

Think it's gonna look a little like celebrity rehab. We will be hauled kicking and screaming into intervention and Vlad and his buddies will hold our assets in trust while we detox..

We need to stop the political carnival and act like we're competent. Maybe also detox our lives and families from all of the Roman distractions around us.. This IS life and death. And watch closely.. Because those with the greatest sense of self-preservation are gonna become the leaders...

[CarlV]

I think that Putin is pretty dead on too.


Carl

[flacaltenn]

Now this is also quite strange. Maybe I've woken up in parallel universe this morning.. What with Dave feeling guilty about getting thanked at work and now CarlV giving cred to the Vladiator.

How come -- it's completely acceptable coming from PUTIN -- but when the same message (about foisting too much debt on the market) comes from the political right -- you go off the rails??

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by flacaltenn

Now this is also quite strange. Maybe I've woken up in parallel universe this morning.. What with Dave feeling guilty about getting thanked at work and now CarlV giving cred to the Vladiator.

How come -- it's completely acceptable coming from PUTIN -- but when the same message (about foisting too much debt on the market) comes from the political right -- you go off the rails??

Because the American Right is so utterly..........Goofy........

(For lack of a better way of putting it.)

I mean...............just listen to them. Even when they're right, you just want to choke them.

Really.

Dave

[flacaltenn]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

Because the American Right is so utterly..........Goofy........

(For lack of a better way of putting it.)

I mean...............just listen to them. Even when they're right, you just want to choke them.

Really.

Dave

I can respect that.. I might vote for Putey over some of the GOP choices.. America could use an ex-KGB spy chief type. He could just make folks disappear like Hoffa..

I'll wait to see if the Libertarians draft John Stossel this year..