A good many observers tell us that the People’s Republic of China is on its last legs. That a combination of demographics and the centralization and massive cult of personality of Xi are leading inevitably to a complete collapse. Some have gone so far as to predict mass starvation and depopulation. Of chaos beyond that of a hundred warlords fighting over the scraps.
China will collapse within years, maybe mere months. China’s demographics, its economy, the arrogance and egotism of its leadership, and world economic conditions all contribute to this. The various advocates of this view may disagree on how quickly and how total the collapse may be, but agree that China is in the toaster, just waiting to pop out.
Others, of course, see China as the current ultimate doomslaying threat to the States and Western Civilization. These include the military-industrial complex, screaming about the boogeyman which will gobble up the Pacific, an ocean covered with the debris and bodies of American and allied navies. Dropping bombs (or just rocks) from orbit. Joining with Russia to revive the worst fears of the half-century of the Cold War.
As recently stated by SecDef Hegseth, China is just months away from exploding. Not into chaos (Vision 1) but across the Western Pacific, gobbling up everything in sight. Starting with the American fleet and bases, then Taiwan, the Philippines, Indochina, and possibly even Korea and Japan. Attempting (and according to them, without trillions in spending by American taxpayers) to make the 21st Century the “Asian Century.” And worst case: hyperspeed and orbital bombardment of North America and at least Britain with nukes.
Still others, though, cite evidence to show that China has already undergone a massive depopulation, and is flat-out lying about having 1.4 billion people. (The claims are as few as 300 to 400 million.) And evidence that China is already breaking up internally.
And finally, there are those who claim that China is an essential part of the world (and American) economic system and we must be sure that they survive (and are placated) to ensure that we here in the States survive.
Whom do we believe?
Continue reading →
The Price of Liberty 
What is going on now? SCOTUS rules?
Some conservatives and libertarians are upset with SCOTUS. Again. Particularly with Kavenaugh and Barrett. According to the Western Journal, they voted with liberal members and the Chief Justice to refuse to hear a case in which Maryland has outlawed an entire class of weapons from private ownership.
Here at TPOL, we have to admit that we fail to see how any reasonable reading of the US Constitution would allow such a thing to stand. Of course, it isn’t the Constitution: it is politics and the evil perception that “democracy” allows a majority of people (or voters, at least) to deny fundamental, God-given human rights. Because of fear and propaganda: or indeed, for whatever reason.
We are again reminded of this famous quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin:
The Western Journal article quoted Kavenaugh to suggest that the refusal to hear the case had something to do with some kind of scheme being concocted behind the scenes and that glorified throne that the Nine Nazgul sit behind and on. That the SCOTUS is just waiting for the “perfect” case to come up that will let them once again restore self-defense rights long denied by the FedGov and many States.
Don’t hold your breath. We too hope – perhaps wish is a better term – that would happen. But the SCOTUS Nazgul have long demonstrated that they value power far more than they value liberty or the Constitution.
Continue reading →