While most of the world’s people have seen their real incomes drop during the pandemic, the combined wealth of the ten richest men in the world has more than doubled, passing the $1.5 trillion mark, according to a report published by Oxfam.
If I had a guess about this McFaul stuff, I’d say it seems like an attempt at reframing from criticize those who you can effect to criticize those who are the most evil, by which he means not America.
Also, I’ve been noticing a more strident tone from people in McFaul’s camp. Ben Rhode’s, on his podcast Pod Save The World, lamented about how he was tired of criticism of America and went on about how people across the world look to America as a force for good. It all consolidates around this narrative of Democracy vs Autocracy, which again slots America in as the good guy and Russia, China, etc. as the bad guys.
Is China a threat in another way though? What if China grows more powerful economically and militarily and significantly more powerful than the US? What if it controlled the SWIFT system or enforced the use of the digital yuan for international trade? If you do something China doesn’t like you get cut off from the international system or they transfer your digital reserves out of your country with the click of a button. What if they started restricting US trade rights with Asia and reduced our wealth as a result? What if they started interfering in the politics of Canada or tried to move military forces/missiles there? These are all echoes of things the US itself does. It’s possible China won’t grow that powerful or that it won’t do what we’ve done but I don’t think we can take that risk. If we had isolated China earlier: not let them into the WTO, worked on a balancing coalition sooner, etc. we might not have to worry about it now. Clearly China has shown a willingness to throw its weight around and use whatever tools it has at its disposal to pressure other countries. Why wouldn’t that eventually become untenable to the US?
I would advocate isolating Russia too if it had a similar capability and if Europe were less capable and as important to US prosperity as Asia is. The fact is none of those things are true so we should basically shut down NATO and move on. So I don’t think we can equate the threat from Russia and China.
US national security mavens tend to take on the exaggerated expectations that the rest of the world has for the US to come in and solve the problems of every country in the world. Who has set those expectations on the part of other countries? US national security mavens. What is the effect of this circular reinforcement? Other countries are not encouraged to solve their own problems and tend to be more cavalier about getting into scraps with their neighbors or others with whom they have disagreements. In many cases, with tacit US encouragement. Witness current US efforts to pressure Finland to join NATO as opposed to continuing the successful formula of Finlandization. (Finland ranks number one on the global Happiness Index.). The unipolar era did precious little to promote real diplomacy in the world.
Once again, a very informative Earthling post. On another topic, I watched your third interview with Augustin Fuentes. As you note, he tends toward 'wokeness,' and exaggerates his position on trans issues. For example, he claimed that Venus and Serena Williams could beat men within the top ranking 50. He missed this fact: In an event dubbed a "Battle of the Sexes" took place during the 1998 Australian Open[57] between Karsten Braasch and the Williams sisters. Venus and Serena Williams had claimed that they could beat any male player ranked outside the world's top 200, so Braasch, then ranked 203rd, challenged them both. Braasch was described by one journalist as "a man whose training regime centered around a pack of cigarettes and more than a couple of bottles of ice cold lager".The matches took place on court number 12 in Melbourne Park, after Braasch had finished a round of golf and two shandies. He first took on Serena and after leading 5–0, beat her 6–1. Venus then walked on court and again Braasch was victorious, this time winning 6–2.Braasch said afterwards, "500 and above, no chance". He added that he had played like someone ranked 600th in order to keep the game "fun"and that the big difference was that men can chase down shots much easier and put spin on the ball that female players could not handle. The Williams sisters adjusted their claim to beating men outside the top 350.
Re McFaul, I’d simply point out that the Us Embassy in Moscow (McFaul’s post before he was kicked out) is the HQ for CIA operations in Russia, just as Russia’s embassy in Washington is Russian Intel. McFaul is now at the Hoover Institution, a rest home for neocons temporarily out of power. In all likelihood, he’s CIA. Definitely a Cold War hawk.
I wouldn't go so far as to suspect that he's CIA. But I certainly agree that he's a hawk. And I gather he had particular experiences in Moscow that intensified his antipathy toward the Putin regime in particular.
I wanted to ask re: McFaul -- Do you think he feels left out of the Biden administration? If I were in his shoes I would have expected a position in the administration. There are a few figures, including Aaron David Miller that I think Biden left out in the cold. Hence McFaul's tweet
If I had a guess about this McFaul stuff, I’d say it seems like an attempt at reframing from criticize those who you can effect to criticize those who are the most evil, by which he means not America.
Also, I’ve been noticing a more strident tone from people in McFaul’s camp. Ben Rhode’s, on his podcast Pod Save The World, lamented about how he was tired of criticism of America and went on about how people across the world look to America as a force for good. It all consolidates around this narrative of Democracy vs Autocracy, which again slots America in as the good guy and Russia, China, etc. as the bad guys.
Is China a threat in another way though? What if China grows more powerful economically and militarily and significantly more powerful than the US? What if it controlled the SWIFT system or enforced the use of the digital yuan for international trade? If you do something China doesn’t like you get cut off from the international system or they transfer your digital reserves out of your country with the click of a button. What if they started restricting US trade rights with Asia and reduced our wealth as a result? What if they started interfering in the politics of Canada or tried to move military forces/missiles there? These are all echoes of things the US itself does. It’s possible China won’t grow that powerful or that it won’t do what we’ve done but I don’t think we can take that risk. If we had isolated China earlier: not let them into the WTO, worked on a balancing coalition sooner, etc. we might not have to worry about it now. Clearly China has shown a willingness to throw its weight around and use whatever tools it has at its disposal to pressure other countries. Why wouldn’t that eventually become untenable to the US?
I would advocate isolating Russia too if it had a similar capability and if Europe were less capable and as important to US prosperity as Asia is. The fact is none of those things are true so we should basically shut down NATO and move on. So I don’t think we can equate the threat from Russia and China.
US national security mavens tend to take on the exaggerated expectations that the rest of the world has for the US to come in and solve the problems of every country in the world. Who has set those expectations on the part of other countries? US national security mavens. What is the effect of this circular reinforcement? Other countries are not encouraged to solve their own problems and tend to be more cavalier about getting into scraps with their neighbors or others with whom they have disagreements. In many cases, with tacit US encouragement. Witness current US efforts to pressure Finland to join NATO as opposed to continuing the successful formula of Finlandization. (Finland ranks number one on the global Happiness Index.). The unipolar era did precious little to promote real diplomacy in the world.
Once again, a very informative Earthling post. On another topic, I watched your third interview with Augustin Fuentes. As you note, he tends toward 'wokeness,' and exaggerates his position on trans issues. For example, he claimed that Venus and Serena Williams could beat men within the top ranking 50. He missed this fact: In an event dubbed a "Battle of the Sexes" took place during the 1998 Australian Open[57] between Karsten Braasch and the Williams sisters. Venus and Serena Williams had claimed that they could beat any male player ranked outside the world's top 200, so Braasch, then ranked 203rd, challenged them both. Braasch was described by one journalist as "a man whose training regime centered around a pack of cigarettes and more than a couple of bottles of ice cold lager".The matches took place on court number 12 in Melbourne Park, after Braasch had finished a round of golf and two shandies. He first took on Serena and after leading 5–0, beat her 6–1. Venus then walked on court and again Braasch was victorious, this time winning 6–2.Braasch said afterwards, "500 and above, no chance". He added that he had played like someone ranked 600th in order to keep the game "fun"and that the big difference was that men can chase down shots much easier and put spin on the ball that female players could not handle. The Williams sisters adjusted their claim to beating men outside the top 350.
Re McFaul, I’d simply point out that the Us Embassy in Moscow (McFaul’s post before he was kicked out) is the HQ for CIA operations in Russia, just as Russia’s embassy in Washington is Russian Intel. McFaul is now at the Hoover Institution, a rest home for neocons temporarily out of power. In all likelihood, he’s CIA. Definitely a Cold War hawk.
I wouldn't go so far as to suspect that he's CIA. But I certainly agree that he's a hawk. And I gather he had particular experiences in Moscow that intensified his antipathy toward the Putin regime in particular.
I wanted to ask re: McFaul -- Do you think he feels left out of the Biden administration? If I were in his shoes I would have expected a position in the administration. There are a few figures, including Aaron David Miller that I think Biden left out in the cold. Hence McFaul's tweet