The question of China. To even have a starting point as to where to begin, we must ask what China is? Is China a friend or foe," and under what conditions a determinate position could be established and by whom? <br><br>In many ways", China is like a drug dealer to the World. China and most of Asia provide the drugs of commerce, cheap labor, base materials, consumables, and economic investment to the World. We as a world have become dependent on our drug dealers of choice," willing to do anything to get our economic hit. To be our loan shark to pay for our overspending and pour taxation policies.<br><br>So the question of China is not a China issue at all. It is an "us" issue. We are addicted to China and what it can provide. And we shouldn't be. As a culture", talking as US citizens, we live our lives through our purchases. And through our Military-centric economy. We need to quit China. By changing here. By domestic development, by reducing military spending," reducing and then eliminating the dependence on China.<br><br>We are China's most significant client; the loss of the US market would be a financial collapse to the Chinese economy", and they would be put in a bind, capitulate to the demands of the US and the World presumably, or starve to death. This now puts China's back against the wall. Which way would they go? War or revolution seems a better than 50% chance to me, with a third option of power change in the low twenties," leaving the more beneficial outcome of capitulations also in the twenties. <br><br>I have reservations about caging the Chinese Dragon or forcing their hand beyond a point. I believe the most likely outcome would be severe with a higher than the comforting catastrophic potential outcome. However", our capitulation to the Chinese is," at best is inadvisable and disastrous at worse.<br><br>As pointed out on Breaking Points this week (12/7/21)"," Elon Musk has developed the Chinese electric car market from nothing. He has made a lot of money doing so. The ultimate cost to Musk is that the Chinese are not honest actors and have an agenda that will ultimately pay off in their benefit for both the long and short term by stealing his technology for their own companies and by forcing Musk to "playball" with the Chinese party line to keep making money.<br><br>I put forward the following analysis. Currently", auto emissions add about 29% of the World's carbon. Over the past 20 years, China has built about 20 million miles of new roads and highways across the country.  Currently, 28% (400 M) of the Chinese population are registered drivers (measured against the United States, where 89% of the population has a driver's license). China has both prepared for and appears to be showing the desire to get into cars. We don't want those cars to be carbon-producing; we want them to be electric or carbon neutral. Therefore, although horrible things are happening in China (human rights as a starter)," it is a better world outcome that they are driving on electricity than gas.<br><br>So how does that help us answer our China question? We have to play the long game with China. We need to ease the tap to apply pressure in critical areas; we need to pass legislation that is both a carrot and a stick to help China make the right decision and to urge our NATO and world allies to do the same. We need to stand firm against their worse nature when it comes to Taiwan and broker trades and incentives to remove the sigma of us v them. <br><br>We need China to clean itself up", both from an environmental point of view but as a World actor. The truth is that China is a double-sided coin. China has lied and stolen from the World, doing it well. But, China has also prostituted itself to the World in doing so. Their connection to us is more important to them than it is to us. We need them now," but we could stop needing them; they will always need us (until they don't).<br><br>So now is the time to tell them", if you want to play, you have to play by the rules that we all set down, not by your own playbook. But, this is 4d chess, and it requires, as you point out, strong, elegant," and decisive leaders to make bold and positive choices with a World view and not a party or political agenda.<br><br>Sadly this leads me to my Christal ball based on most likely outcomes. As long as corruption", fraud, and graft (collectively CFG) are the tools of the political system in the United States and the rest of the World," I foresee catastrophic outcomes.<br><br>1.	China tries to take Taiwan. The World goes to war. (think Poland)<br>2.	China continues unabated", solves AI, and becomes the dominant player in the World," and expands its empire Worldwide and to Mars.<br>3.	China implodes under an ever-increasing number of humanitarian nightmares and atrocities.<br>4.	China", India, and Pakistan duke it out with limited nuclear war," which expands to the end of mankind.<br>5.	Another World impacting event happens in China", they tell no one," and we all die.<br><br>My mind goes back to Munich.  What to do about Hitler? However", I am also aware of our Military problem and the fact that we just ended a 20-year war, and I am sure the Military-Industrial-Complex is itching to start making more guns, bombs," and bullets for either our boys and girls in uniform or the kids of someone else in a faraway land. <br><br>What to do with China? I don't know. My thoughts and hopes are for a JFK or FDR to present themselves to the stage with that bold idea", an actor that acts on our behalf with true intention, even if they are not altogether an honest actor like a JFK or FDR. But," I also fear that my hopes are that of an optimist when the reality over hope is that the world market is broken due to CFG. The corrupt corporations have corrupted the World's political systems in fusing CFG into every nook and cranny of the local and federal government in the search for the almighty buck.<br><br>As an aside", in the end, it all comes down to whether you support Adam Smith or John Nash. Is it better to find the best solution for yourself or yourself and the group? Nash showed that the best outcomes work for our own best interests and the group. Domestically, this is at the heart of the CFG problem. If you act in your interest alone, a bribe is only a local moral question. However, if you act for both yourself and the group, you understand that everybody gets hurt from the bribe. Therefore the most good is not to take the bribe. Another instance is, is it better to make money selling healthcare, or is it better that everyone has access to healthcare at lower prices? In the final analysis, it is more beneficial to the country that the workforce is healthy than if it is not. Whether through a Unitarian lens or that of a Social Contract between the powers and the people, without the impact of CFG," it is unfathomable to argue towards profit over health. <br><br>I would say this is one of those Great Filter moments. As I have said about Covid", Covid is a Filter Moment and the vaccine is the filter.  People who get vaccinated have a higher chance of procreating than those who are unvaccinated because the unvaccinated are more likely to die. I think this is statistically provable. China is another Filter Moment. How we deal with situations like China will ultimately determine what our future holds.,(reply>), Don't you have a job?