tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537213245172078183.post1794960162856355078..comments2023-09-28T13:28:52.243+01:00Comments on Raedwald: The geopolitics behind both Trump and BrexitRaedwaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699610899843349594noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537213245172078183.post-54101992099970128352018-06-13T05:45:30.377+01:002018-06-13T05:45:30.377+01:00About as well as predicted Raedwald, on current tr...About as well as predicted Raedwald, on current trends we will have a 50 cent dollar v USD, softwood lumber @$220 MBF, crude oil @$25 BBL and a vastly larger islamic insurgency. We have learned nothing from EU mis-steps.<br /><br />However we do have a chief NAFTA negotiator that signs her emails "hugs" (google it), a climate Barbie (google it) a PM that spouts nonsense at every turn, a socialist govt in Alberta fighting a socialist govt in BC to build an oil pipeline to the western seaboard along the route of an existing oil pipeline, a socialist govt in Quebec vetoing an oil pipeline to the Eastern seaboard purportedly because of a threat of polluting the St Lawrence river meanwhile Quebec pumps untold millions of gallons of raw sewage into the river.<br /><br />You should really consider writing an article about Canaduh it might be welcome relief to your beleaguered yUK readers. Stupidity is endemic in todays world, I have stated frequently that as whole the world has peaked and we are in decline all-over, I read today that is factual, IQ measurements are declining 7% per generation since 1970ish. I would suspect that 7% is sharply understated for Canadian and yUK politicians.<br /><br />Other than that things are fine, as I hope you are too.<br />Cascadiannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537213245172078183.post-84261174775492789422018-06-13T04:56:49.133+01:002018-06-13T04:56:49.133+01:00How's that whole transgender rights legal mari...How's that whole transgender rights legal marijuana surrender monkey thing going for you all there, Cascadian?Raedwaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11699610899843349594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537213245172078183.post-46236040094877055992018-06-13T00:06:41.824+01:002018-06-13T00:06:41.824+01:00I don't believe Raedwald or AEP understand Pre...I don't believe Raedwald or AEP understand President Trump in the least, it seems to me he is a simple businessman attempting to balance the books, something politicians and economy wonks playing their silly geo-politics game are totally incapable of.<br />Germany has for many years run an enormous trade credit against the USA, President Trump will balance that deficit with or without German co-operation. Same for China, Canada, France and many others. If they get too uppity he has threatened tariffs, I do not think it is a good idea to call his bluff-as Canada is currently finding out. <br />China at least is militarily independent, look at the pitiful state of all other freeloading NATO countries who are still totally reliant on USA defense, then again look at the greatest threat to the EUrine countries, an islamic insurgency. You would think that for domestic peace a formidable military would be desirable. It is in their own best interest to re-arm urgently, instead they piss the money away on the islamic welfare insurgency. Hungary, Czechia, Poland and now Italy have woken up, yUK Germany, France, Spain are still dozing.<br />We live in interesting times, after centuries of failed diplomacy, failed geo-politics and failed monetary and economic policies perhaps a simpler method of government should be applied-paying your way, no borrowing to fund useless foreign adventures, balance the books, look after them that built your country through voluntary taxes not the latest hordes of gimmegrants, no foreign aid all of this could be called the Trump Doctrine but it is so close to common sense that I believe President Trump would disown that name.<br />Geo-politics be damned, the whole of Europe is reliant on Russian gas, you are just a weak, disarmed, dying continent, where free speech is not allowed, ripe for the insurgency. Wakey, wakey!! <br />Cascadiannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537213245172078183.post-45810223596224259242018-06-12T13:36:14.633+01:002018-06-12T13:36:14.633+01:00Anon @ 13:01. I was typing when you posted your p...Anon @ 13:01. I was typing when you posted your point that the "technological advantage rules". Obviously I agree.Budgienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537213245172078183.post-59053084452478585632018-06-12T13:32:04.614+01:002018-06-12T13:32:04.614+01:00Raedwald, Yes, intriguing points. Though I rather...Raedwald, Yes, intriguing points. Though I rather think that the world will revolve around China in the future, not Poland.<br /><br />One of the problems that the EU has, in order to keep "Europe" in the game against far better players like the USA and China, is to generate feelings of "EU-nationalism". That is very hard to do when actual nationalism (French, German, Italian, etc) must be quashed simultaneously. Though Remains, being more gullible, do fall for it. <br /><br />Now, I much, much prefer the UK to be independent. But <i>if</i> our subjugation really is inescapable then it is only fair that we should have the choice of being part of the USA instead of the USE. However size may not be as important as most people think.<br /><br />History tells us that geo-political winners are almost always the makers - the nations or empires with world-leading technology or skills - including organisational skills. Being a maker is usually more important that being big.<br /><br />It does not seem to me that genuine free trade is possible internationally. Though the UK, particularly the English, are weak on nationalism, the rest of the world isn't. So, without a demos, it is not really possible to have (unbiased) free trade. Or, indeed, democracy. Almost by definition.<br /><br />As a species we are defined by our fear of loss of food (really, sustenance: water, food, land to grow food on). All competitive politics, and trade, flow from that fear.Budgienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537213245172078183.post-53945119213839485062018-06-12T13:01:04.066+01:002018-06-12T13:01:04.066+01:00Load of claptrap 19th Century thinking. It's w...Load of claptrap 19th Century thinking. It's who has the technological advantage rules, always was. He who holds the stick that scares all the others leads. Simple.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537213245172078183.post-14755141416186833782018-06-12T09:53:17.255+01:002018-06-12T09:53:17.255+01:00@formertory.
Either that or the traditional Engli...@formertory.<br /><br />Either that or the traditional English salute flaunted by our archers and Agincourt.<br /><br />I still think the classic British diplomatic stance holds true, an in much the same way that we can never let any continental power become too powerful.rapscallionnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537213245172078183.post-85579860233942100152018-06-12T09:15:58.713+01:002018-06-12T09:15:58.713+01:00Geopolitics, yes, and geo-economics.
I'm more...Geopolitics, yes, and geo-economics.<br /><br />I'm more than ever convinced that Trump's doing the long-distance runner's version of setting a fast opening pace to burn out the weaker competition. He's an economics graduate and if he learned nothing else, he must have learned that tariffs are bad (economically); but, he also knows America is stronger and fitter than the rest of the field and can use tariffs to beat down weaker trading blocs - like the EU.<br /><br />He's playing the EU and Kim Wrong-Un like fiddles. He's made the US the only nation in the world that matters at the moment (bar China, keeping strangely quiet). He's a businessman, not a politician, and moreover one who really doesn't care very much what others think of him. Boris redeemed himself a little in my eyes the other day when he addressed that private dinner and said (vis-a-vis Brexit) that we should think "What would Trump do?" - and then do that. Go in hard and be prepared to walk away.<br /><br />We could start by declaring a National Bollocks to Barnier Day :-)formertoryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06787382608124662939noreply@blogger.com