Saturday, March 24, 2018

A brief history of the 21st century ....

... or When The Assholes Took Over.
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/43950-the-last-person-in-the-room-john-bolton-pnac-and-the-end-of-the-world

Monday, March 12, 2018

A great summary of the Horrific 21st century ...

... that was created by the US War on Terror:

https://www.juancole.com/2018/03/american-crusade-terror.html

Keep in mind the North American media outlets do not cover the deaths of non-North Americans.  We only hear about local events.  We cause far greater horrors overseas.

Saturday, March 10, 2018

World Domination concepts, China's plan

Found this in a article reviewing the rise and fall of empires:

https://medium.com/@mikebyrne_16145/the-rise-or-decline-of-us-global-power-a-critical-look-at-alfred-mccoys-new-book-2ed9cdd437ff 

This paragraph is intriguing:

"China’s grand strategy certainly isn’t your typical imperial grand strategy, depending moreso on economic soft power than pure power projection through military might. Nevertheless the strategy, if implemented would clearly change the geopolitical power dynamics of the world, and that obviously has some policymakers concerned in Washington. One of the main post-World War II pillars of US empire is “The Washington Consensus”, a philosophical framework of global governance that emphasizes the primacy of western financial and governance institutions in conducting global politics. Institutions like the IMF, World Bank, and WTO are products of this framework, and these institutions, along with military alliances like NATO, have served to maintain a western-centric global supremacy with the US government at the helm. China’s strategy looks to reorient the entire landscape, shifting the epicenter of global governance from a “unipolar” model, which emphasizes the need for a single powerful hegemon, to a more “multipolar” model, which emphasizes regional hegemons. Halford Mackinder once wrote that “Trans-continental railways are now transmuting the conditions of land power,” and that “…the century will not be old before all Asia is covered with railways,”. He wrote this back in 1904, and due to the damage accumulated in the wake of two world wars, it wouldn’t be until the next century that his vision was realized. China by 2030 plans on linking all of their major cities by high speed rail, while simultaneously working with surrounding states to make the effort transcontinental. Plans on constructing a “Eurasian Land Bridge” or a high speed rail line that would go from Chongqing to Leipzig, Germany in 20 days is an example of one such ambitious project. Why is this significant? China being able to ship via high speed rail allows it to circumvent shipping lanes, most of which are patrolled by either the US navy or US allies. Circumventing these shipping lanes gives the Chinese ability to get around any obstacles that may arise if any diplomatic or geopolitical tensions arise between China and the US. Chinese grand strategy also involves the construction of a vast network of pipelines for the purpose of importing oil and gas. One of the most significant deals in this realm was between the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and Russian state owned Gazprom. The deal was worth $400 billion, and it came during a time where Russia was facing increased sanctions from the West due to its annexation of Crimea. Russia as a geostrategic partner is essential for China’s implementation of their grand strategy. As long as Russia is the primary boogeyman of the West, and keeping the West bogged down in a two front proxy war in Syria and Ukraine, China can simply step in strategically without getting their hands dirty while continuing to implement what some in the US media are beginning to refer to as China’s “manifest destiny”. China is also looking to end the monopoly on military alliances, security alliances, and international economic institutions through alliances such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organizations(SCO), functioning as a Asian security alliance, and the establishment of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), built in the likeness and image of the IMF, and already has support from many countries, including US allies like the UK, Australia, and South Korea"

It is also interesting to note that China is not wasting trillions on war-based adventures.  It is now on a path to become free of all dependence on non-renewable energy sources.  Pursuit of petroleum-based resources is what has fuelled most of the wars in the last 100 years, and is still at the heart of US foreign policy.  China does not want to emulate this folly, when there is a better way achieve its security and wealth.