Brave, New World
Better the enemy you know than the foe you do not.
I give you Trump, Taiwan and the difference between Hillary.
Previously I had written that Trump’s “gift” if you will is
his very, very scary unpredictability.
Hillary is a cold bitch but professionally predictable.
Trump is the loose cannon nobody wants. He’s
the one the relatives hope doesn’t give a speech at the wedding. It is loose cannon’s that start wars and do
not bother with the niceties of accountability. Sure, people will look upon him with bemused
contempt and condescension. But now he
is President, folks.
The lazy thing is to say the masses have spoken. Except they have not. HRC won the damn election. But Trump is a very robust breeze of fresh
air. He will do more than wreck the
forest. He will rampage through every recognized
post WW2 norm and nicety, blindfold with a chainsaw, drunk on self delusion. By the
time his term is over, we will all be left dazed and confused. Our allies gasping for air. The rotation
of the Earth quite possibly reversed.
And China will say “what?”
“This isn’t how we do things!”
And everyone from Japan and Israel to England and Germany,
and finally the Russians(!), will nod in unison, jaw aslack, as if finding
their beloved 85 year old Bible toting Grandpa with a whiskey in one hand and a
19 year old whore in the other.
And the “99 percenters” will roar back:
“This is how we do things!”
It wasn’t the atomic bomb that was the “destroyer of worlds”.
It was the internet and the ability (or illusion?) of every
man and woman of this social class to suddenly realize and gaze upon the “one
percenters” that “we don’t need you anymore” and “we can do this ourselves”!
So Trump spoke with Taiwan.
This is just the first ripple of the tsunami that will hit
the shore folks.
Want Stability?
Predictability?
Well, don’t be a Pussy.
Stability and Predictability are for people with real money
in the stock market. Or maybe just
People with Hope still left in their beautiful, gleaming lives. Stability and Predictability….how have these
two things made everyone else’s tiny and unnoticed lives better? Stability and Predictability haven’t
narrowed the disparity gap. Stability
and Predictability haven’t made the bottom 99% rich. Nope.
Desperate People just don’t give a fuck. They’ll willingly inject anti-freeze into
their veins if they think it might, just might cure their terminal cancer.
I’m seeing lots more in the papers about Trump and
Taiwan. I’ll probably read what they
have to say. But one comment has already
caught my eye. Trump seems to understand
that “playing” with China is indeed a zero sum game. It’s about damn time a Western leader spoke
up and said as much. China is our
rival, not our friend. And China wants
to win. They are playing the game for
the other guy to lose.
To say China was blindsided by Trump’s call with Taiwan is
nothing if only the understatement of the hour. Xi Dada better watch his
manners.
Trump’s cover? Well,
he’s not actually President yet. China
cannot “officially” get mad about anything right now.
You think you’ve seen enough drama?
Not a chance.
Wait til Trump goes to Taiwan.
Wait til he gives a speech at CKS’s Purple Temple.
But as regards China, Trump may be crazy like a fox.
“Push me too far and I’ll invite Taiwan’s leader for a State
Visit. You guys only got one carrier you
know…..”
It’s nice and splendid and fun for all the other leaders to
look on in bemused, if not hysterical fashion at what the future of America
looks like in Trump’s giddy hands. Until
that is, Trump’s beady New York eyes and brash persona take aim at YOUR
country.
One wonders what dossier China’s government has prepared for
Xi? What psychological profile have they
created on this blonde Made in America looney tune of ours?
“Off the hinges?”
Premeditated Bully with a clear focus of what he wants?
This much is true. We’ve
finally arrived at our destination. For
better but probably for worse, it’s a Brave New World folks.
Trump won the popular vote in 3,084 out of 3,141 counties. In those 3,084 counties, Trump had nearly 8 million more popular votes than Crooked Hillary. But you would rather have five megacities choose our President than allow all of us to have a say in the election.
ReplyDelete177 of Hillary Clinton's 232 electoral votes came from states that either require NO ID at all or NO PHOTO ID. She lost 49 states by 2M votes but won California by 4.3M votes. That is her entire margin right there.
I only just noticed this comment in the SPAM section, so sorry for the belated publishing of said comment. You forget she also won New York.
DeleteI'd like to ask you to write a post for 20-somethings who start their career in China or for other age brackets as well. Below I send you two links to some articles (one is from 2015 and another from 2008. You could also compare the data with any "china salary report". I'd be really curious to hear your say about this topic.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chinalawblog.com/2008/12/young_educated_and_bilingual_a.html
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-expats-china-endangered-species-r%C3%A9my-cimadomo
best regards,
D.
I forgot to add: the comments section of both articles are also worth reading!
ReplyDeleteOk, Dagnai, give me some time, and I will see what I can do.
DeleteTrump's actually cool headed. The appearance of "crazy" is his persuasion tactic. "Art of the Deal" explains this, Scott Adam's blog is also key. I voted for him, and was stoked when he cause this tissy with China. F- the CPP. We should have stopped validating those scumbags in'89.. most China watchers I know are happy with the Trump.
ReplyDeleteWell, I must admit, he is not a breath of fresh air, more like a fucking hurricane of it. I DID NOT see his call with Taiwan coming, and the vein of nationalism in his comments since is most welcome. No one has the right to tell America who it can talk to, or call, or visit, etc, just like we have no right if Xi wants to visit Cuba, or North Korea. But My God Man, I think in two years time, we'll have 100,000 troops in Syria and 50-50 invaded Iran by then. Who the Hell knows where this guy is taking us? It will be both entertaining and frightening to see a businessman in charge for a change. I very much welcome his brash style with Boeing and Big Bad American Business. He is the anti-Obama. Ｌｉｋｅ ｗａｔｃｈｉｎｇ ａ ｓｃａｒｙ ｍｏｖｉｅ Ｉ＇ｌｌ ｊｕｓｔ ｐｕｔ ｍｙ ｈｅａｄ in my hands until it's over.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the war stuff, but to me it's inevitable. I read a very interesting book called The Fourth Turning, that looks at western history through the Eastern circular view, rather than linear western lens. Every 80 years, we solve a crisis that defines the next era 1785->1865->1945->2025.
DeleteI agree we th your assessment, but see it as inevitable. I would rather have a leader like Trump in a time of crises to take some action, than the charismatic black guy, who plays golf and just kinda lives in denial about everything in conflict with his idealogies, while things are falling apart.
Trump will be scary. I imagine his doctrine is going to be to "persuade our enemies not to go to war with us"... Expect scary/crazy. Lots of barking, but I'd guess not a whole lot of biting.. We'll see. I expect him to scare the shit out of everyone who doesn't get him, particularly the left.
Obama for all his niceties and urbane restraint, just isn't a brawler. He'd rather talk his way out of it than throw a punch. To your point, Trump will definitely cock his fist.....we'll see.
DeleteChina only understands power. Trump's move is more about putting China on notice than any actual policy change. The question is has Chinese understood the message.
ReplyDeleteYour comment is spot on. Chinese only "respect" power is more like it. But it will truly be hard for China to "predict" what Trump will do. He himself doesn't even know. Of course, US-Sino relations were not on "Joe in Ohio, Becky in Michigan or George in Wisconsin's" mind when they brought this guy to power.
ReplyDelete