China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has launched major military drills encircling the island of Taiwan, a step Beijing has made clear is a response to the US recently approving more than $11 billion in arms sales for Taipei. According to CGTN, Chen Binhua, a Chinese government spokesman, said the drills…
It would be good for the world if the US Empire removed all of its overseas millitary bases, though. Trump is allowed by the imperialists in the US Empire to do what he can to try to save it, hence why the US Empire shifted from Eastern Europe as a focus to latin America with their adventures in Venezuela. The idea is to pivot to war with China, or to spark a potential proxy war, before China gets too far ahead to contest. I’d argue that we are already at that point, but regardless, the US Empire maintains these millitary bases for economic reasons, not out of a sense of security.
Kinda. The US Empire is a dictatorship of capital, Trump has a lot he can do but he can’t unilaterally destroy the main levers the US Empire keeps to maintain imperialism without capitalist consent and support.
He also can’t just tear down a third of the White House on a whim, but here we are.
If he tells China, “Hey, thanks for the yacht, and the permission to build a Trump Tower in Taiwan, don’t worry about anything,” and then sits back and lets them invade China, without calling on our military to defend them, what would anyone do?
Schmuck Schumer would release a stern statement, a few people would grumble, but NOBODY in either party would do ANYTHING about it, except whine.
He also can’t just tear down a third of the White House on a whim, but here we are.
Tearing down the White House doesn’t hurt capital. When we say that Trump can’t just do anything they want, we’re not talking about legality. You’re right, it’s very clear that Trump’s regime disregards legal issues. They have strong institutional power over the writing, judgement and enforcement of law.
We’re talking about pleasing those who give Trump power - the upper echelon of the rich, the owning class. Trump’s regime needs mass media for messaging (think of social media and news owners like Zuck, Musk, Bezos, Murdoch, … ), it needs technology (add Thiel, Ellison, … ), and obviously it needs money.
If Trump and friends turn those supporters against him, that’s a very real issue that would lose them material power. They’re pressured into compromising or conforming to the wants of those supporters, so that they continue giving power to the regime. This is what people mean by a “dictatorship of capital” - those with huge amounts of capital dictate the country.
The entire premise of China “invading” Taiwan is false. Taiwan is Chinese, and the PRC is the legitimate government of China, not the ROC. As such, the PRC is just waiting for the seperatist government to stand down, despite the US empire wanting a hot war. This is a hot war the US establishment desperately wants, there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell they’d trade that for a tower.
You aren’t understanding what I am saying. Of course, the United States wouldn’t want that, but that’s the point. Trump doesn’t care about the security of Taiwan, America, or anywhere else. He’s far to ignorant to understand the geopolitical nuances of any of that stuff. All he would know is that China is paying him a shitload of money, or favors, or whatever, to look the other way. That’s Standard Operating Procedure for him.
It’s not like it’s new for him. The Saudis wanted to murder Kashoggi, and negotiated through Kushner, who assured the Saudis that there would be no issues from the US with it, and their $10 billion dollar arms deal would go through without a problem. Trump would rape and murder his own mother if he was paid enough.
If China paid him, and they took Taiwan, and he chose to not respond, that would be the end of it. He’s Commmander-In-Chief, nobody else can mobilize the military but him.
It would probably lead to an impeachment, but once again, the Senate wouldn’t convict. MAGA let him off the hook for trying to overthrow our own government, they aren’t going to care any more about China.
I’m trying to tell you that Trump does not have the ability to act unilaterally. The US forces would sooner perform a coup than let that happen. The US isn’t simply Trump’s whims, but is merely run by his faction of the capitalists right now, and that faction has interests particular to them and universal to the capitalists in the US, none of which would let Taiwan reunify even peacefully.
You are talking about the old USA, under any other president. If he tells Hegseth to stand down, Hegseth will stand down. If he tells Hegseth to shoot into crowds of unarmed American protesters, Hegseth will do it. Hegseth will never fight back, certainly not in defense of Taiwan.
I don’t know who you think is going to defy Trump, but it certainly isn’t going to be any MAGAs, and even the Dems probably won’t do anything but cry.
It would be good for the world if the US Empire removed all of its overseas millitary bases, though. Trump is allowed by the imperialists in the US Empire to do what he can to try to save it, hence why the US Empire shifted from Eastern Europe as a focus to latin America with their adventures in Venezuela. The idea is to pivot to war with China, or to spark a potential proxy war, before China gets too far ahead to contest. I’d argue that we are already at that point, but regardless, the US Empire maintains these millitary bases for economic reasons, not out of a sense of security.
Valid, although both things can be true.
Kinda. The US Empire is a dictatorship of capital, Trump has a lot he can do but he can’t unilaterally destroy the main levers the US Empire keeps to maintain imperialism without capitalist consent and support.
He also can’t just tear down a third of the White House on a whim, but here we are.
If he tells China, “Hey, thanks for the yacht, and the permission to build a Trump Tower in Taiwan, don’t worry about anything,” and then sits back and lets them invade China, without calling on our military to defend them, what would anyone do?
Schmuck Schumer would release a stern statement, a few people would grumble, but NOBODY in either party would do ANYTHING about it, except whine.
Tearing down the White House doesn’t hurt capital. When we say that Trump can’t just do anything they want, we’re not talking about legality. You’re right, it’s very clear that Trump’s regime disregards legal issues. They have strong institutional power over the writing, judgement and enforcement of law.
We’re talking about pleasing those who give Trump power - the upper echelon of the rich, the owning class. Trump’s regime needs mass media for messaging (think of social media and news owners like Zuck, Musk, Bezos, Murdoch, … ), it needs technology (add Thiel, Ellison, … ), and obviously it needs money.
If Trump and friends turn those supporters against him, that’s a very real issue that would lose them material power. They’re pressured into compromising or conforming to the wants of those supporters, so that they continue giving power to the regime. This is what people mean by a “dictatorship of capital” - those with huge amounts of capital dictate the country.
The entire premise of China “invading” Taiwan is false. Taiwan is Chinese, and the PRC is the legitimate government of China, not the ROC. As such, the PRC is just waiting for the seperatist government to stand down, despite the US empire wanting a hot war. This is a hot war the US establishment desperately wants, there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell they’d trade that for a tower.
You aren’t understanding what I am saying. Of course, the United States wouldn’t want that, but that’s the point. Trump doesn’t care about the security of Taiwan, America, or anywhere else. He’s far to ignorant to understand the geopolitical nuances of any of that stuff. All he would know is that China is paying him a shitload of money, or favors, or whatever, to look the other way. That’s Standard Operating Procedure for him.
It’s not like it’s new for him. The Saudis wanted to murder Kashoggi, and negotiated through Kushner, who assured the Saudis that there would be no issues from the US with it, and their $10 billion dollar arms deal would go through without a problem. Trump would rape and murder his own mother if he was paid enough.
If China paid him, and they took Taiwan, and he chose to not respond, that would be the end of it. He’s Commmander-In-Chief, nobody else can mobilize the military but him.
It would probably lead to an impeachment, but once again, the Senate wouldn’t convict. MAGA let him off the hook for trying to overthrow our own government, they aren’t going to care any more about China.
I’m trying to tell you that Trump does not have the ability to act unilaterally. The US forces would sooner perform a coup than let that happen. The US isn’t simply Trump’s whims, but is merely run by his faction of the capitalists right now, and that faction has interests particular to them and universal to the capitalists in the US, none of which would let Taiwan reunify even peacefully.
You are talking about the old USA, under any other president. If he tells Hegseth to stand down, Hegseth will stand down. If he tells Hegseth to shoot into crowds of unarmed American protesters, Hegseth will do it. Hegseth will never fight back, certainly not in defense of Taiwan.
I don’t know who you think is going to defy Trump, but it certainly isn’t going to be any MAGAs, and even the Dems probably won’t do anything but cry.
Trump is just another president, just more honest about the cruelty. The US Empire has always been evil.
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