When I was a boy I never played sports with my father. He was always working and then going to night school. When he was home, we tended to go to museums and parks. Oh, sure there were some trivial times when he tried to get me to participate in sports.

For instance; Once he introduced me to the son of a local friend. He tied on some boxing gloves and the boy kept hitting me over and over, and I didn’t know what the fuck was going on. Nope. Hit and then hit again. Then hit, and then stomach punch. WTF?

I started to cry. And that was it.

That did not work out fine.

My friends were playing tag-football outside and I happily wanted to join, but my mother said NO! Being safety minded. So…

It wasn’t until I hit third grade when I was forced to participate in sports at school. My new school put a strong emphasis on sports. Football. Baseball. Softball. Basketball. And I didn’t have a clue on what to do.

Heck! I didn’t even know what a basketball looked like.

You see, all these kids knew how to dribble basketballs when they were 2-3 years old. They were playing football and baseball at 4 years old. I didn’t have any experience, and so here I was at 10 years old completely clueless, and… I couldn’t catch, throw or do anything at all about these balls.

…I became the brunt of the jokes.

My father didn’t help. He simply said “…just go and play.”

WTF?

These are skills you learn with practice. It’s not a natural ability that you learn by osmosis. It caused me many years of grief…

…then I started lifting weights.

And things changed.

All I needed to go was beat the fucking shit out of one or two kids, and the rest of them fell into line.

You see. The clueless follow the bullies. And they just go along with them. Sure, they don’t want to be called toadies, but that is exactly what they are. Followers. Cowards. Sniveling little shits.

Sometimes you have to break a few bones to know that there’s a “new kid on the block”, and you had best mind your Ps and Qs.

Schoolyard, or Global Geo-Politics. It’s all the same…

Nuland, ‘frank and difficult’ meeting in Niger

Yeah. Lots of changes, and Africa is in the “cross hairs”. Africa says NO!

China Declares It Will Hit The U.S Hard Against The CURBS!

China says NO!

https://youtu.be/uAStM1gOpjQ

When did the United States start viewing China as a threat?

Obama’s 2012 pivot to East Asia was the start of US apprehension concerning the rise of China, Democrats didn’t see China as as enemy until President Biden but the Republicans always did see China as an enemy beginning with H.W Bush.

Obama’s comprehension of Xi Jinping launched the Belt and Road initiative with Egypt the very next year, this Chinese policy operation began as a response to Obama bombing Libya 28 th March 2011, thereby breaking the “UN Security council resolution 1973″ made on the 17 th. March 2011, an almost unamious agreement with just 3 abstentions China wasn’t one of them.

Bombing Libya followed by the Arab Spring’s attempt to oust the Syrian Government changed the course of history, Xi Jinping recognized this and began building barriers to repulse the United States economically recolonizing China.

Prior to this China was first courted by President Nixon visit to China meeting Mao Zedong in 1971, 20 years later these ground breaking events became the main player in the overthrow of the Soviet Union which was achieved in 1991 with the help of the Orthodox Russian Church who swallowed the lies of Catholic Pope John Paul which they soon came to regret.

President Nixon wasn’t appreciated for his contribution towards the overthrow of the Soviets and was shafted as a result by conservative America leading to the Reagan era of the 1980′s that became the overwhelming contributing factor of the political reality which led to the unipolar moment of 1991, in itself only achieved by the US and Allies with the support of China and of course the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Immediately after Yeltsin fired on the Russian Parliament in October 1993 US President Bill Clinton started viewing China as a threat, but Clinton wasn’t good enough in that capacity and was replaced by the real anti China hawk GW Bush in 2009, it was this US President that began the transition of China from friend to enemy.

As a Chinese citizen, how would you like to see China deal with its drug problem?

There isn’t any serious drug problem. However, my point of view, which is shared with the 1.6 billion fellow citizens is clear….

Absolutely zero tolerance. It should be harsher than current strength. Should publicly (on TV, all airport, seaport…) and continuously broadcast the miserable lives of drug users, and the execution process of drug dealers/makers.

El Dorado Casserole

I have been making this casserole for as long as I can remember. It’s very good and exceptionally good warmed up the next day.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 16 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 cup sliced black olives
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 7 ounces tortilla corn chips, crushed
• 8 ounces (or more, if desired) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Cook beef until browned.
2. Drain. Add onion, garlic powder, tomato sauce and olives. Cook over low heat until the onion is clear.
3. Combine sour cream, cottage cheese and chiles.
4. Layer half the chips, meat mixture, sour cream mixture and Monterey Jack cheese in a greased 2 1/2-quart casserole.
5. Repeat this layering a second time.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

What is the biggest fear of the Chinese Communist Party, and how does it mitigate this fear?

The CPC have taken China to the top of the world

The Average Chinese has seen his life change by a whopping 180 degrees

His country is now so powerful that the entire West are plotting actual strategy for it’s downfall

So frankly the CPC have little to fear within China

Nationalism has permeated throughout China now

The Young generations stand fully behind the CPC and any threat to China

Again this is partly due to the USA whose insanity has resulted in a kind of anger for the US Politicians by the Locals

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The CPC also know how to handle angry people better than anyone else

They are REASONABLE all the time

They defuse situations better than most democracies

They have no opposition so they see no reason why they can’t give in to people’s protests from time to time if the protests make some sense

---

So don’t worry

The CPC knows better than any other party in the world how to ensure China keeps rising

After all this is a Communist Party that took an Agrarian Nation into a rising power that stands shoulder to shoulder with the US

In a mere 40 years !!!!!!!!

Nobody else can boast the same

China’s Missing Foreign Minister, Qin Gang, Is Gone, But Why?

This is very very good.

Do soldiers have personal time while serving in combat zones? Are they ever off duty, even when sleeping or eating?

I was a combat infantryman in Vietnam. Most days we were in the jungle on “search and destroy missions” our job was to search out the enemy and destroy them. That included their weapons, supplies, food, shelter and anything or anyone who supported them. We were on rotation with three other infantry companies. Three weeks in the jungle then one week on the fire base providing perimeter security for the artillery company stationed on the top of the hill. The three weeks patrolling were 24/7 “on duty”. Searching out the enemy by day and taking a guard shift every night. No time off at all. During our one week on the fire base, we had time to clean our weapons, get clean clothes and shower. We were still on duty filling sandbags, repairing bunkers and digging trenches.

Every three months or so, our company would be airlifted by helicopter to the rear area for three days of “Standdown” where we could drink beer, watch movies and relax. We were also entitled to take two one week R&R trips out of country to “relax and recuperate”.

The standdown and R&R were our only downtime. Rear area troups had Night clubs, PX stores and occasional USO shows to entertain them. Infantrymen’s jobs didn’t allow for such.

No ONE is ready for what’s coming in weeks, it’s going to be bad

New reports suggest NATO is getting ready to throw Ukraine under the tank.

Ex-CIA Larry Johnson says western intelligence are looking for ways to get rid of Zelensky and make it look like a Russian missile strike. General Cavoli says Russia’s military hasn’t been degraded AT ALL by the conflict in Ukraine despite what CNN says.

And how long until the weapons bound for Ukraine wind up in the hands of African countries rising up against the U.S. and France?

Why can’t India manufacture cheaper products as compared to the Chinese?

Let me tell you that manufacturing is hard. Its Super Hard. It is THE hardest thing to do in the business world.

Now who else will know it better than the man himself – Elon Musk.

The man who has single handedly taken on giants in the automobile sector, the sector for which production is considered to be the toughest, and where no new startup had emerged successful in the last 100 years in USA. And then with SpaceX in the aerospace sector, where there was no commercial presence initially. And then Solarcity too!

Production can be 1,000% harder than design, says Elon Musk | Acquisition Talk

Even the production king, Henry Ford, chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production and who introduced “Fordism” : mass production of inexpensive goods coupled with high wages for workers; failed in his first attempt of car production with Detroit Automobile Company (DAC)

as it got dissolved within a year!

You see, a nation cannot simply become a manufacturer of cheap, affordable products with the click of a button. It needs several factors to back its industrial development –

1. Welcoming markets : Setting up an industry in India is a nightmare. Should I mention the numerous layers of govt administration to get the approvals, the babus(administrative officers); or the policies, or the taxes, or the absence of subsidies, it never ends. On the other hand, China in spite of being a communist nation welcomes its entrepreneurs with a warm hug and provides innumerable subsidies. You might be shocked to know that China was hell-bent to attract Tesla to set up its factory outside USA in China and even went to the scale of breaking rules and policies to welcome Tesla! USA’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loan program provided Tesla with $465 million when Tesla was on the verge of bankruptcy. Can these things happen in India?
2. FDI(Foreign Direct Investment) : China received about 20 percent of all FDI to developing countries over the 1st decade of this century. India on the other hand has been slow on attracting FDI. This condition has been improving since 2015 with Narendra Modi focusing on improving the FDI in India with Make in India. Reliance Jio has attracted more FDI in the past 3 months than all the Indian startups combined in the entire last year.
3. Infrastructure : Unless the Indian government increases the government spending to improve the infrastructure, industrial development is impossible. Industries simply cannot flourish without continuous supply(without power and water cuts) of electricity & water throughout the year. Without the presence of roads, railways connecting supply and demand, industries can’t supply goods at a cheap price.
4. Access to skilled labor : Migrant workers need to be trained to contribute maximum work in less time. Productivity is an essential factor for the success of the industries which directly depends on how skilled the labor force is. India loses big to China on this front.
5. Owning the supply chain : In several sectors, China literally owns the entire supply chain right from the raw materials to the finished goods. This helps you produce goods at the cheapest rate in the entire world. Moreover you can also increase the rate and bring other helpless countries to their knees. For e.g., India is among the leading producers of pharmaceutical drugs in the world. However, the raw materials needed – APIs(Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) – to produce the drugs are imported and not produced in India. And 70% import share of the APIs is that of China. So when China increased the price of these APIs during the CoVID-19 crisis purposefully, India simply cannot sell the finished products – drugs – at a cheaper price as they have to buy the APIs from China at a higher price.

Let’s hope that the Government in the upcoming years realizes the huge role that it has to play to help India manufacture cheaper, affordable goods and compete with China.

Gonzalo Lira Sr: The Value of Human Life in Ukraine is ZERO

Gonzalo’s father is confident that his son was seized by the Ukraine police as he attempted to leave for Hungary.

Have your neighbors ever called the cops on you for something ridiculous?

All the time.

One time was when I went to the swimming pool in my apartment complex. A white resident spotted me and stormed over to where I was sitting, demanding to know who I was and insisting that I prove I lived there and repeatedly asked for my address.

Now, there was no way that I was going to give my address to some random person, and I didn’t feel the need to prove my residency to her, so I ignored her. She threatened to call the police, and I just shrugged. So, she called them.

The police arrived, and she ran to meet them, screaming that I didn’t belong there and I had to leave.

I didn’t budge

The pool is right next to the rental office. The property manager saw the police and immediately came out to find out what was going on. The white resident was screeching that I was trespassing and refused to leave. At this point, the property manager confirmed that I do, in fact, live there.

One of the officers questioned me. “Why didn’t you just say that you lived here? It could have saved us a lot of time.”

I looked up from my book and asked, “Why do I have to justify my existence in a public space? Out of all the people here, she chose to single me out. Why? Is there some rule about black people not being allowed to live here that I don’t know about? Why do I have to endure the dehumanizing experience of constantly having to justify my existence and ‘prove’ to some random person that I have the right to exist in some public space?”

And I just got up, gathered my belongings, and left. The property manager straightened things out and—I guess—gave the white resident a warning or something.

Some time later, I was sitting in front of my apartment, in my car, which was in my assigned space. The cops arrived and demanded that I got out of the car and that they received a report of a “suspicious person” in the area. They asked for permission to search my car, and I refused. Of course, they came back with the, “If you don’t have anything to hide, you have nothing to worry about,” line, and I simply asserted my rights, which didn’t go over very well.

I placed a call to the property manager, who came over immediately. He confirmed that I was a resident and that I was parked in the space assigned to my unit. I simply grabbed my things out of my car and went upstairs to my apartment.

A few months later, the cops came back out because they received a call of a burglary in progress. Someone spotted me going in and out of my apartment and found that to be suspicious. Yeah, because all burglars break in and leave groceries, right?

The property manager had to come out yet again and confirm that I was a resident and lived in the unit in question. I was just done at this point. I think that the property manager knew who it was; about two weeks later, I saw the moving truck near my building and one of the residents moved out.

Once they were gone, I had no more problems after that.

China Just Destroyed US Sanctions …American CEOs in Shock!

US TSMC plant faces calls to ban Taiwanese workers; German plant expected

Ben Lovejoy | Aug 7 2023 – 6:35 am PT

Controversy over the first ever US TSMC plant aren’t going away – especially plans for around 500 Taiwanese construction workers to be flown in.

A petition has been created, calling on senators and members of Congress to block the visas needed to bring in their foreign workers …

Ongoing controversies over US TSMC plant

While things started on a high, with Apple touting US-made chips for older devices in its line-up, construction of the Arizona plant isn’t going well.

There have been questions about worker safety at the site, and the project is behind schedule, and over budget. Production has already been pushed into 2025, from 2024, and there is talk of US-made chips costing more than those made in Taiwan.

To help address this, TSMC wants to bring in around 500 Taiwanese workers. The company says that these workers have experience of setting up similar plants in Taiwan, so will help with faster and more cost-effective working.

However, unions say it breaks a promise to create jobs for American workers.

US-EU BIG Trouble Coming; BRICS and Oil

World Hal Turner 08 August 2023

As of late Tuesday evening, August 8, 2023, countries expressing their intent to join BRICS account for SIXTY PERCENT (60%) of known global oil/gas reserves.  At the very least, this means sixty percent of the worlds oil sales will take place in a currency OTHER THAN the U.S. Dollar, once BRICS brings their new, gold-backed currency to life.

The official announcement surrounding the development of this new currency is scheduled to be made on August 22.  The currency is not created yet and is not available yet.

But this change will come like a lightning bolt out of the blue for the Untied States.

As things are right now, ALL oil sales around the world, are done only in U.S. Dollars.  So every country that needs oil, or which sells oil, conducts those transactions only in DOLLARS.

That means every country on the planet needs to hold physical dollars in its central bank, so that the country can buy the oil/gas it needs.

Once the new BRICS currency comes online, all those excess DOLLARS being held all over the world, will start to come back tot he United States.

Thus, the value of OUR currency will drop against all those other currencies, because nobody will want or need our DOLLARS anymore.

Now, bear in mind, the US does not manufacture much of anything anymore.  We import all our stuff.

So as the value of our DOLLAR falls against foreign currencies, the cost of the things we buy will utterly skyrocket because our currency is worth less and less compared to other country’s currencies.

We will see hyper-inflation here in the USA that I suspect could rival the Weimar Republic just before it collapsed.

As of tonight, these are the countries that intend to join BRICS:

COUNTRIES THAT HAVE A DESIRE TO JOIN BRICS
Algeria
Argentina
Bangladesh
Bahrain
Belarus
Bolivia
Venezuela
Vietnam
Guinea
Greece
Honduras
Egypt
Indonesia
Iran
Cuba
Kuwait
Morocco
Mexico
Nigeria
UAE
Tajikistan
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Syria
Saudi Arabia
Ethiopia

Once this gets done, and oil sales begin in the new BRICS currency, the United States will economically collapse and nothing can stop it.

I smell a world war coming . . . .

Petition for EB-2 visas to be denied

Any TSMC employees brought over from Taiwan will need EB-2 visas in order to work legally in the US. These visas are intended for workers with “exceptional ability,” which would justify their employment over a US worker.

You must be able to show exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, or business. Exceptional ability “means a degree of expertise significantly above that ordinarily encountered in the sciences, arts, or business.” You must meet any requirements specified on the labor certification as applicable.

(An alternative basis for application is an advanced degree, for a job which requires one. This seems unlikely to apply to construction work, however skilled it may be.)

The Arizona Pipe Trades 469 union has started a petition to block the issuing of these visas.

I ask you to take swift action to protect American workers at TSMC’s Arizona facility from losing their jobs to foreign workers, and to block the more than 500 EB-2 visas the company has requested for construction workers.

Despite receiving large financial breaks through the CHIPS Act, TSMC has shown a lack of respect for American workers, placing profit above worker safety and deliberately misrepresenting the quality, skills and experience of Arizona’s workforce.

Replacing Arizona’s construction workers with foreign construction workers directly contradicts the very purpose for which the CHIPS Act was enacted – to create jobs for American workers. It is important that TSMC be held accountable and American workers be protected.

I ask you to use your influence to halt the EB-2 worker visas, and to make sure that American workers are given the respect, opportunities, and job security you voted for and President Biden ensured when signing the CHIPS Act.

Arizona working families are counting on you to fulfill the spirit of the CHIPS Act and protect American jobs.

A separate “Stand with American Workers” microsite has also been launched. This accuses TSMC of broken promises, insulting American workers, and trying to exploit cheap labor.

TSMC planning a plant in Germany

Separately, the Financial Times reports that TSMC is “widely expected to announce plans for a new fabrication plant” in the Saxony of Germany.

As with the Arizona plant, this relies on the availability of government subsidies for domestic chipmaking, where again overseas workers look set to be brought into the country.

Martin Dulig, Saxony’s economy minister said: “Germany faces an acute skills shortage and demographic decline. The number of working-age people will fall by 200,000 over the next 10 years.” The solution will probably be to recruit more workers from overseas.

Captain Christopher Visits the Bridge

Why are Russia and China conducting military exercises off the Alaska Coast?

Why are Russia and China conducting military exercises off the Alaska Coast ?

The US and it’s cronies warships are parked right up off the coast of China, so, China and Russia cruising near the coast of Alaska shouldn’t be any business of others.

What is good for goose is good for the gander!

It is reported that people don’t travel to China anymore. What is your reason for avoiding China as a tourist destination?

I was in China for several weeks in April and May. The flight was full, and the immigration queues for foreigners were incredibly long. So where or which is the “report” that tourists are avoiding China? Western medias ? Well, you know how China bashing and slanted news are their typical menu when reporting on China !

Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

Pork

• 1 pound pork tenderloin

Glaze

• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoons mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Place pork on a greased rack in a baking pan lined with foil.
2. Combine glaze ingredients in a bowl, set aside 3 tablespoons glaze. Spoon remaining glaze over pork.
3. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F for 28 minutes or until done, basting occasionally with reserved glaze.
4. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Jordan Peterson: “Once I Saw That Detail I Knew The Moon Landing Was…”

https://youtu.be/Sbm69DjEqvE

What is the intention of the United States to sanction the Chinese military?

In September 2018, the United States announced sanctions against the Equipment Development Department of China’s Central Military Commission and its responsible individuals based on its domestic law. At that time, the Minister of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission was Li Shangfu, who is now the Minister of National Defense. The unreasonable behavior of the United States has not been corrected to this day, seriously hindering the normal communication between the Chinese and American militaries, and fully exposing the nature of U.S. hegemonism.

According to the U.S. side, in July 2017, the U.S. Congress passed the “Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act,” which listed the Russian defense and intelligence departments and related personnel as sanction targets in order to cut off their sources of funding. After the passage of the act, the Equipment Development Department of China’s Central Military Commission continued to engage in military trade with Russian companies on the sanctions list and purchased Russian Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 air defense missiles. Therefore, China “should be subject to sanctions.” In other words, the U.S. “intention” was to target Russia, but China was “collaterally affected” this time.

This is the infamous “secondary sanctions” imposed by the United States, which involves sanctioning the targeted entities while also restricting the financial and trade activities between third countries and the targets, and imposing penalties on third-country organizations or individuals that violate the regulations.

As we all know, regardless of their size or strength, all countries are equal in sovereignty. No country should interfere in the internal affairs and external affairs of other countries. The United States attempts to elevate its domestic laws to the status of “international law,” which clearly violates international law and the basic principles of international relations. The fundamental purpose of the United States is to suppress China’s high-tech development, hinder China’s national defense modernization, and restrain the deepening of comprehensive strategic cooperation between China and Russia.

The United States is completely shooting itself in the foot. Even Elbridge Colby, the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense during the Trump administration and a representative of the Republican Party’s hardline stance towards China, criticized this approach.

Instead of correcting its own mistakes, the United States blames China for “rejecting the goodwill of the US to ease relations,” which exposes nothing but its double standards. No normal country would accept a practice of pressuring and containing through actions while seeking communication through words. Without a doubt, it is the United States itself that has led to the current situation between the Chinese and American militaries.

Star Trek Next Generation – Class 8 Probe

Chicken Diable

Chicken Diable makes a wonderful sauce, and it is delicious served over rice.

Prep: 10 min | Bake: 1 hr 30 min | Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) frying chicken
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup wet mustard
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Cut frying chicken into large pieces.
2. Melt butter and add honey, mustard, curry powder and salt. Coat chicken pieces with the sauce and place in a baking pan (do not stack).
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours, tightly covered.

U.S. Debt Explosion Guaranteed – They Just Did It!

A US debt implosion is guaranteed as the Treasury keeps selling bonds ramping up deficit spending. However, this borrowing now affects the longer-term bonds which traps America into a debt crisis which will be near impossible to dig out of. Inflation won’t stop and here’s what you must know!

Why are Russia and China doing joint tactical movements in the Bering Sea? Are they flexing and ready?

Unlike the US, Russia is doing it in front of his house. Or are you saying that Russia and China are not allowed to do this?

Star Trek Next Generation – Gomtuu

Are people overblowing the Deflation going on in China? I mean there’s nothing wrong with people saving their money, which is common in Chinese society. Or am I missing something?

Of course they are

There is no deflation for god’s sake

The CPI has fallen by 0.3% in the month of July

First you have to have Stagnancy where your Economy doesn’t grow or grows by very less

In China that’s defined as <= 2.5% a year for minimum 8 quarters

Then you have deflation where a stagnant economy sees little growth in CPI and that sees everything cheap and prices falling everywhere and wages falling too where savings banks no longer pay interest to you or pay 0.1% interest instead of 1.85% that China pays today

Then you finally have stagflation where you have the trouble

It takes 12–20 years for Stagflation to hit the economy

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This is entirely because 2022 was a lockdown year and the base for CPI was too too high

The Chinese economy has almost 300 Trillion Yuan of money

There is no way there is deflation whatsoever

First there has to be Stagnancy, then after a couple of years , there will be deflation if at all and finally after a decade there will be stagflation

You can’t have deflation in a month

For God’s sake use Logic

China controls it’s entire Yuan supply

No way that this is deflation

1421: The Year China Discovered America

Book By: Gavin Menzies, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, NY

REVIEWED BYDON LIU

This book challenges conventional wisdom and turns 15th century seafaring history upside down by making a case for Chinese exploration. Such a revision of history undoubtedly excites many people and makes others very uncomfortable. World famous figures and heroes along with their legacies are being questioned, and previously “unknown” explorers may now replace them. Whether or not the author manages to convince the reader of his viewpoint, my first questions are: why are the Chinese explorers hitherto ‘unknown to most of us?’ Do we not have our own bias in learning, writing, understanding, and teaching history?

Many years ago, the author Gavin Menzies, a retired British Royal Navy nuclear submarine commander, chanced upon a chart signed by a Venetian cartographer Zuane Pizzigano in 1424 at the James Ford Bell Library of University of Minnesota. Certain features on the chart caught his attention and aroused his curiosity. On investigation he found that conventional history as we know it could not satisfactorily explain the features he saw on the 1424 chart. He thus began his long journey into a little known corner of maritime history.

In the subsequent 15 years, he journeyed to more than 900 museums and libraries in 120 countries and met with scholars and experts in various fields. Using 34 lines of argument and a huge body of supporting evidence, the author concludes that a Chinese fleet under Admiral Zhen He circumnavigated and charted the globe, and discovered land, long before the European explorers such as Magellen, Columbus, and Cook set sails.

The book begins with the author’s questions about the Pizzigano map and how this fueled his determination to answer them. As he searched for answers, he encountered more questions. With his own immense knowledge of sea as a reference point, and a consuming passion for medieval history and tremendous interest in early European explorers, he carefully studied maps and charts of the world from the 15th and 16th centuries. He meticulously dissected and analyzed communications, diaries and logs of various European explorers and travelers. In the end he concluded that the world had been accurately charted by the Chinese in 1421.

Menzies demonstrates, for example, that by 1428, long before Magellan was born, the location and significance of the Strait that bears his name today had already been documented. The existence of many Caribbean Islands as well as the coastlines of Australia, Antarctica, Greenland, and Bering Strait had already been documented well before Columbus, Cook, and Bering started their voyages. The Europeans did not sail into the unknown, as conventional history has it. Rather, Menzies asserts, they had maps guiding them, and the maps were copies of earlier Chinese ones. If Menzies is correct, other questions immediately arise. How, the, did the Chinese do it? And why? Menzies explores these important questions. Contrasting 15th century China with the rest of the world at the time, he came to the conclusion that only the Chinese had the knowledge, the interest, and the capability to explore the world and to produce such maps.

Historians generally accept that a Chinese fleet under Admiral Zheng He made multiple voyages overseas in the early 1400’s. The composition of Zheng He’s fleet makes for interesting comparison with the Columbus expedition of 1492. The Chinese fleet was, literally, an armada comprised of hundreds of large and small ocean-going ships crewed by tens of thousands of sailors and soldiers, as well as many interpreters, surveyors, and scientists. Historians and scholars have not doubted that Zheng He’s fleet visited Indonesia, India, the Arabian Peninsula, and the East Coast of Africa. But as conventional wisdom has it, very little is known about the fleet’s exact routes since logs and detailed records were destroyed by the new Emperor’s edict upon the fleet’s return to China.

Menzies attempts to reconstruct and describe how the Chinese fleet might have sailed, often relying on his own seafaring knowledge as a nuclear submarine commander. Taking into consideration of the trade winds, ocean currents, and the Chinese seafaring technology of the era, he believes that once beyond the Cape of Good Hope and into the Atlantic Ocean, the Chinese fleet was divided into three groups, with two sailing south and one heading north. The two south-sailing fleets were credited for the discovery of and the passing through the Magellan strait before it was so named. One of the fleets was credited with surveying Antarctica and the other, for discovering New Zealand and East Australia. The north-sailing fleet discovered many Caribbean Islands, surveyed the east coast of North America, Greenland, the Arctic Sea, and Bering Strait before returning the China.

To support his hypothesis, Menzies has gathered a large body of supporting evidence and proposes many methods to prove his points. In all, he presents 34 different lines of argument or suggestions. According to the author, evidence of such Chinese exploration include shipwrecks of Chinese junks found in America, Australia, and Indonesia; carved stones, stone steles, or other monuments of possible Chinese origin in Africa and Pacific Islands; remains of Chinese peoples unearthed in South America, and clusters of Chinese DNA detected in Native Americans. Such evidence and other artifacts of Chinese origin are dated before the Europeans’ arrival and are either found or yet to be verified in various places along his reconstructed routes of the Chinese fleet.

Quoting various contemporary 15th and 16th century European sources, Menzies shows that early European explorers or travelers had records documenting their encounters with Chinese or Asiatic people in many of their newly discovered lands. The Europeans encountered many natives whose legends or oral traditions included stories of Chinese or Asiatic peoples living among them before the Europeans arrived. The author contends that other indirect or circumstantial evidence includes linguistic and ceremonial similarities between the Chines and various local tribes in the Americas. Menzies also noticed a strange animal depicted in the famous and very accurate Admiral Piri Reis map. He consulted experts in various disciplines, and the animal was later identified as a mylodon, a native of Patagonia. Notably, its likeness was depicted in the Chinese literature in 1430, well before the Europeans’ arrival.

Chinese exploration is the author’s intriguing explanation for the presence of Asiatic chickens and African coffee in the Americas before Columbus, the cultivation of American maize in Southeast Asia before the Europeans’ arrival, the pattern of spread and timing of the appearance of rice, coconuts, and sweet potatoes, and many other ‘displaced’ plants and animals in various parts of the ‘new worlds’. He also brings our attention to curious facts such as the introduction of iron and copper mining and the appearance of Chinese silk, jade, or lacquer in the least expected places and at a time prior to the Europeans’ voyage. Looking at these many fascinating yet seemingly unrelated questions with a bird’s eye view and treating them as one large and integrated question, the author believes the only satisfactory explanation is the exploratory voyages of the Chinese fleet in the early 1420’s.

In the 15th century Western sea-going exploration was in its infancy. Europeans did not discover the New World for 70 years after Menzies’ claim for Zheng He’s team, and circumnavigation of the globe was not accomplished by European explorers until 30 years after that. The question naturally arises as to whether the Chinese had the skills and the necessary technology to successfully carry out their mission. The author describes some of the necessary tools, skills, and technology for such an endeavor. By all accounts, the Chinese possessed the necessary hardware such as compasses and rudders and were in fact advanced far beyond Europeans in ship building technology, design, and construction. Furthermore, the Chinese had marine-related infrastructure such as the dry docks to build and maintain these vessels.

Quoting various sources and using his own knowledge of navigation at sea, the author believes the Chinese solved the fundamental navigational question of longitude by building observatories at various places and relying on their centuries-old astronomic records. Of particular importance was the lunar eclipse. Following this line of argument, the presence of many mysterious structures scattered all over the world is explained. These structures of unknown origin along the path of the Chinese fleet, he claims, could be the early navigational observatories which the Chinese had built.

This book is clearly the product of the author’s love and a consuming passion. It offers new ideas and a perspective that challenge conventional wisdom. It presents a min-opening theme and many angles of argument with plausible explanations. It is well written, well referenced, and nicely illustrated. The author masterfully presents numerous seemingly unrelated supporting evidence derived from various fields of study in a well-organized manner. The narrative is easy to understand and a pleasure to read. To be sure, much of this valuable information would escape detection and be left in a dusty corner if it weren’t for the author’s diligent efforts. Reportedly, this book has now been translated into 36 different languages and has been reviewed all over the world, with mostly favorable responses.

Because the theme in this book is so revolutionary, crediting little known Chinese sailors for history-changing discoveries, it engenders amazement and inspiration in many people. To those who find this book exciting, it should be remembered that this book, like any other work, is not without flaws. For example, the author states that the Chinese do not eat chicken and use these birds only for divination. This is wrong. Chinese do eat chicken. The author also seems to confuse the observation and recording of a supernova by the Chinese in Tang Dynasty for the detection of a pulsar. Many of the author’s proposed experiments or studies are yet to be carried out and much of the purported evidence needs to be verified. However, these ‘errors’ and ‘delays’ do not affect the overall quality or the validity of his arguments.

Some of the Menzies’ claims are bold and the evidence is slim, but his ideas are not impossible. For example, he believes some of the Chinese ships sailed the arctic seas before returning to China. But could the ships built then be strong enough to handle such an icy voyage? The author believes they were, based on the evidence he gathered. Menzies will be proven correct if some day physical evidence turns up, demonstrating that the Chinese ships indeed sailed the Arctic Sea. Yet, if he is proven wrong on this particular point, he may not be wrong on other points. There is a high probability that not every claim proposed by the author turns out to be true. But not everything needs to be proven true to support his central theme. If one of his clams is proven true or if one solid piece of evidence turns up, all of us need to re-think that part of history as taught to us hitherto. If one shred of physical evidence turns up in Australia or scientific studies such as DNA testing or archeological findings in the Americas proves positive, the author’s central theme that the Chinese fleet had visited some place before the Europeans remains intact.

Admiral Zheng He’s voyages are great human achievements in themselves. Circumnavigating the globe, if true, would be the pinnacle of that great explorer’s achievements. This feat would put him, and China, in the forefront of the intrepid sailors and explorers of that era. Although his fleet’s exact routes and extent of his explorations may be an academic question, Zheng He’s world vision and his men’s courage and accomplishments ought to rank among the greatest in history. It is rather appalling that History, as we know it, is relatively quiet about that. The burning of his logs and records, his dismissal by the new Emperor, and the subsequent silence about the whole affair are among the most tragic events in history. Political intrigues and an inward looking mentality of the Ming court, and ignorance and apathy of the public are among the main culprits. How could this be and why did we allow it to happen?

Because the ideas in this book challenge traditional teachings, they most certainly cause uneasy feelings in many. The Euro-centric heritage, if not a racial pride, of many Westerners might hinder an appreciation of this book. Some in Europe and America might find it hard to conceive that a non-European people could have beaten the Europeans at the own game which they took pride in over 5 centuries. However, as Americans we can take pride in a heritage which is enormously rich and varied and which encompasses far more than our European roots alone. Any open-minded person should read on. The book certainly raises many more questions, enriches our own experience, and starts a healthy debate.

The author may be criticized for his presumed lack of rigorous scholarship, as he lacks impressive academic credentials. Because he is not a historian, an archeologist, a botanist, or a linguist by profession, the author may be criticized for his lack of training and lack of scientific rigor in his writing. Before any purist or traditional academician discredits this book, however, it should be understood that the author does not propose that his book be History itself. Nor does he claim it to be a textbook of archeology or botany. The book raises important academic questions and offers possible and potentially verifiable solutions. Serious academicians should take advantage of his proposals and challenges. The author, in fact, humbly admits to his limited academic credentials and called on many experts whenever necessary. Too often, proud academicians rely on their own professional expertise and hesitate to consult others. Consequently, the author’s lack of credentials becomes his very strength because he is able to think outside the box.

Most of us probably would not spend much effort trying to decipher a strange word or animal on a chart. Some may not even notice the strangeness. The author consulted many scholars and experts: linguists, museum curators, historians, botanist, archeologist, and cartographers. While similarities in customs, words or phrases in different parts of the world and unexplained phenomena in far corners of the world might kindle a momentary spark of curiosity in most, the author persisted until he found what he considers to be the answers.

Without innovative thinking and a bird’s eye view of the whole picture, one cannot see any possible connections of these seemingly unrelated subjects scattered all over the world. Menzies connects the dots for us. He asks intriguing questions, pulls together experts in diverse disciplines and makes them think harder. Often found by tradition, confined by narrow focus, and limited by their own pride, many scholars might dismiss some of these findings as isolated aberrant phenomena because they do not fit the classic model. Such a thinking mode is perhaps the true meaning of sloppy scholarship.

In summary, this book is highly readable. It provides ideas and questions that stimulate our thinking. It questions our preconceived notion of history, peoples, cultures, and our own ability to ask and answer questions. It enriches our own American experience and heritage.

Since its English version’s publication, this book has been translated into many languages, sold in the millions, and created an exciting phenomenon throughout the world. The readers’ reaction seems overwhelmingly positive. They have formed many study groups, organizations, and institutions, pouring new efforts dedicated to the research of Admiral Zheng He’s voyages and that era of Chinese history. Many research projects have been proposed and/or been under way to look for evidence to test the author’s theory. International conferences on these various related subjects, both amateur and academic, have been organized. Many websites, either in support or in refutation of the author have sprung up. All of this says one thing: this book is indeed thought-provoking.

The author’s theory that the Chinese discovered America before Columbus is shocking. It turns upside down the well-accepted 15th century seafaring-discovery history. It excites many readers and inspires many researchers. At the same time, it upsets many. For this theory dethrones many of the well known European heroes and replaces them with a hitherto little known Chinese explorer. As with any theory, it needs evidence supported by rigorous scientific methods in many diverse fields. These fields include but not just limited to the study of world history and Chinese history in the 15th century, court politics, astronomy, anthropology, languages, biology, zoology, epidemiology, migration patterns, statistics, cartography, ship building technology, navigation, and an understanding of various local cultures and customs at a particular time, just to name a few. It is gratifying to see that experts in various fields have come together and held open discussion. These efforts are expected to continue for many years to come. This is exactly what the author wishes to see and it has indeed come to fruition.

In formulating his theory and supporting it with evidence, albeit circumstantial in many cases, the author presented 34 lines of argument with suggestions of many possible tests. With a bird’s eye view, the author skillfully connected many seemingly unrelated dots and came up with a new picture: the 15th century Chinese maritime explorers beat the Europeans in just about every discovery. Since the early 2000’s, there have been occasional reports of new found evidence, either positive or negative, showing up in academic work or amateur circles, in prints or online. Again this only shows that the author has raised very important questions and people, lay or academic, have responded to them enthusiastically.

It may take decades or more for academicians to come to some conclusion whether the author is correct or not and which part of the theory he is correct or incorrect. As in any discussion, there are hard-core purists and die-hard traditionalists on both sides. As long as we are able to put aside pride, traditions, and keep an open mind, we are able to consider other possibilities. Only then, can we further our knowledge, broaden our horizon, and enrich our own experience. Whatever the final verdict, the 15th century seafaring history as we know it, needs a new perspective if not a major revision: Admiral Zheng He and his brave sailors should be given the credits properly due them.

This book is an excellent starter to 15th century maritime world for the general public. It stimulates our thinking process: studying details, looking for possible explanations, putting isolated incidents together, and coming up with a new picture. For serious academicians, it offers an opposing view, challenging the long-held beliefs. It is indeed the academicians’ responsibility to keep an open mind, to accept new challenges, and to freely discuss and exchange ideas.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Records of Zheng He’s expeditions had been lost for some 600 years because subsequent Ming emperors disapproved of the wasteful activities. Many documents were lost to fire or insects. Therefore, it becomes important to continue research on other sources and records of the voyage. The book did not claim that Zheng He personally discovered America. He started his seventh and last voyage in 1429 when he was in poor health. It took him three years to 17 different ports to reach as far as Kenya. He died on his way back to China in Indonesian waters and was buried at sea. The seven expeditions of 27,800 sailors spanned 28 years from 1405 to 1433. Some crew members did not go back to China but stayed on at various locations. Today there are claims of their descendants in Africa with Chinese surnames, relics found in America, etc. Timing of Chinese expeditions preceded Columbus’ “discovery of America” by 70-80 years.

4 Youtubers Murdered By Mexican Drug Cartels

Is America a Second Rank Power?

Blame deindustrialization.

Godfree Roberts

Since the Second World War most Britons have unquestioningly accepted the premise that Britain should continue to rank as a first order world Power while, on the other, insisting that living standards should continue rising and social services be protected from taxes to finance foreign policy commitments. The question is not whether Britain can continue to think and behave as a Great Power, but whether it can afford to. – F. S. Northedge, 1970.

The good news is that there will be no war.

The rather sad news is that America can’t afford one.

1980s neoconservative policies – downsize government and privatize everything – have left the US a second-tier power, uncompetitive economically, industrially, scientifically and even militarily, as this STEM ranking suggests:

Why we fail

There are at least seven reasons why the US failed in Ukraine. Says Correlli Barnett, “The power of a nation-state by no means consists only in its armed forces, but also in its economic and technological resources; in the dexterity, foresight and resolution with which its foreign policy is conducted; in the efficiency of its social and political organization. It consists most of all in the nation itself: the people; their skills, energy, ambition, discipline, initiative; their beliefs, myths and illusions. And it consists, further, in the way all these factors are related to one another. Moreover, national power has to be considered not only in itself, in its absolute extent, but relative to the state’s foreign or imperial obligations; it has to be considered relative to the power of other states”. Let’s break that down.

The Power of Other States

1. Armed forces. No serious military scholar imagines the US Army could challenge the Russian Army in Europe, nor the PLA in Asia – after being humiliated in Korea in 1951. Next year the PLAN will have 400 new warships armed with hypersonic missiles – which the US Navy’s 293 older boats neither possess nor can defend against.
2. Economic and technological resources. Russia’s economy is the world’s fourth largest, its military sector is 800% more productive than America’s, its military technology is a generation ahead, and its generalship is the world’s best. China’s productive economy is 300% bigger and leads the US in almost all sciences and technologies.
3. The dexterity, foresight and resolution with which its foreign policy is conducted. Ninety percent of the world’s people do business and sympathize with Russia or China, and their leaders are rock stars wherever they go. Ten percent of the world’s people support America, whose leader is pitied, even insulted to his face.
4. The efficiency of its social and political organization. 80% of Russians support their government’s policies and 96% of Chinese support theirs. Barely 34% of Americans trust their government or support its policies.
5. Skills, energy, ambition, discipline, initiative, beliefs, myths and illusions of the people. China’s and Russia’s recoveries reflect their people’s resilience, skills, energy, ambition, discipline, initiative and collective self-belief. The US has yet to recover from the GFC, struggles to staff a chip fab, and hasn’t given its workers a raise since 1974.
6. Foreign or imperial obligations. Ukraine, on the heels of the Afghanistan imbroglio, suggests that the US is incapable of sustaining its obligations towards its allies. Its withdrawal from the Iran nuclear pact suggests that it is incapable of making agreements.
7. National power relative to the power of other states. If America wants to match Russia or China militarily, Washington must double real defense spending through 2034 just to match the 2023 capabilities of either, not both, of them.

America is overextended abroad, overinflated at home and its State competence is deteriorating in almost every way – from governance to justice to military to infant mortality – while it ignores its decline.

Next Stop: Failed State?…

Why are Chinese people’s car purchasing power so strong?

Actually most westerners will never get it. The middle income equivalent to the middle income in the U.S. is today in excess of 750 million. That itself is easily 3 times the size of the U.S. now! In a decade it will easily hit 1 billion strong. So if the U.S. buys a car Chinese will easily need 3–4 but because the people in China U.S. getting rich quickly. And the U.S. is in a defector recession and inflation the U.S. middle income is shrinking fast. The demand is easily 6–7 times that of the U.S. economy.

France never stopped looting Africa, now the tables are turning

As developments in West Africa demonstrate, the francophone countries are no longer willing to accept French neo-colonialism. With the fear factor finally removed, Africa’s quest for genuine independence is steadily coming to fruition.

By Brad Pearce

AUG 8, 2023

Photo Credit: The Cradle

The 26 July coup in the West African nation of Niger, which threatens to undermine French and US military presence in the region, has shed light on the historical exploitation and continued practices of Francafrique – the term used to describe the persistent exploitation by the former French Empire in Africa.

France heavily relies on nuclear energy, with 68 percent of its power coming from nuclear plants. It obtains 19 percent of the uranium required to run these plants from Niger. Despite this significant contribution toward France’s energy needs, only 14.3 percent of Nigeriens have access to a power grid, and even that is often unreliable. This stark contrast highlights the disparities and ongoing exploitation by rapine foreign powers throughout the African continent.

The Legacy of Francafrique

Francafrique has been known for its exploitative systems designed to profit from African resources, using pressure, capital, and frequently outright force to maintain control over its former empire. As a result, many African states, including Niger, continue to face poverty and underdevelopment.

Burkina Faso’s young, charismatic leader Ibrahim Traore recently spoke at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg and decried the fact that Africa is resource-rich, but its people are poor, and criticized African leaders seeking hand-outs from the west, as they perpetuate dependency and poverty. He also described what is being imposed on Africa as a form of slavery, stating:

“As far as what concerns Burkina Faso today, for more than eight years we’ve been confronted with the most barbaric, the most violent form of imperialist neo-colonialism. Slavery continues to impose itself on us. Our predecessors taught us one thing: a slave who cannot assume his own revolt does not deserve to be pitied. We do not feel sorry for ourselves, we do not ask anyone to feel sorry for us.”

France’s inability to justify its presence in Africa with a coherent narrative further complicates the situation. Paris cannot openly confess its greed, feign a “civilizing mission,” or admit to any responsibility due to its past crimes. This lack of purpose weakens French power on the continent, leading to violence and poverty in its wake.

West Africa’s drive for further independence has left Atlanticists concerned about the opening this leaves for Eurasian powers like Russia and China to increase their influence in Africa. The west’s reaction reflects a lack of respect for the sovereignty of African countries, viewing the continent merely as a theater to maintain global dominance.

Since the Ukraine war’s onset in early 2022, Atlanticists have expressed alarm over the unwillingness of Global South states to support the west’s anti-Russia policies, a trend further amplified by the shift to multipolarism everywhere. This weakening of western hegemony has opened a path for many nations to avidly explore their geopolitical options and diversify their economies.

A report from the Munich Security Conference held in February highlighted this very real schism with the west:

“Many countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America have steadily lost faith in the legitimacy and fairness of an international system which has neither granted them an appropriate voice in global affairs, nor sufficiently addressed their core concerns. To many states, these failures are deeply tied to the west. They find that the western-led order has been characterized by post-colonial domination, double standards, and neglect for developing countries’ concerns.”

Fleeced by the CFA Franc

The aftermath of the Second World War marked a significant shift in global power dynamics, and the victorious powers sought to establish a new world order that would maintain peace and promote economic balance.

In the context of African colonies, where colonial troops played a major role in the allied victory, the victorious powers, including France, aimed to retain economic control and benefit from their former colonies even as the world moved towards decolonization.

This included the establishment of new currency systems, with French leader Charles De Gaulle creating two currencies collectively known as the CFA Franc in 1945 for former colonies in the Western and Central zone.

As the push for political independence grew stronger in the late 1950s, France organized referendums in its African colonies to vote on accepting a constitution drafted by the French.

Guinea, led by former trade unionist Sekou Toure, opposed accepting the French constitution and voted overwhelmingly against it. In a furious response, De Gaulle’s government withdrew all French administrators from Guinea and took action to sabotage the country’s infrastructure and resources. The harsh measures by Paris aimed to serve as an example of what would happen to any former French colony that resisted France’s agenda.

During the Cold War, the Communist states exploited such actions by presenting themselves as liberators and allies of African countries that sought independence from European influence. This stance has led to some Africans viewing countries like Russia as more equitable partners compared to France.

Over the years, France has demonstrated a pattern of intervening militarily – over 50 times since 1960 – in African countries to secure governments that remain compliant with French economic interests, particularly related to the continued use of the CFA Franc.

The system by which the CFA Franc operates has historically been one of a fixed exchange rate where the currency has unlimited convertibility but is permanently pegged to the French currency , previously the Franc and then the Euro.

African currency under French control

This means that African countries cannot influence the value of their own currency, and the difference in value makes it so that France can buy African products artificially cheap while Africans are able to buy fewer goods with the money they exchange .

Worse yet, France had requirements to store, and thus profit from, the foreign reserves owned by its former colonies, though the requirement of holding 50 percent of their foreign exchange reserves in a French-ran bank was dropped for the western zone in 2019.

Under this scheme, African states received a nominal amount of interest, but the bank benefited from lending that capital out at higher rates and attaining massive profits off of African resources and labor. This is despite the fact that many countries in Francophone Africa are major gold exporters and thus have a multitude of options for storing wealth to back a currency in alternative central banks.

While the CFA Franc system has provided some benefits in terms of stability and preventing Zimbabwean-style hyperinflation, it has also come under scrutiny for imposing requirements on African countries that are not placed on more powerful nations. The lack of control over their own currency has hindered economic growth and made these countries vulnerable to global economic shocks.

Northern African states such as Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco chose to leave the CFA Franc upon gaining independence and have experienced relatively higher prosperity. Similarly, Botswana’s success with its own national currency demonstrates that proper management can lead to stable democracy and economic growth, even for less developed nations.

Exclusive rights and privileges

The CFA Franc system has been the geopolitical equivalent of one’s father insisting he manages their savings while leaving them out of his will. There are benefits to having a trade and currency zone, such as the current ECOWAS union that covers the Western part of the continent, but by design under the CFA Franc system, independence has been an illusion by which France has fleeced these countries.

France has been dependent on Africa for its status as a world power for more than a century. Among other privileges it has carved out for itself in post-colonial treaties, France has had the exclusive right to sell military equipment to former colonies, and enjoys the first right to any natural resources discovered. Paris makes great use of these privileges: as just one example, 36.4 percent of France’s gas is sourced from the African continent.

Moreover, a vast network of French business interests, which include major multinational companies, dominate industries such as energy, communications, and transportation in many African countries. France’s government also supports French businesses in Africa in several ways, including through an enormous public company called COFACE which guarantees French exports into these underdeveloped markets.

Towards independence and self-reliance

This economic dependence has contributed to the perpetuation of a system where African states remain weak, pliant, and reliant on resource exports, primarily benefiting French companies and interests. Additionally, African states are obligated to ally with France in any major conflict, further eroding their national sovereignty.

The African continent suffers from many ailments, but perhaps the most persistent and nefarious are a lack of sovereignty and access to capital. Meanwhile, much of Europe’s prosperity has been derived from looting the Global South for centuries.

The case of Brussels, built on the wealth derived from the brutal exploitation of the Congo under Belgian King Leopold II, is a stark reminder of the deep-rooted impact of colonialism. When the monarch’s crimes against humanity were discovered, he was ultimately forced to bequeath the majority of his fortune to the Belgian state upon his death.

Not wanting to do so, he embarked on an enormous series of public works to spend his ill-gotten gains , creating modern Brussels. Now the EU and NATO meet there and audaciously give disingenuous lectures about universal human rights while surrounded by the profits of some of the most brutal cases of oppression in human history.

While military governments often face challenges in achieving their stated goals, it is evident that western-backed “civil democracies” have also struggled to significantly improve the security and well-being of the African public.

The path to solving Africa’s problems lies in transformative leaders who can shrug off the legacy and remaining shackles of colonialism and enable the continent to carve out a genuine, homegrown path to independence and self-reliance.

THIS ENERGY!!!! AHHH! BABYMETAL “Megitsune” (Live Budokan 2021) | REACTION

Great reaction as always, thanks! Yes, “Megitsune” is on another level. It’s not surprising that this is one of the most loved songs by fans (and their most performed live one). Not to mention that Moa started doing some mischief during the mask number on the breakdown: doing funny faces (hengao), saying something, doing some silly move or gesture (even throwing a kiss, haha…) just to break Su. They usually cut it out on pro-shots, but you can see here Su laughing behind the mask afterwards.

Now, this is almost part of the choreo (so to speak), Moa has involved Momoko into this recently and fans always expect this happens. They are co cool!

What are the implications of China’s economic growth of 6.3% in the second quarter?

The grow rate might have fallen short of some relatively high projections.

However, I think this is normal. If Beijing tends to make the economic data look good, it only needs to work a little harder in two aspects: real estate and enormous economic stimulus.

Real estate

Behind real estate is a long industrial chain, which can be said to be the first contributor to China’s economic development in the past 20 years of this century, but the direct consequence of this is the soaring housing price. In my mind, the most prominent economic risk in the world is the US stock market and the Chinese housing market.

Fortunately, China did not choose to do that. Although it implemented a support policy for real estate this year, the purpose is by no means to make real estate the engine of growth for national economy.

Economic stimulus

In the first half of this year, China carried out a series of stimulus measures such as interest rate cuts and RRR cuts, and the current weighted average interest rate of demand deposits in 0.23%, and the weighed average interest rate of time deposits is 2.22%, which has fallen sharply, but it is a rhythmic decline, and there is no trillion stimulus plan after the economic crisis in 2008.

We can also reason the other way around, assuming we have another trillion-dollar stimulus package, then our economic data must be very good.

But that would certainly accumulate new economic risks, especially the debt problem. At present, China’s macro leverage ratio is about 280%, which is comparable to that of Western developed countries such as the United States. China is a developing country, and it is generally believed that the macro leverage ratio of developing countries should be lower than that of developed countries.

From this point of view, although China especially needs rapid economic development this year, China chose not to quench its thirst with poison.

China’s new engines for development

China was determined to pursue healthy economic development. To pursue a healthy development, China needs new engines, with typical examples such as chips in the high-tech industry, new energy vehicles, as well as new energy represented by wind and solar energy.

For China’s economic development, the new engine is slowly accelerating, but the old engine is falling off a cliff. Because we really can’t use the old engine of real estate, and we didn’t force it to run at high speed, which led to China’s economic performance in the second quarter of this year not being as good as people expected.

I believe that such an arrangement in China is calm, scientific and reasonable.

To Die for Beef Roast

This is one of the best roasts you will ever taste. Carrots, potatoes and celery can also be added, if desired.

Ingredients

• 1 beef roast (any kind)
• 1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix
• 1 envelope brown gravy mix
• 1 envelope Italian dressing mix
• 1/2 cup warm water

Instructions

1. Place roast in slow cooker.
2. Mix contents of all 3 envelopes and sprinkle over roast.
3. Pour water into the bottom of the slow cooker.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.

MOODY’S LOWERS CREDIT RATINGS FOR TEN BANKS; ISSUES “NEGATIVE OUTLOOK” ON 11 OTHERS — DONE QUIETLY OVERNIGHT

Nation Hal Turner 08 August 2023

Later last night into the wee hours of Tuesday morning, MOODY’S Investor Service lowered credit ratings for 10 small and midsize US banks and said it may downgrade major lenders including U.S. Bancorp, Bank of New York Mellon Corp., State Street Corp., and Truist Financial Corp.

Higher funding costs, potential regulatory capital weaknesses and rising risks tied to commercial real estate loans amid weakening demand for office space are among strains prompting the review, Moody’s said in a spree of notes late Monday.

“Collectively, these three developments have lowered the credit profile of a number of US banks, though not all banks equally,” it wrote in some of the assessments.

Firms that had ratings cut included M&T Bank Corp., Webster Financial Corp., BOK Financial Corp., Old National Bancorp, Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc., and Fulton Financial Corp.

Northern Trust Co. and Cullen/Frost Bankers Inc. are also under review for downgrades.

And Moody’s adopted a “negative” outlook for 11 lenders including PNC Financial Services Group, Capital One Financial Corp., Citizens Financial Group Inc., Fifth Third Bancorp, Regions Financial Corp., Ally Financial Inc., Bank OZK and Huntington Bancshares Inc.

What the world thinks about China

We all know that Western countries hate China, but when you include the whole world and not just the collective West, the picture is totally different. Learn what the other 80% of the world thinks of China.

This Cambridge study completely contradicts the highly biased Pew study I posted last week. Gee, I wonder why…

Second “Proxy War” Brewing Between US-Russia: Niger, AFRICA

World Hal Turner 08 August 2023

On July 26, a military Coup d’Etat took place in the country of Niger.  Democratically-elected President Mohamed Bazoum was taken under arrest by his own Presidential Guards and is now in confinement.  Bazoum was pro-U.S./EU, especially France. His Guards do not approve of the tight control exercised by France over Niger, and they see Niger’s future as aligned with Russia. 

The scalable map below shows the country of Niger – which is DIFFERENT from the other African nation named Nigeria.

Reading from a statement, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, seated and flanked by nine other officers, said defense and security forces had decided: “Put an end to the regime that you know due to the deteriorating security situation and bad governance.”  He went on to say Niger’s borders are closed, a nationwide curfew declared, and all institutions of the republic are suspended.

The soldiers warned against any foreign intervention, adding that they will respect Bazoum’s wellbeing.

Land-locked Niger, a former French colony, has become a pivotal ally for Western powers seeking to help fight “terrorists” and insurgencies, but they are facing growing objections from the new juntas in charge in Mali and Burkina Faso.

Niger is also a key ally of the European Union in the fight against “irregular migration” from sub-Saharan Africa.

France moved troops to Niger from Mali last year after its relations with interim authorities there soured. It has also withdrawn special forces from the nearby country of Burkina Faso amid similar tensions.

Within days of taking power, Niger’s military DENOUNCED “Cooperation Agreements” with France, allowing French troops to be in the country.  Specifically, Niger invoked a 30 days notice within the Cooperation Agreements telling the French their military must leave. 

Here is the machine-translated letter (Page 1 only as it is relevant) from Niger to France telling them to leave:

.

It’s THAT simple.  The people of Niger see the natural wealth their nation has, but they do not benefit AT ALL from their own natural wealth; France takes most of it!

For instance, Niger has a lot of Uranium.  It is mined and shipped to France . . . which then gets seventy percent (70%) of its electric power from nuclear power plants.

Similarly, in another former French colony in Africa, Mali, the people there observed this inconvenient truth:

So France has no Gold mines, but has over 2400 TONS of gold in its Bank vaults.   Mali has 860 Gold mines, but NO GOLD in any of its Bank vaults.  So where is France getting all its Gold? Simple; they take it from Mali!  The people of Mali, get no benefit from THEIR own natural wealth.

People in Africa have had enough of this type of thing going on, while THEY are forced to live like slaves.  

The military in Niger has taken a bold first step to break the status quo.  France is not happy.

Turns out, Europe is not happy, either.   But there isn’t much mention about WHY Europe is unhappy.   So I did some digging and . . .

Well, well, well . . . . Lookie, lookie here:

Turns out that Niger is right in the path of . . . .  a proposed new OIL and GAS pipeline ! ! ! ! !

It would run from the well established oil/gas fields in nearby NIGERIA, up through Niger, through Algeria, where it would meet existing pipelines to supply Europe with Oil and gas.

CHEAP oil and gas.

But with the Russia-Ukraine conflict ongoing, and the hideous “Economic Sanctions” placed upon Russia by the US and Europe, Russia signed military agreements with a number of Africa nations.  Here’s a map showing the nations on the continent of Africa, that have signed military agreements with Russia:

– including Niger — and now, suddenly, that whole pipeline thing. . . . just isn’t happening for Europe.

As long as Europe continues to intentionally harm Russia, it seems that Russia will continue to fight back.

So now we see that Russia has gotten in the way of European plans — again.    Just like happened in Syria.

Remember the Europeans wanted to run a gas pipeline from the Middle Eastern country of Qatar, up through – among other countries – Syria, but Syria said No.   

So what did Europe and the United States do to Syria?  That whole uprising which began in 2012 that tried to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad.  Remember Hillary Clinton telling the world that Bashar Assad was “a brutal Dictator.”  Remember how the “Free Syrian Army” seemed to spring up out of nowhere, with heavy weapons, brand new Toyota Pick-up trucks, and tons of food supplies from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and more?  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the West sent in paid mercenaries, under the guise of “ISIS” (yes, you know, the guys who cut off people’s heads) to try to overthrow Assad.   

Assad went to Russia for help, and Russia came to Syria and smashed the crap out of ISIS.

So Russia and its ally, Syria, smacked down Europe’s effort to make an end-run around Russia, to get gas from Qatar, and that ended up blowing up in Europe’s face.  Bashar Assad survived the attempted overthrow and still leads Syria to this very day.

Next, the West started trouble in Ukraine – overthrowing its democratically-elected leader, Viktor Yanukovich, and installing a puppet Regime. Why? Because the West (U.S. and EU) want to install US missiles in Ukraine so they have only about a 5 minute flight time to Moscow. 

Russia said “No.” 

The West said “too bad, we will bring Ukraine into NATO and do it anyway.” 

Russia told Ukraine “no” you cannot join NATO because we cannot tolerate missiles with a 5 minute flight time to Moscow.   

Ukraine said “too bad, we’re gonna join NATO and put NATO missiles here.” 

The Russians said “Oh yea?  Here, meet the Russian Army.”

Now the whole US-EU-inspired Ukraine thing is blowing up in their faces, too.  Ukraine is losing so badly it can only be a matter of weeks before they collapse.

So what is the West doing right now? Starting crap on the continent of Africa.

Who did the US send to Niger just days ago?   Under-Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland.  You know, the same one we sent to Ukraine when we overthrew it’s President.   

Yea, her.

Maybe I’m biased but it sure seems to me that wherever that woman is sent, death, destruction, and war soon follows.

This week, she was in Niger.  

You know what Niger told her?   “We don’t want your LGBTQ Foreign Aid Money.” 

But wait, there’s more.   The Foreign Ministry of Niger then sent a letter to the US State Department reiterating that Niger does not want US Aid money and then told the State Department “We don’t want your money, why not use it to start a weight loss program for Victoria Nuland?”

Yes, they actually said that!

So the very same people who brought us the Syria war, who overthrew the Ukraine President, who started the Ukraine war, are now in Niger on the continent of Africa.

Guess where this is going?

No, you don’t have to guess; everyone seems to know already . . . Here’s the Flight Radar for Africa.  Somehow, all the commercial airlines, already know that Niger is now a “No Fly Zone.”

Yea, her.

Maybe I’m biased but it sure seems to me that wherever that woman is sent, death, destruction, and war soon follows.

This week, she was in Niger.  

You know what Niger told her?   “We don’t want your LGBTQ Foreign Aid Money.” 

But wait, there’s more.   The Foreign Ministry of Niger then sent a letter to the US State Department reiterating that Niger does not want US Aid money and then told the State Department “We don’t want your money, why not use it to start a weight loss program for Victoria Nuland?”

Yes, they actually said that!

So the very same people who brought us the Syria war, who overthrew the Ukraine President, who started the Ukraine war, are now in Niger on the continent of Africa.

Guess where this is going?

No, you don’t have to guess; everyone seems to know already . . . Here’s the Flight Radar for Africa.  Somehow, all the commercial airlines, already know that Niger is now a “No Fly Zone.”

Wagner Troops from Russia are already in the Capital City of Niamey, Niger, at the request of the Niger military, to protect the Capital city.

Why would Wagner PMC Troops from Russia be there so fast?   Well, when the Niger coup took place, guess who France, the EU and the USA turned to for support?

ECOWAS.

I can hear you saying . . . . . . “Uhhhhhhh.  Who?”

ECOWAS  —- the “Economic Community of West African States.

It’s sort of like the African version of the “G-7” and deals with issues like trade and such.

ECOWAS publicly gave a deadline of Sunday for the guys in Niger to restore the President or face military action!  The deadline came and went, but no military action.

How could ECOWAS threaten military action if it is just a trade association?   Well  . . . . it is headed by a guy named Bola Tinubu.  This guy:

This guy has a VERY INTERESTING Background: Laundering millions of dollars for . . . . wait for it . . . . Chicago Heroin Dealers!

Now . . .  forgive me for asking . . .  but how and why would the French and American governments put a guy like THIS in charge of the Economic Community of  West African States?   HMMMMMMM. Maybe because he launders money?  Maybe the bigshots inside the US and French (and maybe other) governments, NEED some money laundered??????

THIS is the type of person our governments are working with!  A Money launderer for Chicago Heroin dealers rubbing elbows with the Biden regime in the US and the Macron Regime in France.  THAT is the type of people we have running our governments, folks! 

One cannot help but wonder how a Chicago Money Launderer got in touch with the Biden regime.  Maybe the former President, Barack Obama, who is from Chicago?????  Just wondering is all.

So now, with this guy Bola Tinubu threatening military action, the guys in Niger have to worry that the Asian Heroin Cartels and their pals from elsewhere in the world, might start sending “mercenaries” to Niger to shake things up a bit?  Maybe THAT is how Bola Tinubu could threaten “military action?”

Clearly, the pieces are already moving rapidly into place for what seems to be Proxy-War #2.   On the continent of Africa.

But this time, the US and the EU don’t have a lot of ammunition or weapons — or troops — to spare because they’ve thrown most of it away on the lost cause of Ukraine.   HMMMMM, what might that add-up to?

Well. . . it’s Africa . . . .  You know, where the detonation of Tactical nukes won’t matter very much . . . .

The so-called “Main-Stream” media hasn’t told you this.  I have. 

Because I think the public should know when its  incompetent public servants are starting yet another war.

Niger DESTROYS Victoria Nuland’s Plot to Return Africa to France w/ Ben Norton

Journalist and analyst Ben Norton reacts to Victoria Nuland’s visit to Niger and provides the context needed to understand why Niger’s coup has the Collective West panicking.

OK.

Enough of global Geo-Politics.

The Venusian / Stranger from Venus (1954, Sci-Fi) Colorized Movie

Today’s mid-day movie…