Sweating Blood
A few weeks ago, I commented on the effects that PDJT’s tariffs would have on the world’s economy, especially China’s. Like most everyone, I underestimated our esteemed President Trump. Chairman Xi started out by putting up a strong face. That is very important to many cultures, especially in the orient. Keeping “face” is essential to maintain dignity, to present strength and composure, to display courage and conviction. To do less than this is to invite shame. In some instances, death is preferable to shame.
Shaming is a tool used by our Marxist enemies to generate a reaction to their taunts and abuses. It is effective only against those with a conscience and who can hold shame. Alas, they are invulnerable to the same tactics used against them because they have neither shame nor conscience.
I projected that the tariffs might take over 60 days to show some effect. The Chinese stated that they would “fight to the end” to oppose the US tariffs. Apparently, the end is nearer than they thought. Now, the Chinese are lowering their retaliatory tariffs on some microchips as well as other products. There are as many as 16 million Chinese factory jobs at risk of being lost due to the tariffs. Container ships are reportedly being turned around. Which means a LOT of already manufactured products will not be paid for. Note: there is no unemployment in China. No work, no pay. No pay, no food. Things go downhill from there. Think of 1932 USA but with over a billion people.
Chairman Xi is presently chairman for life. That position does not state how long the term actually is. With the economy beginning to collapse his term may not be as long as he had expected.
Sending out the military against factory workers in cities all across China will be…problematic. Tiananmen Square situations in multiple cities would certainly be bad optics. Mao had no problem with killing millions of his people, but they mostly succumbed to starvation, primarily due to ignorance and central planning. Bad central planning…which it almost always is. There were no cell phones, no way to document the tragedy. Seeing the army slaughter civilians because they are rioting for pay and food might be a different situation.
A government coup in China will likely be different from what the Marxists pulled off with Biden. Regardless of what they wished they could do, putting a bullet in Biden’s brain (not that he or anyone else would notice) would not be as acceptable to the news vultures as doing the same to PDJT.
It has been said that war is a result of poor diplomacy. But diplomacy takes different forms. Chairman Xi wants to take Tiawan. Tiawan isn’t interested. The Chinese have already embarked on a very aggressive program to build an enormous army, navy and air force. They have constructed new islands with military bases on them. The invasion of Tiawan wouldn’t require this…but to fight us as well certainly would. With his economy faltering and civilian unrest, how does he pay for the military buildup? Buy guns or butter? Can he afford both? His population growth has also stalled. Who will support both the economy and the military?
POTUS is using economic warfare to replace military warfare. He can starve the military buildup and prevent a shooting war. And in doing so, return basic manufacturing capacity to the US. He’s still playing 5D chess; everyone else is playing tiddlywinks.
ciao,
The Snark