At this point I definitely think they've won the award for most corrupt US administration in history.
At this point?
I figured that benchmark was passed at least three years ago.
Some of the older admins are *really corrupt*
I get that. That's why I didn't say "since the inauguration".
I remember there being quite a lot of corruption allegations early on, which have kinda become quaint now. Heck, if it wasn't expressly China, I doubt the Ross news makes headlines. Maybe a Middle East country or Russia. But if it'd been an EU or most Pacific adjacent nations, I doubt it. Corruption in and of itself isn't news anymore.
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BlackDragon480Bluster KerfuffleMaster of Windy ImportRegistered Userregular
At this point I definitely think they've won the award for most corrupt US administration in history.
At this point?
I figured that benchmark was passed at least three years ago.
Harding's group of playboys did some outlandish shit. Teapot Dome gets the press, but its small potatoes compared to some of the quid pro quo going on between Warren and seemingly the entire state of Ohio.
Only thing that stopped the gravy train was him dieing before finishing his first term.
BlackDragon480 on
No matter where you go...there you are. ~ Buckaroo Banzai
At this point I definitely think they've won the award for most corrupt US administration in history.
At this point?
I figured that benchmark was passed at least three years ago.
Harding's group of playboys did some outlandish shit. Teapot Dome gets the press, but its small potatoes compared to some of the quid pro quo going on between Warren and seemingly the entire state of Ohio.
Only thing that stopped the gravy train was him dieing before finishing his first term.
Yeah, Harding is still the bar to top for corruption. Same with Buchanan still being the bar for the worst. Trump is definitely gunning for it though.
At this point I definitely think they've won the award for most corrupt US administration in history.
At this point?
I figured that benchmark was passed at least three years ago.
Harding's group of playboys did some outlandish shit. Teapot Dome gets the press, but its small potatoes compared to some of the quid pro quo going on between Warren and seemingly the entire state of Ohio.
Only thing that stopped the gravy train was him dieing before finishing his first term.
Yeah, Harding is still the bar to top for corruption. Same with Buchanan still being the bar for the worst. Trump is definitely gunning for it though.
I think as the facts slowly trickle in over the next few years/decades, we are gonna find the Trump admin was so much more corrupt then we even knew.
At this point I definitely think they've won the award for most corrupt US administration in history.
At this point?
I figured that benchmark was passed at least three years ago.
Harding's group of playboys did some outlandish shit. Teapot Dome gets the press, but its small potatoes compared to some of the quid pro quo going on between Warren and seemingly the entire state of Ohio.
Only thing that stopped the gravy train was him dieing before finishing his first term.
Yeah, Harding is still the bar to top for corruption. Same with Buchanan still being the bar for the worst. Trump is definitely gunning for it though.
I think as the facts slowly trickle in over the next few years/decades, we are gonna find the Trump admin was so much more corrupt then we even knew.
I'm sure the only thing that's holding them back is their incompetence.
Ya know what? At this point, charge them all with treason and let them prove otherwise in court. So fed up with our government officials being more concerned with foreign interests than their own country.
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ButtersA glass of some milksRegistered Userregular
At this point I definitely think they've won the award for most corrupt US administration in history.
At this point?
I figured that benchmark was passed at least three years ago.
Harding's group of playboys did some outlandish shit. Teapot Dome gets the press, but its small potatoes compared to some of the quid pro quo going on between Warren and seemingly the entire state of Ohio.
Only thing that stopped the gravy train was him dieing before finishing his first term.
Yeah, Harding is still the bar to top for corruption. Same with Buchanan still being the bar for the worst. Trump is definitely gunning for it though.
I think as the facts slowly trickle in over the next few years/decades, we are gonna find the Trump admin was so much more corrupt then we even knew.
After hearing about the size of Trump's war chest during the primaries and now seeing his campaign strapped for cash I fully believe he has been pocketing tens of millions of his contributions.
At this point I definitely think they've won the award for most corrupt US administration in history.
At this point?
I figured that benchmark was passed at least three years ago.
Harding's group of playboys did some outlandish shit. Teapot Dome gets the press, but its small potatoes compared to some of the quid pro quo going on between Warren and seemingly the entire state of Ohio.
Only thing that stopped the gravy train was him dieing before finishing his first term.
Yeah, Harding is still the bar to top for corruption. Same with Buchanan still being the bar for the worst. Trump is definitely gunning for it though.
I think as the facts slowly trickle in over the next few years/decades, we are gonna find the Trump admin was so much more corrupt then we even knew.
After hearing about the size of Trump's war chest during the primaries and now seeing his campaign strapped for cash I fully believe he has been pocketing tens of millions of his contributions.
They're gonna take all the doorknobs, faucets and light bulbs on the way out.
Perhaps they'll even top LBJ absconding with everything with the Presidential seal on it that wasn't nailed down. He even ganked some decorative wood paneling from Air Force One.
No matter where you go...there you are. ~ Buckaroo Banzai
Reports coming out of the Kremlin suggest Vladimir Putin's 20-year-reign could be coming to an end.
According to Kremlin watchers, the 68-year-old leader is set to step down at the start of 2021, over concerns he may have Parkinson's disease.
I don't know how reliable the NZ Herald is but it seems legit? At least more so then the other papers reporting on this story so far.
Either way this could be a major shakeup.
Ex-dictators and strongmen live a dangerous and often short existence. Putin has more money than god, but I'm still surprised he'd risk it.
Parkinson's is rough, and he may feel that he can no longer project the strength he needs to maintain his position - especially given that US policy on Russia is likely going to take a 180 in a few months.
Reports coming out of the Kremlin suggest Vladimir Putin's 20-year-reign could be coming to an end.
According to Kremlin watchers, the 68-year-old leader is set to step down at the start of 2021, over concerns he may have Parkinson's disease.
I don't know how reliable the NZ Herald is but it seems legit? At least more so then the other papers reporting on this story so far.
Either way this could be a major shakeup.
Ex-dictators and strongmen live a dangerous and often short existence. Putin has more money than god, but I'm still surprised he'd risk it.
Parkinson's is rough, and he may feel that he can no longer project the strength he needs to maintain his position - especially given that US policy on Russia is likely going to take a 180 in a few months.
Right. If a strongman sees the end coming, it is very much in their interest to make arrangements and step down on their own terms.
Strongmen who are overthrown in a coup are literally twice as likely to be executed as those who voluntarily step down.
Reports coming out of the Kremlin suggest Vladimir Putin's 20-year-reign could be coming to an end.
According to Kremlin watchers, the 68-year-old leader is set to step down at the start of 2021, over concerns he may have Parkinson's disease.
I don't know how reliable the NZ Herald is but it seems legit? At least more so then the other papers reporting on this story so far.
Either way this could be a major shakeup.
Ex-dictators and strongmen live a dangerous and often short existence. Putin has more money than god, but I'm still surprised he'd risk it.
Parkinson's is rough, and he may feel that he can no longer project the strength he needs to maintain his position - especially given that US policy on Russia is likely going to take a 180 in a few months.
Right. If a strongman sees the end coming, it is very much in their interest to make arrangements and step down on their own terms.
Strongmen who are overthrown in a coup are literally twice as likely to be executed as those who voluntarily step down.
And even then? Unless he flees reties somewhere else I wouldn't put money on him living a decade. Hell, even half a decade.
Dictatorial politics are not merciful.
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HonkHonk is this poster.Registered User, __BANNED USERSregular
If it were to be valid I sincerely hope that he suffers greatly for the rest of his life from the disease.
Reports coming out of the Kremlin suggest Vladimir Putin's 20-year-reign could be coming to an end.
According to Kremlin watchers, the 68-year-old leader is set to step down at the start of 2021, over concerns he may have Parkinson's disease.
I don't know how reliable the NZ Herald is but it seems legit? At least more so then the other papers reporting on this story so far.
Either way this could be a major shakeup.
Ex-dictators and strongmen live a dangerous and often short existence. Putin has more money than god, but I'm still surprised he'd risk it.
Parkinson's is rough, and he may feel that he can no longer project the strength he needs to maintain his position - especially given that US policy on Russia is likely going to take a 180 in a few months.
Right. If a strongman sees the end coming, it is very much in their interest to make arrangements and step down on their own terms.
Strongmen who are overthrown in a coup are literally twice as likely to be executed as those who voluntarily step down.
And even then? Unless he flees reties somewhere else I wouldn't put money on him living a decade. Hell, even half a decade.
Dictatorial politics are not merciful.
Gotta be quite a few in the CIA who wouldn't mind ensuring he didn't last very long.
Reports coming out of the Kremlin suggest Vladimir Putin's 20-year-reign could be coming to an end.
According to Kremlin watchers, the 68-year-old leader is set to step down at the start of 2021, over concerns he may have Parkinson's disease.
I don't know how reliable the NZ Herald is but it seems legit? At least more so then the other papers reporting on this story so far.
Either way this could be a major shakeup.
Ex-dictators and strongmen live a dangerous and often short existence. Putin has more money than god, but I'm still surprised he'd risk it.
Parkinson's is rough, and he may feel that he can no longer project the strength he needs to maintain his position - especially given that US policy on Russia is likely going to take a 180 in a few months.
Right. If a strongman sees the end coming, it is very much in their interest to make arrangements and step down on their own terms.
Strongmen who are overthrown in a coup are literally twice as likely to be executed as those who voluntarily step down.
And even then? Unless he flees reties somewhere else I wouldn't put money on him living a decade. Hell, even half a decade.
Dictatorial politics are not merciful.
Gotta be quite a few in the CIA who wouldn't mind ensuring he didn't last very long.
It would be wise, should he step down, for him to never leave Russia again. Otherwise, he is going to need a Geiger counter and food tasters wherever he travels. I’m assuming he wears a vest already.
Steam - Synthetic Violence | XBOX Live - Cannonfuse | PSN - CastleBravo | Twitch - SoggybiscuitPA
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Lord_AsmodeusgoeticSobriquet:Here is your magical cryptic riddle-tumour: I AM A TIME MACHINERegistered Userregular
Reports coming out of the Kremlin suggest Vladimir Putin's 20-year-reign could be coming to an end.
According to Kremlin watchers, the 68-year-old leader is set to step down at the start of 2021, over concerns he may have Parkinson's disease.
I don't know how reliable the NZ Herald is but it seems legit? At least more so then the other papers reporting on this story so far.
Either way this could be a major shakeup.
Ex-dictators and strongmen live a dangerous and often short existence. Putin has more money than god, but I'm still surprised he'd risk it.
Parkinson's is rough, and he may feel that he can no longer project the strength he needs to maintain his position - especially given that US policy on Russia is likely going to take a 180 in a few months.
Right. If a strongman sees the end coming, it is very much in their interest to make arrangements and step down on their own terms.
Strongmen who are overthrown in a coup are literally twice as likely to be executed as those who voluntarily step down.
And even then? Unless he flees reties somewhere else I wouldn't put money on him living a decade. Hell, even half a decade.
Dictatorial politics are not merciful.
Gotta be quite a few in the CIA who wouldn't mind ensuring he didn't last very long.
It would be wise, should he step down, for him to never leave Russia again. Otherwise, he is going to need a Geiger counter and food tasters wherever he travels. I’m assuming he wears a vest already.
If he leaves Russia? He should probably start doing those things if he stays in Russia
Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if Labor had not first existed. Labor is superior to capital, and deserves much the higher consideration. - Lincoln
+10
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MrVyngaardLive From New EtoileStraight Outta SosariaRegistered Userregular
And avoid standing near windows.
Never know when an accident might happen.
"now I've got this mental image of caucuses as cafeteria tables in prison, and new congressmen having to beat someone up on inauguration day." - Raiden333
He got to live like a king for decades. What does he care if the last twenty minutes of his life are going to suck? Small price to pay, right?
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EncA Fool with CompassionPronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered Userregular
Its worth noting that Russia also just passed a "presidents are immune to prosecution for the rest of their lives" bill this fall, likely in directly correlation with this situation.
He got to live like a king for decades. What does he care if the last twenty minutes of his life are going to suck? Small price to pay, right?
Men like Putin are in abject fear of death, natural or not. Sure, he’s lived an absolutely privileged life, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to pass with any dignity or grace just because things were good for him in the past.
At the end of the day, strongmen are cowards.
Battlenet ID: MildC#11186 - If I'm in the game, send me an invite at anytime and I'll play.
He got to live like a king for decades. What does he care if the last twenty minutes of his life are going to suck? Small price to pay, right?
Men like Putin are in abject fear of death, natural or not. Sure, he’s lived an absolutely privileged life, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to pass with any dignity or grace just because things were good for him in the past.
At the end of the day, strongmen are cowards.
Some years ago, Starz released two seasons (then cancelled) the show Boss, starring Kelsey Grammer as the mayor of Chicago and titular boss. The mayor runs Chicago (and to a slightly lesser extent Illinois) like his personal fiefdom, greasing the palms that need greasing and threatening those who need thretening; a classic dirty mayor / strongman.
The show is fantastic, like a Game of Thrones or a non-sucky House of Cards, but was sadly cancelled after the second season, the story remaining incomplete. Regardless, I strongly recommend seeing it.
In the first episode, the mayor is diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies, and faces the difficult (for him) choice of whether to continue as mayor (and keeping his conditon secret) or stepping down, fully knowing there will come a point that he won't be able to hide it and a point where he won't even be him any more.
Two seasons of worsening symptoms and episodes of severe memory loss and other symptoms, as well as trying to keep politically afloat and maintain his power, the series culminates in him
refusing the step down and deciding to keep going until the very bitter end. Then the series was cancelled. (You should still watch it.)
Zavianuniversal peace sounds better than forever warRegistered Userregular
edited November 2020
so now that we have a Biden presidency, one of the most concerning things I've been seeing is that Biden will be 'softer' towards China. I'm wondering what his stance will be on the current slave labor taking place, and whether he will sanction any companies currently using slave labor?
In all, ASPI’s research has identified 82 foreign and Chinese companies potentially directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uyghur workers outside Xinjiang through abusive labour transfer programs: Abercrombie & Fitch, Acer, Adidas, Alstom, Amazon, Apple, ASUS, BAIC Motor, BMW, Bombardier, Bosch, BYD, Calvin Klein, Candy, Carter’s, Cerruti 1881, Changan Automobile, Cisco, CRRC, Dell, Electrolux, Fila, Founder Group, GAC Group (automobiles), Gap, Geely Auto, General Motors, Google, Goertek, H&M, Haier, Hart Schaffner Marx, Hisense, Hitachi, HP, HTC, Huawei, iFlyTek, Jack & Jones, Jaguar, Japan Display Inc., L.L.Bean, Lacoste, Land Rover, Lenovo, LG, Li-Ning, Marks & Spencer, Mayor, Meizu, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Mitsumi, Nike, Nintendo, Nokia, Oculus, Oppo, Panasonic, Polo Ralph Lauren, Puma, Roewe, SAIC Motor, Samsung, SGMW, Sharp, Siemens, Skechers, Sony, TDK, Tommy Hilfiger, Toshiba, Tsinghua Tongfang, Uniqlo, Victoria’s Secret, Vivo, Volkswagen, Xiaomi, Zara, Zegna, ZTE. Some brands are linked with multiple factories.
Its worth noting that Russia also just passed a "presidents are immune to prosecution for the rest of their lives" bill this fall, likely in directly correlation with this situation.
Ah I see where this is going
taps nose
the next Russian President is going to throw Putin out of a window and they wanted to make sure he'd be clear away for it
Lord_Asmodeus on
Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if Labor had not first existed. Labor is superior to capital, and deserves much the higher consideration. - Lincoln
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EncA Fool with CompassionPronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered Userregular
so now that we have a Biden presidency, one of the most concerning things I've been seeing is that Biden will be 'softer' towards China. I'm wondering what his stance will be on the current slave labor taking place, and whether he will sanction any companies currently using slave labor?
In all, ASPI’s research has identified 82 foreign and Chinese companies potentially directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uyghur workers outside Xinjiang through abusive labour transfer programs: Abercrombie & Fitch, Acer, Adidas, Alstom, Amazon, Apple, ASUS, BAIC Motor, BMW, Bombardier, Bosch, BYD, Calvin Klein, Candy, Carter’s, Cerruti 1881, Changan Automobile, Cisco, CRRC, Dell, Electrolux, Fila, Founder Group, GAC Group (automobiles), Gap, Geely Auto, General Motors, Google, Goertek, H&M, Haier, Hart Schaffner Marx, Hisense, Hitachi, HP, HTC, Huawei, iFlyTek, Jack & Jones, Jaguar, Japan Display Inc., L.L.Bean, Lacoste, Land Rover, Lenovo, LG, Li-Ning, Marks & Spencer, Mayor, Meizu, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Mitsumi, Nike, Nintendo, Nokia, Oculus, Oppo, Panasonic, Polo Ralph Lauren, Puma, Roewe, SAIC Motor, Samsung, SGMW, Sharp, Siemens, Skechers, Sony, TDK, Tommy Hilfiger, Toshiba, Tsinghua Tongfang, Uniqlo, Victoria’s Secret, Vivo, Volkswagen, Xiaomi, Zara, Zegna, ZTE. Some brands are linked with multiple factories.
so now that we have a Biden presidency, one of the most concerning things I've been seeing is that Biden will be 'softer' towards China. I'm wondering what his stance will be on the current slave labor taking place, and whether he will sanction any companies currently using slave labor?
In all, ASPI’s research has identified 82 foreign and Chinese companies potentially directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uyghur workers outside Xinjiang through abusive labour transfer programs: Abercrombie & Fitch, Acer, Adidas, Alstom, Amazon, Apple, ASUS, BAIC Motor, BMW, Bombardier, Bosch, BYD, Calvin Klein, Candy, Carter’s, Cerruti 1881, Changan Automobile, Cisco, CRRC, Dell, Electrolux, Fila, Founder Group, GAC Group (automobiles), Gap, Geely Auto, General Motors, Google, Goertek, H&M, Haier, Hart Schaffner Marx, Hisense, Hitachi, HP, HTC, Huawei, iFlyTek, Jack & Jones, Jaguar, Japan Display Inc., L.L.Bean, Lacoste, Land Rover, Lenovo, LG, Li-Ning, Marks & Spencer, Mayor, Meizu, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Mitsumi, Nike, Nintendo, Nokia, Oculus, Oppo, Panasonic, Polo Ralph Lauren, Puma, Roewe, SAIC Motor, Samsung, SGMW, Sharp, Siemens, Skechers, Sony, TDK, Tommy Hilfiger, Toshiba, Tsinghua Tongfang, Uniqlo, Victoria’s Secret, Vivo, Volkswagen, Xiaomi, Zara, Zegna, ZTE. Some brands are linked with multiple factories.
Biden helped craft the TPP agreement. He isn't going to be soft on China. He's going to be rational about it.
Yup. The argument that Trump is/was going to be harder on China than Biden would be, is just another one of the bullshit lines that conservatives have been pushing.
The only thing Trump really did to China, besides being casually racist all the time about COVID (Kung flu/China virus), was close down some travel, and institute tariffs, which don't frikking hurt China all that much. AFAIK, tariffs are only on imports, not exports, and tariffs paid on imports are PAID BY THE IMPORTER (ie, US businesses). While China did institute tariffs of their own, on some agricultural goods, all that did was hurt farmers, because China sourced a lot of what they needed from other countries.
Trump has reportedly been heard saying the detention facilities were a good idea.
The idea that Trump was in any way hard on China, is just Republican propoganda.
Not saying Biden is going to go to the mat over it (ie, cutting all trade unless China gets their shit together), but he's definitely going to want to put inroads into undercutting their dominance, across all spheres, diplomatically, economically, and militarily.
What we really need in terms of "fighting China" is to return manufacturing to the USA so that China doesn't have a stranglehold on our supply chains. Especially in terms of medical, food and military manufacturing. We really need to figure out how to do that. Sensibly applied tariffs and tax breaks might work.
What we really need in terms of "fighting China" is to return manufacturing to the USA so that China doesn't have a stranglehold on our supply chains. Especially in terms of medical, food and military manufacturing. We really need to figure out how to do that. Sensibly applied tariffs and tax breaks might work.
Tariffs end up being paid by consumers in the end, so...
so now that we have a Biden presidency, one of the most concerning things I've been seeing is that Biden will be 'softer' towards China. I'm wondering what his stance will be on the current slave labor taking place, and whether he will sanction any companies currently using slave labor?
In all, ASPI’s research has identified 82 foreign and Chinese companies potentially directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uyghur workers outside Xinjiang through abusive labour transfer programs: Abercrombie & Fitch, Acer, Adidas, Alstom, Amazon, Apple, ASUS, BAIC Motor, BMW, Bombardier, Bosch, BYD, Calvin Klein, Candy, Carter’s, Cerruti 1881, Changan Automobile, Cisco, CRRC, Dell, Electrolux, Fila, Founder Group, GAC Group (automobiles), Gap, Geely Auto, General Motors, Google, Goertek, H&M, Haier, Hart Schaffner Marx, Hisense, Hitachi, HP, HTC, Huawei, iFlyTek, Jack & Jones, Jaguar, Japan Display Inc., L.L.Bean, Lacoste, Land Rover, Lenovo, LG, Li-Ning, Marks & Spencer, Mayor, Meizu, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Mitsumi, Nike, Nintendo, Nokia, Oculus, Oppo, Panasonic, Polo Ralph Lauren, Puma, Roewe, SAIC Motor, Samsung, SGMW, Sharp, Siemens, Skechers, Sony, TDK, Tommy Hilfiger, Toshiba, Tsinghua Tongfang, Uniqlo, Victoria’s Secret, Vivo, Volkswagen, Xiaomi, Zara, Zegna, ZTE. Some brands are linked with multiple factories.
Biden helped craft the TPP agreement. He isn't going to be soft on China. He's going to be rational about it.
Furthermore, the argument here is reminiscent of popular views of Carter and Reagan re: Iran. Reagan (who literally sold arms to Iran) was seen as the hardliner, while Carter (whose shutdown of access to funds was pressuring lran to the table) was seen as soft.
What we really need in terms of "fighting China" is to return manufacturing to the USA so that China doesn't have a stranglehold on our supply chains. Especially in terms of medical, food and military manufacturing. We really need to figure out how to do that. Sensibly applied tariffs and tax breaks might work.
I'm sure our corporate overlords would prefer we go for slightly more expensive production in non-China foreign countries than dare to pay someone a living wage. This is exactly what tech companies were starting to do in the face of further China bans/tarrifs.
What we really need in terms of "fighting China" is to return manufacturing to the USA so that China doesn't have a stranglehold on our supply chains. Especially in terms of medical, food and military manufacturing. We really need to figure out how to do that. Sensibly applied tariffs and tax breaks might work.
I'm sure our corporate overlords would prefer we go for slightly more expensive production in non-China foreign countries than dare to pay someone a living wage. This is exactly what tech companies were starting to do in the face of further China bans/tarrifs.
What we really need in terms of "fighting China" is to return manufacturing to the USA so that China doesn't have a stranglehold on our supply chains. Especially in terms of medical, food and military manufacturing. We really need to figure out how to do that. Sensibly applied tariffs and tax breaks might work.
I'm sure our corporate overlords would prefer we go for slightly more expensive production in non-China foreign countries than dare to pay someone a living wage. This is exactly what tech companies were starting to do in the face of further China bans/tarrifs.
That was happening even before Trump.
Trump just piled on. Part of China's issue is that the standard of living is continually rising there and putting upwards pressure on wages so they aren't as cheap as they used to be for labor intensive stuff. Trump just threw a bunch of instability on that already building issue.
What we really need in terms of "fighting China" is to return manufacturing to the USA so that China doesn't have a stranglehold on our supply chains. Especially in terms of medical, food and military manufacturing. We really need to figure out how to do that. Sensibly applied tariffs and tax breaks might work.
Tariffs end up being paid by consumers in the end, so...
Why do people keep saying that? It's only true if demand isn't price-sensitive, and if that's the case, the prices would probably have already been higher. The cost of every tariff is going to be stretched across the entire manufacturing, distribution, and purchasing chain to some extent.
Posts
Some of the older admins are *really corrupt*
I get that. That's why I didn't say "since the inauguration".
I remember there being quite a lot of corruption allegations early on, which have kinda become quaint now. Heck, if it wasn't expressly China, I doubt the Ross news makes headlines. Maybe a Middle East country or Russia. But if it'd been an EU or most Pacific adjacent nations, I doubt it. Corruption in and of itself isn't news anymore.
Harding's group of playboys did some outlandish shit. Teapot Dome gets the press, but its small potatoes compared to some of the quid pro quo going on between Warren and seemingly the entire state of Ohio.
Only thing that stopped the gravy train was him dieing before finishing his first term.
~ Buckaroo Banzai
Yeah, Harding is still the bar to top for corruption. Same with Buchanan still being the bar for the worst. Trump is definitely gunning for it though.
I think as the facts slowly trickle in over the next few years/decades, we are gonna find the Trump admin was so much more corrupt then we even knew.
I'm sure the only thing that's holding them back is their incompetence.
After hearing about the size of Trump's war chest during the primaries and now seeing his campaign strapped for cash I fully believe he has been pocketing tens of millions of his contributions.
Not just him, the whole crew seem to be looting.
Perhaps they'll even top LBJ absconding with everything with the Presidential seal on it that wasn't nailed down. He even ganked some decorative wood paneling from Air Force One.
~ Buckaroo Banzai
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-to-resign-amid-parkinsons-concerns-reports-claim/DVQAUV73ZNQRGT6RZWKG76XYOU/
I don't know how reliable the NZ Herald is but it seems legit? At least more so then the other papers reporting on this story so far.
Either way this could be a major shakeup.
Ex-dictators and strongmen live a dangerous and often short existence. Putin has more money than god, but I'm still surprised he'd risk it.
Parkinson's is rough, and he may feel that he can no longer project the strength he needs to maintain his position - especially given that US policy on Russia is likely going to take a 180 in a few months.
Right. If a strongman sees the end coming, it is very much in their interest to make arrangements and step down on their own terms.
Strongmen who are overthrown in a coup are literally twice as likely to be executed as those who voluntarily step down.
And even then? Unless he flees reties somewhere else I wouldn't put money on him living a decade. Hell, even half a decade.
Dictatorial politics are not merciful.
Gotta be quite a few in the CIA who wouldn't mind ensuring he didn't last very long.
It would be wise, should he step down, for him to never leave Russia again. Otherwise, he is going to need a Geiger counter and food tasters wherever he travels. I’m assuming he wears a vest already.
If he leaves Russia? He should probably start doing those things if he stays in Russia
Never know when an accident might happen.
Men like Putin are in abject fear of death, natural or not. Sure, he’s lived an absolutely privileged life, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to pass with any dignity or grace just because things were good for him in the past.
At the end of the day, strongmen are cowards.
Battlenet ID: MildC#11186 - If I'm in the game, send me an invite at anytime and I'll play.
Some years ago, Starz released two seasons (then cancelled) the show Boss, starring Kelsey Grammer as the mayor of Chicago and titular boss. The mayor runs Chicago (and to a slightly lesser extent Illinois) like his personal fiefdom, greasing the palms that need greasing and threatening those who need thretening; a classic dirty mayor / strongman.
The show is fantastic, like a Game of Thrones or a non-sucky House of Cards, but was sadly cancelled after the second season, the story remaining incomplete. Regardless, I strongly recommend seeing it.
In the first episode, the mayor is diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies, and faces the difficult (for him) choice of whether to continue as mayor (and keeping his conditon secret) or stepping down, fully knowing there will come a point that he won't be able to hide it and a point where he won't even be him any more.
Two seasons of worsening symptoms and episodes of severe memory loss and other symptoms, as well as trying to keep politically afloat and maintain his power, the series culminates in him
Anyways, I'm sure Putin would like the show.
General Tarquin: *sips wine*
But Peter Cushing has been dead for a while now....
Ohhhh.... TarQUin.
Lol, that was indeed where i got that idea.
https://www.aspi.org.au/report/uyghurs-sale
Ah I see where this is going
taps nose
the next Russian President is going to throw Putin out of a window and they wanted to make sure he'd be clear away for it
Biden helped craft the TPP agreement. He isn't going to be soft on China. He's going to be rational about it.
Yup. The argument that Trump is/was going to be harder on China than Biden would be, is just another one of the bullshit lines that conservatives have been pushing.
The only thing Trump really did to China, besides being casually racist all the time about COVID (Kung flu/China virus), was close down some travel, and institute tariffs, which don't frikking hurt China all that much. AFAIK, tariffs are only on imports, not exports, and tariffs paid on imports are PAID BY THE IMPORTER (ie, US businesses). While China did institute tariffs of their own, on some agricultural goods, all that did was hurt farmers, because China sourced a lot of what they needed from other countries.
Trump has reportedly been heard saying the detention facilities were a good idea.
The idea that Trump was in any way hard on China, is just Republican propoganda.
Not saying Biden is going to go to the mat over it (ie, cutting all trade unless China gets their shit together), but he's definitely going to want to put inroads into undercutting their dominance, across all spheres, diplomatically, economically, and militarily.
Tariffs end up being paid by consumers in the end, so...
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Furthermore, the argument here is reminiscent of popular views of Carter and Reagan re: Iran. Reagan (who literally sold arms to Iran) was seen as the hardliner, while Carter (whose shutdown of access to funds was pressuring lran to the table) was seen as soft.
I'm sure our corporate overlords would prefer we go for slightly more expensive production in non-China foreign countries than dare to pay someone a living wage. This is exactly what tech companies were starting to do in the face of further China bans/tarrifs.
That was happening even before Trump.
Trump just piled on. Part of China's issue is that the standard of living is continually rising there and putting upwards pressure on wages so they aren't as cheap as they used to be for labor intensive stuff. Trump just threw a bunch of instability on that already building issue.
Why do people keep saying that? It's only true if demand isn't price-sensitive, and if that's the case, the prices would probably have already been higher. The cost of every tariff is going to be stretched across the entire manufacturing, distribution, and purchasing chain to some extent.
But if they’re on input goods then you do not benefit your manufacturing sector