It’s simple, America is the largest market in the world, to gain access to our markets you must dance to our tune and we get to lead.
Tariffs and fiscal and monetary policies can have diplomatic uses, too — and today, with the American economy booming, the Trump administration is finally swinging the big stick of tariffs and sanctions as a non-lethal substitute for diplomatic or even military action.
In Iran, the rial is down 40 percent in the wake of Trump’s canceling of Obama’s nuclear agreement in May. America has been hindering Iran’s ability to conduct financial transactions in dollars and gold, and has hit its automotive and commercial airline sectors hard. Still to come in November: more punishing sanctions on oil and banking. As a result of the cratering of the Iranian economy, the country’s huge cohort of restive young people has been launching widespread protests that may yet bring down the regime, and Trump’s actions could accelerate that.
In China, America’s foremost geopolitical challenger, Trump’s approach has been more stick than carrot lately, imposing tariffs and threatening a major trade war, unnerving the Chinese communist leadership, which is beginning to think he may just be crazy enough to do it. The Chinese yuan is down 9 percent against the dollar since April and its stock market is slumping. For all their defiant talk, however, the prospect of an economic war with the US is not something the Chinese leaders want right now, since they can’t afford to have access to the lucrative American market restricted. But both growth and consumer spending have slowed, and even ordinary Chinese are now publicly criticizing president-for-life Xi Jinping.
Meanwhile, in Turkey, where the tinpot dictator Recep Erdogan is trying to revive the lost glory of the Ottoman Empire, the country’s currency, the lira, has lost 45 percent of its value this year. This is a direct result of American-imposed tariffs and sanctions against the Islamic regime, in part over the continued imprisonment of American evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson, whom Turkey has accused of spying. In “retaliation,” Erdogan has announced a boycott of US electronics. Good luck with that.
and as we raise interest rates, this creates a mismatch where other countries who followed us down the cheap money hole can’t recover. they have to keep rates low.
higher rates attract money into the domestic market as payouts and yield are higher. bitch about the fed all you want, these guys are stone cold killers.
and yeah, eagles. i saw your trauma post. i work it in small chunks now. thankfully…as dorian knows, i’m a bit of an adrenaline junky, i like it too much.
@ coldwarrior:
and i didnt get enough ‘trauma hours’ in this year so i have to go back through the course in october. its a grueling 3 days, but so worth it.
real men, real sport
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/thank-you-david-unselfish-actions-of-pocock-earn-high-praise-20180820-p4zyn7.html
Good morning. We have been in a trade war for years, but we just were not fighting back.
Now ew are, and we are the big dog.
@ RIX:
its not a war if one side rolls over and gives up…on purpose.
coldwarrior wrote:
And that is the stone cold truth.
Attack on U.S. Embassy in Turkey. No details yet
A couple items about the fallout of the trade war. I posted about this a few days ago but it’s worth re-visiting. Russia has offered several million hectares to China for soybean farming. This is a quick analysis by zerohedge, but here’s the nub
Maybe, the US trade war on China should be interpreted as a piece in a much larger chessboard: A war on Eurasia integration,or the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative.
of course it is
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-08-16/russia-offers-25-million-acres-farmland-china-amid-worsening-trade-war
Here is the underlying article and I like it ‘cuz I didn’t think of it this way.
Economic war on Iran is war on Eurasia integration
Eurasian integration is on display in Astana, where Russia, Iran and Turkey are deciding the fate of Syria, in coordination with Damascus.
Iran’s strategic depth in post-war Syria simply won’t vanish. The challenge of Syrian reconstruction will be met largely by Bashar al-Assad’s allies: China, Russia and Iran.
Echoing the Ancient Silk Road, Syria will be configured as an important BRI node, key to Eurasia integration.
In parallel, the Russia-China strategic partnership – from the intersection between the BRI and the Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU) to the expansion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the solidifying of BRICS Plus — has immense economic stakes in the stability of Iran.
The complex interconnection of Iran with both Russia (via the EAEU and the International North-South Transportation Corridor) and China (via BRI and oil/gas supplies) is even tighter than in the case of Syria in the past seven years of civil war.
Iran is absolutely essential for Russia-China for the partnership to allow any “surgical strike” — as floated in Syria — or worse, hot war initiated by Washington.
http://www.atimes.com/article/economic-war-on-iran-is-war-on-eurasia-integration/
ok, got that part? Now look at this:
LONDON (Reuters) – Iran told OPEC on Sunday no member country should be allowed to take over another member’s share of oil exports, expressing Tehran’s concern about Saudi Arabia’s offer to pump more oil in the face of U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil sales.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-oil-opec/iran-says-no-opec-member-can-take-over-its-share-of-oil-exports-idUSKBN1L406G
I swear Trump shit-tweets just so nobody catches on.
coldwarrior wrote:
I can’t even imagine have the stone cold balls to look at a triple zero patient and say “fuck this, open him up”
eaglesoars wrote:
trauma docs are nuts, in a good way. they will do things on the fly that no one ever thought of. why? because they have nothing to lose.
and so much knowledge has come out of our endless war. there is a trend to have trauma docs go out with EMS and start treatment in the field.
i’d go back to it full time but i cant take the pay cut!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12110366
the end of south africa. they will starve and end up like zimbabwe.
SOUTH Africa has targeted the first two farms for unilateral seizure after the owners refused an offer of one-tenth of the land’s value.
Here’s a nice overview of what the transportation industry is doing. Long story, short, BOOM!!
“Increased spending” may be an understatement. Trucking companies are responding to the capacity squeeze: In July, their orders for Class 8 trucks soared 187% from a year ago, to 52,250 units, the highest number of monthly orders ever. Truck manufacturers, which had been laying off people during the transportation recession, now have their own capacity squeeze that goes all the up the supply chain. “It is a bizarre occurrence and it will not be resolved soon,” FTR Transportation Intelligence explained.
rail is in there, too
https://wolfstreet.com/2018/08/16/trucking-rail-transportation-freight-costs-volume/
coldwarrior wrote:
Julius Malema supporters. white man you must die
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVd-_cZILhA
coldwarrior wrote:
The Golden Hour is exactly what it says. Even with help transportation every minute means that there is less chance of coming back from a severe wound or injury. EMS right at the sharp end would make all the difference in many cases if it was available pre-transportation and during transportation.
You’re comment about real men / real sport is endorsed. I just hope that the US never really embraces Rugby totally as it would sweep all before it s happened at the turn of last century.
🙂
@ yenta-fada:
From Drudge today on Malema
https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/business/2018-08-20-eff-is-in-charge-anc-follows-us-malema-has-ramaphosa-where-he-wants-him/
coldwarrior wrote:
I saw Rhodesia in the first few weeks after UDI was declared and the war finished. The nation was the breadbasket of Africa and it’s now a starving hell hole one party state riven with factionalism and murder. South Africa will fare likewise, with about a million older South Africans remaining behind because they want to die ‘at home’. That leaves about 3 million headed for Australia and NZ where they will fit in just fine and be a welcome addition. It also means that the Australian Labor Party and to a lesser extent the NZ Labour coalition will be practically unelectable in the future as South Africans will voter conservative. The Aussies will get the bulk of the 3 million and the Kiwis the balance. The combined population of Australia and NZ will rise to almost 35 million making them a high tech mid level power in the Pacific with massive resource bases and the ability to feed at least 100 million people.
coldwarrior wrote:
Getting the money out of SA is another problem. Rhodesians who fled were stripped of everything and were only allowed 2 suitcases each when leaving the country. ANYTHING transportable was smuggled out, including gold, jewels and even historical military medals that were then sold on the international markets. A Kiwi mate (a former Rhodesian soldier hire and his Rhodesian wife and their kids) ended up in NZ back in the army but the Waiouru winters were too much for Sally and they eventually ended up in Perth where they quickly re-established themselves and were very comfortable running their own businesses. Sally ran an Early Childhood Centre and Kevin ran a Hunting Expedition Company in Western Australia.
@ eaglesoars:
@ coldwarrior:
Hi Eagles and Cold …. this piece from a good friend, formerly a CI Director. Thought you would be interested as it relates to Chinese influence in the US as well … on steroids !
http://www.nationalobserver.net/2006_campbell_68.htm
coldwarrior wrote:
@ eaglesoars:
@ coldwarrior:
On China and carpetbaggers in the West:-
Keating and Hawke may believe that China will ‘own’ this century and that all of us ‘should try to get a piece of the action.”
I disagree, as you can see from my just published piece on Fox News….. 08/19/2018
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/08/19/trumps-policies-could-enable-americas-economy-to-outpace-chinas.html
S
Keating and Hawke BELIEVE not MAY , believe that China is the wave of the future and to profit from it ….this is not pedantry , but fact.
It was the shared belief of many senior DFAT ONA staff who provided ‘expertise’ ie US NSA secrets to consultancies . I was present .
A
hey y’all
Aussie Infidel wrote:
That was fun! So many of these people put me in mind of Harry Hopkins, advisor to FDR. There has been some speculation that he was an actual agent of the USSR. I don’t have an opinion. What is undeniable is that he thought Communism was not just a force for good, but inevitable, so he was at the very least a forceful advocate. However, unlike the people covered in your paper, there is no evidence that personal profit was a motive or inducement.
Yet, Hitler and Stalin were not that long ago, just on the edge of living memory. We’re not talking about the Vikings. You would think that The Great March, The Cultural Revolution, and Tianaman Square would amount to something that looks like a clue. Something is inevitable only if it is allowed to be.
I suspect there will be some form of anti-American resistance in Australia just because people think we’re too big for our britches and have been for too long. If China can teach those vulgar Yanks a lesson, they’ll root for China. It’s like rooting against the Yankees, who cares who they’re playing.
And this was my favorite part: The risk of dual allegiance is a national and international security challenge which the Australian Government, in consultation with the US Administration, must counter by a mandatory Australian Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Yeah, murder is illegal, too
eaglesoars wrote:
Actually the two quotes above are not representative of the general consensus within Zimbabwe in 2018. Buried within these quotes are echos of a tribal shame / revenge thought pattern that persists in many civilisations today. Rhodesia of all places in Africa did NOT have an overt display of racial animosity. Units like Rhodesian African Rifles were truly integrated with officers both African and white and white private and junior NCOs soldiers being commanded by black sergeants. Black Rhodesians were likewise not overtly discriminated against although there was a cultural separation between Black tribal culture and typical Anglo-Saxon white culture. Flow back and forth between these cultures was possible if not common and such flows were recognised by both sides as normal.
At the end of UDI this all changed as the ZPRA administration took control of the country. That is where the true oppression began with ZIPRA suppressing both their black tribal opponents in ZANLA as well as the rural white farmers and their farming staff both black and white.
The rest as they say is history !
🙂
Just because I can:
@ eaglesoars:
Actually there is almost no anti-American angst in Oz because the actions of China trumps a mere family tiff with American cousins. The Aussies are seriously cracking down on Chinese technological penetration in Oz and the current Australian PM might be headed for oblivion for being too ‘nice’ to China. We shall see what happens in Canberra over the next few days, but Turnbull’s Prime Ministership is now lately flawed.
As for NZ. The whole of New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs policy is ‘For Sale’ and has been for at least the past 40 years. Being totally at the beck and call of exports to remain a viable State, New Zealand is totally dominated by market Trade forces.China has tried to buy NZ and almost succeeded but there has been some push back but not a fraction of the push back that we’ve seen in Oz. The Kiwis are a little perturbed when they look at China pushing massive e debt on the Pacific Islands and the rising level of corruption in places like Tonga and Vanuatu, with Chinese $$$ flowing freely. The money trap that the Chinese set is to indent a small poor country and then hike the interest rates and threaten to bankrupt them unless they ‘go ve’ China something tangible… like a port or access to a Chinese ‘donated’ airfield. The next day the PLAN or the PLAAF turn up and claim another ‘little piece of China’.
‘go ve’ = give
@ eaglesoars:
Here is a little more on the background to the CIA’s roll up of their China networks in 2010-12. Reading this with a CI hat on is like hearing fingernails scratching on a blackboard (chalkboard).
🙂
shudder !
https://gosint.wordpress.com/2018/08/18/the-true-story-of-the-cia-debacle-in-china/
Aussie Infidel wrote:
The last paragraph of that article is SO telling
When a white racist government was oppressing Zimbabwe, the international community united to demand change. These days, a black racist government is harming the people of Zimbabwe more than ever, and the international community is letting Mr. Mugabe get away with it. Our hypocrisy is costing hundreds of Zimbabwean lives every day.
A black government is racist? No, it’s tribal, but Kristof’s vocabulary has been neutered and he doesn’t even know it. And, of course, the ultimate fault lies not with Mugabe, but with US – the western white world. Mugabe is removed as an agent of evil because EVERYTHING is about OUR hypocrisy. So don’t expect an honest assessment of the background from Nick. He has been culturally lobotomized.
@ eaglesoars:
Supposedly Hopkins was given an award by Stalin in a secret meeting in 1945. It might have been the Order of Lenin.
Aussie Infidel wrote:
ok, that’s a link chain, so I’ll have to save it for later. I’m out of the house a lot tomorrow so stuff has to be done tonite.
Is that your blog? Who writes that?
@ lobo91:
I just discovered that chanel a bit ago and man there is some pretty good stuff there
@ rain of lead:
Palladia? Yeah. I wish I still got it. Cable here is seriously lacking
@ rain of lead:
That show in particular, Live at Daryl’s House, is great
“Same three guys. Same three chords. As long as it sounded like ZZ Top, we didn’t care.”
Words of wisdom from Billy Gibbons
Here’s the full episode that clip came from:
coldwarrior wrote:
OK, I will admit to being a bit of a reactionary, but if’n it was me, I’d go Galt an them and torch the place before slipping away in the dead of night.
lobo91 wrote:
On the anniversary of the band, he made a comment to the effect, “All those years playing the same three guitar licks, not a bad way to make a living.”
eaglesoars wrote:
Nope.
Too well resourced for me to claim it!
🙂
I asked our CI guru mate where he found it and for a little bit of background information on the site as well. I’ll let you know when I know!
https://gosint.wordpress.com/
Here is another site that is very well resourced and a thorn in Beijing’s side, so it must have something going for it. From what I’ve seen of its content it’s worth a good solid look especially when it comes to open source Chinese stories, and subsequent analysis.
🙂
https://www.theepochtimes.com
@ AZfederalist:
Contractor friend built a retirement home in Baja California. I don’t remember the specifics, but the laws changed, and only Mexican citizens could own property.
Last thing he did before leaving was hook up his truck winch to the framing and pull the house down.
@ AZfederalist:
I’d give the fields a good dose of salt, too.
@ AZfederalist:
Johnny Cash made a career out of three chords, too.
drive-by, busy day
French energy giant Total officially pulls out of Iran
The French group was one of three major energy companies set to help supply the state-of-the-art technology needed to tap into South Pars, the world’s largest natural gas field shared by Iran and Qatar.
However, after abandoning the 2015 Iran nuclear accord in May this year, the United States has said it will reimpose sanctions on Iran in two phases, in August and November. The second round of sanctions will target the country’s vital oil and gas sector. Any firm found doing business with Iran could risk facing serious US penalties.
https://www.dw.com/en/french-energy-giant-total-officially-pulls-out-of-iran/a-45150849
this next one is just weird
China is building a city for 5,00,000[sic] Chinese nationals at a cost of $150 million in Gwadar as part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
This will be the first such Chinese city in South Asia.
Half-a-million Chinese citizens, who will be housed in this proposed city by 2022, will be workforce for the financial district that Beijing is planning to set up in the Pakistani port city of Gwadar. Only Chinese citizens will live in this gated zone, which basically means that Pakistan will be used as a colony of China.
ET has learnt that the China-Pak Investment Corporation bought the 3.6-million square foot International Port City and will build a $150-million gated community for the anticipated 5,00,000 Chinese professionals who will be located by 2022 and work in its proposed new financial district in Gwadar.
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China has such complexes or subcity for its nationals who are part of the workforce for projects in Africa and Central Asia. There are allegations that Chinese have also moved to acquire territory in eastern Russia and northern part of Myanmar, and such exclusive zones for Chinese citizens are also giving rise to considerable local resentment.
Beijing has invested in Pakistan’s pipelines, railways, highways, power plants, industrial areas and mobile networks to advance the geographical mid-way link for BRI.
https://m.economictimes.com/news/defence/as-part-of-cpec-chinese-only-colony-coming-up-in-pakistan/amp_articleshow/65481132.cms?__twitter_impression=true
Five million? In 4 years? That’s an invasion force
https://m.economictimes.com/news/defence/as-part-of-cpec-chinese-only-colony-coming-up-in-pakistan/amp_articleshow/65481132.cms?__twitter_impression=true
later
eaglesoars wrote:
no, half a million. still an invasion force
So many ODs last night. 3 dead just in my ED. That was rough. 3 pretty twentysomething girls…I had 2 of them. They pulled me at 6am and I had a talk with our psyche guy. What a horrible night.
Bunk X wrote:
So has Jimmy Buffett. In fact he uses the same TUNE for several songs.
Word is the Manafort jury is “struggling” to find a way to convict him of ONE of the counts (where this came from, I do not know).
Dear jury: If you are STRUGGLING for a verdict after three days, it’s called “reasonable doubt” – tell the judge you’re hung and go home.
@ The Barbarian:
rediculous…and then there is this:
Special counsel Robert Mueller has again delayed scheduling a sentencing hearing for former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
“Due to the status of its investigation, the Special Counsel’s Office does not believe that this matter is ready to be scheduled for a sentencing hearing at this time,” read a joint status report released Tuesday.
Tuesday’s delay is the fourth time prosecutors have asked to delay Flynn’s sentencing.
@ coldwarrior:
how can they ask for a delay in sentencing?
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/all/manafort-convicted-8-counts-n901231
and…well….none of this has to do with trump other than manafort worked for him for a time.
yawn.
@ coldwarrior:
butbutbutbutbutbut
The charges at issue in the Manafort trial, which began July 31 in Alexandria, Virginia, weren’t directly related to Russian interference in the 2016 election, but painted a startling picture of a senior campaign figure who appears to have had the motive, means and opportunity to help the Russians.
🙄
@ coldwarrior:
Typically it’s the defendant that asks for a delay because who the hell wants to go to jail? I haven’t a clue why he’s delaying this. I mean, he KNOWS this was a railroad job on Flynn. Maybe’s he’s hoping Trump will pardon Flynn right before the election and help the so-called “blue wave.”
Trump should pardon him and he should cite the fact that someone as corrupt as Smirk Strzok didn’t believe he’d lied and that Mueller destroyed a good man for a witch hunt.
@ The Barbarian:
i am SURE trump has something fun up his sleeve.
@ coldwarrior:
They convicted Manafort on 8 counts – hung on 10 others, forcing a mistrial. The question is – will Mueller retry? You’ve given the defense a complete dry run at your trial strategy and witnesses. And you can bet Downing will ask to speak to the jurors and find out what evidence made them convict on the 8.
I think the over/under will be that he does not retry Manafort on the mistried counts – at least until after the other trial is concluded. Manafort is not going to give him anything on Trump (of course there’s nothing to give to him).
Now, what I am going to find interesting is Ellis’s comments to Manafort on the day of sentencing. This is federal, so there are guidelines, but I would love to hear him say “time served.”
The Barbarian wrote:
? really. odd, the article is not very clear about a mistrial. so it was all or nothing?
The Barbarian wrote:
ah, ok…misread hat.
i get it
comedy interlude
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxoUUbMii7Q
John Branyan – The Three Little Pigs
@ coldwarrior:
Many people outside the law world don’t realize that it’s not all or nothing on the counts – the jury wasn’t sure what to do when the could not reach unanimity on some and the judge clarified it for him.
I had that happen when I was on a jury – there were seven counts – we found he was guilty on four, not guilty on two and no verdict on one. I imagine the prosecutor was inclined not to prosecute again.
coldwarrior wrote:
I hope you can take some time off.
I only have one thing to contribute – if that’s the right word – about today.
Michael Cohen deserves to lose his law license for being dumb enough to hire Lanny Davis as his lawyer, who sold him down the river because he is a Clinton whore, and for being dumb enough to not fire his ass and hire somebody who would fight for him.
There was no campaign finance law broken. None.
That is all. good nite
Looks as if Australia is going to have a party no confidence vote against the sitting Prime Minister by his Party collegues. Peter Dutton has challenged PM Turnbull today. The Party room vote was 35 to 43 in favour of Turnbull but there is another vote tonight and Dutton loks as if he has the numbers to roll PN Turnbull.
Australia will take a jump to the right if Dutton wins the Prime Ministership. The core arguments revolve around
Climate Change and the Paris accords
The increasing PC bullshit in Australian politics and life.
The levels of Muslim migration to Australia
If Dutton is voted in you can expect all three items move sharply to the Right
Oz out of the Paris Accords and energy stability re-established
The PC bullshit crushed
Islamic immigration rolled back