Being cautious is good. For the record I can't stand all the bowing and scraping to royalty whether it's Japan or Saudi Arabia. I'd rather he just go up on the dais and give them a big 'ol American bear hug and slap them on the back. Take a page out of his wife's book; I like what she did there and the Queen was quite gracious about the whole thing I thought. I can do with all the kissing though. The French are weird and Arafat was a gross pig.
China is becoming more and more powerful by the day. Here's the deal. I want to be their friend. Grouch(grump?-i forget he's been gone so long) had a rosy outlook that continued economic success for China would naturally slide into more democracy and freedom. Most totalitarian governments maintain a hold on the people by keeping them poor and dependent but China's efforts are creating wealth and jobs and encouraging people to work hard for their rewards. This seems to be paying off. I hope gruff(yeah, that's it) is right about that. We'll see. The thing I'd really like is to be friends with China. They are our partners economically speaking and I think they've treated us well and fairly over the years all told. Expecting them to run things the way we want them to seems a bit pompous to me. We should encourage them to do so and make it easier for them if possible but going all self righteous hardly seems the right approach. The fact is we NEED them to be our friend. There; I said it. -Don On 12/2/09, Vamadevananda <[email protected]> wrote: > I am very cautious about China for two reasons : one, its rulers > intend to ride over the systemic contradictions by projecting a gain > of lost glory ... righting the historical wrongs, so to say, can > introduce huge amounts of warp brought over from past and future, > never mind the present ; two, it has scant regard for human rights > and values in its pursuit of flexing or retaining its hold on power, > both at home and abroad ... no avenues for public dissent, no legal > institutions worth the name, no qualms about bedding with crazies like > NK, Pak, Burma, Pol Pot ... nothing to check its exercise of power, > which is horribly immense. > > There is little in that country to contest its massive propaganda > machinery and its hold over the public media. The nationalistic > overdose is so effective that even the common man cannot see the > wrongs perpetrated in Tibet and Xian. > > Have you noticed how the US already defers and bows before the > Chinese ? I suspect much more is to come, when confrontation can no > longer be deferred. > > The Chinese military - industrial - economic complex has a mind of its > own, regardless of political masters, like the tail wagging the dog ! > > The way the Chinese are going about buying the world's resources > reminds me of US behaviour in the 60s ( the banana republics ! ) and > consequent distortions ... which backlash, in today's proliferating > terror backdrop, would be far more devastating. > > > > On Dec 2, 2:01 am, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: >> Actually, I credit the great Maggie Thatcher with greasing the wheels >> on the fall of the old USSR. "Don't go all wobbly." Uncle Ronnie was >> just following her lead. I think Europe will have perhaps an even >> larger role in global politics then you might suspect in future. I >> her Angela Merkle's name being bandied about on a regular basis when >> in the past we didn't pay any mind to European politics. The times >> they is a'changin'. >> >> I hope you are right and Russia is moving towards a more free society >> but frankly I don't see it. Putin is running a totalitarian >> government from all that I hear. Their parliament is full of >> sycophants. I admit it's a tad frustrating that in order to raise >> the opinion of our allies towards us it seems necessary to earn the >> scorn and contempt of our enemies. It feels out of whack. To be >> clear I don't consider Russia an enemy. It's those crazy Islamic and >> Communist countries that worry me. China isn't crazy like NK. Unless >> you count crazy smart. >> >> Oh yeah. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SojAZ0X1e0 >> >> -Don >> >> >> >> On Mon, Nov 30, 2009 at 10:13 PM, Vamadevananda <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> > " ... the winning of the cold war ... " >> >> > Coming from US citizens, as a bubble of pride or gloating over a >> > perceived great achievement, I find the bubble to be starkly illusory, >> > a mere imagination, a propaganda. >> >> > If the reference is to the collapse of Soviet Union, it was all due to >> > the internal contradictions of the communist bloc. I understand the ' >> > cold war ' but see no winners here, except as an allowance for child >> > talk. >> >> > The Russians are right now trying to learn how to bring ' public good >> > ' and ' individual liberties / enterprise ' together at several levels >> > in practice and thought ... society, media, politics, economics, >> > law ... It would take them decades more than necessary, thanks to >> > their experience of the kind or respectable ' profiteers,' legal and >> > illegal, national and global. >> >> > Few decades down the line, I see Europe coming a lot more closer to >> > and intimate with Russia and its resources, culture, opportunities and >> > people. The Obamian twist in US history may be best ' hedge ' thing to >> > happen, for the good of US Americans, in the future global place. >> >> > On Dec 1, 8:29 am, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> On Mon, Nov 30, 2009 at 4:45 PM, ornamentalmind >> >> >> <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > And Don, for your information: >> >> >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony >> >> >> > By the way, the foundation of capitalism is “wealth redistribution >> >> > ideologuery”. >> >> >> Ever notice the lyrics to the song 'Irony' by Alanis Morisette contain >> >> little or no irony at all? Now THAT'S ironic. I always understood >> >> the foundation of capitalism as free markets. It is clear you and I >> >> went to different schools of economics and my intent is not to argue >> >> with you(it's proved useless so far) but to state my understanding of >> >> the term. Chomsky's take on Reagan's free market credentials is noted >> >> as is his observation that government grew under him as well. What he >> >> doesn't do is put this in perspective with the military build up and >> >> the winning of the cold war and the corresponding massive increase in >> >> our GDP that followed. Ignoring the Black Swan may be convenient but >> >> it's detrimental to your credibility. >> >> >> Being enigmatic is fun! >> >> >> -Don >> >> >> I just might check that movie out. Moore is funny and I like the idea >> >> of embarrassing big cheese bankers in such a public fashion. >> >> >> -Don >> >> >> > On Nov 30, 1:48 pm, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> More wealth redistribution ideologuery. If the man knew about >> >> >> feeding >> >> >> the needy he wouldn't spout such non-sense. Meals on Wheels has >> >> >> nothing to do with Social Security. Community service, by >> >> >> definition, >> >> >> is local and supported by local businesses and private donors. SS >> >> >> is >> >> >> nothing but an enormous Ponzi scheme that soon will fail unless >> >> >> massive amounts of money are pumped into it. It is consumed by >> >> >> fraud >> >> >> and waste. This is what happens to enormous federal entities. >> >> >> Proponents of single payer HC should sit up and take notice. >> >> >> >> Community service isn't subversive it is being phased out by the >> >> >> federal government. Our earnings are increasingly being confiscated >> >> >> and we have less to help our local citizens out. The money is being >> >> >> used to fund politicians pet projects and as bribes to get new >> >> >> colossal spending bills passed. See the New Louisiana Purchase. >> >> >> Mr. >> >> >> Chomsky has it backwards and I think he probably knows it. >> >> >> >> -Don >> >> >> >> n Mon, Nov 30, 2009 at 10:20 AM, ornamentalmind >> >> >> >> <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> > Other than the obvious irony, how would you criticize this recent >> >> >> > quote by Noam? >> >> >> >> > "Social Security is based on an extremely dangerous principle: >> >> >> > that >> >> >> > you should care whether the disabled widow across town has food to >> >> >> > eat. The Social Security "reformers" would rather have you >> >> >> > concentrate >> >> >> > on maximizing your own consumption of goods and subordinating >> >> >> > yourself >> >> >> > to power. That's life. Caring for other people, and taking >> >> >> > community >> >> >> > responsibility for things like health and retirement — that's just >> >> >> > deeply subversive." – Noam Chomsky >> >> >> >> >http://www.zcommunications.org/zquotes/2600 >> >> >> >> > -- >> >> >> >> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> >> >> > Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. >> >> >> > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> >> >> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> >> >> > [email protected]. >> >> >> > For more options, visit this group >> >> >> > athttp://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en.-Hidequoted text >> >> >> > - >> >> >> >> - Show quoted text - >> >> >> > -- >> >> >> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> >> > Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. >> >> > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> >> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> >> > [email protected]. >> >> > For more options, visit this group >> >> > athttp://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en.-Hide quoted text - >> >> >> - Show quoted text - >> >> > -- >> >> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> > Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. >> > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> > [email protected]. >> > For more options, visit this group >> > athttp://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en.- Hide quoted text - >> >> - Show quoted text - > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > ""Minds Eye"" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en. > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. 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