This Year's Model

Corona Virus

Farm Aid 2019

Lithium 6 on Facebook Garage Sale Site...

From the New York Times:

WASHINGTON — The online ad reads like something only a metallurgist could love: an offer to sell 22 pounds of highly pure lithium 6 every month, set for delivery from the port of Dandong, China. 

But it caught the attention of intelligence agencies around the world for a simple reason: Lithium 6 offers a fast way to turn an ordinary atom bomb into a hydrogen bomb, magnifying its destructive power by up to 1,000 times. The seller listed in the ad — who even provided his cellphone number — was identified in a recent United Nations report as the third secretary in the North Korean Embassy in Beijing.

Now the Chinese Are Beating Us In Corruption

In a story about Chinese corruption -

SCHMITZ: No, corruption's nothing new, [In China] but people talking about corruption all the time on the street with each other; journalists challenging officials, state-run press running with stories about this -- that is new. Two nights ago, I was chatting with a Chinese friend and he told me he just read the news that the chief engineer for China's high-speed rail embezzled 2.8 billion. I said, 'How? Well 2.8 billion renminbi -- that's about $400 million, boy that's a lot of money.' He corrected me, he tells me, 'No, it was $2.8 billion.' That's incredible. Later on, I saw it was reported this guy had just stashed the money into Swiss and U.S. bank accounts. And this Chinese official reportedly has run off with the amount of money equal to the GDP of Fiji. So this type of corruption is really unprecedented.
(Context)

Come on Chicago! Come on New Orleans! You're totally falling behind in the Corruption Gap!

Banned Commercial: Debt and China

The following race-baiting commercial reminds me of the classic "You better learn Japanese, they own us now..." And the "Russians Are Coming!" and the Germans and the Japanese, and the Mexicans... and well, I guess this is about what we should expect out of American culture?

Americans are very bi-polar. They celebrate diversity and the globalization of the planet, but are racists and protectionists on the same face. Which one wins? Whomever it's talking to.

News of the Day

News of the Day...

or what I'm tracking.

Mr. Obama is expected to announce Afghanistan troop drawdown today. No doubt this will make some people happy and make a few others, like those fighting there, and the non-Taliban folks get kind of jumpy. Well, mission accomplished, and there's no more money. Besides, we've got Syria to stick our junk into. No, not kidding. It looks like Senator Graham is beating the drum to start a SIXTH war in Syria. Come on.

I wonder how our new Secretary of Defense feels about this? Yeah, Gates is leaving, if you didn't see his farewell tour the last couple months. Leon Panetta was unanimously confirmed as new Secretary of Defense.

Back to politics, Newt Gingrich's hilarious new political comedy continues to lose team members faster than Chef Ramsey expunges game-show contestants. Newt's team just lost his fundraising director and consultant. Now that's a reality show I'd watch on C-Span Ocho!

Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman enters race for Republican presidential nomination. For some reason, excuse me if I barely noticed. Am I supposed to be excited, angry, or meh about this? I'm going with meh.

And the story that pretty much writes itself Half-term Gov. Sarah Palin Packs In Her Bus Tour...Halfway Through. It really was a short bus.

Oh and Ai Weiwei was supposedly released. That's cool. They nabed him for tax evasion.

And finally, Wisconsin has passed right-to-carry legislation, leaving Illinois as the only one where only the bad guys are allowed to possess firearms. Guess it's going to be a summer of flash mobs in Chicago?

The Gathering Storm

The Tipping Point In The Indo-Pacific

Twenty years from now, we'll look back to see how we got here.... an interesting article, and fun read about China's continued growth and influence in Asia and what it would mean to U.S. influence.

"Sino-American relations have been spiraling down into a hostile dialectic for more than­ a decade. The two sides have grown increasingly uncomfortable with their complex, ever-evolving but seemingly inescapable economic interdependence. China will not relent in its aggressive, mercantilist currency policies, but the Fed and the Treasury, ever in need of Chinese capital to finance America’s debt, have never pushed the issue to the wall. The two sides have displayed their ideological differences as Chinese restrictions on civil rights continue. They have sparred, too, over points of honor and prestige in international forums and, episodically, over the future of Taiwan.

But the underlying source of the current deterioration in the bilateral relationship is the competition for influence in the Indo-Pacific commons, that broad swath reaching from the western Pacific Ocean to the eastern coast of Africa, which both sides consider central to their standing in the region and to global perceptions of their power. After nearly a decade’s worth of threat-making, strained diplomatic ties and below-the-radar games of chicken, U.S. and Chinese naval ships now stand prow-to-prow in the East China Sea, minutes from battle over a seemingly meaningless incident."

Read more

China On A Path

China To Boost Military Spending: Gunning For The US?

China is ramping up its military spending at a time its financial firepower is increasingly in focus after it unseated Japan as the second biggest economy in the world.

A Chinese official said on Friday the country will increase military spending 12.7 percent this year after a drop in spending last year owing to the financial crisis.

An analysis of comparative military capabilities of the world's leading nations will reveal that if China is going ballistic in efforts to bolster its military, it's certainly gunning for the United States.

Read more

Meanwhile,

China Isn't Interested In Curbing The Growth Of Its Nuclear Arsenal

China in June 2008 ruled out accepting any restrictions on additions to its nuclear weapons stockpile, the Sydney Morning Herald today quoted leaked U.S. diplomatic documents as saying.

Envoys from the United States have sought unsuccessfully on multiple occasions to obtain additional information from Beijing about Chinese nuclear weapons, according to classified cables obtained by the transparency group WikiLeaks. China has minimized what details it has released on its nuclear arsenal in a bid to bolster the position of its armed forces, the documents quote Chinese officials as saying in closed discussions.

Might also be relevant... India Increases It's Defense Budget By 12%

War and rumors of war.

Dinner at the White House

Is China Gearing for War?

China Preparing For Armed Conflict 'In Every Direction'

UK Paper the Telegraph has China is preparing for conflict 'in every direction', the defense minister said in remarks that threaten to overshadow a visit to Beijing by his US counterpart next month.

"In the coming five years, our military will push forward preparations for military conflict in every strategic direction," said Liang Guanglie in an interview published by several state-backed newspapers in China. "We may be living in peaceful times, but we can never forget war, never send the horses south or put the bayonets and guns away," Mr Liang added.

China repeatedly says it is planning a "peaceful rise" but the recent pace and scale of its military modernization has alarmed many of its neighbors in the Asia-Pacific, including Japan which described China's military build-up as a "global concern" this month.

[More]

Sure this looks bad... but the Chinese still have a long way to go before they have the infrastructure to manage the capability to fight wars on multiple fronts and on multiple levels, and that's just on their own borders! Earlier this year was the three week traffic jam, right? (Luckily) they don't have the rail or roads to move the amount of men and - more importantly - the logistics - to carry out whatever dastardly plan they may be cooking up over there.

But their intent is there, and what is more of a concern is that they are committing the necessary resources and personnel to make that possible. And, at least this Blasphemer will note, there is an extra-ordinary amount of young males since the one-child policy was enacted. What to do with all those extra, horny, impressionable, young men?

PS - here's some good analysis on China's military from the Small Wars Journal.

Thanks to our friends at War News Updates for the scoop!

The Week In Review - Sunday Comics

Happy 10-10-10. It doesn't mean anything. It's just another spin around the circle around the yellow sun... but if it makes you feel special, enjoy your day.

Here's the things we couldn't get to, or need to sum up... and can do it with a cartoon.
First off, the Prize committee stuck their neck out to make a real statement.
No, really, she's not a witch - she's you.
Fred Phelps and the Westboro lawyers took their case to the damned Supreme Court this week.
The Democrats threatened to start a trade war with China - the laughter only got louder when they said, "No, come on, we're serious!"
Banks went from giving out mortgages blindly, to foreclosing them poorly -- my guess is that the whole thing has been a land grab from the get go.
President Obama on the Campaign trail is about as Toxic as George Bush on the campaign trail -- when he was in office and now.
And a movie came out this week about a boy who said that anyone who trusted him is an idiot (or something).
We made it through this week. Hope to see you, and make it to the next.

Batteries No Longer Included

China Blocks Export of Crucial Minerals to Japan as Dispute Escalates
Begun, the Batteries Wars, Has.

Sharply raising the stakes in a dispute over Japan's detention of a Chinese fishing trawler captain, the Chinese government has placed a trade embargo on all exports to Japan of a crucial category of minerals used in products like hybrid cars, iPads, wind turbines and... guided missiles.

Chinese customs officials are halting all shipments to Japan of so-called rare earth elements, industry experts said on Thursday morning.

SO - What're you going to do about it Japan?! Yeah, you?! Without your fancy batteries? Huh?
What? You're going to mine asteroids and the Moon?! Isn't that a bit drastic? In a 500 foot battle robot suit?

(Go on, Japan, I triple dog dare you - can't be any more expensive than fighting in Afghanistan!)

The Week In Review - Sunday Comics

We made it through another week. I'm not quite sure how. Anyhow, here's where we wrap up crap we covered, and stuff we didn't get to with some cartoons.

First off, China's GDP just beat out Japan. Welcome to #2, China, how did you do it? Was it your complete disregard to the environment, human rights, or...
Mr. Obama stepped in the WTC/Mosque-it's-a-local-issue-but-it's-not-and-it's a prayer-center-troll-bait-not-a-mosque debate. At least he was clear, and stuck with his original statement.
Or, another way to look at it, Mr. Obama became John Kerry for the issue.

Wrangle continues to plague the Democrats... but compared to some other Democrats, he's a rank Amateur. And he's had 40 years of practice!

Oh, it's not all Charlie's fault.
Meantime, the oil spill is over - except for the invisible layer that's being detected. How does that work, again?
But that's nothing compared to Fredie and Franny...
Why cap it now?

WikiLeaks Founder was found to be vulnerable to an attack, Farvre DID come back to the Vikings - this week, Blago went down for lying, and so did Roger Clemens. Pakistan continues to tread water as 2 million people and 1/5 of the country is underwater, and still - no one seems to care.

See you next week

Sunday Comics: The Week In Review

The Big Fuçkin' Deal passed this week. If we all don't turn into independent contractors, (I guess we'll really get single payers that way) and if you can find a competent physician in a couple years - we'll be one big happy, broke, nation.
Then and now...

Meanwhile, at the Vatican...
And the story of the 200 deaf boys who were abused in Wisconsin is getting a lot of play... pun unintended.

Yeah, let's get started on that one again. Republicans got a lot of heat for it last time. Let's see how their counterparts fare.

And China and Google aren't playing nice. Neither is Israel and the U.S. They're still fighting over a new subdivision. And a the Korean war might start getting all hot again, assuming that the ship that sank didn't just accidentally hit a mine? Stay tuned.

"I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!"

I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution or that have failed their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden."

Sounds like Tea Party rhetoric? Nope, Barry Goldwater. Barry's fiery and committed rhetoric made him a hero to arch conservatives but cost them an election and perhaps contributed to the creation of Johnson's Great Society. Barry would be a huge hero today for Tea Party activists and their tag-along GOP followers. But his proclaimed ideals led to a landslide defeat... Just friendly advice. Best start coming up with alternatives and plans -- and perhaps background checks on the folks you're looking to lead your movement. Racists and violence only intimidate and undermine the movement... ask anyone, such as your critics and also Yasser Arafat, Benito Mussolini, Castro and Francisco Franco.

Peace in Darfur?

Darfur Truce Could Pave Way For Peace!

CAIRO -- A truce between Darfur's most powerful rebel group and the government of Sudan could pave the way for finally bringing peace to the war-ravaged region weeks ahead of the first national elections in decades.

Numerous cease-fires and peace deals in this seven-year-old conflict have been short-lived, but this time around increased international pressure and impending elections give this latest initiative a better chance for survival.

Read more ....

Now that THAT's solved, let's teach Johnny to read - okay George Clooney?

US Debt to China

SNL on U.S. Debt to China

Have SNL’s writers been listening to Peter Schiff for material? Surprisingly attacking Obama too, one notes.

Death to Iran

Death to Iran!

That's right. Death to Iran! That's how I begin all my prayers.

Well, if the Iranians can do it, why can't I?

The President was celebrated for not taking sides on Iran. Yesterday, after a press conference he's celebrated for condemning the regime's violence.

It's kind of a damned if you do-damned if you don't situation, right?

Not so fast.

There is nothing at all that any Western country can do to avoid the charge of intervening in Iran's internal affairs. The Iranians have a rich tradition of blaming absolutely everything that goes wrong —especially anything in English— on the West. There was even a hit sitcom about the absurdity of blaming the British for everything, My Uncle Napoleon, that is, until it was banned by the clerics.

Also, like assuming that Milton Bradley will play well for the Cubs -all year- it's faulty logic to assume that the ayatollahs, cynical and corrupt as they may be, are acting rationally.

Another thing, our own media, which seems to be blindsided with the events in Iran, seems to be falling all over itself to understand what's going on. Perhaps they wouldn't have been if they had they paid attention to the events going on there before the election? A strong majority of Iran's population is young and unemployed... and don't remember or weren't old enough for the revolution. They're the Gen X of Iran. There's a lot of them. And they're pissed off.

What's Obama, or any other so-called leader in this country going to say to the people of Iran when this is over? What are they going to say to those people who are standing up and getting their skulls cracked and tear gassed, when America doesn't come to their aid? Hey kids, you should have read your history books. America, land of the free, didn't stand up for the protesters in Tiananmen Square either. And don't bother Googling that event if you're in China. It didn't even happen.

But there's one other minor issue that no one else seems to have brought up...
It's not okay for America to meddle in Iranian affairs, but it's perfectly okay for Iran to meddle in American affairs? It's okay for Iran to act completely innocent when there is a slaughterhouse of blood and guilt on their hands?

Iran was the most active player trying to thwart American efforts in Iraq. Iran exports violence, guns and influence to Lebanon and Palestine. And they stick their middle fingers up and wave them in the face of the UN, the EU and Hans Blick on the nuclear issue.

Look, they're not just everyone's misunderstood neighbors. They're a totalitarian nuclear theocracy that begins their prayers with 'Death to America.' I sincerely hope that they get the Change they're looking for.

Endgame for Kim Jong

U.S. Military Set to Intercept North Korean Ship Suspected of Proliferating Missiles, Nuclear Material.

The U.S. is/was planning to intercept a North Korean ship suspected of proliferating weapons material in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution 1874.

The USS John McCain [Eat that irony, and that would be for the Admiral. John McCain Sr.], a navy destroyer, will intercept the ship Kang Nam as soon as it leaves the vicinity off the coast of China, according to a senior U.S. defense official.

The apparent violation raises the question of how the United States and its allies will respond, particularly since the U.N. resolution has as many teeth as Abe Simpson.

The resolution would not allow the United States to board the ship forcibly. Rather, U.S. military would have to request permission to board. That ought'a work. Maybe they can offer a Snickers bar to the crew?

North Korea has said that any attempt to board its ships would be viewed as an act of war and promised “100- or 1,000-fold” retaliation if provoked.

The U.S. military may also request that the host country not provide fuel to the ship when it enters its port.

The Kang Nam is known to be a ship that has been involved in proliferation activities in the past — it is “a repeat offender,” according to one military source. The ship was detained in October 2006 by authorities in Hong Kong after the North Koreans tested their first nuclear device and the U.N. imposed a subsequent round of sanctions.

And North Korea has detained two American journalists...

And that's after finding out about Kim Jong-Il's 4th of July festivities.

The bombs bursting in air’ this Fourth of July, might be from North Korea. Leading ding-dong Kim Jong-Il, has been shaking his fist and scaring the piss out of Hawaiians planning their Independence Day Luau. A report in Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper says Pyongyang is planning to fire a long-range ballistic missile at Hawaii on July 4. Any shot aimed at the U.S. would be an act of war, but perhaps Kim has taken measure of Obama?

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday the military is “watching” that situation “very closely,” and would have “some concerns” if North Korea launched a missile in the direction of Hawaii. But he expressed confidence in U.S. ability to handle such a launch.

Gates said he’s directed the deployment of the Theater High Altitude Area Defense, a mobile missile defense system used for knocking down long- and medium-range missiles. Remember that expensive system that no body wanted, and blamed Bush for wasting millions on? Yeah, that one.

“The ground-based interceptors are clearly in a position to take action. So, without telegraphing what we will do, I would just say … I think we are in a good position, should it become necessary, to protect the American territory.”

What might be seen as the ultimate 'dumb move' off the bat, might also be the best hope for North Korea.

Let me explain.

A shot goes out over Hawaii. The missile doesn't even get close, but it is enough for America to have to save face and punch the little guy in the nose.

The Korean War cease fire is officially ended.

There's a scuffle for about a week.

Then the U.S. is on the hook to clean the whole mess up. The humanitarian needs would be solely on the back of the United States.

It's the classic 'Bananas' scenario. You see, Woody Allen had this figured out in the '60s. The best thing you could do as a dictator would be to pick a fight with the United States, and then lose. That way the American taxpayer would have to rebuild your entire infrastructure and feed all your people.

Because you have to ask, why didn't Bush do anything about him? Other than the humanitarian expense - the U.S. also has to deal with China's wishes. It's always been my opinion that China has been using North Korea as their trump card to keep the region agitated for the SEATO and allies. Especially the U.S. If North Korea wasn't there to piss everyone off, like a wasp nest at a picnic, the U.S. wouldn't be involved (spending money) in the area. China uses North Korea to hide behind. Whether it is to hide behind their own activities in Tibet, or to use their divine intervention as a bargaining chip to get Taiwan back in the fold.

And what's a more rational move to let North Korea to keep playing their silly games? Back to the original contention, the massive human aid and refugee situation. The sudden collapse of the North Korean state would mean millions of refugees, many of them armed soldiers, crossing into China.

That would increase instability in some of China’s major industrial and population centers. Finally, it would result in a loss of control over North Korea’s stockpiles of weapons-grade plutonium, as well as chemical and biological weapons.

The longer-term consequences of a North Korean implosion are also unwelcome to Beijing. It would probably lead to the unification of the country under Seoul, depriving China of a strategic buffer and, even worse, creating a large US ally. The alternative—military intervention — is a costly and risky option that Beijing would probably prefer to avoid.

Like any rational player, China prefers to stick with a lesser evil.

Barack, Beijing and Joe Pesci

If you owe a little money and can't pay it back, you're going to get a beating. If you owe a lot of money, you might lose a thumb. Now, let's assume you're about to lose a thumb, and you look up at Joe Pesci and tell him you need more?

That's the US, and Joe Pesci is China.
So far Joe has given us trillions. Now we're asking for more. This has been going on for a while, but for the first time, the Chinese are worried:

Chinese Premier "Boss" Wen Jiabao had said Friday he was "concerned" about the safety of the estimated $1 trillion his country has invested in U.S. government debt. China is Washington's biggest foreign creditor, and Obama's administration is counting on the Chinese to help pay for the $787 billion economic stimulus package by buying U.S. bonds.

"Of course we are concerned about the safety of our assets. To be honest, I'm a little bit worried," Wen said. "I would like to call on the United States to honor its words, stay a credible nation and ensure the safety of Chinese assets."

President Obama immediately rushed to assure the Chinese that their investment in America is safe:

"There's a reason why even in the midst of this economic crisis you've seen actual increases in investment flows here into the United States," Obama said. "I think it's a recognition that the stability not only of our economic system, but also our political system, is extraordinary.

"I think that not just the Chinese government, but every investor, can have absolute confidence in the soundness of investments in the United States," he added.

Joe Pesci isn't worried about the US defaulting on its bonds. That won't happen. But Joe Pesci wonders outloud that the U.S. will adopt the standard debtor's remedy of inflating its currency and paying back its debts in shrunken dollars. Why would Joe Pesci be worried about this? Because Obama's budget proposes to borrow trillions of dollars, injecting them into the U.S. economy without any offsetting wealth being created. The inevitable result, as any economist not in the pay of the Obama administration or the Democratic Party will tell you, is inflation.

Some experts say that the Chinese are stuck, like the loan shark to whom you owe a lot of money you can't pay. Therefore, they shouldn't talk down the dollar lest they further devalue the trillion dollars' worth they already own:

The dollars they get back (eventually) will be worth LESS than what they loaned.

In questioning the U.S. ability to make good on its debts, China threatens to undermine the value of the very assets it's holding. Like beating the crap out of someone before they make a PowerPoint presentation. Not too good for everyone's business.

Meanwhile, Barack Obama's budget contemplates that over the next five years, the federal government will borrow more money--run up more debt--than has been incurred during the entire history of the Republic, from George Washington to George Bush. It's easy to draw up a budget that contemplates debt if you're confident that someone is willing to lend you the money. In reality, though, the only plausible creditor is... the Chinese.

With Joe swinging his bat around, he has told Obama that he's willing to lend our government more money only if 1) the Obama administration follows a more responsible fiscal policy, and 2) in any event, they will insist on higher interest rates in the future to compensate themselves for the risk of inflation. I assume Obama will have to go along, since there seems no prospect of a Plan B.

Bottom Line: American conservatives may well be in the position of hoping the "Communist" Chinese can impose fiscal discipline on our shamefully incompetent government.