US politicians complain about China's growing global influence, but give no alternatives to help countries develop. Beijing is building $3.5 billion ports while Washington offers used trains from 1985
The so called west is rotten inside and has not progressed beyond repackaged colonialism: lies, cheat, swindle, threaten and attack.
The concept of win-win or mutual development is not in the western dictionary at all. Anyone on the planet developing and thriving is a “threat” and an enemy.
The entire industry of talk about sustainability and global development that permeates the is just gaslighting- the western oligarchs don’t actually believe in this at all. Sustainable development, they have no money for. Eradicating poverty, not a penny. But endless war? As much money as you like and as long as it takes. Even all the way into nuclear hail fire.
They would like to think they are more advanced or “civilised” but really they are just pillaging high tech savages. No respect or love for the planet, nor its people.
US foreign aid is a joke, does more harm than good. The issue at hand is exactly what Matt Kennard discusses in his book, The Racket. Read USAID reports, for example it spent $60 million in Guatemala to strengthen the coffee supply chain. Number of direct beneficiaries? Less than 50. The Beltway Bandits at their best…
Ports like this are extremely dangerous to US economic power. China has a large export capacity, currently the US is their largest trading partner. By developing capacity of the Global South to take up China's excess output, it lessens China's need to unload it's manufacturing to the US. And, if not a large trading partner with the US, China would no longer have any motivation to buy US debt.
In fact, Chinese trade with the ASEAN countries exceeds that with the USA and so does trade with the EU.
Given the US confiscation of assets of foreign countries, it surprises me that China holds as much in US Treasuries as they do. If US/China trade stopped tomorrow, the US economy would have more trouble than the Chinese one, given all that the US imports, ironically including thousands of essential part use by the US MIC.
I did check, it is 14%, and the US is China's largest trading partner. You are right though, it is a smaller % than one might think. However, should that 14% drop to 1% or 0%, that is a quite significant change in global trade balance. Also, China's holding of US debt is a smaller share than one might think; but it is quite significant nonetheless should it drop to 0.
My data is from Wikipedia (and Wikipedia, I hear, is US-Centric).
On trade, China does not appear to levy sanctions and generally trades with countries regardless of their Govt. type or policies. OTOH, the US had quite a different general approach, actively using trade to affect the policies of sovereign States. The different in approach ensures that one of the countries tends to make friends more than the other, even if they'd give equal "help".
If both Govts held the debt of the other, it would be easy to predict which would be the most likely to use it as leverage, even before the "Art of the Deal" was applied.
They have yes. However, promoting mutual economic development is not a win-win for the environment. Only multilateral degrowth (economies based on care and service, not on production) is going to make any dent in the tipping points of climate change that are already locked in- and I can't see any sign of that. Russia has already stated sovereignty and growth come before global efforts to avert agricultural failure, mass migration and extinction.
It's hilarious how our politicians are so allergic to infrastructure spending that they will endanger their own constituents and insult other nations rather than just admit that this spending is necessary. And while it's not required to be glamorous, only effective, some of the best things this country has ever done have been big, glamorous infrastructure projects. That are all older than boomers now and will become crumbling shadows of themselves soon. China is doing an excellent job providing help for themselves that is also long lasting, visible help for their allies. I know our government finds the money to interfere in things it considers important in Peru. I read that as recently as the 2000's we were helping them provide hysterectomies without consent to the indigenous and poor women seeking healthcare in rural areas there. I'm sure it wasn't a lot of money but it's always nice to see how they get the things they care about done. Like eugenics.
You reckon Peru got suckered by the US. Australia recently got done out of nearly half a trillion dollars, assuming any Defence procurement ever comes in on budget, for obsolete subs. And the fine print says we become a dumpsite for nuclear waste.
Meanwhile the likelihood of ever getting the bloody things is becoming less likely.
Does Amerika ever wonder why so many nations want to bail out of the Empire?
How wonderful for China and Peru, Ben, but you are not seeing the bigger picture. However annoying it is for BRICS- that they inherited climate change- doesn't alter the fact of it.
Continued growth in trade and production, whoever is doing it, whether Peru or the States, accelerates the agricultural failures and increases the numbers of mass migrations coming by 2050, if not before.
I know you know this Ben. Why aren't you reporting what nobody wants to hear?
I look forward for Vietnam to accelerate its trade and cooperation with China. Projects for building new railways and upgrading existing ones connecting northern Vietnam and southern China are in the works.
I have been saying for years, China's eleemosynary Benthamism will triumph over America's imperial dominance. China's leaders understand Western philosophy better than Western leaders.
I hope Peru has great diesel engine mechanics to keep America's discarded trash running. I love how one reporter dug up a story about the trains being a source of dangerous pollutants.
"China has become the world leader in constructing high-quality infrastructure, the United States has failed to invest in basic infrastructure at home, where its own bridges are collapsing."
This says it all. The US cannot be bothered to take care of its own, so why would they help anyone else? Peru is smart to have the Chinese to help them build their new port. If the US did, it would probably crumble within years!
The so called west is rotten inside and has not progressed beyond repackaged colonialism: lies, cheat, swindle, threaten and attack.
The concept of win-win or mutual development is not in the western dictionary at all. Anyone on the planet developing and thriving is a “threat” and an enemy.
The entire industry of talk about sustainability and global development that permeates the is just gaslighting- the western oligarchs don’t actually believe in this at all. Sustainable development, they have no money for. Eradicating poverty, not a penny. But endless war? As much money as you like and as long as it takes. Even all the way into nuclear hail fire.
They would like to think they are more advanced or “civilised” but really they are just pillaging high tech savages. No respect or love for the planet, nor its people.
US foreign aid is a joke, does more harm than good. The issue at hand is exactly what Matt Kennard discusses in his book, The Racket. Read USAID reports, for example it spent $60 million in Guatemala to strengthen the coffee supply chain. Number of direct beneficiaries? Less than 50. The Beltway Bandits at their best…
Ports like this are extremely dangerous to US economic power. China has a large export capacity, currently the US is their largest trading partner. By developing capacity of the Global South to take up China's excess output, it lessens China's need to unload it's manufacturing to the US. And, if not a large trading partner with the US, China would no longer have any motivation to buy US debt.
Only about 10% of China trade is with the USA.
In fact, Chinese trade with the ASEAN countries exceeds that with the USA and so does trade with the EU.
Given the US confiscation of assets of foreign countries, it surprises me that China holds as much in US Treasuries as they do. If US/China trade stopped tomorrow, the US economy would have more trouble than the Chinese one, given all that the US imports, ironically including thousands of essential part use by the US MIC.
I did check, it is 14%, and the US is China's largest trading partner. You are right though, it is a smaller % than one might think. However, should that 14% drop to 1% or 0%, that is a quite significant change in global trade balance. Also, China's holding of US debt is a smaller share than one might think; but it is quite significant nonetheless should it drop to 0.
My data is from Wikipedia (and Wikipedia, I hear, is US-Centric).
On trade, China does not appear to levy sanctions and generally trades with countries regardless of their Govt. type or policies. OTOH, the US had quite a different general approach, actively using trade to affect the policies of sovereign States. The different in approach ensures that one of the countries tends to make friends more than the other, even if they'd give equal "help".
If both Govts held the debt of the other, it would be easy to predict which would be the most likely to use it as leverage, even before the "Art of the Deal" was applied.
China doesn’t provoke wars or plot regime change coups like the U.S.
The BRICs have always been for Win-Win cooperation promoting economic development throughout the Global South and elsewhere.
They have yes. However, promoting mutual economic development is not a win-win for the environment. Only multilateral degrowth (economies based on care and service, not on production) is going to make any dent in the tipping points of climate change that are already locked in- and I can't see any sign of that. Russia has already stated sovereignty and growth come before global efforts to avert agricultural failure, mass migration and extinction.
It's hilarious how our politicians are so allergic to infrastructure spending that they will endanger their own constituents and insult other nations rather than just admit that this spending is necessary. And while it's not required to be glamorous, only effective, some of the best things this country has ever done have been big, glamorous infrastructure projects. That are all older than boomers now and will become crumbling shadows of themselves soon. China is doing an excellent job providing help for themselves that is also long lasting, visible help for their allies. I know our government finds the money to interfere in things it considers important in Peru. I read that as recently as the 2000's we were helping them provide hysterectomies without consent to the indigenous and poor women seeking healthcare in rural areas there. I'm sure it wasn't a lot of money but it's always nice to see how they get the things they care about done. Like eugenics.
Great post. I'm stealing it for my next Reflections from the Heart of the Empire news summary.
You reckon Peru got suckered by the US. Australia recently got done out of nearly half a trillion dollars, assuming any Defence procurement ever comes in on budget, for obsolete subs. And the fine print says we become a dumpsite for nuclear waste.
Meanwhile the likelihood of ever getting the bloody things is becoming less likely.
Does Amerika ever wonder why so many nations want to bail out of the Empire?
CHINA BUILDS,USA DESTROYS
How wonderful for China and Peru, Ben, but you are not seeing the bigger picture. However annoying it is for BRICS- that they inherited climate change- doesn't alter the fact of it.
Continued growth in trade and production, whoever is doing it, whether Peru or the States, accelerates the agricultural failures and increases the numbers of mass migrations coming by 2050, if not before.
I know you know this Ben. Why aren't you reporting what nobody wants to hear?
I look forward for Vietnam to accelerate its trade and cooperation with China. Projects for building new railways and upgrading existing ones connecting northern Vietnam and southern China are in the works.
I have been saying for years, China's eleemosynary Benthamism will triumph over America's imperial dominance. China's leaders understand Western philosophy better than Western leaders.
The Imperial hegemony is certainly going down. Unfortunately global temperatures are going up and China's triumph is going to be short lived.
I hope Peru has great diesel engine mechanics to keep America's discarded trash running. I love how one reporter dug up a story about the trains being a source of dangerous pollutants.
Go BRICS!
"China has become the world leader in constructing high-quality infrastructure, the United States has failed to invest in basic infrastructure at home, where its own bridges are collapsing."
This says it all. The US cannot be bothered to take care of its own, so why would they help anyone else? Peru is smart to have the Chinese to help them build their new port. If the US did, it would probably crumble within years!