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1
Ian Welsh3 days ago
The World Europe Made, And Its Death[image: The World Europe Made, And Its Death]
Most people don’t really *get* just how extensive European conquest of the
world was.
The map’s a bit inaccurate over in Russia: most of Russia is “not Europe”
and was conquered — most of it should be green, like North America.
Likewise, Japan was conquered by the US, which is a European colony.
Leaving aside their brutal war crimes, they were stupid to pick a fight
with an industrialized continental power: there was never any chance of
winning against the US, as Admiral Yamamoto told them.
But the point is fairly simple: Europeans mad... read more
I disagree.
Mercantilism is unstable.
2
Ian Welsh4 days ago
China’s Trade Surplus Grows, Including With the US[image: China’s Trade Surplus Grows, Including With the US]
There’s a lot of talk about friend-shoring and bringing industry back to
the US and its allies, but the reality is quite different.
China's trade surplus reached US$877.6 billion for 2022, an increase of 30%
of the already record high year of 2021. This is the biggest trade surplus
ever achieved by one country in human history. Trade surplus with the US
accounted for almost half at US$ 404 billion. pic.twitter.com/P37rbLGczI
— America-China Watcher (@PandemicTruther) January 14, 2023
The bottom line, right now, is that if ... read more
Nothing can save China from demographic collapse
3.
Ian Welsh5 days ago
Fundraiser Ends Friday[image: Fundraiser Ends Friday]
Thanks to everyone who has given, I appreciate it greatly. We’re about
$1,300 short of the final goal. If we hit it I’ll write an article on
reasons for hope. Either way, again, I’m very grateful.
*SUBSCRIBE OR DONATE TO IAN’S 2022 FUNDRAISER*
read more
There is less noise from the north.
4
Ian Welsh6 days ago
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – January 15, 2023[image: Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – January 15, 2023]
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – January 15, 2023
by Tony Wikrent
[TW: Dear readers: I was on the road much of this past week, so had limited
time and access. If this wrap seems a bit short and abbreviated, it’s
because it is. Should be back to normal this coming week.]
*Life Lessons from 1,000 Years*
[Curiosity Chronicle, via The Big Picture 1-13-2023]
I asked a number of 90-year-olds a simple question: “If you could speak to
your 32-year-old self, what advice would you give?” In total, there was
over 1,000 years o... read more
Nothing new.
5
Ian Welsh1 week ago
Open Thread[image: Open Thread]
Use to discuss topics unrelated to recent posts.
read more
Sooner is better. As soon as you can is best.
6
Ian Welsh1 week ago
Almost Nothing[image: Almost Nothing]
Words are always a problem, and never more so when discussing
spirituality/meditation/cultivation.
There are many, many different types of meditation, designed to do very
different things. There are forms of breath meditation whose primary
purpose is to calm the body. When you do so, you may notice certain things
about reality/yourself, but knowing “how to meditate” doesn’t mean you have
achieved any level of insight or awakening; it’s just a technical skill.
But almost all of what I would consider real spirituality is about “knowing
thyself.” This is prima... read more
I go there often.
7
Ian Welsh1 week ago
America Will Lose Its Scientific Ascendance To China & When Disruptive Science Will Recover[image: America Will Lose Its Scientific Ascendance To China & When
Disruptive Science Will Recover]
And thinking otherwise is tiresome and delusional. From Nature:
Young Chinese scientists who got their PhDs overseas and returned to China
as part of a state-run talent drive published more papers after their
return than did their peers who stayed abroad. The productivity bump can be
explained by returnees’ access to greater funding and an abundant research
workforce, according to the authors of an analysis published in *Science*1*.
*The findings come as geopolitical competition bet... read more
Faith hides science.
8
Ian Welsh1 week ago
Fundraiser Update[image: Fundraiser Update]
We’ve raised approximately $8,400, when including the $2,300 from the
emergency fundraiser earlier in 2022. That puts us past $6,500 and a
summary article on the world’s position and prospects, and $1,600 from the
$11,000 final goal and threshold for an article on reasons for hope. I’ll
end the fundraiser sometime next week, whether we’ve achieved the goal or
not.
Generally speaking, money simply tells me, like everyone, that what I do is
valued and I should do more of it. As always, if you are in a position
where money is short for essentials like food,... read more
Old news.
9
Ian Welsh1 week ago
Why The American Radical Right Is Powerful And The American Left Is Meaningless[image: Why The American Radical Right Is Powerful And The American Left Is
Meaningless]
Watching “left wing” reactions to the Speaker’s election in the US House
was instructive. Too many people were appalled when I pointed out that the
left, the “Squad” specifically, could have done the same thing to get
concessions in 2024.
If you were appalled at the idea then you are not a member of the left in
any useful way.
(That statement and this post will occasion another torrent of abuse in the
comments for me to throw into spam, and laugh about. If you think that
after 30 years online... read more
Dreams, wishes, and suspicisions.
10
Ian Welsh1 week ago
no title[image: no title]
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – January 8, 2023
by Tony Wikrent
*Strategic Political Economy*
*Why Petulant Oligarchs Rule Our World*
Paul Krugman [New York Times, via The Big Picture 1-3-2023]
…the lesson I took from my moment of pettiness was that privilege corrupts,
that it very easily breeds a sense of entitlement. And surely, to
paraphrase Lord Acton, enormous privilege corrupts enormously, in part
because the very privileged are normally surrounded by people who would
never dare tell them that they’re behaving badly.
When an immensely rich man, acc... read more
The political machines do not allow a third machine.power
11
Ian Welsh2 weeks ago
Open Thread[image: Open Thread]
Use to discuss topics unrelated to recent posts.
read more
Sooner is better. As soon as you can is best.
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Ian Welsh2 weeks ago
The Republican House Speaker Votes Show Progressive’s Disbelief In Their Own Legitimacy[image: The Republican House Speaker Votes Show Progressive’s Disbelief In
Their Own Legitimacy]
So, 4 days, 13 votes as of this writing. A small band of right wing House
members are holding candidates hostage.
To win the bloc of rebels thwarting his rise, McCarthy was apparently
prepared to agree to conditions that he had not been previously willing to
accept. That includes reinstating a rule that would allow a single lawmaker
to force a vote to remove the speaker, effectively placing himself at the
mercy of his detractors who could trigger a vote at any point.
McCarthy and his a... read more
The power of a leader depends on the supporting majority'
An executive has no power of its own.
13
Ian Welsh2 weeks ago
Some Good Covid News From France[image: Some Good Covid News From France]
They are going to put CO2 monitors in all classrooms, with a limit of
800ppm.
We offer a translation into English of our synoptic on the new French
environmental code relating to the measurement of CO2 in schools. A PDF
version is available at https://t.co/R2WmMULY69
This is intended for foreigners who have expressed an interest in this new
code. https://t.co/vuQ4gJCu9y pic.twitter.com/UioyBUnUWM
— NOUS AÉRONS (@nousaerons) January 3, 2023
This sort of thing is what has needed to be done for a long time now. We
need to clean up our air th... read more
Fresh air aids masks.
14
Ian Welsh2 weeks ago
Canadian Housing And Immigration Policy[image: Canadian Housing And Immigration Policy]
So, Canada has done two interesting things in the last couple years to deal
with the effects of Covid. The first is let in a lot more immigrants:
Canada added more than 431,000 new permanent residents last year, the
largest annual increase in its history, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
seeks to ease the country’s labor shortages.
The new admissions met the 2022 target set by Trudeau’s government and
exceeded the prior year’s record of about 401,000 newcomers, according to a
release from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ... read more
Housing costs and rules have paused Canadian immigration.
15
Ian Welsh2 weeks ago
As China Rises, Europe Falls[image: As China Rises, Europe Falls]
Some interesting news in the semiconductor wars:
BREAKING: Netherlands firm ASML's stocks have been falling since China's
Huawei unveiled a new patent in Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography, confirming
the worst fears of the firm's executives who have opposed US restrictions
(Motley Fool).
— SGM World News (@SGMWorldnews) December 31, 2022
Now, ASML had indeed opposed US restrictions. They said explicitly that in
the case of sanctions, China would learn how to make the machines
themselves.
Europe’s technological lead is being destroyed by followi... read more
China cannot fight itself.
16
Ian Welsh2 weeks ago
Obvious Predictions For 2023[image: Obvious Predictions For 2023]
*Covid *will not miraculously end. New variants will continue to be born,
and they will generally be optimized for immune escape and damage.
Hospitals in most countries will continue to be under high strain, because
governments will keep pretending Covid is over when it is not and that it
doesn’t ravage people’s immune systems. I find this chart of Canada’s Covid
experience applies to most countries in spirit.
*This will likely be the warmest year on record*, but the coldest year of
the rest of your life and if it isn’t, it’ll be in the top 5 o... read more
China is comatose, The Russian Empire will not be borne again.
17
Ian Welsh2 weeks ago
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – January 1, 2023[image: Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – January 1, 2023]
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – January 1, 2023
by Tony Wikrent
*The dark side*
*Dress Rehearsal: Trump’s attempt almost two years ago to undermine the
2020 election reads today like a blueprint drawn for a future autocrat.*
Fintan O’Toole, January 19, 2023 issue [The New York Review]
To understand the attempted coup that culminated in the assault on the
Capitol on January 6, 2021, it is useful to go back to Donald Trump’s
immediate response to the election he actually won, in 2016. The head of
his transition team, ... read more
Old news.
18
Ian Welsh3 weeks ago
Open Thread[image: Open Thread]
Use to discuss topics unrelated to recent posts.
read more
Sooner is better. As soon as you can is best.
19
Ian Welsh3 weeks ago
How To Relax, Change & Be Free[image: How To Relax, Change & Be Free]
Jiddu Krishnamurti was a lecturer and teacher for almost 50 years. He was
famous, there are a lot of books transcribing his talks, and he maybe got
one person enlightened.
Jiddu was the anti-guru, guru. He didn’t want to give concrete
instructions, because when people follow concrete instructions they aren’t
free: they’ve got a system and they’re just enacting the system.
Reading him is frustrating. I’ve read his lectures multiple times over the
years, and each time understood a bit more of what he was saying.
One main point is that everyone... read more
Faith is of the external.
It is learned by study
20
Ian Welsh3 weeks ago
A Map Showing The Two Main Geopolitical Blocs[image: A Map Showing The Two Main Geopolitical Blocs]
Yeah, it is mostly this simple:
It really is the imperialist West vs. the entire world
This is how they voted on a UN resolution calling for a new international
economic order based on equity, sovereign equality, and cooperation,
opposing unilateral sanctions and advocating for debt relief for the Global
South https://t.co/veNO3uMdC5 pic.twitter.com/wy6amH7TUm
— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) December 15, 2022
This is pretty much the map for UN resolutions aimed at Russia, too.
As I’ve noted before the bottom line is that if you... read more
Paint is easy.
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