These Interesting Times
The Blog of Peter Forsythe in Hong Kong
Monday, 28 April 2025
Sunday, 27 April 2025
“America First doesn’t mean America Alone” | Scott Bessent
![]() |
Click above for the video |
Saturday, 26 April 2025
Enough said... A tale of Two Countries. Of Mercantilism vs the Market
Zhi Hu = Chinese Quora
Baidu = Chinese Google
You Ku = Chinese YouTube
WeChat = Chinese WhatsApp
Alibaba = Chinese Amazon
Ant = Chinese PayPal
WeiBo = Chinese X (Twitter)
Sina WeiBo = Chinese Facebook
XiaoHongShu = Chinese Instagram
Bai Ke = Chinese Wikipedia
Douyin = Chinese Blogger
Tik Tok = Chinese Tik Tok (except in China Tik Tok is not allowed)
=============================
ALL the above in the Left column are Chinese knock-offs of the ones in the Right hand column.
IOW: Copy cats 🐱
None of the ones in the Right hand column are allowed in China.
IOW: No American technology is allowed in China.
All of the ones in the Left hand column are allowed in the United States.
IOW: All Chinese technology is allowed in America
Including the Chinese-owned App Tik Tok, which is openly propagandising in America about how bad America is.
This is "fairness", Mercantilist-style. What Trump is after is Reciprocity.
On a somewhat more elevated and scholarly note, but also on the same issue of mercantilism, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on China, Bretton Woods, the World Bank and the IMF. Here. He's tough. But on an elevated level.
It is "absurd", says Scott Bessent, for China, the world's second-largest economy, to be treated as a "Developing Economy". It's that label that gave it the excuses to do the stuff above. To shut out technologies to protect its domestic copy-cats, to be export-driven at the expense of countries around the world. He's right on that. China should long ago been taken off the list of Developing Economies.
And must be now.
Friday, 25 April 2025
Dear Grok: "Name me some living US politicians you would consider Extreme Left and Extreme Right"
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) - U.S. Representative (D-NY)
- Why: AOC identifies as a democratic socialist and pushes policies like the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and wealth taxes targeting billionaires. Her rhetoric often critiques capitalism itself, calling for systemic overhaul, and she’s a prominent voice in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. She’s also supported ideas like abolishing ICE and decriminalizing certain border crossings, which are seen as far-left by many.
- Caveat: While bold, her policies still operate within the democratic framework, so some might argue she’s not "extreme" enough compared to, say, historical Marxist revolutionaries. Still, she’s among the furthest left in Congress.
- Bernie Sanders - U.S. Senator (I-VT)
- Why: Sanders, another democratic socialist, has spent decades advocating for universal healthcare, tuition-free college, and breaking up big banks. His 2016 and 2020 presidential runs mainstreamed ideas once considered fringe, like nationalizing healthcare and taxing extreme wealth. He’s been vocal about class struggle and has praised aspects of socialist systems abroad, which puts him on the far-left edge of U.S. politics.
- Caveat: Like AOC, Sanders works within the system, and his policies, while radical for the U.S., are closer to standard social democracy in places like Europe.
- Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG) - U.S. Representative (R-GA)
- Why: Greene is a vocal proponent of hardline nationalist and populist views, often aligning with the MAGA movement’s most uncompromising wing. She’s pushed conspiracy theories (e.g., QAnon sympathies), opposed immigration broadly, and called for dismantling federal agencies like the Department of Education. Her rhetoric often emphasizes "America First" policies, Christian nationalism, and skepticism of establishment institutions, marking her as a far-right figure.
- Caveat: Her influence within the GOP has grown, which might suggest her views are less fringe than they seem, but her positions remain divisive even among conservatives.
- Lauren Boebert - U.S. Representative (R-CO)
- Why: Boebert shares Greene’s MAGA-aligned, nationalist stance, with a focus on Second Amendment absolutism, anti-abortion extremism, and slashing federal programs. She’s been outspoken against progressive policies like the Green New Deal and has flirted with conspiracies around election integrity. Her rhetoric often appeals to far-right militias and anti-government sentiments, placing her on the spectrum’s edge.
- Caveat: Like Greene, her visibility in the GOP might make her seem less "extreme" to some, but her policy stances and rhetoric consistently push far-right boundaries.
- Context Matters: The U.S. political spectrum is narrower than in some countries. What’s "extreme left" here (e.g., democratic socialism) might be mainstream in Europe, and the "extreme right" often avoids the overt fascism seen elsewhere but leans into nativism or populism.
- No Perfect Fits: True extremists (e.g., advocating violent revolution or outright fascism) are rare among elected U.S. politicians due to the system’s checks and public scrutiny. The ones listed are the closest to the edges while still holding significant office.
- Balance: I’ve avoided equating "extreme" with "bad" or picking sides—both ends have coherent arguments and blind spots. The left often focuses on systemic inequality but can overreach on practicality; the right prioritizes tradition or liberty but can veer into exclusionary or conspiratorial territory.