Wednesday, August 5, 2020

United States Plans to Relocate Factories from Asia to Latin America — José Gregorio Martínez


This is kind of a no-brainer. The US should have been participating in a concerted effort to build a Western Hemispheric bloc rather than attempt to control Asia when China, India, Russia and Iran, and soon Indonesia, are the major players on the ground. Dumb strategy to overextend.

The US will always have a foot in Europe owing to the special relationship with Britain, even when NATO is history, which it should be already, after the collapse of the USSR. The attempt to keep it alive past its expiration date is pathetic. And dumb.

The US will also have a foot in Asia too, through Australia and New Zealand, and Israel.

This leaves Africa up for grabs, and in the latter part of this century, the major growth will come from Africa. Instead of competing for control, the world should cooperate in bringing Africa online as soon as possible. The old colonial powers need to butt out.

10 comments:

Peter Pan said...

The US government is a big manufacturer, with factories. Who knew?

Matt Franko said...

Chinese are better trained Andy..., that’s one difference...

Tom Hickey said...

@ Andy

No country in Latin America has the economic or military capability to challenge US exploitation. China does.

Attempting to exploit China is perceived by over a billion Chinese are trying to continue the century of humiliation. In other words it's a collision course that the US and its allies can't win. And they could actually be defeated to boot. Dumb strategy.

The US should stick to its own hemisphere where it has a chance to prevail. This doesn't necessarily mean to continue colonization and exploitation, but even that out be better than foolishly trying this with China. The wiser course would be to create allies with capability and to give them reason to cooperation willingly with the US, instead of backing dictatorial racist regimes. The US is being forced into either confrontation or competition with China, Russia, and Iran, who are all getting involved in Latin America, China big time. China is also moving into Africa as well as Asia.

So far the US is attempting to continue its policy of colonization and exploitation there, which involves conflict with Chinese and Russian interests.

As I have said previously, the US has already at hybrid war with China, Russia, and Iran for some time to preserve and extend US global hegemony. It is a losing strategy that could result in kinetic war. It's pushing against the tide.

This is totally needless. The pie would be bigger for everyone if a win-win strategy were put in place. Then the US would rightly be seen in a leadership role. Now the US is appearing as the spoiler, and US soft power is crumbling.

Matt Franko said...

“ and US soft power is crumbling.”

It’s not crumbling it’s trumps policy to end it...,

Peter Pan said...

There's no win-win under capitalism, you old fool. Nearly everyone lives under a single economic system, which is based on exploitation, according to Marxists. China may even exploit Africa and developing regions more efficiently, since they are onboard with 'rules-based' globalism.

There are a lot of things that are needless, when it comes to humanity. We can build a technologically-based civilization while continuing to live like impoverished animals. Our lack of wisdom towards the planet that sustains us, will be our undoing.

In the meantime, factories will relocate to wherever costs are lower. Exploitation of China's labour force will continue, both in and outside of manufacturing.

The task of suppressing civil unrest rests with the local nation-state or sovereign. The system is designed to maintain captive labour forces, delineated by borders. Without those controls in place, exploitation of one region by another would be less efficient. Congratulations to China for joining the club.

Tom Hickey said...

@ Peter Pan

"There's no win-win under capitalism"

I have been saying forever that capitalism is based on "competition," so it is a zero-sum game. The political system corresponding to capitalism is fascism (corporate statism).

Moreover, going beyond capitalism to socialism requires raising the level of collective consciousness.

When one economic system dominates, other systems are either cave to it or collapse (USSR). Deng decides that it was best for China to cave, but on its own terms to the degree possible.

In talking about geostrategy rather than about ideals. The US has a chance to dominate the Western Hemisphere, exploitively nor not, which to a great degree it already does exploitively. Conversely, trying to dominate Asia is a strategic blunder that promises disaster.

I suspect that real transformation may not take place before capitalism of some form dominates globally, calling forth a new mode of production. But capitalism doesn't have to be totalitarian corporate capitalism either, although that is the trend now.

A major exogenous shock could result in a massive shift in the level of consciousness globally and a new order. Or it could result in mass culling that accompanies collapse. I would say the potential for this is high, given environmental challenges, pandemics, and nuclear war.

Peter Pan said...

The US had their chance to dominate (or rather, cash in the peace dividend) in the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Instead, they pursued a strategy that is 100-200 years out of date.

Geostrategy can be about trade. The BRICS and Europe are leading by example; whereas the US has become a disruptor of trade. Hawks dream of waging wars of conquest on an overcrowded, interconnected planet.

Peter Pan said...

It’s not crumbling it’s trumps policy to end it...

If Trump loses, isolationism may be the first policy reversal.

Matt Franko said...

A lot riding on this election...

S400 said...

““ and US soft power is crumbling.”

It’s not crumbling it’s trumps policy to end it...,”

And you see Jesus’ face in the toast too.