Prelude to war.

[Rightguide]

The CCP flew a drone into close Taiwanese airspace. After several warning shots the Taiwanese shot the drone down.

Xi did this on purpose. He's been prepping his nation for war with Taiwan for years now and this act is just an escalation of provocations that he will use to inflame passions. This is not going to go unanswered.

US military analysts have estimated that China won't make a move against Taiwan for 3-5 years. Given the current global situation we may not have that long. The US Navy is a wreck. They are in the midst of far too many force transitions to be totally effective. The Air Force is in better shape, but not outstandingly so. Our ground forces will be utterly useless in such a confrontation.

Xi is running for a third term coming up in Oct. and is doing so not without opposition. The Chinese economy is in free fall with no end in sight, a great deal of the fault lies with his policies. There's nothing like a 'good war' to unite the populace. Ironically the same can be said of our nation from a political stand point. Biden can't allow Taiwan to fall because to do so will be the last nail in his political coffin and if he doesn't know that, he should.

Yes but how is he going to do it after firing the top 42 generals in his military, two of whom were the only two with real combat experience? At present, I don't think Xi has full control of his military, nor does he have full support of the CCP. There are some interesting videos coming out of China:

 

[DeluxAuto]

Yes but how is he going to do it after firing the top 42 generals in his military, two of whom were the only two with real combat experience? At present, I don't think Xi has full control of his military, nor does he have full support of the CCP. There are some interesting videos coming out of China:

The fact that you idiots think you're getting anything truthful out of China is some of the most retarded shit ever. You know nothing about "42 generals" and their combat experience.

It's a shame you're too ancient for Call of Duty. It might satisfy your childish war itch, loser.

 

[Rightguide]

The fact that you idiots think you're getting anything truthful out of China is some of the most retarded shit ever. You know nothing about "42 generals" and their combat experience.

It's a shame you're too ancient for Call of Duty. It might satisfy your childish war itch, loser.

I know that only two of his top generals have combat experience. Those are the two that have disappeared. They fought the Chinese campaign against North Vietnam 1979. That was their last major war.

As for what is happening right now, take it from one of the top China experts in America:

 

[ll74]

I know that only two of his top generals have combat experience. Those are the two that have disappeared. They fought the Chinese campaign against North Vietnam 1979. That was their last major war.

As for what is happening right now, take it from one of the top China experts in America:

The expert who predicted that China would collapse in 2011?

 

[LLCox]

Xi is currently purging his TOP generals so there will be a considerable period of time before ANYTHING concerning invasion is contemplated.

 

[Hel_Books]

Xi is currently purging his TOP generals so there will be a considerable period of time before ANYTHING concerning invasion is contemplated.

There is a problem with this, though. His purges seem to be about slavish loyalty rather than "corruption" or "competence." If all he's left with are yes-men of dubious ability, he may be MORE likely to launch an invasion. Who among them will recognize flaws in an overly-optimistic invasion plan? Who will have the courage to point out those flaws?

 

[LLCox]

There is a problem with this, though. His purges seem to be about slavish loyalty rather than "corruption" or "competence." If all he's left with are yes-men of dubious ability, he may be MORE likely to launch an invasion. Who among them will recognize flaws in an overly-optimistic invasion plan? Who will have the courage to point out those flaws?

The replacements don't even know what the "plan' is or the people they are giving orders to. It's so trump like.

 

[Hel_Books]

Hel_Books said:
There is a problem with this, though. His purges seem to be about slavish loyalty rather than "corruption" or "competence." If all he's left with are yes-men of dubious ability, he may be MORE likely to launch an invasion. Who among them will recognize flaws in an overly-optimistic invasion plan? Who will have the courage to point out those flaws?

The replacements don't even know what the "plan' is or the people they are giving orders to. It's so trump like.

That's why it's so dangerous. They'll all tell Xi, "The plan is ready, boss, anytime you want, yes SIR!"

 

[DeluxAuto]

I know that only two of his top generals have combat experience. Those are the two that have disappeared. They fought the Chinese campaign against North Vietnam 1979. That was their last major war.

As for what is happening right now, take it from one of the top China experts in America:

You always prove me right when I assert that you're a fucking gullible idiot.

 

[LLCox]

That's why it's so dangerous. They'll all tell Xi, "The plan is ready, boss, anytime you want, yes SIR!"

I and the US military would love that.

 

[RobDownSouth]

There is a problem with this, though. His purges seem to be about slavish loyalty rather than "corruption" or "competence." If all he's left with are yes-men of dubious ability, he may be MORE likely to launch an invasion. Who among them will recognize flaws in an overly-optimistic invasion plan? Who will have the courage to point out those flaws?

He could reach out to Pickled Pete Hegseth, erstwhile Murican Secretary of WAR, on how to make sure you're surrounded by "yes men" in the Military.

 

[Hel_Books]

Hel_Books said:
That's why it's so dangerous. They'll all tell Xi, "The plan is ready, boss, anytime you want, yes SIR!"

I and the US military would love that.

The US military hasn't done very well, of late. They beat up on Afghanistan and Iraq, sure, but the same crazies are still in charge in both those countries (yes, Saddam Hussein was hanged, but it's not like the US occupation changed much more than that!). Going back to more substantial conflicts, like Korea and Vietnam, well, I don't think you "love" either of those outcomes, do you?

The US military doesn't seem to be able to do much of anything, from the former Yugoslavia to the Middle East, even in the Caribbean! It's not like blowing up some (alleged) smuggling boats has reduced the supply of drugs, has it?

Seriously, though, what would be the "best" outcome of a Chinese attempt to invade Taiwan? The Taiwanese repelling the attack all by themselves? Sounds nice, but how likely is that? So the USA and maybe others have to get involved. Lots of ships sunk, soldiers, sailors and airmen killed, cities on Taiwan and the mainland devastated (and maybe Guam and points further east?), eventually ending in a peace of exhaustion, like after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, leaving China in precarious control of part of Taiwan. Or maybe the US and Taiwan and others (how far will it spread? will Japan, Korea, Australia, Vietnam, the European powers get involved?) manage to stop the invasion after colossal casualties and destruction to cities and infrastructure and severe damage to international trade.

No, the US military isn't loving that.

 

[Hel_Books]

Hel_Books said:
There is a problem with this, though. His purges seem to be about slavish loyalty rather than "corruption" or "competence." If all he's left with are yes-men of dubious ability, he may be MORE likely to launch an invasion. Who among them will recognize flaws in an overly-optimistic invasion plan? Who will have the courage to point out those flaws?

He could reach out to Pickled Pete Hegseth, erstwhile Murican Secretary of WAR, on how to make sure you're surrounded by "yes men" in the Military.

Hegseth seems to be sticking to running smash and grab kidnap operations (Venezuela) or piracy (unarmed oil tankers) rather than actually any of this "war" stuff he wags his chiseled jaw about so often.

 

[LLCox]

No, the US military isn't loving that.

China has ZERO combat experience. It will be a short war. Your results may vary but will be wrong.

 

[Holy_Seduction]

When the Bretton-Woods Conference of ‘44 was hosted, the US was responsible for approximately half of the world’s production.

Those days are gone forever. Since the 50s, the US’ position has eroded continuously.

Whereas this era began with greenback/gold convertibility at $35/oz, gold is now bought at roughly $5,000/oz.

Governments the world over are losing faith in the dollar as a store of value. Elites, central banks, etc. are turning to gold as a stable storehouse of value. The loss of faith in fiat currency is precisely why those who can buy gold to hedge against a declining dollar.

A host of issues arise in relation to this massive drop in US productive capacity on a global percentage basis. But how to discuss the fact that investors, including corporate investors, are turning away from investing in US production?

In a little over a half century, the percentage of wealth generation created by productive means vs that produced by financialization have effectively traded places. No one more than the ruling class knows how frightening it is.

Occurring beside the concentration of extreme wealth, the absence of investment in productive means that the ruling class has nothing invested in retaining an healthy working class. Instead, its focus is entirely on protecting its own privilege and exorbitant wealth. The working class is now perceived as a direct threat to that social position and wealth.

The ongoing attacks on the working class — forever, pandemic policy, attacks on public health, wages, jobs, education, healthcare, and every other aspect of public life come to be seen not as antisocial behavior, but as rational public policy.

The initiation of tax on the public, police crackdowns, military occupations, ongoing surveillance, etc. are necessary to enforce the imposition of barbarism on society.

However, that is not acceptable. That could become a rally and cry around which the proletarian class may unite and resist.

From a ruling class perspective, it makes far more sense to postulate that the source of hardship at home lies in fact with someone named Xi. Or anyone else who can serve as a convenient scapegoat.

Of course, issues of globalized production, supply chains, the interconnectedness of a global economy, etc. make it impossible for national governments to protect themselves from international development.

So the very crisis that capitalism creates becomes the rationale for increasing the intensity of attacks, foreign aggression, wars, and global war.

If people want to discuss these things purely from a nationalist standpoint, that is certainly their prerogative.

However, it helps nothing to preclude from civic discourse, the economic foundations that have been working toward these ends, and which will continue regardless of how the current conflicts play out.

The bottom line is that these contradictions HAVE no resolution under the capital system of politically economy.

But we truly ought to stop deluding ourselves and pretending that this is not about global production and competition at a level which the United States is simply incapable of sustaining.

We have seen empires rise and fall in the past. Wisdom would advise that we position the population to sustain itself well throughout this present century. However, that will necessitate a viable infrastructure system and rebuilding a powerful workforce — things in which the ruling class has absolutely no interest whatsoever.

But you cannot obey these things. You cannot avoid a collapsing dollar, enormous debt, a decline in global position, and massive outrage at domestic repression, simply by doing the things that created these problems — except harder.