4 Comments

China respects power only. Nothing else really matters. The Chinese always speak in lofty, complex and supposedly sophisticated ways about international order, and in fact lecture the West and the world often from a morally and intellectually superior pose daily. Cuz the international order allows China to stand atop a pretense of being a 'normal' nation. It's not. It's the most dangerous nation on earth as Xi has turned it into an autocracy. It's not communist in any meaningful way anymore, but pretending it is and that Xi has some kind of unique take on communism and Chinese society. But that's all nonsense.

Xi is building an empire of that can only be compared that of Rome or Great Britain. The economic aspect is already beyond anything those empires ever achieved, being the supplier to the world for many basic and sophisticated products. The corrupt bargain he's made with the Chinese people has empowered him as their champion to lead China to global hegemony. If he doesn't deliver on that promise, he will be considered a failure. Xi is about legacy.

Expand full comment

I wonder how much Blinken cost. James O'Keefe undercover with BlackRock makes it sound as if some politicians can be bought very cheaply.

Expand full comment

Yeah be careful taking that seriously. Donations to PACs etc are what he's discussing, nothing new. That guy is just a recruiter, he's not really close to any actual power at Black Rock. This is the risk of using hot girls to do undercover work. The guys will always exaggerate their power and influence and will tell stories to impress the girl. The idea that the Black Rock's of the world are overtly just paying Senators 500k in bribes is nonsense. They are just participating in the greasy system of PAC money and direct donations. The comment about 'being bought for 10k' is about the limits on donations from individuals. Just sayin'. O'Keefe is great but i thought this one was a bit over hyped.

Expand full comment

The same 'lackey' who headed the Penn-Biden Center where 'classified documents' were found? Interesting. The 'lackey' has an interesting past of 'following instructions'.

Expand full comment