The latest U.S. budget allocates 54% of a $1.1 trillion kitty to the military. Even the Jesuits might have a hard time suggesting the military spending would create peaceful pastimes.
Meanwhile,
China has been in a number of places (too lazy to look up) when the spotlight was not there. Africa comes to mind and the goal seemed to be to set up trading partners for the future. Will they gouge the customers? I imagine so -- that's money. But will they gouge the customer worse than its current masters? I sort of imagine not -- the Chinese want income and stability, not a bunch of raped girls and machetes flashing in the sunlight as arms fall away.
When, of late, did the United States initiate even the most egregious capitalist construction project or bit of international cooperation?
Donald Trump doesn't seem capable of creating anything. The only thing he can do is make a deal on someone else's back.
Chinese president Xi Jinping has kicked off a two-day showcase of what some call the most ambitious development project ever by comparing his country to a peace-loving explorer set on transforming the world with treasure-laden galleys not warships, guns or swords.Even supposing that Xi Jinping is doing little more than a semi-camouflaged capitalist two-step, at least his bling has the look of something positive and creative and not just the U.S. posing once more for the most-like-North-Korea military posters.
Speaking at the start of a high-profile summit about China’s “Belt and Road initiative”, Xi hailed his multi-billion dollar infrastructure crusade as a means of building a modern-day version of the ancient Silk Road and a new “golden age” of globalisation.
China has been in a number of places (too lazy to look up) when the spotlight was not there. Africa comes to mind and the goal seemed to be to set up trading partners for the future. Will they gouge the customers? I imagine so -- that's money. But will they gouge the customer worse than its current masters? I sort of imagine not -- the Chinese want income and stability, not a bunch of raped girls and machetes flashing in the sunlight as arms fall away.
When, of late, did the United States initiate even the most egregious capitalist construction project or bit of international cooperation?
Donald Trump doesn't seem capable of creating anything. The only thing he can do is make a deal on someone else's back.
As one empire fades, another grows.
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