Which of your favourite, unemployed, USA, basement know-it-alls fed you this hypothesis?

However, they are right about something. The Chinese are far from stupid. Unlike Putin, who has allowed his long held hurt pride, to over-rule cold, hard calculations. The Chinese might covet Taiwan, but not at any cost. If the costs outweigh the benefits, as they surely must at the moment, they are unlikely to move.

The Chinese think in centuries and play a very long game. Time is on their side. There is no need to risk economic upsets. They can wait until a negotiated settlement can be agreed and then slowly take over. Just as they have done in Hong Kong.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

Forgive my ignorance, but how is Wimbledon involved in this?

COYP

Sure, but bloaty mcbloatface still annexed Crimea. Yes, Obama was in place but Republican or Democrat, I kind of get the sense that this was always the plan once the annexation was effectively allowed to happen without much pushback from the rest of the world, no matter who was in the White House.

A more pressing issue will be the state of the worlds economy in the next 12-18 months. There are several different strands converging at the same time, I'm becoming more and more pessimistic by the day. Ordinary people already starting to suffer, and I get the feeling it hasn't even properly started yet.

Did you know? 98.0000001% of people are morons.

Let's not forget that it was annexed in response to a coup.....an elected president had to flee the country.

Two wrongs....there has been huge political meddling in the Ukraine.

However, the point was that it wasn't until Biden turned up that the threat since 2014 actually materialised. Personally I think that was very predictable.

I share your pessimism....especially for the young who have been royally fecked for decades now.

In my view all the improvements to life in the west have been via technological progress. In the political field it's actually been a steady decline in living standards for most and a wealth transfer to the wealthy. The idea that your government is meant to improve your life isn't really taken seriously anymore....it's more about which party is doing the least damage. I wouldn't even bother voting.....both practically owned within the system.

But due to the last two 'cause célèbres' that decline in living standards is going to quicken....well, as we know, it's pretty bad already.

Edited by Stirlingsays (10 May 2022 6.10pm)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

The Pope recently came out blaming both Nato/US and Russia for the war.

I guess he must be listening to basement dwelling Youtubers and Russian propaganda.

I mean no one could ever come to any different conclusion from just observing events in the world over the last decades.

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

Three hail marys and a partridge in a pear tree.

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)