The Decline Of The United States of America

[Exarch]

The United States has never had good support systems for veterans, especially those suffering from PTSD. If anything, it was worse after previous wars like Vietnam, as PTSD was still a horribly misunderstood issue. Hell, even in what you might picture to be America's "glory days" during World War II, General Patton was nearly fired for slapping a soldier suffering from a breakdown caused by his PTSD, saying that the soldier was a pathetic man trying to fake insanity to get out of returning to combat. At least PTSD is recognized as a real medical disorder with treatment protocols we can use to help those who suffer from it, and now the US government has worked aggressively to help veterans reintegrate: for example, veterans are given absolute non-competitive priority for hiring in federal jobs, and the federal government strongly encourages private companies to favor hiring protected veterans, even if there are more competent civilians available for unemployment.

Not sure about the connection with "family" being the magic cure-all for PTSD. Usually the only people with whom soldiers can find solace over their traumas are fellow soldiers. Family members, most of whom likely have never faced combat, don't have the framework for understanding what their loved one is going through after coming back from the war.

Can the US military be described as anything other than exploitative? USG creates poverty so that the military has a ready stream of recruits for its forever wars. Such a system of exploitation cannot last and will inevitably fall- as shown in the decline of the US fighting ability.
A family is a support system for a veteran coming home with PTSD, to care and look after them as chinese families were after the korean and sino-vietnamese war, but perhaps this is not found in anglo societies which is why anglo nations are falling into decline.
The same system of exploitation in anglo american societies creates war in other nations so that the best and brightest of those nations are forced to become refugees and migrants to the imperial core.

Secondly, we can witness the decline of the United States in the inept leadership of today:



It's evident the US Elites are throwing everything including the bathroom sink at China and yet China keeps winning.

EDIT:
In yet another sign of the decline of the United States, the USG expressed insecurity at their own stated ideals of 'freedom of speech' by stealing the websites of Iranian and Houthi press groups:

US government ‘SEIZES’ website of Iran’s Press TV, multiple other media outlets

Source: https://www.rt.com/news/527292-us-se...sstv-websites/

By doing so, the US accepts and vindicates the Chinese example and copies the Chinese Great firewall.

This is what a nation in decline looks like, when the government is so afraid of its own ppl knowing the truth that it stops foreign media from reporting the news.

[conon394]

But China is still a developing country; what does it say about the United States when a developing country has eliminated poverty and yet the rich first world United States hasn't?
How is that not decline?

It says that if the second largest economy on planet wants to lie to itself and set its poverty rate at the same number Zambia uses it can 'eliminate' officially its poverty. Again at the rate China uses so could the USA.

I'd say it's because the United States society in its decline no longer provides the same support systems that would have cushioned these veterans and eased them back into civilian life. The family unit is no longer around to provide support and the masculinity promoted in most militaries is now frowned upon by the new woke religion in the US.

Oh that is quite funny.

Taking the analogy of Rome, when Rome as starting its ascension to greatness, its senators and leaders all served in a military capacity. Later, when the empire was in its decline- most of the fighting was done by immigrants.

Your grasp of Roman history remains as poor as ever.

Similarly, in the United States the Elites cowardly flee combat, Bush Jr famously got a cushy role in the national guard and cheney never served, to say nothing of trump and biden nor the draft dodging clinton.

And yet it is relatively easy to list a similar number of US politicians who served - I'm not going to bother. Essentially once the US moved to all volunteer military the results were more or less going be thus. Frankly outside of the US in the WW2/Korea era and or the period immediately after the civil war you are not going find an officer under every politicians hat. Even WW2 is an an illusion in hindsight. Not every person served as my one my grandfathers who survived two shoot downs as a tail gunner. A great uncle was simple plugged into logistics state side because he was an accountant (so pushing paper in uniform in safety rather than in a suit in safety). But of that generation of relatives the ones who did not volunteer were all deferred skilled trades (I am taking still big Polish families 5-7 brothers) As soon as one volunteered the others were deemed economically important even if they were 1-A. Same thing happened to my Uncle really he might have volunteered for Nam but the air force took one look at a skilled tradesman sure he had to do basic but after that 4 years in Japan first learning how fix planes and then promoted to warrant officer to train others to do so and manage the repair process.

Since these leaders never served, they don't know how important it is, nor what veterans need to get back into civilian life.

Thus your statement is silly. Serving your 2 years as a conscript in peacetime, or even global total war as a logistics expert in the port of long beach or warrant officer in Japan is not likely to make you any more able to do than a civilian.

By doing so, the US accepts and vindicates the Chinese example and copies the Chinese Great firewall.

This is what a nation in decline looks like, when the government is so afraid of its own ppl knowing the truth that it stops foreign media from reporting the news.

Umm err what not sure how to deal with the cognitive dissonance inherent in those words.

[Vanoi]

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/05/97417...e-in-actuality

China has only conquered poverty in their imagination.

[EmperorBatman999]

Can the US military be described as anything other than exploitative? USG creates poverty so that the military has a ready stream of recruits for its forever wars. Such a system of exploitation cannot last and will inevitably fall- as shown in the decline of the US fighting ability.
A family is a support system for a veteran coming home with PTSD, to care and look after them as chinese families were after the korean and sino-vietnamese war, but perhaps this is not found in anglo societies which is why anglo nations are falling into decline.
The same system of exploitation in anglo american societies creates war in other nations so that the best and brightest of those nations are forced to become refugees and migrants to the imperial core.

Very nice little red herring on the USG's apparent "exploitation."

As far as families go: this sort of glorification of the family in the past sounds like a fanciful flight of nostalgia, especially as these wars ended 70 and 40 years ago respectively.

Regardless of culture, some families are really good about helping out veterans, others aren't. The only distinct advantage I might see with your little vignette is that with Korean veterans, many families would actually have the framework to help ease their relative's trauma, as many of these families had just recently witnessed warfare and combat in the Japanese Invasion and the Civil War. Still, this says little about Chinese culture and more about the specific circumstances in one place in the world during a very specific time in history.

And finally, sometimes a family unit is exactly what a veteran doesn't need: the family can just as easily be smothering and dismissive towards the vet's lived experiences, rather than productively supportive, and this attribute has nothing to do with Anglo culture but rather is an aspect of human personalities around the world.

[The spartan]

Media centralization is so now common that it has its own Wikipedia page. See especially:

I don't know what you think this comparison between media in pre-internet 1983 to 2017 indicates, even the concept of "media" is hugely different than in 1983. Ownership in media has consolidated; as it has consolidated in practically every other market since 1983. Economy of scale is getting more intense. I doubt that implies what you seem to be implying, though. The amount of narratives an individual media consumer has access to now has never been higher.

There is no "open media market"; the digital world has been monopolized by a handful anti-competitive corporations which increasingly act as information gatekeepers and collude with big media. From a Dem led anti-trust committee:

Give me a break, I am saying that our media market is a for-profit private endeavor rather than state-run apparatus: the motives are fundamentally different. And you can thank the political Right of the US in being both regulation and anti-trust shy which explains the current state of corporate ownership. Populists seem to always think of this issue in reverse, assuming that "the media" is used by the elite to instruct consumers on what to think (you know, brainwashing) but media companies' motives are far more simple if just as sinister: they wanna make money. They don't tell people what to think, they tell people what they want to hear as to keep audience numbers high, with some outlets acting with more restraint than others. Outlets sell narratives and if it's not the narrative the consumer wants, the consumer goes elsewhere for another narrative. Don't like what MSNBC says? Watch Fox News. Fox News too establishment cucked? Go watch OAN, or Steven Crowder, or Tim Pool. The narratives aren't as near as limited as you seem to imply. Not that these parent companies are typically giving marching orders to the outlets anyways: Steven Crowder and Tim Pool both exist on Youtube and are owned by Youtube (Google). Do you honestly think they are being instructed by Google on what content to put out? Please.

Maybe I am old fashioned with my understanding of brainwashing, but it is supposed to be both intentional and coercive. You can't have accidental, uncompelled brainwashing. Someone subjected to brainwashing (think like, Uyghurs in Chinese camps) doesn't have the option of rejecting the given narrative and choosing to follow a different, opposing narrative. Perhaps you mean "brainwashing" in the much broader sense that's used as a pejorative for people who come to different political conclusions than you?

The predictable contrived accusation of hypocrisy. At no point was anyone's view dismissed without explanation. It was simply stated that a variety of powerful organizations manufacturing a consensus can be more effective than a state broadcaster.

Oh, you gave an explanation, you said "they" are being "conditioned" to believe that dissenting voices are illegitimate; thereby implying that their belief is, itself, illegitimate as something that was "conditioned" into them rather than a conclusion they came to themselves. Basically you are saying they would not otherwise believe that unless directed to do so. Again, that's not how our media works, at least here in the US; people echo-chamber themselves, they aren't coercively indoctrinated.

[Exarch]

Very nice little red herring on the USG's apparent "exploitation."

As far as families go: this sort of glorification of the family in the past sounds like a fanciful flight of nostalgia, especially as these wars ended 70 and 40 years ago respectively.

Regardless of culture, some families are really good about helping out veterans, others aren't. The only distinct advantage I might see with your little vignette is that with Korean veterans, many families would actually have the framework to help ease their relative's trauma, as many of these families had just recently witnessed warfare and combat in the Japanese Invasion and the Civil War. Still, this says little about Chinese culture and more about the specific circumstances in one place in the world during a very specific time in history.

And finally, sometimes a family unit is exactly what a veteran doesn't need: the family can just as easily be smothering and dismissive towards the vet's lived experiences, rather than productively supportive, and this attribute has nothing to do with Anglo culture but rather is an aspect of human personalities around the world.

This is simply a difference in values; the United States has undergone a cultural revolution wherein its leaders want to do away with the importance of family in favour of consumerism and debt peonage. They want worker drones more loyal to companies than to their own families, consistent with the writings of Machiavelli.

You can see this expressed in what is called "The Great Reset" and i've posted sources about this several pages back. The Great Reset will emasculate the american people into becoming servile, docile, drugged up consumers. Even OnlyFans has corrupted so many of america's women that they are now unmarriagable save for poly relationships.

and even the witch hunts and pogroms against Academics who collaborate with Chinese universities...it's safe to say that the United States has collapsed into fascism and is no longer a true shining city on the Hill. they have fallen into the whore of sodom.

[Lord Thesaurian]

Even OnlyFans has corrupted so many of america's women that they are now unmarriagable save for poly relationships.

You’ve seen so many of these women that you’ve amassed that kind of data sample? I’m not sure whether to be impressed or concerned. It’s common for American parents to have their credit card swiped by their soft, weak little kids (hence the decline). I wonder if the same problem happens in other parts of the world.

[Exarch]

You’ve seen so many of these women that you’ve amassed that kind of data sample? I’m not sure whether to be impressed or concerned. It’s common for American parents to have their credit card swiped by their soft, weak little kids (hence the decline). I wonder if the same problem happens in other parts of the world.

The fact that you admit its so common for so many young american males to steal money from their parents to satiate their OnlyFans addiction is testament to the decline and fall of the american society. TBH we could have seen this coming, with the rise in furries and weaboos these past 2 decades. This is what the Romans would have identified as debauchery.

In fact, other than the moral failures of the american society; we also have the American Elite putting money into China, which tells you how the American Elite feel about the current american trajectory:

Exclusive | In windfall for Xinjiang, huge US mutual funds invest millions in its companies

Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/arti...gtype=homepage

The fact that they're investing in Xinjiang knowing the USG is going to try to sanction chinese companies based in Xinjiang makes this all the more hilarious. I foresee any US Rep. pushing for these sanctions to find himself unemployed within a year.

Speaking of unemployment, the jobs situation in the US is dire and increasingly more so; sooner or later, those unemployed masses will start voting communist:



Secondly, the collapse of US infrastructure:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57592827

highlights the decline fo the United States and the Anger from the Will of God as America propagandists used to say about Chinese rail disasters, surely this must signify the sins of the USG and God's punishment?

[conon394]

Speaking of unemployment, the jobs situation in the US is dire and increasingly more so; sooner or later, those unemployed masses will start voting communist:

Political grandstanding by Jim Jordan is not economic analysis. You would do better to just focus on Powell's responses to a man looking to get Fox News some edited sound bites. A JD who failed to pass the bar does inspire confidence in his ability to provided cogent economic analysis.

Secondly, the collapse of US infrastructure:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57592827

Never happens in China right or

https://abcnews.go.com/International...lapse-69550040

or with shiny new rail systems

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...s=rss_homepage


https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-china-21242812

[The spartan]

The fact that you admit its so common for so many young american males to steal money from their parents to satiate their OnlyFans addiction is testament to the decline and fall of the american society. TBH we could have seen this coming, with the rise in furries and weaboos these past 2 decades. This is what the Romans would have identified as debauchery.

In fact, other than the moral failures of the american society; we also have the American Elite putting money into China, which tells you how the American Elite feel about the current american trajectory:

It's touching to see Chinese Communists and the American Far-Right bond over the strange concept of social degeneracy, and you probably shouldn't be appealing to the Romans as some kind of moral authorities. Suffice it to say that your gauging of the "moral failures of the american society" is worthless; you will say whatever string of words to get your jabs in.

[Exarch]

It's touching to see Chinese Communists and the American Far-Right bond over the strange concept of social degeneracy, and you probably shouldn't be appealing to the Romans as some kind of moral authorities. Suffice it to say that your gauging of the "moral failures of the american society" is worthless; you will say whatever string of words to get your jabs in.

You misunderstand me, i only have a problem with the United States Government, not the American people.

Only once the American people overthrow the tyrannical government can there be freedom and a reversal of the decline.
Social mores are dictated by the government as it is the elites in government and society who control media and the social discourse. In an ever-growing attempt to distract the ppl from their own policy failures, the USG often encourages social decay to get ppl to fight each other eg gay marriage, Roe vs Wade.

As Thomas Jefferson once said, only blood can water the tree of liberty, the blood of tyrants and patriots. The fact that the american ppl are so cowed and docile against the tyranny of the USG reveals the extent of the moral rot.

Political grandstanding by Jim Jordan is not economic analysis. You would do better to just focus on Powell's responses to a man looking to get Fox News some edited sound bites. A JD who failed to pass the bar does inspire confidence in his ability to provided cogent economic analysis.





Never happens in China right or

https://abcnews.go.com/International...lapse-69550040

or with shiny new rail systems

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...s=rss_homepage


https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-china-21242812

American propagandists, nay, anglo propagandists often equate national disasters in China with decline and tinder for Revolution. Why shouldn't we apply the same metric against them? The most ridiculous paranoid take coming from american stenographers in the Washing Post was that Chinese space station's robotic arm would capture american satellites. This fearful and paranoid attitude from the USG is indicative of decline- all the more so when the same USG now has to ape the Soviet Union and threaten its allies against doing deals with China.

Effectively, these allies cease being allies and now become hostages.

Let me show you the declining power of America:
Nike has recanted its commitment to the USG blood libel of "xinjiang concentration camps" and re-affirmed its commitment to China:

Chief executive John Donahoe said "Nike is a brand that is of China and for China"

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57606588

Not even American multinationals are going to obey USG diktat or propaganda. They'd rather sacrifice the US market for the Chinese market.

In fact, Asians in south east Asia and east Asia are hesitant to become meat shields for white supremacy; if it didn't work in the 60s during the Cold War with SEATO, why would it work today now that china's the biggest trading partner out of all the east asian and SEAsian countries?

Asia, say no to Nato

The Pacific has no need of the destructive militaristic culture of the Atlantic alliance

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion...say-no-to-nato

such poverty of strategic thinking belies the decline in american leadership.

[Ludicus]

...Only once the American people overthrow the tyrannical government can there be freedom.

That's the far right paranoid mantra: the anti-tyranny case for the 2nd Amendment shouldn't be dismissed, as they say.Why Militias Are So Hard To Stop
Although I’m a huge admirer of the Chinese civilization, the longest continuous history of any country in the world-3,500 years of written history, I already posted this #281
Why Are Moscow and Beijing Happy to Host the US Far-Right
It's nothing new, Proud Boys got donations from Chinese Americans
---
That said, the most fearful current threat against freedom and democracy is inequality. Be it social, racial, cultural, political or economic. Growing inequality poisons social relations to such an extent that freedom and democracy are under threat. In my opinion, the solidity of the European welfare states is perhaps the surest foundation of contemporary democracy.
Edit,
Exclusive solidarity? : radical right parties and the welfare state

Radical right parties in Western Europe have traditionally shown little support for redistributive policies and have thus been typically classified as economically right wing. Yet, they are contesting the votes of a (formerly) key electorate of the social democratic parties: the working class, who supports welfare redistribution.
Our findings show that for a majority of radical right parties welfare state expansion has become a salient issue, and that they do not position themselves anymore on the right regarding redistributive issues; however, these parties promote a specific kind of solidarity: exclusive solidarity.

...typical of the welfare state of the third Reich.

[conon394]

American propagandists, nay, anglo propagandists often equate national disasters in China with decline

Apparently so do you since you started the concept just a post ago pointing to a building collapse. My if you missed it was its easy to google a building disaster in any large country. In isolation they realistically mean nothing about state decline. Although they probably do mean that corruption in property and real estate is endemic to the human condition and suspect you wind find bribery, shoddy work, ignored codes, and deferred maintenance from China to Africa to the US and Europe and everywhere else

[Exarch]

Apparently so do you since you started the concept just a post ago pointing to a building collapse. My if you missed it was its easy to google a building disaster in any large country. In isolation they realistically mean nothing about state decline. Although they probably do mean that corruption in property and real estate is endemic to the human condition and suspect you wind find bribery, shoddy work, ignored codes, and deferred maintenance from China to Africa to the US and Europe and everywhere else

I was told once that satire is lost on Americans; i see now that this is true.

You missed my pointing out the sheer inanity of american propagandists equating say a high speed rail disaster with the fall of the CPC, and therefore to apply their same 6 degrees level of logic, we can see the collapse of those buildings and bridges in America as the crumbling decay of the moral rot of american society.
The whore of Babylon (in the christian american pastors' own words) has a corrupting influence in Washington, in faulty building codes, as we saw the Wrath of God in the fall of those Boeing 737MAX as symbolism of the decline and fall of american technology- corrupted by regulatory capture and inferior science from a culture that promotes nepotism over meritocracy (eg Harvard Discrimination lawsuit).

Indeed, if we are to apply the anglo propagandist's lens to COVID and the poor response by the first world, anglo american government which had only the year previously claimed that democracies were superior against pandemics, if we are to apply the same lens, then we can see that the decline of the United States is evident in how COVID ravaged the United States like a biblical plague. This is the Will of God, as denoted in anglo historical texts.

Now that's satire for how anglo propagandists equated disasters in China to "The Mandate of Heaven", a concept that no-one in modern times accepts nor believes in.

That's the far right paranoid mantra: the anti-tyranny case for the 2nd Amendment shouldn't be dismissed, as they say.Why Militias Are So Hard To Stop
Although IÂ’m a huge admirer of the Chinese civilization, the longest continuous history of any country in the world-3,500 years of written history, I already posted this #281
Why Are Moscow and Beijing Happy to Host the US Far-Right
It's nothing new, Proud Boys got donations from Chinese Americans

Those particular Chinese american diaspora tend to be the post 90s 'political refugees' types who have a bone to pick with the CPC, the falun dafa types or the Miles Kwok Steve Bannon types.\

Amusingly, the Alt-Right has a favourable view of China which is contrasted with the other pole of white supremacy: "woke liberalism" which being staffed by the type of neckbeards who hail from poly relationships, hate and fear non whites and yet hide it behind a veneer of concern trolling. You'll find these types in the Establishment Democrat faction of the United States.

That said, the most fearful current threat against freedom and democracy is inequality. Be it social, racial, cultural, political or economic. Growing inequality poisons social relations to such an extent that freedom and democracy are under threat. In my opinion, the solidity of the European welfare states is perhaps the surest foundation of contemporary democracy.
Edit,
Exclusive solidarity? : radical right parties and the welfare state


...typical of the welfare state of the third Reich.

100% Agree, the inequality of the United States poses the greatest threat against freedom and democracy.

The future of the american citizen is not bright: debt peonage and a lifetime as a feudal serf paying off rents and never owning anything (my previous posts re Blackrock buying out domestic properties). What would really cause Revolution isn't just diminished economic prospects and worsening living standards, it's also seeing other nations (China) doing markedly better than them, the same way ppl in society need to feel relatively better than others in order to be content with where they are in life (keeping up with the Jones').

China's success is the greatest threat to american oligarchy since it creates demand and expectation from the American people; at the moment, americans are told they live in the best country in the world. When China demonstrates that this is most definitely not the case- to the extent that anglo propaganda can no longer hide it- that's when we're going to start seeing pitchforks and guillotines outside Capitol Hill.

To demonstrate the level of insecurity that now exists in the USG Elite, they're persecuting and prosecuting US veterans who advocate against the new McCarthyism Witch Hunt:

Pentagon Whistleblower Under Investigation For Trying To Prevent War With China Over Taiwan

Source: https://thedissenter.org/whistleblow...a-over-taiwan/

[conon394]

China's success is the greatest threat to american oligarchy since it creates demand and expectation from the American people; at the moment, americans are told they live in the best country in the world. When China demonstrates that this is most definitely not the case- to the extent that anglo propaganda can no longer hide it- that's when we're going to start seeing pitchforks and guillotines outside Capitol Hill.

Well I will grant the Chinese oligarchy did pull a real epic sucess in defeating poverty at ~ 2 dollars a day.

To demonstrate the level of insecurity that now exists in the USG Elite, they're persecuting and prosecuting US veterans who advocate against the new McCarthyism Witch Hunt:

Or collaborating Chinese state media to undermine a longstanding US commitment to Taiwan that last I checked firmly did not vote for the Pro China Party...

The future of the american citizen is not bright: debt peonage and a lifetime as a feudal serf paying off rents and never owning anything

You realize private debt is higher in China? Most people never own their homes they are just leveraging a mortgage for while. You can own lots of stuff if you not paying a mortgage and not paying for maintenance.

it's also seeing other nations (China) doing markedly better than them

Your right 2.30 cents a day is better how could I have missed that.

[Exarch]

Or collaborating Chinese state media to undermine a longstanding US commitment to Taiwan that last I checked firmly did not vote for the Pro China Party...

Ridiculous statement; how does penning an Op-Ed threaten US national security? The fact that you unironically state that it does reflects just how sensitive the USG and its Establishment has become when it comes to even speech and writings questioning the government.

A few years back i used to think it was so metal for the US to have RT and Chinese broadcasters in the US as a gesture of free speech but when it appeared that the American ppl were starting to listen to them more than the domestic propaganda machine, the USG clamped down hard on them. Once again, another indicator of decline- this time, decline of nation self confidence in its own values of freedom and free speech.

You realize private debt is higher in China? Most people never own their homes they are just leveraging a mortgage for while. You can own lots of stuff if you not paying a mortgage and not paying for maintenance.

Is that so? If it's such a problem why are your american 1% Elites and Hedge Funds pouring money into Chinese sovereign debt as opposed to US Treasuries?
Effectively, your anglo american elites are betting on China rather than the failing United States, especially since China still has capital controls. Surely, even with the recent rate rises, more investment should have gone into Treasuries rather than into China? The fact that this is not the case highlights once again, the decline of american financial attractiveness and power.

And as if to echo the Romans, the lead pipes of america are also contributing to health problems:



Going back to my previous point about the impending social chaos the is going to come from US elites hoarding all the real estate so that young american families are forced to become debtor slaves and serfs:



Sooner or later, socialism is coming to the United States; america today doesn't just remind me of late Rome, it also reminds me of the years of the Paris Commune

[conon394]

Ridiculous statement; how does penning an Op-Ed threaten US national security? The fact that you unironically state that it does reflects just how sensitive the USG and its Establishment has become when it comes to even speech and writings questioning the government.

Active military and civil servants even when retired are bound by all kinds of arcane rules for years or life depending on rank, duty role or what they are commenting on (as no doubt so are officials of the Chinese government). Part of the contract. Speaking with foreign state owned media might well have crossed some line congress set or executive order even if were on building paper toys or finger painting. You do recall how many Trump officials got in tumble for acting as undeclared representatives of a foreign government right. MIght also note its not like Washington's avoid foreign entanglements speech was made up by Biden...

Is that so? If it's such a problem why are your american 1% Elites and Hedge Funds pouring money into Chinese sovereign debt as opposed to US Treasuries?

They are had noticed seem the 10 t bill remains below the rate of inflation.

Effectively, your anglo american elites are betting on China rather than the failing United States, especially since China still has capital controls. Surely, even with the recent rate rises, more investment should have gone into Treasuries rather than into China? The fact that this is not the case highlights once again, the decline of american financial attractiveness and power.

I though you sourced this kind claim like a academic paper.

And as if to echo the Romans, the lead pipes of america are also contributing to health problems:

Actually not echoing Rome thay generally used lead pipes where hard water insured thay were not a issue. Now lead in makeup that was a problem but China did that as well.

[chriscase]

Remember to source your claims, particularly when your interlocutors challenge them. Do not exaggerate the reliability of sources. Posts that fail to meet standards will be removed.

[The spartan]

Social mores are dictated by the government as it is the elites in government and society who control media and the social discourse.

I have read few things that have demonstrated a greater lack of understanding of US society than "Social mores are dictated by the government". If you read my responses to Cope you will see my points about how Americans are more free to believe unofficial narratives than any other time I am aware of. We Americans can literally go shopping for our narratives.

[conon394]

I have read few things that have demonstrated a greater lack of understanding of US society than "Social mores are dictated by the government". If you read my responses to Cope you will see my points about how Americans are more free to believe unofficial narratives than any other time I am aware of. We Americans can literally go shopping for our narratives.

Not so sure on that I think we are a bit deluded in America by the nostalgia of the Cold war and what it both papered over in that present to present a unified USA to the USSR and how it glossed over much of us history to make it seem so such a group effort - all in for the team rather - than a hot mess that was just lucky to have Mexico as its biggest local power rival that itself was vastly more dysfunctional. Also a dying Spain and good thing the UK and France had each other to distract each other. I mean you right but there is a critical mass people who believe in the stories they tell about post WW2 america (up until the the point stopped being all white mayberry) and the odd made up unity of times before