兔鹰熊口水贴

indy

黎巴嫩外交部長阿卜杜拉·布·哈比卜在訪問中表示，就在遭到殺害前，真主黨領導人哈桑·納斯魯拉已經同意美國和法國就以色列談判達成停火協議。

「他同意[停火]，」布·哈比卜週二告訴美國公共廣播公司的克里斯蒂安·阿曼普爾。「“黎巴嫩完全同意，黎巴嫩同意停火。」

「我們與真主黨進行了磋商，黎巴嫩議會議長納比赫．貝裡與真主黨進行了磋商，我們向美國人和法國通報了所發生的事情，他們告訴我們內塔尼亞胡先生也同意兩位總統發表的聲明。

美國、法國和其他盟國提出了以色列和黎巴嫩之間為期21天的停火計劃，這是為了「為外交提供空間」。

我還是要再說一次，這個世界的真實現況與大多數人的感受並不相同，甚至想像也不一樣。

如果納斯魯拉當時決定不接受美國的意見，他現在可能還活著。

誰知道呢?

indy

indy 发表于 2024-10-3 01:24
黎巴嫩外交部長阿卜杜拉·布·哈比卜在訪問中表示，就在遭到殺害前，真主黨領導人哈桑·納斯魯拉已經同意美 ...

我一直在看伊朗媒體與媒體大V，伊朗新總統之所以在聯合國講話軟弱，有一部分原因也是寄望停火談和能夠實現，他的美國對口也向他保證停火快要實現了。畢竟伊朗內部的經濟十分脆弱，真的無法承擔與以色列甚至美國全面戰爭的後果

不過現在這位十分天真的新總統佩澤希齊揚應該領教到了自己對手的真實面貌，國際政治是很驚悚的，像他這種天真爛漫的「程心」根本無法存活

另外一點大部分人比較不熟悉的，伊朗的大眾普遍對伊朗神學政權的穆拉們已經失去耐心，他們對於什葉派穆拉們的感覺，就像美國鐵鏽帶失業勞工對華盛頓建制派的憤怒，一天到晚把錢拿去資助別國的什麼盟友，國內經濟卻一攤死水，我在伊朗交談了幾十個人，90%都對政府非常不滿，尤其對什葉派教士階級的特權與腐敗深惡痛絕，他們甚至說德黑蘭一堆穆拉根本是阿拉伯人，他們甚至不是波斯人 (什葉派第一聖城在伊拉克的喀巴拉，與伊朗的庫姆是兩大什葉派教士教育中心，許多伊拉克的什葉派穆拉也在德黑蘭的各種政教機構掌權)

Just FYI  新總統佩澤希齊揚是亞薩拜然與庫德族混血，伊朗選民選出他來就是希望一個最世俗化不那麼伊斯蘭原教旨的總統帶來改變提振經濟，最高領導人哈梅內依必須讓他進入候選人名單，否則伊朗又要來一波太陽花了，但最近幾個禮拜下來，他在伊朗也是聲威盡失了

indy

The sad part is that it was approved by their geography teachers

indy

The Hill 國會山報
標題：俄羅斯大規模入侵烏克蘭過去兩年半了，俄羅斯人受戰爭影響似乎比 2022 年還要小。

無論是烏克蘭入侵的庫爾斯克地區，還是西方最近的制裁，似乎都沒有引發「普通」公民或俄羅斯大城市的富裕人口不滿。

這令許多西方政策制定者和俄羅斯異議人士感到驚訝，他們對莫斯科人和聖彼得堡人寄予些希望，期待他們對「戰爭經濟」感到不滿，因為西方精品店、無限制的網路使用甚至在周末的輕鬆的歐洲首都之旅都消失了。不過，儘管俄羅斯與西方的聯繫已被切斷——人們只能通過土耳其的伊斯坦堡或多哈抵達巴黎或柏林，並且需要VPN才能訪問“被禁止”的網站——但所有因這些措施而生氣的人太少，不會引起社會中任何強烈的反對聲浪。

如何解釋那些被認為是俄羅斯全國最西化的俄羅斯社區中的這種沉默？

我會提供一個相當矛盾的答案。儘管俄羅斯似乎是西方最絕望的對手，但近年來莫斯科和其他俄羅斯大都市變得更加西化。

看看莫斯科，我們不僅看到了財富的巨大集中，使首都佔俄羅斯聯邦預算所有稅收的20%，而且看到了該市基礎設施的快速現代化和多樣化數位服務的發展，這在其他地方幾乎看不到。

2022年西方實施的制裁導致俄羅斯資本出口大幅下降。幾乎所有以前流入歐洲購買豪宅的資金都開始流入莫斯科、聖彼得堡及其郊區地帶。自2021年以來，莫斯科公寓的平均價格上漲了驚人的43%，市政府投入巨大努力擴大交通設施並刺激民間服務業以滿足不斷增長的各種需求。

過去十年裡，莫斯科地鐵新建了 78 個車站（比過去四十年加起來的數量還要多），地鐵的區間網絡被整合到更廣泛的全國鐵路系統中，現在類似於巴黎地鐵 RER 網路。莫斯科現在擁有全歐洲最大的本土製造全電動巴士車隊，而路上的有軌電車正在加強莫斯科的交通基礎設施。

儘管 Visa 和萬事達卡都暫停了在俄羅斯的業務。作為替代，俄羅斯人使用俄羅斯中央銀行的即時支付系統，該系統允許使用手機號碼作為識別碼立即轉帳任意金額，且無需支付佣金(譯註：類似大陸的微信、支付寶)。俄羅斯首都在金融交易中使用二維碼支付和臉部辨識方面目前領先於歐洲的大都市，俄羅斯的行動數據通信仍然是歐洲費用最便宜和速度最快的。雜貨店的商品種類與戰爭前相同，其中甚至包括來自法國的葡萄酒和義大利糖果。最重要的是，透過機器人送貨上門的食品和貨物是司空見慣的。

當然，俄羅斯最富裕的地區仍然會感受到戰爭的影響。例如，2022年的大規模移民和越來越多的人志願應徵入伍導致當地的勞動力短缺，但是在莫斯科和聖彼得堡，被派往戰場的人數並不算多，因為即使向志願簽約的人提供創紀錄的簽約獎金，城市居民也不會被誘惑，同時，旺盛的人力需求正在推高當地的薪資。

此外，近幾個月來的工作機會非常誘人，許多在戰爭開始時離開俄羅斯的俄羅斯人在未能融入歐洲社會後現在又回來了，甚至是像發展經濟學家傑弗裡·薩克斯這樣的西方名人也在迷人的國際活動中擔任主角，例如最近舉行的金磚國家城市未來論壇，該論壇吸引了亞洲、非洲和中東主要城市的數十位市長參加。

當然，俄羅斯大都市始終與該國其他地區不同。如今，人們可以透過監測其發展來了解，為什麼俄羅斯公民在俄羅斯與其最近鄰國交戰的情況下卻變得更加富裕。

正如我15 年前在《世界報》中所說的那樣，俄羅斯後共產主義社會變得極其個性化，並且正如已故波蘭裔英國社會學家齊格蒙特​​·鮑曼（Zygmunt Bauman）常說的那樣，「專注於系統性矛盾中的個人解決方案」。這些人對自由派俄羅斯人的出走並沒有感到太大的不安，反而還感到很高興，他們對日常生活中目睹的積極的經濟變化表示歡迎。

而這種經濟進步有一部分是西方的對抗政策所造成的，這些制裁比任何其他因素都更能削弱該國的反普丁情緒。迄今為止，它的影響力已經超過了該國近年來對於政治自由上的限制——因為只有少數人擁有這些自由，而所有人都感受到了經濟繁榮。

因此，西方自 2022 年以來試圖在經濟上削弱俄羅斯的努力產生了相反的結果——至少到目前為止是如此。

本文作者：
弗拉迪斯拉夫‧伊諾澤姆采夫 (Vladislav Inozemtsev) 是中東媒體研究所俄羅斯媒體研究計畫的特別顧問，也是莫斯科後工業研究中心的主任。

indy

indy 发表于 2024-10-3 01:24
黎巴嫩外交部長阿卜杜拉·布·哈比卜在訪問中表示，就在遭到殺害前，真主黨領導人哈桑·納斯魯拉已經同意美 ...

烏克蘭和以色列都在極力把美國和北約拖進戰爭，最好美國能一舉打平莫斯科和伊朗。
這當然也是台獨政客的最佳劇本。

indy

美国国务卿布林肯亲自在《外交事务》杂志撰文，题为“America’s Strategy of Renewal：Rebuilding Leadership for a New World（美国的复兴战略：为新世界重建领导力）”

indy

米帝不站米国人民，奇怪吗

indy

indy 发表于 2024-10-5 10:43
米帝不站米国人民，奇怪吗

indy

蔡正元

烏克蘭

美國政治學大師米爾斯海默
曾很準確的預測說
烏克蘭若ㄧ意孤行要加入北約
俄羅斯ㄧ定會發動戰爭阻止
俄烏戰爭不可避免

米爾斯海默現在又研判
俄烏戰爭明年就會停火
但歐美會繼續慫恿烏克蘭
以武力騷擾的方式製造事端
但這些已沒有意義
因為烏克蘭已耗盡人命和物資
成爲ㄧ個貧窮的殘存政權

同時為了共同對抗美國
俄羅斯會與中國更加緊密結合
在東亞同心協力對抗美國
中俄聯手活動
美國在台灣周遭的勢力
很快就化為烏有

indy

One big mistake of Pentagon during Biden administration was using Taiwan like Ukraine for PROXY WAR. Stupid.

Ukraine is an independent country.
Taiwan a small island province of China as  loser ROC in 1949, non member of UN since 1971.

The war at Ukraine has made Russia and China the two most respected P5, Permanent members of UNITED NATIONS.

Xi and Putin pledged to lead UN when U.S. is doing such bad job with NATO military alliance to bully others.

indy

目前除了美國與德國是以色列武器最大來源，就以色列的武器進口而言，全世界年成長率最高的武器進口來源國是 --- 噹噹噹 --- 印度

https://www.aljazeera.com/featur ... ar-documents-reveal

所以前陣子聯大要求以色列撤出所有屯墾區的表決印度投了棄權票，就這表現，還是不要肖想當南方國家領導了，畢竟以色列拿來炸加薩、西岸與黎巴嫩平民的爆裂物裡印度有很大功勞

從烏克蘭到以色列，只要有能賺外匯的機會印度是不會放過的，畢竟印度一直以來是貨貿入超國，得靠海外勞工的僑匯與對在印度投資的外商殺豬盤來達到外匯儲備的勉強平衡

indy

THE U.S. HAS QUIETLY launched a probe into whether TSMC has been making chips for China's tech giant Huawei, it was revealed this week.
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The U.S. Commerce Department is conducting the investigation into the firm on the island of Taiwan, according to media outlet The Information, which said it spoke to two sources.
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The American government ordered the world's tech companies to stop co-operating with China on high-end chips in 2022. The western media said it was to harm the Chinese military, but MIT revealed that 99.9 per cent of the usage of the banned chips were in non-military functions, such as in medical scanners and mobile phones.
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JUST TOO GOOD
Why the probe? American military tech bosses are suspicious about the highly capable Kirin 9000 chips found inside the popular Mate 60 mobile phone series, the new report indicated.
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Also just too good is Huawei’s achievement in creating its new Ascend AI processor—which the department believes would not be possible without the violation of U.S.'s global orders.
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The source of such chips, it appears, can only be the Taiwan-based firm.
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"In recent weeks the department has contacted TSMC to ask whether it was involved in making either smartphone chips or AI chips for Huawei," said Qiana Liu of The Information.
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EARLIER SUSPICIONS

Suspicions have circulated before. A group called TechInsights dismantled a Huawei Qingyan L450 laptop earlier this year and reported that it appeared to be powered by 5nm semiconductors made by TSMC.
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But since that technology dated to 2020, that was considered allowable by the U.S.
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WORLD'S TOP-SELLING PHONE
On the other side of the debate, tech experts note that Huawei has consistently shown an extraordinary level of innovation.
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The Shenzhen company was creating the world's bestselling mobile phone in 2020, before the US launched a successful program to crash the product's international sales to almost zero.
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Now, just four years later, Huawei is once again producing the world's highest-spec phones.
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And Huawei is now developing its own chips in conjunction with China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp.
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TAKEN TO U.S. SOIL
The U.S's tech war was launched about five years ago, when American strategists realized that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, better known as TSMC, was the world's biggest chip supplier—and was legally on Chinese soil, as recognized by the United Nations, and the US's own declarations.
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Since then, the U.S. has made a concerted effort to destroy the relationship between TSMC and its customers in China, and even move the entire firm to American soil, building a new plant in Arizona.
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The factory, which has seen numerous delays, has been given US$5 billion in U.S. taxpayer cash.
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WASHINGTON'S WORRIES
Washington has related worries. More than a million people from Taiwan live and work on the Chinese mainland, and positive relationships are continuing to grow, with multiple plane and ship connections.
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Also Washington's main disinformation tool, the western mainstream media, is no longer considered credible, even in its home market, with record low levels of trust. The U.S. has violated the status quo that keeps the area at peace more than 20 times in the past five years, but could rest assured that the  press would blame Beijing.
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Furthermore there is huge dissatisfaction among the Taiwan residents with Washington-allied leader Lai Ching-te. He received fewer than 30pc of the ballots from registered voters at the recent election, and only slipped into the job because of the disarray among opponents.

indy

indy 发表于 2024-10-19 23:41
THE U.S. HAS QUIETLY launched a probe into whether TSMC has been making chips for China's tech giant ...

「Resilience」這個字眼在美國國防部俚語字典裡的意思，是「雖然遭到優勢火力打擊，仍然保存實力」的意思。或者說，「有一隻小狗狗被一群砂石車壓來壓去，但還能咬路人」，或是「即使一座城市被核平，蟑螂仍然存在」。這才是「Resilience」的意思。

以上

indy

On a per capita basis. China is among the lowest, yet they (you know who) keeping harping on total emmisions. Dishonesty and double standards, pure and simple.

indy

三胖

indy

美國國務卿布林肯去年六月說過的一句話：「今天，俄羅斯在世界舞台上比以往任何時候都更加孤立，」。

然而，我們在北美和歐洲以外卻處處可以看到相反的證據。

整個西方世界就像身處在一個巨大的訊息繭房，那些相信西方宣傳的人們接觸不到不一樣的視角，也聽不到不一樣的聲音。那些在社群媒體以及大眾傳播中為與俄羅斯相關的內容所設下的重重限制，最終只是讓他們自己被看成傻瓜，就像是一整個穿著「新衣」的國王世代。

人們失去了最簡單的邏輯判斷能力，而這種能力甚至是幼兒教育就能完成，不需要接受高等教育。

現在正在舉行的「金磚國家高峰會議」揭示了一個世界新秩序的先兆，今天正在俄羅斯形成…為此，聯合國秘書長安東尼奧古特雷斯抵達喀山。

世界各地有36 個國家的高級代表抵達。其中22 個是由元首出席，還包括了6個國際組織。金磚+ 的國家人口占全球一半以上，GDP也接近全球一半。

部分西方媒體終於理解了莫斯科在外交戰線上採取間接路練，專注於迂迴勝利。他們想知道金磚會議會如何影響整個世界的未來。

而且新的規則，是在沒有他們參與的情況下被編寫出來。

有些人很幸運，可以生活在真實的世界，而且因為你足夠堅強，在理解這個世界的過程中，不受西方媒體或其他人對你認知的支配。

indy

10 DEVELOPMENTS AT THE BRICS MEETING YESTERDAY
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1) US Presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin said they would end the war in Ukraine. Speaking at the BRICS conference which ended yesterday, Putin said he welcomed Donald Trump’s pledge and "believed it was sincere."
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2) China's leader Xi Jinping and India's head Narendra Modi committed to ending their countries' long-term but non-violent border dispute, striking a huge blow against American attempts to divide the two Asian giants.
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3) BRICS membership growth continued to accelerate, with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates declared members this week, Turkey next in line, and others applying. BRICS already has more than 40 per cent of humanity and 35 per cent of global GDP.
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4) Despite internet misinformation on currency (it is NOT true that 159 countries signed up for a BRICS currency), it IS true that innovations, including a digital currency project called m-Bridge, will de-dollarise the global cross-border payments system in the long term.
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5) The massive turnout of world leaders at BRICS showed that the US plan to isolate Russia had failed—and, with poetic justice, the failure coincided with a year in which the US itself was repeatedly isolated from the world in multiple United Nations votes over the pitiless slaughter in Gaza.
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6) Modi's declaration of the difference between BRICS and other country groupings (think NATO, QUAD, AUKUS) was startling: “We support dialogue and diplomacy, not war,” Modi said.
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7) There was obvious delight among participants that United Nations secretary-general António Guterres attended BRICS, doing his job—which was to represent the wider world of humanity, rather than the western world's 13 per cent. He echoed the call to end fighting in Ukraine.
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8.) The publication of figures showing that Russia's economy had been far less damaged than the US intended, reinforced the belief that a significant part of global economic muscle had moved from US control to the wider, multipolar world.
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9) Delegates said the developments made the prospects of war in East Asia less likely. If the Ukraine war had failed to isolate and weaken Russia, the US would think twice about repeating the strategy using the island of Taiwan to isolate and weaken China.
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10. China's leader Xi Jinping pointed out that "the common march of the Global South towards modernity is a major event in world history". He also said that BRICS, as a huge bloc of anti-war nations working together could only be a force for stability in the world— much needed.

indy

Echoes of October 1917: History Repeats in Kazan Amidst the Collapse of Western Hegemony

1917 年 10 月的迴響：西方霸權崩潰之際，歷史正在喀山重演

In March 2023, during his visit to Moscow, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a striking message to Russian President Vladimir Putin: “Change is coming that hasn’t happened in 100 years. And we are driving this change together.” This statement, made in an atmosphere of celebration and strong Sino-Russian unity, echoed the growing realization that the two powers are not merely resisting the West’s attempts at domination but actively reshaping the global order.

2023年3月，中國國家主席習近平在訪問莫斯科期間向俄羅斯總統普丁發出了一個引人注目的訊息：「百年來從未發生過的巨變即將到來，我們正在共同推動這項變革」。這項聲明是在慶祝中俄團結的氛圍中發表的，反映出人們日益認識到兩個大國不僅是在抵制西方的統治企圖，而且正在積極重塑全球秩序。

The symbolism is palpable: Russia and China, both long-time targets of Western hegemony, are coordinating their strategic moves to dismantle the century-old system of global financial and political control, largely imposed by the U.S. and its allies. Xi’s parting words to Putin were more than just pleasantries, they were a signal to the world that a new era was dawning, with China and Russia at the helm.

這段談話的象徵意義是顯而易見的：俄羅斯和中國都是西方霸權的長期目標，他們正在協調戰略行動，目標是瓦解由美國及其盟國強加，具有百年歷史的全球金融和政治控制體系。習近平這段對普丁的臨別贈言不只是朋友之間的寒暄，更是向世界發出一個訊號：一個由中國和俄羅斯掌舵的新時代正在來臨。

This statement ties perfectly into current events, especially as BRICS finalize plans in Kazan, where the foundations of a new global financial system are being laid out. The overlap of the BRICS summit with the symbolic anniversary of the October Revolution further cements the importance of this moment, almost as though Moscow and Beijing have synchronized their steps to send a powerful message to the West: The unipolar world is crumbling, and a multipolar reality is taking its place.

百年劇變的聲明與時事完美的契合，尤其是金磚國家在喀山制定的計劃，為新的全球金融體系奠定基礎。金磚國家高峰會與十月革命週年紀念日重疊，進一步鞏固了這一歷史時刻的重要性，幾乎就像莫斯科和北京同步向西方所發出強有力的信息：單極世界正在崩潰，多極世界正在取代。

Now, the West is scrambling, caught off guard by the inevitable. Xi’s “100 years” comment wasn’t a prediction; it was a declaration of intent. The BRICS nations, with their plans for a new global financial system, immune to Western sanctions and dollar dominance, are setting the stage for the final dismantling of the old order. For decades, the West used the global financial architecture to enforce its will, but this house of cards is teetering.

現在，西方手忙腳亂，對無法避免的事情措手不及。習近平的「百年劇變」評論並不是預言，而是一份意向聲明。金磚國家計劃建立一個新的全球金融體系，不受西方制裁和美元主導地位的影響，正在為瓦解舊秩序奠定基礎。幾十年來，西方利用全球金融架構來貫徹自己的意志，但這座紙牌屋正在搖搖欲墜。

Is it a coincidence that this shift occurs on the heels of the October Revolution’s anniversary? Highly unlikely.

這種轉變發生在十月革命週年紀念日之後，是否是一種巧合？這個可能性極小。

The historical echoes of revolution are now being played out on the global stage, only this time, it’s not just Russia but a coalition of the Global Majority, led by BRICS, carving out a new path. The West can feign ignorance or keep pushing its failing strategy, but the winds of change are blowing hard, and no amount of sanctions or saber-rattling will stop what’s coming.

革命的歷史迴響正在全球舞台上演，只不過這一次，不只是俄羅斯，而是由金磚國家領導的全球多數派聯盟，開闢了一條新道路。西方可以假裝無知，或繼續推行其失敗的策略，但改革之風正在猛烈吹起，任何制裁或武力威脅都無法阻止即將發生的事情。

The question now is not whether the Western financial-political hegemony will collapse, but when, and how loudly the fall will reverberate around the world. The West is ever clinging to illusion of control, but Kazan is where the future is being forged, without them.

現在的問題不是西方金融政治霸權是否會崩潰，而是這種崩潰何時會在世界範圍內產生多大的影響。西方總是抱持著控制一切的幻想，但喀山是一個在沒有他們參與的情況下，打造未來的地方。

- Gerry Nolan 格里諾蘭

indy

The real threat: America's corrupt political classes
By Matthew Syed, Washington DC
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COMMENTATORS HERE SAGELY contrast the Trump and Harris manifestos without seeming to notice that these candidates peddle the same delusion.
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To see my point, look at the federal debt, a topic that is scarcely mentioned in Washington but hangs over the future like a shadow. Already more than 120 per cent of GDP, it is projected to rise under the Harris plan — according to the central estimate of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget — by $3.5 trillion.
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Trump’s tax cuts will add an even more eye-watering $7.5 trillion to the debt (two and a half times UK GDP). Just like in his first term, when Trump boasted of growth and rising share prices, he is perpetrating a conjuring trick: it is all based on debt, debt and more debt.
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THE PIPER MUST BE PAID
You may say: “So what?”, and in a sense you’d be right. In economics, unlike in engineering, problems can be pushed into the never-never, leaving future generations to pick up the pieces.
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The link with reality is more tenuous. This is as true in the monetary as in the fiscal domain, after an era in which the Fed (egged on by the political class) has printed ever more money to keep the party going, leading to capital misallocation and inflated asset prices, thereby driving an ever greater wedge between rich and poor. Many young people have given up hope of getting on the housing ladder.
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But, despite the departure from reality in politics, the piper always has to be paid in the end.
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Indeed you can already see cracks appearing in the façade: in higher bond yields and ever more crippling interest payments (America will soon be spending more on servicing debt than on defence).
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And bear in mind that these debts will not be paid by politicians, but by entrepreneurs and engineers together with the army of immensely hard-working (and equally impressive) lower-paid workers who keep this system going.
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AMERICA'S REAL THREAT: ITS POLITICAL CLASS
The picture I am seeking to paint here is one of a pack of greyhounds carrying an ever more sclerotic political class on their backs.
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I went on a boat trip along the Potomac river on Friday and marvelled at the beauty of the capital: the Washington monument, the Capitol Building, the wonderful National Mall.  It’s a remarkable place with a thrilling history, but the politicians and bureaucrats — despite their puffed-up self-importance — represent a growing threat to the republic, rather than acting as its guardians as they once did.
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Growth may be 2.5 per cent here (higher than in much of the developed world), but economists ask: why isn’t it higher, given the creative energy pulsing through the veins of this place and all the cheap oil and gas? Go to Washington and you instantly see why.
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CLEARLY CORRUPT
It is not even the detachment from reality but the corruption that hits this observer the hardest. Senators are mostly multimillionaires, and nobody asks why.
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The growing army of regulators go straight into the companies over which they once had “independent” oversight.
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This is stifling freedom, too, because it means that ageing, flabby companies fearful of the competition of free-market capitalism seek to rig the system against start-ups by erecting barriers to entry with the connivance of the political class.
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About two thirds of congressmen go on to become lobbyists, often working for special interests that funded their campaigns — a game played by Democrats and Republicans alike.
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I’d agree with those who say that Trump (with his contempt for rules and norms) represents the greater immediate threat to the nation, but what has become clear to me is that both main parties are corrupt and parasitical.
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[This is an extract from a 27 October 2024 essay in the Sunday Times of London. Full text is at the site, link provided.]

indy

America’s Priorities: War and State Terror 美國的優先事項：戰爭與國家恐怖活動

The U.S. government's aid math is as brutal as it is revealing. For every American taxpayer, $750 is allocated for Hurricane Helene survivors—people who’ve lost homes, livelihoods, and even lives. But for Ukraine and Israel? It’s $1,526 and $2,381 per capita, respectively. That’s right, American’s hard-earned dollars go toward arming the Zelensky regime, and its war on its own citizens and the Orthodox Church, and funding Israel’s state-sanctioned terror against Palestinians; while Americans, whose towns are wiped out by disasters, are thrown breadcrumbs.

美國政府的援助方法算既殘酷又暴露。每個美國納稅人為颶風海倫的倖存者（失去家園、生計甚至生命的人）分配 750 美元，但是對於烏克蘭和以色列呢？人均分別為 1,526 美元和 2,381 美元。沒錯，美國人辛苦賺來的美元被用於武裝澤倫斯基政權，用於其對本國公民和東正教的戰爭，並資助以色列國家批准針對巴勒斯坦人的恐怖活動；而美國人的城鎮正被災難摧毀，卻只是被丟了一些麵包屑。

Why invest in rebuilding homes when the military-industrial complex needs to churn out, or rather launder money via suicidal proxy wars (which only serve to accelerate the demise of its Empire)? Americans sleep in tents, while American dollars flow to puppet regimes waging brutal wars that serve the empire’s agenda.

正當軍工複合體需要大量生產時，為什麼需要投資重建家園，或者更確切地說，透過自殺代理人的戰爭洗錢（這只會加速帝國的滅亡）？美國人睡在帳篷裡，而美元流向傀儡政權，這些傀儡政權為了帝國的目標而發動殘酷的戰爭。

Let’s not mince words: Ukraine and Israel are black holes for American wealth, states engaging in state terror while the U.S. government cheers them on. Meanwhile, ordinary Americans suffer, the infrastructure rots, and taxpayers are forced to bankroll foreign wars they have no stake in. For Washington, it’s war abroad, and neglect at home, rinse and repeat.

讓我們有話直說：烏克蘭和以色列是美國財政的黑洞，這些國家從事國家恐怖活動，而美國政府卻為它們歡呼。同時，普通美國人受苦受難，基礎設施腐爛，納稅人被迫為與他們無關的外國戰爭提供資金。

The Global Majority, BRICS in particular, can only watch as this slow-motion collapse accelerates. Their economies aren’t predicated on military adventurism or feeding endless conflicts. Instead, they’re moving beyond Washington’s financial hegemony, forging their own future while America crumbles under its own imperial hypocrisy

全球大多數國家，特別是金磚國家，正眼睜睜地看著這種緩慢的崩潰加速。它們的經濟不以軍事冒險主義或助長無止盡的衝突為基礎，相反的，他們正在超越華盛頓的金融霸權，他們為自己打造未來，而美國卻在自己帝國的虛偽下崩潰。

- Gerry Nolan