tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post2805735283161955517..comments2024-03-29T02:19:19.866-04:00Comments on Mike Norman Economics: Paul Street: How Russia Became Our Adversary Againmike normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296006882513340747noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-26410894086227718352017-05-21T18:41:16.604-04:002017-05-21T18:41:16.604-04:00@AA
"In many cases we are in fact the most ...@AA <br /><br /><i>"In many cases we are in fact the most moral actors"</i><br /><br />The only thing factual about your opinion is that it is yours. Examples please. Noah Wayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12012500819097539976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-63914690212501752122017-05-21T15:29:55.803-04:002017-05-21T15:29:55.803-04:00The question is who in the various countries want ...The question is who in the various countries want the US military there and why.<br /><br />"What's good for General Motors is good for America," but not necessarily for all Americans.Tom Hickeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08454222098667643650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-76348945469440744762017-05-21T15:19:22.284-04:002017-05-21T15:19:22.284-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15197727918414570446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-57121703972406341312017-05-21T15:17:02.405-04:002017-05-21T15:17:02.405-04:00"If African countries voluntarily and activel..."If African countries voluntarily and actively want US bases..."<br />Ah the old "but they want us there" arguement. Not much difference the colonial idea of the natives wanting the whites to come civilize them.<br />If I recall correctly, it was a bit of a hassle getting africom set up since no one wanted it, not that Africans get much of a say in what happens to them.Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15197727918414570446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-55837595025856750742017-05-21T15:04:21.099-04:002017-05-21T15:04:21.099-04:00Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea have oil, which make...Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea have oil, which makes up the bulk of trade with the US. Yes, America is stupid and they will blame China for doing what they should have done. A few will admit that they missed a business opportunity.Peter Panhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09473311771939167712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-52560827087222029932017-05-21T14:47:57.100-04:002017-05-21T14:47:57.100-04:00Auburn, ,again we differ on the facts.Auburn, ,again we differ on the facts.Tom Hickeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08454222098667643650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-5462508204289650902017-05-21T14:35:38.009-04:002017-05-21T14:35:38.009-04:00Bob
China only surpassed the USA as Africas NUMB...Bob <br /><br />China only surpassed the USA as Africas NUMBER 1 (as in the most) in 2009. So given that before 2009 the US was AFrica's largest trading partner. Its kind of hard to argue that the US does use economic trade strategy in Africa.<br /><br />But hey lets not let the facts in the way of a ggood story about how awesome China is and how stupid America is.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15433129947896088098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-63768553046613476292017-05-21T13:50:45.094-04:002017-05-21T13:50:45.094-04:00The US is not using both strategies in Africa. The...The US is not using both strategies in Africa. They'll be the first to complain that China has an undue influence in Africa. And it will be due to trade!<br /><br />The US approach to Russia is similar, attempting to contain them military, with little emphasis in trade. Bad strategy.Peter Panhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09473311771939167712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-78223602867469125152017-05-21T13:42:10.885-04:002017-05-21T13:42:10.885-04:00TOm-
"There is an alternative view that is m...TOm-<br /><br />"There is an alternative view that is more plausible than the US putting it troops in all sorts of far way place "because freedom and democracy" and because Americans are so big hearted that they are putting trillions of dollars into a military rather than investing in the myriad domestic problem in the US that can't be addressed "because there is no money."<br /><br />Ive never said that the US is an angel. I never said that we dont act in our interests. Strawmanning me is so far beneath you Tom. You have to take an honest accounting of the options at the point in time.<br /><br />No war in Korea in 50, then 10s of millions more people would be under the brutal thumb of Kim jjung un<br /><br />No war in 91 then saddam controls at least Kuwait and maybe as much as 50% of the world oil production.<br /><br />NO supporting mujahadeen in afghanistan and the russians might still be there. <br /><br />NO nato for estonia latvia etc, a 2015 Russia easily dominates all its small and weak neighbors. <br /><br />No US navy in the South china sea and Chinese easily takes control of and dominates one of the most valuable.<br /><br />What the respective powers would have actually done or will do if we arent around is totally up in the air. Maybe Kim jung il has to moderate, maybe there is a later revolution and the whole peninsula is united under democracy. But that would of course require CHina and the Russians to have stayed out of it too. <br /><br />The truth is that I dont trust China and Russian intentions. Their cultures are autocratic, and their policical systems highly authoritarian. These are worse cultures and ways to run a society than liberal democratic states in my opinion. And so does most of the people in the world given the trends in human societal evolution. <br /><br />If the US doesnt act, somebody else will. Foreign relations is an anarchic system, might makes right. Libertarianism is just as insane a framework for international relations as it is for economics.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15433129947896088098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-15133565195567400902017-05-21T13:32:34.728-04:002017-05-21T13:32:34.728-04:00"Minus oil imports, US trade with Africa is s..."Minus oil imports, US trade with Africa is small. This is the next frontier to be developed and China is involved in it. Who is pursuing a better strategy?"<br /><br />Bob Im not debating the merits of each states actions wrt to performance evaluation and comparison.<br /><br />You said that US uses military and china uses trade.<br /><br />They US uses both, this is just the reality.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15433129947896088098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-79339057932236948692017-05-21T13:30:56.662-04:002017-05-21T13:30:56.662-04:00Tom-
Your responses are laughably simple for extr...Tom-<br /><br />Your responses are laughably simple for extremely complex issues. The US is not omnipotent. Georgians have their own self interest and minds of their own, same thing with syrians, Checnyans and Ukrainians. The US very well may support somme groups over others but that is the exact same thing that Russia and the other powers do also. So again, where is the moral principle? Russia has been absoluetly brutal in its tactics in all these engagments, they certainly dont have the moral high ground. Either does Assad or Iran for that matter. Which of course is not at all the same as to say that the USA has the moral high ground, sometimes yes and sometimes no, just like with the other countries mentioned.<br /><br />Iran interfering and influencing Basra during the Late Saddam years to protect shias was aboslutely moral to help protect them from him. Now them supporting PMU death squads is a different matter, same as with the US when it supports some ugly characters.<br /><br />So again, the point is that the world is complex, the US isnt some uniquely evil entity. In many cases we are in fact the most moral actors, and this should be supported not lambasted by peaceniks with a completely unrealistic understanding of the worldAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15433129947896088098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-73163891115110869852017-05-21T13:29:08.166-04:002017-05-21T13:29:08.166-04:00China doing trade better is not the same as the u....<i>China doing trade better is not the same as the u.s. not using trade it all.</i><br /><br />Minus oil imports, US trade with Africa is small. This is the next frontier to be developed and China is involved in it. Who is pursuing a better strategy?Peter Panhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09473311771939167712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-59312478941892783572017-05-21T12:44:58.043-04:002017-05-21T12:44:58.043-04:00I see your point. I see your point. Kaiveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04195639305785321786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-21665349626163062652017-05-21T12:31:07.995-04:002017-05-21T12:31:07.995-04:00The US wasn't fighting communism, it was stopp...<i>The US wasn't fighting communism, it was stopping people in the third world from keeping their mineral and oil wealth to themselves.</i><br /><br />There are two aspects to this. <br /><br />The first to secure control of territory and its resources for oneself. <br /><br />The second is to deny this to others that are actual or potential adversaries.Tom Hickeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08454222098667643650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-5978263906921718842017-05-21T12:15:31.624-04:002017-05-21T12:15:31.624-04:00Perhaps I should put out the Smedley Butler video ...Perhaps I should put out the Smedley Butler video again as a reminder, but the last time I did that everyone said they had seen it. Smedley said he realised he was just gangster for rich US corporations. The US wasn't fighting communism, it was stopping people in the third world from keeping their mineral and oil wealth to themselves. Kaiveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04195639305785321786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-58201007176004499992017-05-21T11:53:34.986-04:002017-05-21T11:53:34.986-04:00I saw a video once about China. The narrator said ...<i>I saw a video once about China. The narrator said that China wounds never free Tibet, because two of it's greatest rivers start in Tibet. It was a water security situation.</i><br /><br />The list of political priorities is security, order and well-being. Security is the highest priority. <br /><br />Similarly, everything that the US does militarily is justified based on national security and …. What comes after the and is hype.<br /><br />It boils down to national security. <br /><br />The US elite strongly believe that national security requires global hegemony. The US is willing and able to go to war of this and has said so.Tom Hickeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08454222098667643650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-26177761582144646512017-05-21T11:49:12.694-04:002017-05-21T11:49:12.694-04:00fundamentally disagree with the notion that Latvia...<i> fundamentally disagree with the notion that Latvia Estonia Exedra must suffer Because of their Geographic proximity to what has historically been an absolutely horrible dictatorship neighbor. And I'm proud that America prevents those poor countries from having to suffer under the influence of Russia.<br /><br />You're right it has always been like that specifically because there was never another country big strong and moral enough to prevent it from happening. None of this is any type of criticism against the US and my opinion this is all stuff that we should be happy about.<br /><br />But I am certainly appreciative of the fact that you made your position clear Bob. I respect your opinion I just disagree with it.</i><br /><br />There is an alternative view that is more plausible than the US putting it troops in all sorts of far way place "because freedom and democracy" and because Americans are so big hearted that they are putting trillions of dollars into a military rather than investing in the myriad domestic problem in the US that can't be addressed "because there is no money."<br /><br />This is the same BS I fell for as new US naval officer at the beginning of the Vietnam Conflict (it was never officially a war, which must be declared) — until I figured out what what really going on.Tom Hickeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08454222098667643650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-50925974206215623102017-05-21T11:36:29.687-04:002017-05-21T11:36:29.687-04:00Ukraine, Georgia, Chechyna, and Syria
Who started...<i>Ukraine, Georgia, Chechyna, and Syria</i><br /><br />Who started these conflicts?<br /><br />Ukraine — US fomented coup.<br /><br />Georgia — started by US stooge<br /><br />Chechnya — CIA sponsored terrorist.<br /><br />Syria — CIA and Gulf state sponsored anti-Assad rebels including AQ, and allowed ISIS to capture much of the territory.<br /><br />None of this would have happened without US involvement.Tom Hickeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08454222098667643650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-35025690272733309242017-05-21T11:05:19.968-04:002017-05-21T11:05:19.968-04:00Noah
Still incapable of making a cogent and logic...Noah<br /> Still incapable of making a cogent and logical argument I see. Some things never changeAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15433129947896088098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-59012179915036820022017-05-21T11:00:27.378-04:002017-05-21T11:00:27.378-04:00@AA
"what do US bases in africa have to do w...@AA<br /><br /><i>"what do US bases in africa have to do with Russia in this case?"</i><br /><br />Maybe you should look at a map. Here's one:<br /><br />http://stateofthenation2012.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/u-s-bases-near-russia.jpg<br /><br />You can also compare the relative global military presence:<br /><br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Soviet_Union_military_bases_abroad<br /><br />vs. <br /><br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_military_bases<br /><br /><i>"Do big countries have the right to push smaller countries around that are their neighbors because they're in the big countries <b>sphere of influence</b> aka geographic proximity?"</i><br /><br />Like the US and Latin and South America, much of Europe and Asia (England, Germany, Greece, Italy, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, etc.)? Try reading a little history.Noah Wayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12012500819097539976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-5097742365370263132017-05-21T10:56:22.507-04:002017-05-21T10:56:22.507-04:00I saw a video once about China. The narrator said ...I saw a video once about China. The narrator said that China wounds never free Tibet, because two of it's greatest rivers start in Tibet. It was a water security situation. Kaiveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04195639305785321786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-16217333717327281702017-05-21T10:53:10.408-04:002017-05-21T10:53:10.408-04:00Now that is another good point. Now that is another good point. Kaiveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04195639305785321786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-82317872064681676262017-05-21T10:51:48.483-04:002017-05-21T10:51:48.483-04:00The Russians are surrounded by US bases. But who i...The Russians are surrounded by US bases. But who invited them, did their governments ask their civilians? Russia lost 26 million people in the last war. They need buffet states to feel secure. How would the US feel if China had loads of military bases in Mexico, Canada, and Cuba? For some reason patriarchs don't seem to be able the see the situation in reverse. Kaiveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04195639305785321786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-54510595680568425002017-05-21T10:49:26.880-04:002017-05-21T10:49:26.880-04:00China doing trade better is not the same as the u....China doing trade better is not the same as the u.s. not using trade it all.<br /><br /> I fundamentally disagree with the notion that Latvia Estonia Exedra must suffer Because of their Geographic proximity to what has historically been an absolutely horrible dictatorship neighbor. And I'm proud that America prevents those poor countries from having to suffer under the influence of Russia.<br /><br /> You're right it has always been like that specifically because there was never another country big strong and moral enough to prevent it from happening. None of this is any type of criticism against the US and my opinion this is all stuff that we should be happy about.<br /><br /> But I am certainly appreciative of the fact that you made your position clear Bob. I respect your opinion I just disagree with it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15433129947896088098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761684730989137546.post-21098966218153909722017-05-21T10:36:38.742-04:002017-05-21T10:36:38.742-04:00Do big countries have the right to push smaller co...<i>Do big countries have the right to push smaller countries around that are their neighbors because they're in the big countries sphere of influence aka geographic proximity?</i><br /><br />It's been like this a long time. When they have the power to do so, they usually do.Peter Panhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09473311771939167712noreply@blogger.com