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Not wholly sure this matters

Russia’s transformation into a wholly-owned subsidiary of China is now complete

Owning Russia didn’t do the CPSU all that much good. Not sure the result will be different for the CCP.

17 thoughts on “Not wholly sure this matters”

  1. It’ll be interesting to see Tim. I’ve certainly got doubts about Chinese investment in Africa. Maybe support of Russia’ll be just as bad.

    One might argue that US support of Britain in WW2 had in a similar effect.

  2. It matters if you’re paid to write about Western “victory” against Russia, Tim.

    They ran out of straws a while ago, clutching bits of grass and empty crisp packets now. Sad!

  3. Dunno Boganboy, the US investment in Britain ( and Europe in general ) in WW2 allowed them to consolidate themselves as the world’s primary superpower without all that occupation bruhaha the Soviets had to resort to.

    And China being able to …lean… on Russia may not be a Bad Thing™ for the short/medium term.
    The chinese may not care much about anyone not chinese, but they are not fans of turning the world into a glow-in-the-dark wasteland. That’s Bad for Business…

    Putin won’t live forever, and even he may be ..defenestrated.. Stranger things have happened.
    China then using their influence to …encourage… the election of a new Russian Leader with a more amenable stance to global stability is well within the realms of possibility.
    The chinese are masters of playing the Long Game, after all.

  4. Grikath – we’ve been menacing China for years now, and they’re wise to the threat of “global NATO”.

    So, Mr Lynn is effectively boasting that we’re now at war with China.

    I do think there will still be regime change and some kind of negotiated settlement – hopefully the Chinese will be in a generous mood when we accept their terms.

  5. Steve

    We’ve been at war with China for years. In fact, I think they may well have already won. They certainly have their man in the White House.

  6. Otto – I think they thought they did, China was certainly eager to see the back of Senor Tromp.

    ‘Biden’ has turned out to be a lot more aggressive than he was. Trump just wanted to rebalance trade and get a bit of manufacturing back to American workers in the States, he showed little enthusiasm for murdering Han seamen in the South China Sea.

  7. . . . he showed little enthusiasm for murdering Han seamen in the South China Sea.

    Hmmm . . .

    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/beijing-strikes-back-white-house-draws-red-lines-over-south-n711401

    One of the amazing things about the bitter partisan divisions in the US is how quietly consistent the foreign policy has been.

    As usual, Steve, your flowery sales language hides the truth. The Han seamen in the South China Sea are actually the occupying forces of multiple invasions of the territorial waters of China’s neighbours. Countries, even ostensibly communist ones, who would have no truck with your anti-American frothing.

  8. PJF – please name one war that President Trump either started or threatened, dziekuje.

    One of the amazing things about the bitter partisan divisions in the US is how quietly consistent the foreign policy has been.

    What the actual fuck are you talking about? Five minutes ago, China was our new Best Pal 4 Lyfe and the West couldn’t get enough of shipping its jobs and industries to them while inviting hordes of their students into our yoonis.

    Now, you’re absolutely convinced we’ve always been at war with Eastasia.

    Sheesh.

    The Han seamen in the South China Sea are actually the occupying forces of multiple invasions of the territorial waters of China’s neighbours. Countries, even ostensibly communist ones, who would have no truck with your anti-American frothing.

    That’s nice, let them sort out their own quarrels with China.

  9. What the actual fuck are you talking about? Five minutes ago . . .

    Sorry, I forgot who I was arguing with. I’m not talking about since President Taft, and I am talking about revealed policy rather than stated policy.

    Pretty much looking at this century. Even with Bush’s fascination with the Middle East, he increased military preparedness against China. For all the diplomatic shiny of Obama’s Asia pivot, real work was done to create defence ties with China’s neighbours. Trump threw out the diplomatic pretence that economic ties with lying communist bastards are worth the effort and began the active disengagement. Biden has doubled down on this. Globalisation (as in China makes everything) is over, industry is going back to America.

    This has all been handled by the “deep state” behind the ridiculous Punch and Judy shitshow of US politics.

    That’s nice, let them sort out their own quarrels with China.

    The stupid, loser romance of isolationism. Just ‘cos you withdraw from the world doesn’t mean the world withdraws from you. Keep ’em down over there or end up fighting them at home.

  10. Seems likes it let’s blame countries for being isolationist while shaming them over their colonialist past at the moment, it’s no wonder some of us are confused.
    Should we support the independence, proud history and culture of a country that make’s homosexuality illegal or should we impose our colonial western culture on them?

  11. Consider the question:
    Should Kurdistan be a normal independent country?

    If you answer no then you’re an elected politician. Ooh, doing that that could lead to bother in the Kurdish regions of Turkey. Would mean an attitude which insists recognising the DPR and LPR and Taiwan for instance. East Turkestan even.
    How these people who support self-determination sleep at night with two brains in one skull defies me.

    In passing Cleverly seems a decent foreign secretary, hasn’t fomented any wars.

  12. Bongo

    Never forget that James Cleverley is the man who sacked Roger Scrutin based on a falsified interview in the New Statesman, for which the author was never properly sanctioned. He is a fool.

    As to Kurdistan – the answer is as always “Yes, but…”

    All of it ? Across the borders of three or more sovereign states ?

    Where the Coalition ballsed up in Iraq was returning the country to its old unitary structure. If Iraq had been split back into its three Ottoman provinces, an independent Kurdish homeland could have been brought to existence in the north.

  13. Otto… Just one question…

    Who gets to decide where those lines are drawn? And who is going to enforce them?

    Honestly… the current Slavic Spat is not a patch on the cancerous boil that is that particular region, and the ancient enmities within.
    If we must have a new Iron Curtain, best is to ring that area off, leave well alone, and check in a century or so who has come out on top of all the infighting.

    And then most likely simply glass it to be done with it.
    They’ve been at each other’s throats over there for literally millennia. There’s no helping them.

  14. Grikath.

    That is the reason I’ve always loved fracking. We can just totally frack our own patch of dirt, and we don’t even have to think about those shitholes.

    Of course dear old Biden was quick to ban fracking, Canadian pipelines etc. And we soon find him back whinging to the Saudis to jack up their oil production.

  15. Grikath

    In ye goode olde dayesm it would have been someone like Gertrude Bell who defined the birders, found a king to run the place and let the RAF enforce it.

    The chaos that was the Iraqi parliament after the Coalition invasion shows what happens when no strongman is in charge of these places to bang a few heads together. King Feisal was not necessarily a strong man but he could call on British help .

  16. Otto

    That’s why I dump a smidgen of the blame for the present Sudan mess on foreign interference. If the ‘international community’ hadn’t been pushing democracy, Bashir might not have been tossed out, and the rival generals wouldn’t be fighting to see who’ll be top dog.

  17. Good point Boganboy

    This is the key to China’d success in Africa. They don’t care really who is in charge and how many skulls they sit on, as long as they are stumping up the cobalt/copper etc.

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