Politics

[Doubleplay]

China purchases around 90% of Iran's oil. The CENTCOM commander was talking about this issue in the recent testimony before the House and Senate. More details are in this article...

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blo...behind-chinas-oil-trade-with-iran-and-russia/

In my opinion, dealing with China needs to be part of the solution, short of bombing Iran or escalating the conflict in the middle east. What that looks like would likely be very inconvenient for Americans who do a lot of business with China, but I think embargoes on imports from China until the CCP stops buying this oil could hurt both Iran and China. Would it also hurt shareholders and certain sectors of the US economy? Yes it would. However the rise of China has largely been funded by the US, and lots of Americans have gotten very wealthy while investing in our biggest competitor. The same competitor that is ignoring US sanctions on Iranian oil exports.

China, Iran, Russia, India and Brazil and South Africa is part of Brics economic alliance.
Therefore sanctions does not work.
The biggest mistake uneducated makes thinking Iran is another lowly country all by itself and we or Israel can push them around and carpet bomb without consequences like we did in Afghanistan.
I’m not surprised though, most in this country can’t even point Iran on the map let alone understand the dynamics of the Middle East.

 

[fourfive8]

View attachment 599612

Oh no- another Juan liner!

 

[Corey0372]

China, Iran, Russia, India and Brazil and South Africa is part of Brics economic alliance.
Therefore sanctions does not work

China ignoring sanctions is exactly my point. Which is why I suggested the US ban/embargo imports from China until they stop purchasing Iranian oil. We may not be able to control other countries' markets, but we can control how much business we give China. The US is essentially the largest importer of Chinese goods, 14% per the OEC...

https://oec.world/en/profile/country/chn#historical-data

Cutting off business with China would accelerate their economic troubles (good in my opinion). For China it's just business, they purchase oil from Iran because currently there are no consequences for them doing so, not because they have ideological support for Iran. Eliminate 14% of their export revenue (and potentially eliminate exports from the US to China) and they may just decide to stop purchasing oil from Iran. If Iran loses the customer purchasing 90% of their oil, they may change their own behavior as well.
I'm not saying something like this would absolutely work and be a permanent solution, and we definitely don't have the leverage we had in the 1980s-1990s, but its at least something in between doing nothing and getting involved in a war.
The China problem isn't going away anytime soon, and the US needs to do better about getting ahead of it, because they are realistically the primary existential threat to the US. Deterring US investment into Chinese firms needs to become more the norm anyway. Imagine being an American company proudly doing business with the USSR in 1981, before my time but not likely as far as I can tell. It would be nice if Americans felt just a percentage of that shame doing business with China.

 

[Saul]

China ignoring sanctions is exactly my point. Which is why I suggested the US ban/embargo imports from China until they stop purchasing Iranian oil. We may not be able to control other countries' markets, but we can control how much business we give China. The US is essentially the largest importer of Chinese goods, 14% per the OEC...

https://oec.world/en/profile/country/chn#historical-data

Cutting off business with China would accelerate their economic troubles (good in my opinion). For China it's just business, they purchase oil from Iran because currently there are no consequences for them doing so, not because they have ideological support for Iran. Eliminate 14% of their export revenue (and potentially eliminate exports from the US to China) and they may just decide to stop purchasing oil from Iran. If Iran loses the customer purchasing 90% of their oil, they may change their own behavior as well.
I'm not saying something like this would absolutely work and be a permanent solution, and we definitely don't have the leverage we had in the 1980s-1990s, but its at least something in between doing nothing and getting involved in a war.
The China problem isn't going away anytime soon, and the US needs to do better about getting ahead of it, because they are realistically the primary existential threat to the US. Deterring US investment into Chinese firms needs to become more the norm anyway. Imagine being an American company proudly doing business with the USSR in 1981, before my time but not likely as far as I can tell. It would be nice if Americans felt just a percentage of that shame doing business with China.

I could not agree more. Congress passing aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, as well as a ban on TikTok would be a nice start.

 

[Corey0372]

ban on TikTok would be a nice start.

Personally I don't see what a ban on Tik-Tok accomplishes, I'd rather see a ban on internet pornography

 

[Saul]

Personally I don't see what a ban on Tik-Tok accomplishes, I'd rather see a ban on internet pornography

It keeps the Chinese and other nefarious characters from corrupting our youth even further. The amount of nonsense they are hearing and believing from TikTok is out of control, it is dangerous, and it is intentional.

With regard to online pornography, I do not think a ban is the right move, but I agree that something does need to be done about it too. Hearing the ages that kids start watching that stuff is shocking.

 

[Corey0372]

It keeps the Chinese and other nefarious characters from corrupting our youth even further. The amount of nonsense they are hearing and believing from TikTok is out of control,

I mean the Chinese and other nefarious characters can accomplish the exact same thing via other internet tools (or through Confucius centers on college campuses), and is the CCP creating the content on Tik-Tok? Or is it that the culture inside the US has become so rotten and degenerate that Tik-Tok is just a mirror revealing what's already there? There's plenty of nonsense on facebook that people hear and believe.

it is dangerous, and it is intentional.

Again, I think the widespread normalization of internet pornography has been more destructive to our society than anything else on the internet.

 

[Corey0372]

Again, I think the widespread normalization of internet pornography has been more destructive to our society than anything else on the internet

Well that and maybe Anime, (kidding). Seriously though how are people into anime?

 

[Altitude sickness]

It keeps the Chinese and other nefarious characters from corrupting our youth even further. The amount of nonsense they are hearing and believing from TikTok is out of control, it is dangerous, and it is intentional.

With regard to online pornography, I do not think a ban is the right move, but I agree that something does need to be done about it too. Hearing the ages that kids start watching that stuff is shocking.

Saul, I get your sentiment. Unfortunately we have plenty of nefarious platforms based in the US doing the same mind numbing damage all over the world.

Facebook, Instagram, and many other platforms gather far more personal info than TikTok. And do more damage world wide. Helping in the child and human trafficking and drug trade. And spying on citizens world wide but more so. Right here.

These platforms could have been in the book 1984

 

[Altitude sickness]

On the Virginia, Maryland area and the rich history there. My friend bought a 100 acre farm in Gettysburg and allowed suffering veterans to stay there to help with their mental struggles. We named our Legion hall after him.

He was a very special person and was responsible for a lot of bad hombres meeting their 7 virgins.

If you have heard of the movie “ 12 Strong” that was his guys. It is as if our tiny town produced the equivalent of 10 astronauts. That’s the importance to his role in the war on terror.

Parry Leonard Baer

We mourn the loss of a national treasure as Command Sgt. Maj. (CSM) Parry Leonard Baer, devoted and loving husband, father, brother, grandfather, soldier, and cattle farmer, died on the

www.gettysburgtimes.com

If anyone is in the Gettysburg area. You can visit his farm there. His wife Cathleen would appreciate donations to Parry’s charity they run. It’s listed on the bottom of the obituary I posted.

 

[Tanks]

@Corey0372 i don’t think banning imports from China would be realistic. It would also hurt our economy greatly. And I am not talking about just iPhones and Dell computers. We import a ton of everyday stuff from China that are not made elsewhere.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Joe Biden, A Longtime Missile Defense Skeptic, Now Must Decide How To Protect The U.S. Homeland

Missile defense against nuclear attacks is becoming harder, and deterrence alone may not be enough.

www.forbes.com

 

[Doubleplay]

@Corey0372 i don’t think banning imports from China would be realistic. It would also hurt our economy greatly. And I am not talking about just iPhones and Dell computers. We import a ton of everyday stuff from China that are not made elsewhere.

Agreed.
It'll also lead a quicker path to war with China which we should avoid if we can.

 

[Red Leg]

On the Virginia, Maryland area and the rich history there. My friend bought a 100 acre farm in Gettysburg and allowed suffering veterans to stay there to help with their mental struggles. We named our Legion hall after him.

He was a very special person and was responsible for a lot of bad hombres meeting their 7 virgins.

If you have heard of the movie “ 12 Strong” that was his guys. It is as if our tiny town produced the equivalent of 10 astronauts. That’s the importance to his role in the war on terror.

Parry Leonard Baer

We mourn the loss of a national treasure as Command Sgt. Maj. (CSM) Parry Leonard Baer, devoted and loving husband, father, brother, grandfather, soldier, and cattle farmer, died on the

www.gettysburgtimes.com

If anyone is in the Gettysburg area. You can visit his farm there. His wife Cathleen would appreciate donations to Parry’s charity they run. It’s listed on the bottom of the obituary I posted.


View attachment 599683

Gone far too young.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Red Leg, He was a very special man. I’m confident the Army used Parry as the role model of what a professional looks like. I’ve said it before. I used to believe the FBI were one of the few remaining stand up “Boy Scout” outfits left.

The last 10 years have shown how corrupt and slimy the FBI has become.

Thank God there are still organization's like the Army Green Berets. The epitome of professionalism and competence.

And he was there top enlisted leader thru the war on terror. And then the entire SOF community leader. Early in the war on terror
And after I retired from the Navy.
I could always tell when he came home immediately from performing in very hostile environments. He had “the stare” the whole time.

If you haven’t watched it or read the book look up 12 Strong. Or The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers

 

[Red Leg]

Red Leg, He was a very special man. I’m confident the Army used Parry as the role model of what a professional looks like. I’ve said it before. I used to believe the FBI were one of the few remaining stand up “Boy Scout” outfits left.

The last 10 years have shown how corrupt and slimy the FBI has become.

Thank God there are still organization's like the Army Green Berets. The epitome of professionalism and competence.

And he was there top enlisted leader thru the war on terror. And then the entire SOF community leader. Early in the war on terror
And after I retired from the Navy.
I could always tell when he came home immediately from performing in very hostile environments. He had “the stare” the whole time.

If you haven’t watched it or read the book look up 12 Strong. Or The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers

It is in my library. The son of an old friend did six years active duty in SF and then went into the reserves. He is now on active duty commanding a special forces battalion. He obviously has had a sterling career. He is currently in West Africa. He has several times referred to the CSM with enormous respect.

I wouldn't condemn all the FBI just yet. When he is not on active duty, he runs a FBI field office.

 

[Saul]

Saul, I get your sentiment. Unfortunately we have plenty of nefarious platforms based in the US doing the same mind numbing damage all over the world.

Facebook, Instagram, and many other platforms gather far more personal info than TikTok. And do more damage world wide. Helping in the child and human trafficking and drug trade. And spying on citizens world wide but more so. Right here.

These platforms could have been in the book 1984

Agreed. I would like to see all social media gone, but TikTok is a good start.

 

[Brent in Az]

Those pro Hamas protesters are nothing but speed bumps. Most of those types probably don't even know what they are protesting about.
Bunch of San Fran dimwits that try and give themselves a sense of self worth.

Get a job

 

[Brent in Az]

Election day needs to be held on the Tuesday after April 15th.

 

[Hunt anything]

Election day needs to be held on the Tuesday after April 15th.

Agree, after the check we wrote yesterday I’m ready to vote all of the bums out.