tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28357334506388088552024-03-18T17:49:10.309+08:00These Interesting TimesPeter Forsythe in Hong KongUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6557125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-36720893608620421612024-03-18T11:18:00.007+08:002024-03-18T11:18:56.532+08:00“How would Donald Trump end democracy” | Rich Lowry<p> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;">What I’ve been wondering for a Kong time. When the Democrats say “democracy is on the ballot” just what do they mean? What do they expect if a Trump wins in November? </span></p><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;">In the first term he didn’t do anything that approached installing a dictatorship let alone a Notler or even a Mussolini. </div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;">But, they say, he could do worse in a second term. <b>Robert De Niro</b> the other day in <b>Bill Maher</b> was crazy enough to say that if Trump is elected both he and Bill will be arrested and out in a gulag! Fantasies. </div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;">Which fantasies <b>Rich Lowry </b>takes apart. This whole “the end of democracy” thing is, he says </div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(45, 45, 45); color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><span style="caret-color: rgb(45, 45, 45); color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px;">… the stuff of a Philip K. Dick novel and, in the right hands, would make a compelling dystopian Netflix series. It’s not remotely plausible.</span></div></blockquote><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(45, 45, 45); color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;"><span dir="ltr">https://www.nationalreview.com/2024/03/how-exactly-would-donald-trump-end-american-democracy/</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;"><br /></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;">ADDED: we were studying the life and times of </span><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;">Philip K. Dick</b><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;"> (PKD) the other day as we’d just re-watched </span><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;">Minority Report. </i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;">Still a good movie, based on PKD’s book. As are, by the way, </span><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;">Blade Runner </i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;">and </span><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;">Total Recall. </i><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 21px;">Talking about alternate history PKD also wrote <i>The Man in the High Castle </i>an alternate history where Hitler won the war. Thing is now, with Trump v Biden, we’re looking at actual, real, in our faces reality about to hit us in the face in November. Whatever happens half the country will be pissed off. Would be nice to have PKD’s fantastical take on it.<br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature" /><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPad</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-59669693683381428512024-03-17T16:19:00.001+08:002024-03-17T16:24:21.624+08:00“Australia and ASEAN” | Fact checking the Aussie haters<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVhLs2ESoKMYJRO5JcIly84rTe8XbRrOJtcaSUY1njuVJoxu5UtFrNg_BKJQjChvyaQP-cVxl_FJ62IyXpJrZh5RgRTpT1gxP1qyiOuIk5k16JsI9vHKOyq7LjngexGztdB_Xk_eB5wqGBlDDPoX0v5Z3Jz4_5DjA6abwpe8dDfeqScK0CrrT78KucllV/s1862/IMG_3644.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="973" data-original-width="1862" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVhLs2ESoKMYJRO5JcIly84rTe8XbRrOJtcaSUY1njuVJoxu5UtFrNg_BKJQjChvyaQP-cVxl_FJ62IyXpJrZh5RgRTpT1gxP1qyiOuIk5k16JsI9vHKOyq7LjngexGztdB_Xk_eB5wqGBlDDPoX0v5Z3Jz4_5DjA6abwpe8dDfeqScK0CrrT78KucllV/w400-h209/IMG_3644.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3255572/amid-china-tensions-australia-and-asean-must-iron-out-hard-issues-preserve-regional-stability" target="_blank">here</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 35.4px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21.22px;">There’s heaps of Aussies working at the <i>South China Morning Post</i> I guess because they’re editors and journalists. Whenever there’s an Australia-China article there come the China trolls, attacking Australia. It’s a given, heaps of clicks, heaps of hate.</span><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21.22px;"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 26.3px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21.22px;">Most articles about Oz are negative on Oz. </span><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21.22px;"></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21.22px;">Maybe because of the China trolls and maybe also because those Aussie editors and journalists are kind of leftie anti-Oz. </span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21.22px;">Whatever: mostly anti-Oz. As in the familiar tropes. Australia is a white colonialist enterprise, as if we hadn’t ditched an exclusivist White Australia policy last century. And as if we are not the most multi-cultural, multi-ethnic country in the region. Certainly China is exclusionary to Chinese; Japan to Japanese; Korea to Koreans. </span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21.22px;">Another trope: we’re not engaged enough in Asia. That’s also wrong. Australia has deep engagement economically and also militarily. We are one of the largest military in the region. </span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21.22px;">So the bit here:</span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21.22px;">Australia was 85% of ASEAN in 1980 but is now only 50%. </span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21.22px;">So what?</span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21.22px;">In 1980 ASEAN was only 5 countries and is now 10. Three of those were communist and communism makes nothing but barbed wire for gulags and tins of cabbage. </span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21.22px;">On a per capita basis, Australia is TEN times that of ASEAN: Australia $US 60,517 per head; ASEAN $US 5,371. </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-37675187623875612522024-03-16T13:26:00.008+08:002024-03-16T14:35:41.389+08:00"Douglas Murray’s Raw Opinion on the Israel-Gaza Conflict” | Living with L'chaim<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/WRbtzDOtBAY?si=eP3Fnlc7IZiXX-C6" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1096" data-original-width="1970" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeKNzliHqLNWq5bRr1Yd_ypmsOuiypeNPhKHDc3emB8cKwlzWKm2r08MpkBgJ0MmCu_sNlr__yiO3KHHD0iuht2RS9uNVMXRtWarQVq3Mmba7clL15DV6Fjmf3-7IoHLeeq6CwLMgUg_mXQKNtYvC_rxPspDrqui-ev0JvNM69Aqh8kpvXNIGDl7gZOUE/w400-h223/Screenshot%202024-03-16%20at%201.16.19%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click above for the video</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Douglas Murray </b>has been to the front lines of many wars, including in Israel, Lebanon and Gaza. I think he is a sound and trustworthy observer. Those on the side of Hamas won’t like what he says.<p></p><div>The podcast is “History for the Curious” by <b>Living with L’chaim</b>.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">L'Chaim in Hebrew is a toast </span>meaning "t<a href="https://www.google.com.hk/search?q=l%27chaim+meaning&sca_esv=f964b67ec4e84ef2&source=hp&ei=Qiz1Zfi8Eayzvr0P-9KqyAw&iflsig=ANes7DEAAAAAZfU6Umh1mp6OHNYhRSHr29U9HIK5T73E&oq=lchaim&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IgZsY2hhaW0qAggBMgcQABiABBgKMgcQABiABBgKMgsQLhiABBjHARivATIHEC4YgAQYCjIFEAAYgAQyBxAAGIAEGAoyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBxAAGIAEGApIyyBQAFiGC3AAeACQAQCYAW-gAfIEqgEDMS41uAEByAEA-AEBmAIGoAKsBcICCxAAGIAEGLEDGIMBwgILEC4YgwEYsQMYgATCAgQQABgDwgILEC4YxwEY0QMYgATCAg4QLhiABBixAxjHARjRA8ICCxAAGIAEGIoFGLEDwgIIEAAYgAQYsQPCAgUQLhiABMICCxAuGIAEGLEDGIMBwgIREC4YgAQYsQMYgwEYxwEY0QPCAgsQLhiABBjHARjRA8ICERAuGIAEGMcBGK8BGJgFGJoFwgINEC4YgAQYxwEY0QMYCpgDAJIHAzEuNaAHmUE&sclient=gws-wiz">o life</a>”. </div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202124;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202124;">By contrast, think of the Hamas motto: “We love death more than you love life”. </span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202124;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202124;">Yes, we love life. The Jews love life. And loving death makes you, Hamas, a death cult. Exactly that, by your own saying. </span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202124;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202124;"><b>Golda Meir</b> said: “We can forgive, perhaps, you killing our children. We can not forgive you for making us kill your children”. That’s why Hamas is the one now not accepting a ceasefire. Which both the United States and Israel have offered but Hamas have refused. They want more dead babies. So that they can play the world.</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-46688177928474458852024-03-16T12:28:00.000+08:002024-03-17T13:12:45.134+08:00"American empire strikes back at China via economic warfare” | Tik Tok ban bill"<a href="https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3255562/american-empire-strikes-back-china-economic-warfare?commentID=b693b951-b5ea-46ce-a867-739f9a96728b&module=c3po&pgtype=article&d=3d0e19d4-26cc-438a-a807-0f689cf639e3" target="_blank">American empire strikes back at China via economic warfare</a>” by <b>Alex Lo.</b><div><br /></div><div>My <a href="https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3255562/american-empire-strikes-back-china-economic-warfare?commentID=b693b951-b5ea-46ce-a867-739f9a96728b&module=c3po&pgtype=article&d=3d0e19d4-26cc-438a-a807-0f689cf639e3#comments" target="_blank">comment</a> at the site:
<br />
<br />1. <b>Tik Tok</b> has 170 million subscribers in the U.S., but the US has only 22 m teenagers, so clearly it's not just "silly teenagers" using Tik Tok. [This is to the Lo point that “it’s only teenagers posting stupid vids, so why worry?”]</div><div><br /></div><div>2. The CEO of Tik Tok admitted in Senate testimony that Chinese officials have full access to all data gathered and that alone is a present security threat. IMO. </div><div><br />3. Other countries have banned Tik Tok, including India, Pakistan… and China itself! <b>ADDED</b>: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Taiwan, the UK and EU governance bodies have all banned or partially banned the app. [<a href="https://www.euronews.com/next/2024/03/14/which-countries-have-banned-tiktok-cybersecurity-data-privacy-espionage-fears" target="_blank">Ref</a>] </div><div><br /></div><div>4. China does not allow, in China, anything like a Tik Tok owned by a foreign entity. </div><div><br />5. It's not just security. There's also the algorithms. These are controlled by China. (See 2 above). We would be naive to imagine they do not tweak the algorithms to suit China needs. </div><div><br />6. Facebook, etc, being similar to Tik Tok is irrelevant. Because: (a) we are also <a href="https://thebattleoftours.blogspot.com/2024/03/hidden-brain-escaping-matrix.html" target="_blank">worried about them</a>, and (b) They are not Chinese-owned. </div><div><br />7. The Bill was passed by overwhelming majority in the Reps. </div><div><br />8. The Bill does not aim only at China, but also Russia, North Korea and Iran. These are countries that have been clear in their enmity to the US. (Eg, Iran: "Death to America!”).</div><div><br /></div><div><b>ADDED</b>: Some Tik Tok supporters are pointing out in the comments that it’s owned by <b>ByteDance</b> and that in turn is majority-owned by international investors. But ByteDance is based in Beijing, and has to follow Beijing laws. Which require, <i>inter alia</i>, that China-based companies release any information that the government demands. Which the CEO of Tik Tok says it does. (In testimony that was said to be a “disaster” for Tik Tok). </div><div><br /></div><div>A Tik Tok apologist claims China only owns 1% of ByteDance. Ok. But then China has <b>one-third</b> of the Board seats. Hmmm.... </div><div><br /></div><div>It would be very naive of us to assume that because “international investors” have a majority of the ByteDance (if indeed they do), and China only a small part, that there’s “nothing to worry about”. Nothing to see here. Right. Those same people are more than willing to believe that the US’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Endowment_for_Democracy" target="_blank">National Endowment for Democracy</a> is a CIA cut-out. And that the <b>Confucius Institute</b>s are equally innocent (<a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2024/03/inside-one-u-s-schools-relationship-with-a-china-funded-confucius-institute/" target="_blank">they aren’t</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div>Also: why are people so all-fired up about Tik Tok, but would be quite happy to see restrictions on the likes of X or Facebook? Why the difference? Just supporting China? IDK. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-20893593961915401682024-03-16T10:09:00.000+08:002024-03-16T16:57:15.918+08:00“World on the brink” | Peter T. C. Chang<div dir="ltr"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjy3oHk4buCpTSn_8NewX5APwhnp8hKe6_04gGzxDuNpmDyqho10-pLWR6wphKvqEE3nVXPiFxNj_Se89z_VJvHIzx67o-386QdeGgcV8Rf4-ZUW3lhvy3EkPYwKBLanuRMM98VhZl-Nryd7vAjRwyRlDk_rTP28DSytzJbxpPCwW16vpqZ4LW3mmbz_kFJ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7346777843476481106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjy3oHk4buCpTSn_8NewX5APwhnp8hKe6_04gGzxDuNpmDyqho10-pLWR6wphKvqEE3nVXPiFxNj_Se89z_VJvHIzx67o-386QdeGgcV8Rf4-ZUW3lhvy3EkPYwKBLanuRMM98VhZl-Nryd7vAjRwyRlDk_rTP28DSytzJbxpPCwW16vpqZ4LW3mmbz_kFJ=w466-h640" width="466" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Online <a href="https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/asia/article/3255141/rising-tide-ethno-religious-nationalism-threatens-civilisation" target="_blank">here</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div>To <b>Peter T. C. Chang</b>, I say<b>: </b>There's no point "forcing Israel to respect the rights of Palestinians through the pursuit of the two-state solution" when it's not Israel that is the roadblock. The Palestinians have been offered a state, numerous times since 1937. Whether the PLO, the Palestinian Authority or HAMAS, they all refuse it. Their solution is the One State, "from the River to the Sea". <div><br /><div>What in earth is the point of banging on about it by badgering Israel? The Palestinians have made it abundantly clear they want to wipe Israel off the map. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's Hamas, not Israel, that has a Charter calling for the death of all Jews. It's Hamas not Israel that are the self-defined genocidalists. It's Hamas — and the rest of the Arab world for that matter — not Israel who maintain apartheid states, <i>Judenrein </i>free of Jews. While Israel is 70% jewish, 20% <b>Arab</b> and 10% the rest. There is nothing like that in the Arab world, let alone the Palestinian world of Gaza and the West Bank. Nothing. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's a topsy turvy world, when we keep reading articles like this. Banging on at Israel for a "two-state solution"when it's not them in the way. (Israelis <i>now </i>are against it, but that's because of October 7th. Previously they have been willing parties to offers made on at least eight occasions, all rejected by the Palestinian side).</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>ADDED</b>: Very rich talking about <b>Anwar Ibrahim</b> and <b>Xi Jinping</b> being all about “diversity”. One with a policy of “Bumiputra”, which even Wikipedia <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumiputera_(Malaysia)" target="_blank">says is racist</a> (because it is) and the other running a country where the Han are 93% of the population and exert hegemony over the rest, including most infamously in Xinjiang with the oppression of the Uygurs. </div><div><br /></div><div>Ibrahim has allied himself, explicitly and unapologetically, with Hamas, a murderous, genocidal, homophobic, misogynist, etc, etc, etc.... outfit. The most modern, and in the real sense, Nazis. That’s the diversity guy, according to Peter Chang. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-89602385941616975722024-03-16T00:30:00.035+08:002024-03-16T11:52:50.398+08:00Left-wing bubbles: Biden and the SOTU<p> The <b>Thomas O. Falk </b>article is indented. <span style="caret-color: rgb(128, 1, 128); color: #800180;">My comment: </span><span style="color: #800180;">outdented and purple</span>. I don’t often do this, but <a href="https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/united-states/article/3255098/biden-can-still-win-re-election-voters-need-signs-leadership" target="_blank">this article</a> got me with its unintended ironies and flat-out nonsense.</p><p>It’s interesting that on the Left they talk of “right-wing bubbles” which are not denied. But the Left never talk about, or if the do, deny, that there are “left-wing bubbles”. Why? Because all the mainstream media, the legacy media -- the BBC, ABC, MSNBC, CNN, <i>New York Times</i>, <i>Washington Post --</i> surround us all, like the water fish swim in, we, the Left, think that’s all there is. Not that it’s a bubble, with only a part of the news, but that it’s <i>the news</i>. They’d be wrong about that. As this article shows.</p><p>From Thomas Falk:</p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">If </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;">I had to give one sentence to provide my takeaway for</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3254825/joe-biden-and-donald-trump-trade-salvoes-key-state-georgia?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">Joe Biden</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;">’s</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3254621/key-highlights-joe-bidens-2024-state-union-speech?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">State of the Union address</a> </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;">last Thursday, it would be: There is life in the old dog, yet!</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(128, 1, 128);">My comment: </span>Or, alternatively, my one sentence takeaway would be: “angry old man shouting at the sky”.</span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For far too long, Biden’s public appearances have had the character of a solar eclipse – seldom and short. Indeed, he has given the fewest news conferences of any American president since Ronald Reagan.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The reasons for Biden’s rather sporadic appearances are apparent. He is not a great public speaker and he never has been, even in his younger years. He is a <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3244818/oops-us-president-joe-biden-mixes-his-chinese-leaders?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">gaffe machine</a>. Recent moments of confusion and a rather suboptimal <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3251467/bidens-age-and-poor-memory-cited-reasons-he-was-not-charged-classified-documents-probe?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">special counsel’s report</a> only added <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3253584/joe-biden-laughs-medical-exam-us-election-looms-they-think-i-look-too-young?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">further fuel</a> to the idea that Biden has lost a step – one that could be decisive in the <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3255156/joe-biden-clinches-democratic-nomination-us-presidential-rematch-donald-trump-looms?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">race against Donald Trump</a>.</div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Not that he’s “not a great public speaker”. Or not <i>just</i> that. It’s also that his mental decline has become too apparent. You can easily find clips of old Joe back when he was a younger man and sure, he’s not the most eloquent, but he was far better than he is today. These days he’s as likely to stop mid sentence and stare into space. </div></blockquote><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(128, 1, 128);">My comment: </span>The “suboptimal counsel’s report” refers to the </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;">Robert Hur</b><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, Merriweather fallback, serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"> report on </span></span><b style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;">Joe Biden</b><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, Merriweather fallback, serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">’s possession of classified documents at his home, against the law. Hur’s report</span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;"> exonerated </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;">Joe Biden</span><b style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </b><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, Merriweather fallback, serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">of the charge of hiding classified documents, based on him being age-impaired, a clear unequal treatment vs the Trump Mar-al-lago case. Both are the same, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/V5LzCo8oY7s?si=aVb7FNlf77-cyFEn" target="_blank">according to Legal experts</a>, and both should be treated the same. Either both should be indicted or both should </span></span><i style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;">not </i><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;">be indicted. Falk just slides over that in the (no doubt correct) belief that his readers will slide over it too.</span></div><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One rightfully wonders why Biden’s staff thought that this approach of limited exposure and risk could ever work. It certainly did the trick during the 2020 election cycle but the circumstances differ significantly this time around and it shows. If the election were held tomorrow, Trump would likely win.</p></div></blockquote><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(128, 1, 128); color: #800180;">My comment: </span><span style="color: #800180;">Any thoughts as to why it might be that Trump would win if election were held now? Nah….</span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> I have also been very dubious about Biden’s chances so far though not because of his political record. If I were to provide Biden’s résumé without his name on it, most politically astute observers would concur that he has perhaps been the most consequential first-term president since Reagan.</p></div></blockquote><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(128, 1, 128); color: #800180;">My comment: </span><span style="color: #800180;">“...<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Merriweather fallback, serif;">the most consequential first-term president”. Well, “consequential” can be positive or negative. I know that Falk means positive, but is it really? Here are some “consequential” on the downside: Telling Putin that invading just on the eastern borders </span></span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, Merriweather fallback, serif;">of Ukraine would be fine; bombing the Gazprom pipeline; disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan; all which encouraged Putin to attack Ukraine. And encouraged Iran, by money and rhetoric, to promoted Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis. Domestically: shoving boatloads of money to tackling Covid, leading to record inflation; unconstitutional Covid mandates, pushing the radical Trans agenda, supporting all sorts of intersectional politics. All up, many “political astute observers” would see his presidency as being a disaster. </span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">But perception is reality in modern politics. Thanks to unfortunate public mishaps and the inability to communicate his success effectively thus far, Biden is not perceived as a modern Reagan but rather as Jimmy Carter 2.0 and he faces the same fate as the latter.</span></p></div></blockquote><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(128, 1, 128); color: #800180;">My comment: </span><span style="color: #800180;"><u>Correctly</u> perceived as Jimmy Carter.</span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This is why Biden’s State of the Union address was so important. Granted, there are two ways of looking at the address, which was – outside the right-wing echo chamber – widely perceived as positive. One can surely argue that, for many Americans, the bar was set incredibly low. For as long as Biden did not fall offstage, it would have constituted a successful speech in many people’s eyes. </p></div></blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">My comment: talking the “right-wing echo chamber” without ever acknowledging that there’s a left-wing echo chamber. In any case, the SOTU was not considered successful by Independents, which are around 20% of the electorate and are critical to any election. The figures from a HarrisX-Forbes poll are that 73% thought the speech was “divisive” and 65% thought that it did not deal with immigration or the economy well enough. </span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But while the bar was certainly low, Biden did an outstanding job and showed the United States and the world that he still has what it takes to beat Trump again in November.</p></div></blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">My comment: “outstanding job” in the eye of the beholder. “One screen, two movies”. For those most important Independents it was not seen as “outstanding” at all. </span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="js-reading-50-percent-completion-tracker css-19icq8a e1gsc5vp0" data-gtm-vis-first-on-screen8001567_197="156326" data-gtm-vis-has-fired8001567_197="1" data-gtm-vis-total-visible-time8001567_197="100" data-qa="useTrackViewedPercentageRender-trackViewedPercentageRenders-TrackPercentageBlock" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding-block-start: 1px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div></div><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">He was alive and <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3254606/state-union-2024-joe-biden-attacks-donald-trump-fiery-election-year-speech?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">in attack mode</a>. He addressed the issues Americans care about, such as the economy, immigration, and freedom. He called out the threat his predecessor poses, sparred with heckling Republicans, felt comfortable and was fully in charge during the entire speech.</div></div><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">However, the key now is to use the State of the Union as a springboard. Biden must go out there and be on the attack constantly. He is not facing a conventional challenger so a conventional style cannot be the answer. He must embrace his age as well as the wisdom and experience that come with it.</p></div></div></blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">My comment: embrace his age?? the “wisdom and experience”?? More like the stuttering and stumbling. </span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">He must address the press regularly no matter what mistakes he might make, particularly since his opponent is Trump, whose public appearances are not exactly Shakespearean either, to put it mildly.</p></div></div><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">This reality will only become more apparent to Americans again with the race gaining national attention now that the </span><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3254211/us-presidential-election-2024-simple-guide-super-tuesday?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">primaries</a><span style="background-color: white;"> have </span><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3254322/donald-trump-dominating-super-tuesday-he-moves-closer-rematch-against-joe-biden?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">effectively wrapped up</a><span style="background-color: white;">. Most Americans do not follow politics that closely. Many will have forgotten about how abysmal the Trump presidency was and perhaps even how he was </span><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3209132/audio-leak-reveals-trump-campaign-planned-spread-lie-stolen-election?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">willing to overthrow</a><span style="background-color: white;"> a fair election to stay in power.</span></p></div></div></blockquote><p> <span style="color: #800180;">My comment: “the abysmal Trump presidency”?? Many people are recalling the Trump presidency as one without a single new war, with the Iranian threat contained, with domestic real wage increases and minimal inflation. In short, many recall things as much better than now. And that’s why, <i>that’s why</i> they are now polling more for Trump. Fact. </span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">One can thus assume that the hotter this race becomes, the more Americans will be reminded of the carnage between 2016 and 2020. Biden can be the beneficiary if he presents himself as a strong and reliable leader – just like he did on Thursday – and the current subpar polls could soon reflect this.</span></p></div></div></blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">My comment: “carnage”?? between 2016 and 2020? See my comment immediately above. The reason Trump is polling so well is that people recall the opposite of “carnage”. </span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">However, to be successful, Biden’s message going forward must be more than about <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3198218/joe-biden-implores-us-voters-save-democracy-lies-violence-midterms-loom?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">saving democracy</a> and <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3255142/biden-meet-polands-leaders-nato-funding-against-russia?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">beating Russia</a>. While both points are pivotal, he will have to produce something more tangible that makes a difference to average Americans in rural areas across the republic.</div></div></div><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Issues such as the economy, <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3254473/new-york-deploys-national-guard-subways-after-rash-violent-crimes?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">crime</a> or <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3247997/chinese-migrants-lured-oklahoma-are-victims-labour-sex-trafficking-official-says?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">immigration</a> are among the deciding factors with voters. These issues have to be addressed accordingly. Biden recently <span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3253736/joe-biden-and-donald-trump-make-duelling-election-year-visits-us-border?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">visited the border</a> </span>to make a stand and not leave the scene to Trump, which was a welcoming sign we are moving in that direction.</div></div></div></div><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There is yet another opening for Biden. He even made it clear during his speech that he is inclined to take full advantage of it when he passionately pledged that he’ll <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3254825/joe-biden-and-donald-trump-trade-salvoes-key-state-georgia?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">restore Roe vs Wade</a>.</div></div></div></div><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Ever since the </span><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3183031/us-supreme-court-overturns-roe-vs-wade-ending?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">US Supreme Court</a><span style="background-color: white;"> ended the constitutional right to abortion, the </span><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/united-states/article/3254082/culture-war-being-waged-republicans-not-winning-over-all-americans?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">Republican Party</a><span style="background-color: white;"> faces a major self-made election liability that was already witnessed during the previous midterm elections.</span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">My comment: Biden visited the border (for the first time, mind) to “make a stand”?? As in walking along, gingerly, like an old man, asking the odd question, licking the odd ice cream, is somehow “making a stand”?? Irony, oh irony. As in: you gotta be kidding me, mate!</span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What seemed like a win for Trump – appointing three conservative Supreme Court justices – could now backfire, particularly since Trump has always struggled to attract women voters. The Supreme Court’s decision will cast an even bigger shadow on the prospects of attracting them this time around, especially if the alternative is a Democratic president who vows to restore abortion rights.</p></div></div></div></div></blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">My comment: Contra the above, the polls show that women are trending Trump. As are minorities, the African-Americans and Latinos, especially, strong swinging to Trump. The abortion issue should always have been one legislated for, not part of the Constitution, to be decided by SCOTUS.</span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The election is by no means over. If Biden has it in him to become a risk-taker, to take the gloves off and to show Americans that he is not merely the lesser evil but a formidable commander-in-chief, he can and will beat Trump again.</p></div></div></div></div></blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">My comment: I refute the “lesser evil” idea. From this perspective in Hong Kong, it’s not that we in this family are Trump supporters. We’ve never been. But we see what Biden has done, what Trump did in his first term, and the safer bet seems to us to Trump. We’re far from alone. </span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong class="css-1mniedq eq9i94316" data-qa="ContentSchemaRender-defaultRenderMapFunctions-Component-0" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Thomas O. Falk is a journalist and political analyst who writes about German, British, and US politics. </strong></p></div></div></div></div></blockquote><p> <span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;">“</span><a href="https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/united-states/article/3255098/biden-can-still-win-re-election-voters-need-signs-leadership" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">Biden can still win...</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;">"</span></p><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p></p></div></div></div></div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-80095165059007528082024-03-15T15:24:00.001+08:002024-03-15T18:29:29.188+08:00Left wing bubbles<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">The <b>Thomas O. Falk </b>article is indented <span style="caret-color: rgb(128, 1, 128); color: #800180;">My comment: </span><span style="color: #800180;">outdented and purple</span>. I don’t often do this, but <a href="https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/united-states/article/3255098/biden-can-still-win-re-election-voters-need-signs-leadership" target="_blank">this article</a> got me with its unintended ironies and flat out nonsense.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;">It’s interesting that on the Left they talk of “right-wing bubble#” which are not denied. But never talk about, indeed deny, that there are “left-wing bubbles”. Why? Because all the mainstream media, the legacy media, the BBC, ABC, MSNBC, CNN, <i>New York Times</i>, <i>Washington Post</i>, surround us all, like the water fish live in, we, the Left, think that’s all there is. Not that it’s a bubble withpart of the news, but that it’s the news. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Onwards, from Thomas Falk:</p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">If </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;">I had to give one sentence to provide my takeaway for</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3254825/joe-biden-and-donald-trump-trade-salvoes-key-state-georgia?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">Joe Biden</span></a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;">’s</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3254621/key-highlights-joe-bidens-2024-state-union-speech?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">State of the Union address</a> </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;">last Thursday, it would be: There is life in the old dog, yet!</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(128, 1, 128);">My comment: </span>Or, alternatively, my one sentence takeaway would be: “angry old man shouting at the sky”</span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">For far too long, Biden’s public appearances have had the character of a solar eclipse – seldom and short. Indeed, he has given the fewest news conferences of any American president since Ronald Reagan.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">The reasons for Biden’s rather sporadic appearances are apparent. He is not a great public speaker and he never has been, even in his younger years. He is a <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3244818/oops-us-president-joe-biden-mixes-his-chinese-leaders?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">gaffe machine</span></a>. Recent moments of confusion and a rather suboptimal <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3251467/bidens-age-and-poor-memory-cited-reasons-he-was-not-charged-classified-documents-probe?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">special counsel’s report</span></a> only added <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3253584/joe-biden-laughs-medical-exam-us-election-looms-they-think-i-look-too-young?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">further fuel</span></a> to the idea that Biden has lost a step – one that could be decisive in the <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3255156/joe-biden-clinches-democratic-nomination-us-presidential-rematch-donald-trump-looms?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">race against Donald Trump</span></a>.</div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Not that he’s “not a great public speaker”. Or not <i>just</i> that. It’s also that his mental decline has become too apparent. You can easily find clips of old Joe back when he was a younger man and sure, he’s not the most eloquent, but he was far better than he is today. These days he’s as likely to stop mid sentence and stare into space. </div></blockquote><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #800180;">The “suboptimal counsel’s report” is that by <b>Robert Hur</b>, which exonerated <b>Joe Biden </b>of the charge of hiding classified documents, a clear unequal treatment vs the Trump Mar-al-lago case. Both are the same, according to Legal experts, and both should be treated the same. Either both should be indicted or both should <i>not </i>be indicted. Falk just slides over that in the (no doubt correct) belief that his readers will slide over it too.</span></div><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One rightfully wonders why Biden’s staff thought that this approach of limited exposure and risk could ever work. It certainly did the trick during the 2020 election cycle but the circumstances differ significantly this time around and it shows. If the election were held tomorrow, Trump would likely win.</p></div></blockquote><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(128, 1, 128); color: #800180;">My comment: </span><span style="color: #800180;">Any thoughts as to why it might be that Trump would win if election were held now? Nah….</span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> I have also been very dubious about Biden’s chances so far though not because of his political record. If I were to provide Biden’s résumé without his name on it, most politically astute observers would concur that he has perhaps been the most consequential first-term president since Reagan.</p></div></blockquote><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(128, 1, 128); color: #800180;">My comment: </span><span style="color: #800180;">“...<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Merriweather fallback, serif;">the most consequential first-term president”. Well, “consequential” can be positive or negative. I know that Falk means positive, but is it really? Here are some “consequential” on the downside: Telling Putin that invading just on the eastern borders </span></span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, Merriweather fallback, serif;">of Ukraine would be fine; bombing the Gazprom pipeline; disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan; all which encouraged Putin to attack Ukraine. And encouraged Iran, by money and rhetoric, to promoted Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis. Domestically: shoving boatloads of money to tackling Covid, leading to record inflation; unconstitutional Covid mandates, pushing the radical Trans agenda, supporting all sorts of intersectional politics. All up, many “political astute observers” would see his presidency as being a disaster. </span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">But perception is reality in modern politics. Thanks to unfortunate public mishaps and the inability to communicate his success effectively thus far, Biden is not perceived as a modern Reagan but rather as Jimmy Carter 2.0 and he faces the same fate as the latter.</span></p></div></blockquote><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(128, 1, 128); color: #800180;">My comment: </span><span style="color: #800180;"><u>Correctly</u> perceived as Jimmy Carter.</span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This is why Biden’s State of the Union address was so important. Granted, there are two ways of looking at the address, which was – outside the right-wing echo chamber – widely perceived as positive. One can surely argue that, for many Americans, the bar was set incredibly low. For as long as Biden did not fall offstage, it would have constituted a successful speech in many people’s eyes. </p></div></blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">My comment: talking the “right-wing echo chamber” without ever acknowledging that there’s a left-wing echo chamber. In any case, the SOTU was not considered successful by Independents, which are around 20% of the electorate and are critical to any election. The figures from a <a href="https://youtu.be/IR5B7PACBC0" target="_blank">HarrisX-Forbes poll</a> are that 73% thought the speech was “divisive” and 65% thought that it did not deal with immigration or the economy well enough. </span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But while the bar was certainly low, Biden did an outstanding job and showed the United States and the world that he still has what it takes to beat Trump again in November.</p></div></blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">My comment: “outstanding job” in the eye of the beholder. “One screen, two movies”. For those most important Independents it was not seen as “outstanding” at all. </span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="js-reading-50-percent-completion-tracker css-19icq8a e1gsc5vp0" data-gtm-vis-first-on-screen8001567_197="156326" data-gtm-vis-has-fired8001567_197="1" data-gtm-vis-total-visible-time8001567_197="100" data-qa="useTrackViewedPercentageRender-trackViewedPercentageRenders-TrackPercentageBlock" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding-block-start: 1px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div></div><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">He was alive and <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3254606/state-union-2024-joe-biden-attacks-donald-trump-fiery-election-year-speech?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">in attack mode</span></a>. He addressed the issues Americans care about, such as the economy, immigration, and freedom. He called out the threat his predecessor poses, sparred with heckling Republicans, felt comfortable and was fully in charge during the entire speech.</div></div><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">However, the key now is to use the State of the Union as a springboard. Biden must go out there and be on the attack constantly. He is not facing a conventional challenger so a conventional style cannot be the answer. He must embrace his age as well as the wisdom and experience that come with it.</p></div></div></blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">My comment: embrace his age?? the “wisdom and experience”?? More like the stuttering and stumbling. </span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">He must address the press regularly no matter what mistakes he might make, particularly since his opponent is Trump, whose public appearances are not exactly Shakespearean either, to put it mildly.</p></div></div><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">This reality will only become more apparent to Americans again with the race gaining national attention now that the </span><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3254211/us-presidential-election-2024-simple-guide-super-tuesday?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">primaries</span></a><span style="background-color: white;"> have </span><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3254322/donald-trump-dominating-super-tuesday-he-moves-closer-rematch-against-joe-biden?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">effectively wrapped up</span></a><span style="background-color: white;">. Most Americans do not follow politics that closely. Many will have forgotten about how abysmal the Trump presidency was and perhaps even how he was </span><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3209132/audio-leak-reveals-trump-campaign-planned-spread-lie-stolen-election?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">willing to overthrow</span></a><span style="background-color: white;"> a fair election to stay in power.</span></p></div></div></blockquote><p> <span style="color: #800180;">My comment: “the abysmal Trump presidency”?? Many people are recalling the Trump presidency as one without a single new war, with the Iranian threat contained, with domestic real wage increases and minimal inflation. In short, many recall things as much better than now. And that’s why, <i>that’s why</i> they are now polling more for Trump. Fact. </span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">One can thus assume that the hotter this race becomes, the more Americans will be reminded of the carnage between 2016 and 2020. Biden can be the beneficiary if he presents himself as a strong and reliable leader – just like he did on Thursday – and the current subpar polls could soon reflect this.</span></p></div></div></blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">My comment: “carnage”?? between 2016 and 2020? See my comment immediately above. The reason Trump is polling so well is that people recall the opposite of “carnage”. </span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">However, to be successful, Biden’s message going forward must be more than about <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3198218/joe-biden-implores-us-voters-save-democracy-lies-violence-midterms-loom?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">saving democracy</span></a> and <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3255142/biden-meet-polands-leaders-nato-funding-against-russia?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">beating Russia</span></a>. While both points are pivotal, he will have to produce something more tangible that makes a difference to average Americans in rural areas across the republic.</div></div></div><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Issues such as the economy, <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3254473/new-york-deploys-national-guard-subways-after-rash-violent-crimes?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">crime</span></a> or <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3247997/chinese-migrants-lured-oklahoma-are-victims-labour-sex-trafficking-official-says?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">immigration</span></a> are among the deciding factors with voters. These issues have to be addressed accordingly. Biden recently <span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3253736/joe-biden-and-donald-trump-make-duelling-election-year-visits-us-border?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">visited the border</a> </span>to make a stand and not leave the scene to Trump, which was a welcoming sign we are moving in that direction.</div></div></div></div><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There is yet another opening for Biden. He even made it clear during his speech that he is inclined to take full advantage of it when he passionately pledged that he’ll <a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3254825/joe-biden-and-donald-trump-trade-salvoes-key-state-georgia?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">restore Roe vs Wade</span></a>.</div></div></div></div><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Ever since the </span><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3183031/us-supreme-court-overturns-roe-vs-wade-ending?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">US Supreme Court</span></a><span style="background-color: white;"> ended the constitutional right to abortion, the </span><a class="e13op9j60 e1qbu6wp1 css-1ankfgb ef1hf1w0" data-qa="BaseLink-renderAnchor-StyledAnchor" href="https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/united-states/article/3254082/culture-war-being-waged-republicans-not-winning-over-all-americans?module=inline&pgtype=article" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="css-0 e1qbu6wp0" data-qa="Component-Text" style="border-block-end-color: rgb(27, 142, 248); border-block-end-style: solid; border-block-end-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">Republican Party</span></a><span style="background-color: white;"> faces a major self-made election liability that was already witnessed during the previous midterm elections.</span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">My comment: Biden visited the border (for the first time, mind) to “make a stand”?? As in walking along, gingerly, like an old man, asking the odd question, licking the odd ice cream, is somehow “making a stand”?? Irony, oh irony. As in: you gotta be kidding me, mate!</span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What seemed like a win for Trump – appointing three conservative Supreme Court justices – could now backfire, particularly since Trump has always struggled to attract women voters. The Supreme Court’s decision will cast an even bigger shadow on the prospects of attracting them this time around, especially if the alternative is a Democratic president who vows to restore abortion rights.</p></div></div></div></div></blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">My comment: Contra the above, the polls show that women are trending Trump. As are minorities, the African-Americans and Latinos, especially, strong swinging to Trump. The abortion issue should always have been one legislated for, not part of the Constitution, to be decided by SCOTUS.</span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The election is by no means over. If Biden has it in him to become a risk-taker, to take the gloves off and to show Americans that he is not merely the lesser evil but a formidable commander-in-chief, he can and will beat Trump again.</p></div></div></div></div></blockquote><p><span style="color: #800180;">My comment: I refute the “lesser evil” idea. From this perspective in Hong Kong, it’s not that we in this family are Trump supporters. We’ve never been. But we see what Biden has done, what Trump did in his first term, and the safer bet seems to us to Trump. We’re far from alone. </span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong class="css-1mniedq eq9i94316" data-qa="ContentSchemaRender-defaultRenderMapFunctions-Component-0" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Thomas O. Falk is a journalist and political analyst who writes about German, British, and US politics. </strong></p></div></div></div></div></blockquote><p> <span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;">“</span><a href="https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/united-states/article/3255098/biden-can-still-win-re-election-voters-need-signs-leadership" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">Biden can still win...</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-size: 16px;">"</span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="js-reading-20-percent-completion-tracker css-19icq8a e1gsc5vp0" data-qa="useTrackViewedPercentageRender-trackViewedPercentageRenders-TrackPercentageBlock" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding-block-start: 1px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="e15kmbpe0 css-1xdhyk6 e1346ty30" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div></div><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;" /></p><div class="speech-skip-target css-zl1inp etdb0pn4" data-qa="InlineAdSlot-Container" style="-webkit-box-pack: center; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; justify-content: center; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="etdb0pn0 etdb0pn3 css-wfkty7 e1c3f32t0" data-qa="AdSlot-Container" style="-webkit-box-align: center; -webkit-box-pack: start; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; align-items: center; background-color: #f6f6f6; block-size: 600px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; display: flex; flex-flow: column; font-family: Merriweather, "Merriweather fallback", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: 400; inline-size: fit-content; justify-content: flex-start; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 10px 40px; margin: 0px; max-inline-size: 100vw; min-block-size: 600px; padding: 0px 1px 1px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></div></div><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block: 0px 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><p class="e15kmbpe0 css-1c6uqr6 e1346ty31" data-qa="Component-Component" datatype="p" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; 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margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p><div class="speech-skip-target css-1jyke50 e1cwk53e0" data-qa="Component-Container" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; border-block-start-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-block-start-style: solid; border-block-start-width: 1px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding-block: 16px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="css-0 e1252bbu0" data-qa="variant-base" style="border: 0px; 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grid-template-rows: repeat(7, minmax(0px, min-content)); justify-items: center; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="css-110j674 e1e053fq8" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; grid-column-end: Summary; grid-column-start: Summary; grid-row-end: Summary; grid-row-start: Summary; line-height: inherit; margin-block-end: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-72391452874069843192024-03-15T10:43:00.010+08:002024-03-15T14:43:00.730+08:00“Risk and rewards”: Exploration vs Exploitation | Yanto Chandra <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdg3LALBAQ0vvOJ5SYtznXOqMmA-yfa2aI5CCTlwr1GChCq7Qrulxpp3vgXrIh4wKe0amywPh8VnXEaTxHwM5Kyw0l2ntgvyRMGH265-aAJQ5cN03F2YxYaS8VWu1-4KtAlbrxqiDttRDsGUzf1-NAbBIu6cCCn2C3VGUtCJq-7XLnMnlL_WnOoRdu3nv/s2141/IMG_3639.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2141" data-original-width="1575" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdg3LALBAQ0vvOJ5SYtznXOqMmA-yfa2aI5CCTlwr1GChCq7Qrulxpp3vgXrIh4wKe0amywPh8VnXEaTxHwM5Kyw0l2ntgvyRMGH265-aAJQ5cN03F2YxYaS8VWu1-4KtAlbrxqiDttRDsGUzf1-NAbBIu6cCCn2C3VGUtCJq-7XLnMnlL_WnOoRdu3nv/w470-h640/IMG_3639.jpeg" width="470" /></a></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit;">Seems broadly true. </span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit;">“The high-risk high-gain culture has been key to US supremacy”. And “Few big tech firms in China seem willing to pursue highly risky long-term science and technology opportunities”. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit;">The balance between “exploration” and “exploitation”. Both being part of US culture according to <b>Yanto Chandra</b>, the latter only in China. Largely… </span><p></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Not that there aren’t big risk takers in China. There are. I can think of <b>Jack Ma </b>of Alibaba, <b>He Xiaopeng </b>the founder of X-Peng EVs, <b>Ren Zhengfei</b> of Huawei Technology. Then again many are extreme risk takers in the property market (to wit, not real “exploring”). </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">But they are fewer in China than the U.S., and likely to bump up against an over-sensitive Beijing, as Jack Ma did a while back.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Look at the new technologies invented in the US, vs those in China. I can think of dozens in America via “exploration”, but not a one in China, at least in the last half century, which has instead exploited the ones explored by the US. Think space, internet, social media, search, AI, EVs, robotics. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><br /></span><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is unlikely to improve as China instead tightens grip on the economy.</span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">ADDED: To be clear, in its long and glorious history China has invented lots. There’s a whole library of China’s achievements in science, the most famous in the West being <b>Joseph Needham’s </b>magisterial “Science and Civilisation in China”. </span></span></div></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s only over the last century or so, since the decrepitude of the Qing Dynasty and of Maoism, that exploration gave way to exploitation.</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-27267563614845595972024-03-15T00:30:00.006+08:002024-03-15T14:45:44.844+08:00How is it I’ve only just now heard of professor Dan Schueftan?<p><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/VH3-h44VRrQ?si=RD9VHR3dPBqd6TFA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="612" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7hBRV8pDx_mAGfagZZPosbHa_mIetiobynj0aEQzEqVtPZwJyiWo2MQRZa-V7b7wbGyjOUBsxOzS9UAum2frzlLwgKceEsqCeZ87-g5MDCrlL5ZrpuOFdQGAxe7Givq9adRsQVJL1S_gY9VXdGr9Kjjs4dVIttCDNrcg4SLckfw3FNuyrWqaC2bTTcTY/w400-h217/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%205.06.41%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click above for the video</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Dan Schueftan.</b><p></p><p>He’s pretty spicy, to be sure. And it’s easy to see how some will see him as a right-winger, even a “far right” or “nazi”. I find him refreshing. Even if I’m startled at his comments, later in the talk, about “liking war”, or his very stern comments on what to do about one’s next door neighbours. Or the quote above. Even though true....</p><p>But, overall, I call him a wise man, humorous, wise, direct. Robust. </p><p>He used to be a senior government adviser in Tel Aviv. And remains so. </p><p>He supports what I’ve long thought about Israel. In answer to people who say (and it’s very many people who say) that “the <i>status quo</i> can’t continue”, and I’ve said, yes, it can. In fact, given the circs, it’s the best. As for Taiwan, too, TBF. The <i>status quo</i> is the best. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-40529792475040146412024-03-14T00:30:00.015+08:002024-03-15T14:42:10.430+08:00John Spencer: Why the World is Wrong in Comparing Gaza to Any Other Conflict | Caroline Glick <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/BcrsobilITo?si=4c3VVzF13A52zFlA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="598" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYFrqtJVIff7T1OtdBFpDV3rQt99kEhH4JrzcuQ9kbm5nRnqcjWo8hVHPZXge6SN3fSF9pPRrnDP95FsaRtsRH6e4uSexrgA3gJVwxX9lD-tbOHbu2PXe9MQqr7ZG8S6ymDhL5HL5ttbVBwWEADM59ev-4Gwwt84xZMY5fJJsi0pDaJo6cr9W1Tj9VeQX/w400-h216/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%204.46.05%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click above for the video</td></tr></tbody></table>What you won’t see on BBC, CNN, ABC or others in the legacy media. They will not talk about this issue: the number of combatants and Hamas soldiers killed, the way the Israel Defence Forces go about their battles, the place of “international law” in the Gaza war, and lots more. <p></p><p><b>John Spencer </b>talks to <b>Caroline Glick</b>. </p><p>Elsewhere we’ve seen analyses of the daily deaths reported by Hamas, which show a regular, linear growth, each day the same as the next. In reality, no such death pattern happens in war. It’s what’s known as “spurious accuracy”. </p><p>ADDED: The Chart, <a href="https://capture.dropbox.com/jaiZEl7taXaMFa7e" target="_blank">from Tablet Magazine</a>: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AgF7_8J4cyAH_E09Z1_hjcuLp2gaun0UTUo8VdztpGOI-twLszGDCrXIEGK76_XDCDzcmrCj831aCVwMvgyhPY6ZiDRWtlDeA44To9SWfusy49sfJZ2UQdBGnpbw7ttZU6CHIrq7YxzzVNujzwxWKAavoJw5lUnWhCaj1V7vRTuRmPG1TvRyg0ARjbYh/s1470/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%204.58.10%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="1470" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AgF7_8J4cyAH_E09Z1_hjcuLp2gaun0UTUo8VdztpGOI-twLszGDCrXIEGK76_XDCDzcmrCj831aCVwMvgyhPY6ZiDRWtlDeA44To9SWfusy49sfJZ2UQdBGnpbw7ttZU6CHIrq7YxzzVNujzwxWKAavoJw5lUnWhCaj1V7vRTuRmPG1TvRyg0ARjbYh/w400-h350/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%204.58.10%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>This is ludicrous. In no other war have daily deaths been recorded that are so linear! Each day the same number of deaths as the day before. All as reported by Hamas. This is what’s called “spurious accuracy”. <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-9622944155899531722024-03-13T09:42:00.001+08:002024-03-13T17:18:30.756+08:00“Hong Kong’s security rests on a strong economy, not just Article 23” | Vijay Verghese<div dir="ltr"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ymrNWZ2n5gine25dMiQnqoP1L1bmMavI2HgA-GR8fCoU4LaHBfEYNaVQd-MdVh697QOiry4Q_mVtstv4qoZ_lSCy5GrGrqpKa_JbO08hSCYnJG_iPm76d7X8vGlfDM2pCm_i1Phl09uKMqTPnVvuNs81V0J2y2qCqP3fBltk5IpavGgeJqdFLd8dApaF/s1766/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%205.17.59%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="1766" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ymrNWZ2n5gine25dMiQnqoP1L1bmMavI2HgA-GR8fCoU4LaHBfEYNaVQd-MdVh697QOiry4Q_mVtstv4qoZ_lSCy5GrGrqpKa_JbO08hSCYnJG_iPm76d7X8vGlfDM2pCm_i1Phl09uKMqTPnVvuNs81V0J2y2qCqP3fBltk5IpavGgeJqdFLd8dApaF/w400-h263/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%205.17.59%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>Vijay Verghese </b>is not wrong. It seems our officials cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">We call for foreign business to have faith in Hong Kong, no Hong finished" and then we spend acres of newsprint talking of our desperate need for a tough new security law. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">We say the retail sector much be energised and then sick our bureaucrats on the flower sellers of Fa Yuen Gai.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Tsk, tsk… </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Writing in the <i>South China Morning Post</i>:</div><div dir="ltr"><blockquote type="cite">Constant talk of sedition, visa scrutiny and surveillance could undermine both public and investor confidence by creating a sense of unease and uncertainty. [<a href="https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3254925/hong-kongs-security-rests-strong-economy-not-just-article-23" target="_blank">More...]</a></blockquote></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-28150936276404004342024-03-12T13:59:00.001+08:002024-03-13T17:20:58.248+08:00Hamas Was Only 50 Meters Below Thousands of Palestinians | IDFThis is what Hamas has used to the billions in aid -- the most per capita of any group in the world, most via the United Nations’ UNRWA -- to <a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/oWP1Tb33YcQ?si=6fEnIyY-QgRFH5nF " target="_blank">build tunnels for themselves</a>. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-62154173300385659432024-03-12T07:52:00.001+08:002024-03-12T18:26:28.796+08:00Hidden Brain: Escaping the Matrix<div dir="ltr">I've followed <b>Jonathan Haidt</b> for decades. I follow his Heterodox Academy. And his heterodox thinking. The importance of the multiplicity of ideas. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">At the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/hk/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?i=1000648773765" target="_blank">podcast here,</a> Jon talks to <b>Shankar Vedantam </b>of the "Hidden Brain" podcast. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">A couple of key messages:</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">It's important to have both progressives and conservative voices in a society. Both Republican and Democrats; both Labour and Conservative; both Liberal and Labor.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">The damage done to teenagers, especially girls, by social media. Started around 2010-2012. IOW about five minutes ago. But it's a very serious epidemic of harm, including self-harm. Suicide rates among young women have grown sharply. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">A Smartphone is like a cuckoo bird, like our Koel. It enters the nest and pushes everything else out. It takes over. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">He has proposed solutions including no Smartphones for children and no phones in classrooms. </div><div dir="ltr"><blockquote type="cite">A little more than a decade ago, researchers began tracking an alarming trend: a dramatic uptick in anxiety and depression among young Americans. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt, like many other researchers, says the increase is related to our use of social media and devices. But he believes it's also deeper than that — connected to our deepest moral beliefs and how they shape the way we view the world. He says there are simple steps we can take to improve the mental health of kids growing up in the smartphone era. <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/hk/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?i=1000648773765" target="_blank">The Podcast</a></blockquote></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-10853152094469020762024-03-11T14:21:00.000+08:002024-03-11T18:15:52.563+08:00White Chapel, Discovery Bay, Hong Kong <p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqiYDj22igNNZxkN4fvTYzW6cxa3Di8aoeiM2E2lGsYfqt8UjfTuTw6z3kPvI7e-OEZev917Emol4HxO9bRgB5NPdFz4QzqQWOipC14iEAczOM1pzkbEPAvmxZ7SD_fm864mmXDpOq3qOkk1shxtXSmhdY1OepxsaAG5hRNqwbRVoIFS9kZrwWzq4lfvSg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7344987413658166914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqiYDj22igNNZxkN4fvTYzW6cxa3Di8aoeiM2E2lGsYfqt8UjfTuTw6z3kPvI7e-OEZev917Emol4HxO9bRgB5NPdFz4QzqQWOipC14iEAczOM1pzkbEPAvmxZ7SD_fm864mmXDpOq3qOkk1shxtXSmhdY1OepxsaAG5hRNqwbRVoIFS9kZrwWzq4lfvSg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-10759507204365996932024-03-11T13:10:00.001+08:002024-03-11T13:28:02.141+08:00“Direction of travel” 👉 Foreigners flee China<div dir="ltr"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQ9NbyrwJwQK8LHgs5Lt1nsQP3tFtTJhGhbIpedrDTPlqIt-9-dFj-EDGKvz3CLlBqOgmStwM6CxDxHen7l4QexqRTRN-IRhQZvm8TKgqMFlJJkKMCcbhp4Pi218ZpxmhNe7gfQ9YehXwfEc6CXkgdVPsaYuWxa6bJzUZG2WlpeAMrHYW-jquWXkPHgv0f"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQ9NbyrwJwQK8LHgs5Lt1nsQP3tFtTJhGhbIpedrDTPlqIt-9-dFj-EDGKvz3CLlBqOgmStwM6CxDxHen7l4QexqRTRN-IRhQZvm8TKgqMFlJJkKMCcbhp4Pi218ZpxmhNe7gfQ9YehXwfEc6CXkgdVPsaYuWxa6bJzUZG2WlpeAMrHYW-jquWXkPHgv0f"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7344968894391781090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQ9NbyrwJwQK8LHgs5Lt1nsQP3tFtTJhGhbIpedrDTPlqIt-9-dFj-EDGKvz3CLlBqOgmStwM6CxDxHen7l4QexqRTRN-IRhQZvm8TKgqMFlJJkKMCcbhp4Pi218ZpxmhNe7gfQ9YehXwfEc6CXkgdVPsaYuWxa6bJzUZG2WlpeAMrHYW-jquWXkPHgv0f=w476-h640" width="476" /></a></div></div><b>Wang Xiangwei </b>drops truth bombs.<div><br /><div>We have friends, long-time residents in Beijing, Aussies and Europeans, who have worried for years at the increasing repression: in the arts, in the media, in free expression. They dare not talk about the great leader by name except as "the X factor".</div><div><br /><div>Re the payments issue that Wang starts with: our son worked in China five years ago and even then he couldn't use his cash or credit cards. It's only got worse, even though (as noted above) it's illegal to refuse cash.</div><div><br /></div><div>But that's far from the worst of it. There was the case of the "two Michael's". Two Canadians in China, arrested for being Canadian. Because Canada had arrested the daughter of the founder of Huawei, for specified alleged crimes. The two Michaels were not arrested for any specific crime. They were hostages. Who wants to become such a pawn? And for sure this worries our live-in-China friends. Who wouldn't be worried? So they keep their passports current and a flight out is always on the cards.</div><div><br /></div><div>I used to travel to China all the time. To Shenzhen for the China Cup Regatta. To Zhuhai for an air show. To Shanghai for a Tennis Masters. To Beijing to visit mates. To Jiangxi to climb a mountain. No more. It's too much of a hassle.</div><div><br /></div><div>The word "arrogant" is used above, as in Chinese officials are "bordering on …". But it's not <i>bordering on</i>, as reported by our friends and numerous others on social media. And account to me, from my own in-country experience. The arrogance is real and destructive for China. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thus the direction of travel, for China, remains out not in. </div><div><br /></div><div>While the U.S.? Millions, literally millions, from around the world, are desperate to enter the U.S.. No one is desperate to flee to China. The "voting with your feet" poll is crystal clear in telling us who is attractive and who is not. </div><div><br /></div><div>'Nuff said?</div><div><br /></div><div><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPad</div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-55163937968943602652024-03-10T22:55:00.001+08:002024-03-12T18:23:30.001+08:00Biden's Long-Lost Western! Featuring JP SearsINYMI: Biden called someone a “<a href="https://youtu.be/7LzHXTD0JkU?si=MDuQuoBHnvEL0IxV " target="_blank">lying, dog-faced pony soldier</a>” and when asked where that came from, he said it was an old John Wayne movie, which noone could find. <div><br /></div><div>Other things he’s also said: Corn Pop, Malarkey... </div><div><br /></div><div>It’s funny!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-20420194588038019832024-03-10T11:58:00.000+08:002024-03-10T12:48:00.282+08:00“Millions of vines dug up amid wine glut” | SCMP<div dir="ltr"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2cXWUTJETGtwhS7xLpOxTqcLpVRiGVBD0WDr0WmCWvJXAUppcyCy6HqIJqSryelNNscuqYapI02ZQwB7j0X2YHM6aa-yU4qZG5UjmFoZAlu-QVKSIhhzhHLflhpn2OjkYQPZBRyQS31SL3bfnNNpVMpD7F2fRE_YwMkKkEwP02p9vh-eCPYx3753f278y" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7344579386970181890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2cXWUTJETGtwhS7xLpOxTqcLpVRiGVBD0WDr0WmCWvJXAUppcyCy6HqIJqSryelNNscuqYapI02ZQwB7j0X2YHM6aa-yU4qZG5UjmFoZAlu-QVKSIhhzhHLflhpn2OjkYQPZBRyQS31SL3bfnNNpVMpD7F2fRE_YwMkKkEwP02p9vh-eCPYx3753f278y=w356-h640" width="356" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today’s <i>South China Morning Post </i></td></tr></tbody></table></div>Oh dear. <div><br /></div><div>In the mid 1950s we lived five years in a house in a vineyard in a village, Frattocchio, just outside Rome. As our dad drove into the Oz embassy each weekday, to work. (Was <i>driven</i>, to be accurate, by the lovely, handsome and loquacious Alberto, driven in the embassy's Humber Super Snipe, also lovely and handsome).</div><div><br /></div><div>My sister and I, young kids, remember the grape-picking and our feet-squashing to make the juices for our local Frascati wine. The vines were ancient. They belonged to the nearby peasant tenants, Mimo e Lola. Who introduced me, age eight, to <i>vino fresco</i>, & <i>pane al aglio e olio</i>. I can still recall the smells of Lola's home-baked bread, of her home-pressed olive oil, of her home-grown garlic. While Mimo, in the depths of his cool, damp cellar, dips a tiny bamboo cup, tied to the end of a bamboo stick, into the wine barrel, "just for testing, don't you know”, passing me the cup. In the deep of his cool, dark cellar.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some vines in Italy, in Greece, in Spain, are thousands of years old, and wine is a deep part of the culture. It's a shame to see them destroyed. 20,000 hectares uprooted in Oz alone is 13% of Australian vines. Ouch!</div><div><br /></div><div>Partly I blame China for this. Stopping imports from Oz — against WTO rules — because we had the temerity to ask for an international investigation into the source of the Covid virus. Partly too it's yet another impact of Covid. Many places, including China, haven't got over Covid, if they're being honest. I know for sure it's the case here in Hong Kong where there are still plenty of boarded up stores in town.</div><div><br /></div><div>In any case, a shame. I feel for the vignerons. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'd better get to downing some more wine, to help in the recovery…<br /><div><br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature" /><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPad</div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-7305807405918792482024-03-09T18:00:00.001+08:002024-03-10T12:57:25.972+08:00"Punishments for offences under Hong Kong’s new Article 23 bill comparable with penalties in key common law jurisdictions...". | SCMP<base class="" href="about:blank"></base><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>LETTER TO THE EDITOR, SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST:</b></span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="font-size: 14px;">And now I'm worried. </span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I hadn't been until i read your <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3254758/punishments-offences-under-hong-kongs-new-article-23-bill-comparable-penalties-key-common-law">excellent in-depth analysis</a> of Article 23 in today's SCMP. </span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I note the comment that punishment for various offences is "comparable with penalties in key common law jurisdictions" and I take your word for that. </span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="font-size: 14px;">What really worries me are the "offences for seditious intention", which your article says "….<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">appears to be out of sync with other jurisdictions' punishments for it.</span><font color="#222222"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">"</span></font></span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><font color="#222222"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><font color="#222222">I've lived in Hong Kong for over thirty years*. For the last fifteen I've maintained a blog on Hong Kong and regional issues. I've often criticised local government officials, and at times mocked them. Same for Beijing officials. What are the chances that I could be found to be "inciting disaffection of public officers"? I also keep in touch with my occasional readers who are around the world, many in government offices. Again, what are the chances that could be seen a consorting with "evil" foreign forces? </font></span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><font color="#222222"><br /></font></span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><font color="#222222">The same goes for Letters to the Editor of this publication. I've often contributed, often criticising our "public officers". Many others do so as well. One rarely writes to praise government officials! The whole purpose is to call out what you see as shortcomings in governance, with the hope it may improve. Yet such criticism could now be captured in the Article 23 legislation. </font></span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><font color="#222222"><br /></font></span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><font color="#222222">I'm also worried on behalf of business interests, and for Hong Kong's place as a free and safe jurisdiction for international business. </font></span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><font color="#222222"><br /></font></span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><font color="#222222"><span style="background-color: white;">When I worked in the Australian Consulate in Hong Kong, I was also a board member of the Australian Chamber of Commerce. Its main task is to lobby on behalf of Australian buisnsss interests to the Australian government. What are the chances that such lobbying could be seen to be "… collaboration with an outside force, to… influence the central and city governments over the formulation and execution of policy”? As warned about by <b>Apollonia Lie Lee Ho-kei</b>, deputy permanent secretary for security, in today's paper ("</span></font><a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3254753/hong-kong-government-adviser-regina-ip-hits-out-article-23-bills-definitions-external-forces-saying">Regina Ip hits out at definitions of 'external forces</a><font color="#222222"><span style="background-color: white;">'").</span></font></span></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><font color="#222222"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></font></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><font color="#222222"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I was founder and manager of an education business Hong Kong, and established an Industry Federation to lobby on behalf of the private educators.* This involved writing submissions and attending meetings in Legco. Again, “seeking to influence the formulation of </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">government policy”. (which we did successfully, by the way). This could be captured as sedition in the Article 23 legislation, as I read it.</span></font></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><font color="#222222"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><font color="#222222"><span style="font-size: 14px;">From the perspective of one who has been deeply involved in HK business chambers and industry bodies, I predict serious concerns in the business community. Concerns that may well play into decisions about where to establish a regional office, for example. That is not stretching too long a bow. </span></font></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><font color="#222222"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><font color="#222222"><span style="font-size: 14px;">And all for what? Because Security Secretary </span><b style="font-size: 14px;">Paul Chan</b><span style="font-size: 14px;"> tells us there are "national security loopholes"? Please tell us what these are, Mr Chan! It seems to me we're doing pretty well since the National Security Law. At the very least, make Article 23 laws very specific to the loopholes you claim exist, not so wide as to catch foreign business people or individual online social media. </span></font></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><font color="#222222"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><font color="#222222"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Please do ease our worries. </span></font></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><font color="#222222"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><font color="#222222"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 14px;">Peter Forsythe</span></font></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><font color="#222222"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 14px;">Discovery Bay</span></font></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><font color="#222222"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 14px;">Hong Kong</span></font></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><font color="#222222"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 14px;">9308 0799</span></font></div><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><font color="#222222"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></font></div><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="Apple-Mail-URLShareUserContentTopClass"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><font color="#222222">*</font><font color="#919191">1976-77: I attended the Chinese University of Hong Kong to study Mandarin, attached to the Australian Embassy in Beijing. 1990-96 I was with the Australian Consulate General in HK, as Executive General Manager of Austrade. In 2000 I founded and ran the Wall Street Institute training centres, and established the HK Federation of Private Educators as a lobby group for the imdustry</font></span></div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-73944616124575321882024-03-08T13:20:00.001+08:002024-03-10T13:06:41.260+08:00“The war in the Middle East has barely begun” | Douglas Murray<div dir="ltr">I knew this, kind of. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">We have friends living in Israel who tell us of the "internally displaced" Israelis, aka refugees. And of the Hezbollah build up in South Lebanon. They were at the Israel-Lebanon border this month. (Where we were in 2017, by the way).</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">But I didn't know the detail. About which <b>Douglas Murray </b>is a reliable correspondent. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Writing in <i>The Spectator </i>on these two main points:</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">1. <b>Israeli refugees</b>. "Internally displaced" in their own country. By the borders of Lebanon and Gaza. Hamas-luvvies will mock the "in their own country" for they don't believe it deserves to exist. There we shall differ forever. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">2. <b>The inevitable wider war</b>. With Hezbollah (aka Lebanon) and puppet-master Iran. To push back Hezbollah from hard up against the border with Israel. Where they are not supposed to be, according to UN Resolution 1701, but which is ignored by Lebanon and the world. Because, well, you know, it's not aimed at constraining the <i>real </i>baddies… Israel.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Douglas: </div><div dir="ltr"><blockquote type="cite"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.001em;">The few enquiring minds still left occasionally ask me what the most underreported stories of the current Israel-Hamas conflict are. I tend to reply that there are two.</span></blockquote><p></p><blockquote type="cite"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first is the issue of Israeli refugees. They are not called that inside Israel, where the authorities prefer to refer to them as 'internally displaced people'. But while the world rightly concerns itself with the internally displaced people inside Gaza, the lack of notice paid to this other story is strange. <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-war-in-the-middle-east-has-barely-begun/" target="_blank">Read on …</a> [<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240310050447/https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-war-in-the-middle-east-has-barely-begun/" target="_blank">Wayback archived</a>]</span></blockquote></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-683518983318284622024-03-08T01:00:00.011+08:002024-03-08T01:00:00.125+08:00Let’s look at the "Monaco Strip"<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB73isxYBVfjVCdWnF-GbeFNQdcOViomCHL2gS-1bTh3ZdvDQI0jhNA2XrFnDGK1uB_TLo2XYXiilGKn11N_dpXnCDMJYtTmE6nq5A64WMew33cU4bLVAtemMpzJwRfFRyXBgYylYRFRMqVn3mNxHwm6tCVffzm_4_T6pymRKa8oCOcCAjMg2MG8aauqms/s846/Screenshot%202024-03-06%20at%206.17.22%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="766" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB73isxYBVfjVCdWnF-GbeFNQdcOViomCHL2gS-1bTh3ZdvDQI0jhNA2XrFnDGK1uB_TLo2XYXiilGKn11N_dpXnCDMJYtTmE6nq5A64WMew33cU4bLVAtemMpzJwRfFRyXBgYylYRFRMqVn3mNxHwm6tCVffzm_4_T6pymRKa8oCOcCAjMg2MG8aauqms/w363-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-06%20at%206.17.22%20PM.png" width="363" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monaco is much smaller than the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-20415675" target="_blank">Gaza Strip</a></td></tr></tbody></table>There it is, Monaco. It’s easy to get to. You can fly in, you can drive in, you can walk in. And of course, you can sail in. <div><br /></div><div>I’ve been there several times, the most recent in 2018, with a sailing mate, in a <a href="https://www.supercars.net/blog/2011-renaultsport-megane-265-trophy/" target="_blank">Renault Sport Mégane</a>, we drove right on it to Monaco and to its famous Yacht Club, where we had a lunch overlooking the Super-yachts. <div><br /></div><div>Why I mention this? Why call it the “Monaco <i>Strip</i>”? </div><div><br /></div><div>Well, to compare it with the Gaza Strip. To contrast it, mainly. Because the Gaza Strip could have been like Monaco. But the leadership of Gaza, and it’s people, chose not to be. They chose to be a “Gaza <i>Strip</i>” as opposed to just Gaza, a vibrant city-state on the Mediterranean. </div><div><br /></div><div>You want Monaco to be more like the “Monaco <i>Strip</i>”? More like the Gaza <i>Strip</i>? </div><div><br /></div><div>All you have to do is start shooting missiles at nearby French city of Nice. Start killing nearby French folks. Kill your opposition. Kill or drive out all Jews from the Strip. Randomly send in terrorists to kill and maim local French. Then France will close off the border. You’ve then achieved a “blockade” on yourself. Which you can then yell to the heavens that France is being racist, xenophobic, Monacan-hating. Get the United Nations to set up a “refugee” body specifically for you alone, then use the money they bring in to build tunnels and make missiles. </div><div><br /></div><div>You get the picture. Gaza could have been a Monaco. It chose instead to be a Gaza <i>Strip</i>. A blighted failure. Because Gazans, the Islamists of Gaza, hate Jews more than they love Gazans. And turned it into a “Strip”, stripped of any humanity. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hamas-loving westerners will say “Gaza is an open-air prison”, and “Gaza is a concentration camp”, and “Gaza has the highest population concentration in the world”. All of these are untrue. We here in Hong Kong have a higher population density than the Gaza Strip. On all measures, Monaco is smaller and more crowded than the Gaza Strip, yet has a happy, wealthy population, which gets on with the rest of the world. And the only reason there’s a “blockade” on Gaza is because they carried out non-stop terrrorist attacks on its next-door neighbour. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here is a comparison I did of the Gaza Strip vs. Monaco. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PAelubSsfgDWbRd142FhwtQtGhdXIZACibbk5T16iGPcQYuZp5a1Uxt3B_MD_1hyXXiyVqxdZbHi6_IgQLQ5KdFd3r8ChHq0zI1mMq0CscbnL8_sMMBw5hRuznIBlKZO-Bp28ZnDswMGJYpxuWCZuq7xQCsNfQ03enUq6Bsk9BHN7pmxpwnUp1bc0aoq/s788/Screenshot%202024-03-06%20at%205.34.09%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="788" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PAelubSsfgDWbRd142FhwtQtGhdXIZACibbk5T16iGPcQYuZp5a1Uxt3B_MD_1hyXXiyVqxdZbHi6_IgQLQ5KdFd3r8ChHq0zI1mMq0CscbnL8_sMMBw5hRuznIBlKZO-Bp28ZnDswMGJYpxuWCZuq7xQCsNfQ03enUq6Bsk9BHN7pmxpwnUp1bc0aoq/w400-h249/Screenshot%202024-03-06%20at%205.34.09%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>Note:</div><div>Monaco is <i>tiny</i> compared to Gaza, and has a population density 3 times that of Gaza. Yet it somehow manages to be wealthy: amongst the wealthiest places in the world, with a GDP per capita of $US 234,000 vs $US 5,380 for Gaza. That is, Monacan GDP per capita is 42 <i>times </i>that of Gaza. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Gaza Strip contrasting so badly vs Monaco is not an accident. It’s not because of Israel. It’s because of <u>choices made by Hamas</u>. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 2005, when Israel removed all its citizens from the Gaza Strip, and handed it back to the Palestinians, Israel and the rest of the world stood ready to help Gaza become wealthy. There were plans for a new port and a new airport. Then came Hamas in 2006, to overthrow the Palestinian Authority, to murder their leaders and to set in place the policies that remain to this day: namely “Kill the Jews”. </div><div><br /></div><div>Instead of building on the infrastructure that the Israelis had left them, working to becoming the Monaco of the eastern Mediterranean, they set about diverting all the aid moneys via UNWRA to building tunnels and rockets. </div><div><br /></div><div>And somehow our luvvies in the west are taken in by this. Somehow they hate on Israel and love on Hamas. </div><div><br /></div><div>I say shame on them all. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrtp-Q681xVZbg3R7kdj2v4FqyO7k3FsaoqEZqnwDuK44TEumMgYtUuavtuNELCwxR06i8x00Sk_43mduMhUmoiIkmbR28IKoffCC2-7rE6LX4i491wJt_6XUMs7bvGIGCL8kIwe0F8QDcgj8YZuMRiLTTOh5QawmY9eh8qeEhKtN5d88chU-RlssRORg/s882/Screenshot%202024-03-07%20at%202.43.49%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="882" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrtp-Q681xVZbg3R7kdj2v4FqyO7k3FsaoqEZqnwDuK44TEumMgYtUuavtuNELCwxR06i8x00Sk_43mduMhUmoiIkmbR28IKoffCC2-7rE6LX4i491wJt_6XUMs7bvGIGCL8kIwe0F8QDcgj8YZuMRiLTTOh5QawmY9eh8qeEhKtN5d88chU-RlssRORg/w400-h124/Screenshot%202024-03-07%20at%202.43.49%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You, Gaza, got what’s on the right pic, because of <i>your </i>choice</td></tr></tbody></table>All the above just occurred to me as I follow the whole Gaza drama and people point out that Gaza could have been like “Singapore on the Med”. The better comparison is Monaco, as it really is on the Med, and it’s even smaller, so neutralising the “Open-air prison” meme. The contrast is direct. Monaco chose one route; the Islamists of Gaza chose another route. They made it the “blockaded” hell-hole that it’s become. Their fault. Their responsibility. Their doing. </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-22223581212587142942024-03-08T00:30:00.020+08:002024-03-08T00:30:00.130+08:00Winners of Hong Kong photo contest 2023<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ii3zt77VOMP9vzv49kMDIgPb6kQJccTbNkfkacmtDCImGXghgYF7v5HE_Y0j5XQM0GcyTOS25hz8P4RYdQoNyWAXDS6adlpmKHeL7F2G1yohlLtTmvGwKnJYfMFIr2AxwnfKx6j1H2a8g3lYg1EuT9Y51qdnA8nkoxVrRqeCnp3yDKenXbxaRep-iykv/s2178/IMG_3631.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2178" data-original-width="1452" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ii3zt77VOMP9vzv49kMDIgPb6kQJccTbNkfkacmtDCImGXghgYF7v5HE_Y0j5XQM0GcyTOS25hz8P4RYdQoNyWAXDS6adlpmKHeL7F2G1yohlLtTmvGwKnJYfMFIr2AxwnfKx6j1H2a8g3lYg1EuT9Y51qdnA8nkoxVrRqeCnp3yDKenXbxaRep-iykv/w426-h640/IMG_3631.jpeg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At back: ICC, 108 floors. IFC, 88 floors. More winners <a href="https://www.scmp.com/photos/hong-kong/3254357/winners-hong-kong-photo-contest-2023-organised-national-geographic" target="_blank">here</a></td></tr></tbody></table>The above is shot from high on Hong Kong island, looking across the harbour to the ICC building in Kowloon West. The IFC is in Central. <div><br /></div><div>The bird is (most likely) a Black-eared Kite <p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-83456489485273533022024-03-07T23:40:00.001+08:002024-03-07T23:40:44.306+08:00Just two British Muslims discussing how much they hate non-Muslims …<div dir="ltr"><a href="https://x.com/sydneylwatson/status/1765072645211701346?s=43&t=E-V8QBuVuRvkSDERZnqNyQ"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" style="border:1px solid #ccd6dd; border-radius: 12px;" width="500" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" style="font-size: 0px; line-height: 0px;" height="12"> </td></tr><tr><td width="18" style="font-size: 0px; line-height: 0px; min-width: 18px;"> </td><td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="464" align="left"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="48" valign="top"><a href="https://x.com/sydneylwatson?s=43"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1425252224674975744/YxXQR6PW_normal.jpg" style="border-radius: 50%; padding: 0px;" height="48" width="48" data-unique-identifier=""></a></td><td width="8" style="font-size: 0px; line-height: 0px; min-width:8px;"><img src="https://ea.twimg.com/email/self_serve/media/spacer.png" width="8" data-unique-identifier=""></td><td valign="middle" width="388" style="min-width: 388px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" align="left" width="388"><tbody><tr><td align="left" width="388"><b><a href="https://x.com/sydneylwatson?s=43" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; color: #292c2f; text-decoration: none;">Dr. Sydney Watson</a></b></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><a href="https://x.com/sydneylwatson?s=43" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none; color: #7e8c98;">@SydneyLWatson</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td valign="top" width="20"><img src="https://ea.twimg.com/email/self_serve/media/logo_twitter-1497383721365.png" height="20" width="24" data-unique-identifier=""></td></tr><tr><td height="9" colspan="4" style="font-size: 0px; line-height:0px;"><img src="https://ea.twimg.com/self_serve/media/spacer_464x1-1582829598167.png" width="464" height="1" data-unique-identifier=""></td></tr><tr><td colspan="4" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, san-serif;color: #292c2f; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none;">Just two British Muslims discussing how much they hate non-Muslims and tolerate living among them.<br><br>"I can be in a land where I live with these people, but I have hate for these people, I don't like them."<br><a href="https://t.co/5eHW1ui644"><span>pic.twitter.com/5eHW1ui644</span></a></td></tr><tr><td height="3" colspan="4" style="font-size: 0px; line-height:0px;"> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="4"><a href="https://x.com/sydneylwatson/status/1765072645211701346?s=43&t=E-V8QBuVuRvkSDERZnqNyQ" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, san-serif;color: #667785; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration:none;">6/3/2024, 1:51 AM</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td width="18" style="font-size: 0px; line-height: 0px; min-width: 18px;"> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="font-size: 0px; line-height: 0px;" height="12"> </td></tr></tbody></table></a><br></div><br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-79255828568908519642024-03-07T11:06:00.012+08:002024-03-07T14:02:57.008+08:00Custom dogs<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtLriMpaWW78ukuW_hsOPpM1kmkyXJQait0N0udWyTY3GlI4y7IoEGdQANcDTT26VcC0sSccl2pizddiChyphenhyphenQjED8euNGHQJWIlUOVdOckfBoJySU8QhlVLO0HDtj7U9pfd3IFzOH1WJa77Xy_9c01rSc-B6BYK8q9jcYztm9ILFlcdGmULJizfT5DypXP/s1488/IMG_3630.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="977" data-original-width="1488" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtLriMpaWW78ukuW_hsOPpM1kmkyXJQait0N0udWyTY3GlI4y7IoEGdQANcDTT26VcC0sSccl2pizddiChyphenhyphenQjED8euNGHQJWIlUOVdOckfBoJySU8QhlVLO0HDtj7U9pfd3IFzOH1WJa77Xy_9c01rSc-B6BYK8q9jcYztm9ILFlcdGmULJizfT5DypXP/w400-h263/IMG_3630.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Zen</b> the lab. Customs sniffer dog in training </td></tr></tbody></table><p>Hong Kong is now accredited international to train sniffer dogs. And their handlers. </p><p><a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3254430/hong-kong-customs-offer-regional-sniffer-dog-training-after-its-facilities-certified" target="_blank">This article</a> has other pix of labs and Springer Spaniels in training, which is done right nearby us, at the Hong Kong-China bridge.</p><p>Wonderful creatures, dogs, are they not? </p><p>Here’s our current one, <b>Byron</b>, a rescue Labradoodle, c. 2 yo: </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLWnZocGY8z87ycqlRN59seWv-gMkHSKu8bnMTdI82RJjYd5DbApu509OMZIpJsgcO5-ffctdlDQeEm8PX-vxoElMWb8iXtLGNJsm4nlXQDT7oiTXK_Woz8OEoaFzwbyF07a40-YCgfdpvtkSVrzDKlbAvbjGijIZx1KN3k9plhTxQukGEEnuEfdTnyb9/s1115/c74c8c80-7c26-41b5-9f85-71a7051fc098.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="702" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLWnZocGY8z87ycqlRN59seWv-gMkHSKu8bnMTdI82RJjYd5DbApu509OMZIpJsgcO5-ffctdlDQeEm8PX-vxoElMWb8iXtLGNJsm4nlXQDT7oiTXK_Woz8OEoaFzwbyF07a40-YCgfdpvtkSVrzDKlbAvbjGijIZx1KN3k9plhTxQukGEEnuEfdTnyb9/w402-h640/c74c8c80-7c26-41b5-9f85-71a7051fc098.jpeg" width="402" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Byron on Sam Pak Wan beach, Discovery Bay</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGju9JX34kL7y5pKq24_2tNaJN_RzFTo-kFkbYM_W8UuYgK8Uw1wx_yWeefMmuliGU_KK9FYBeKcGZLbvAu7UhzlQxOJa5hF9iibgBZC8xUN3vnUOrLXrm-ceRjqbVzKYgRVC2OgpmL6gtv_ZgUryWaFL54MyiXyfLP0DrA99FkixSKWQuR00mWtZQVBeq/s1201/d3545f6b-798a-49e7-8db2-66c9c6d841e6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGju9JX34kL7y5pKq24_2tNaJN_RzFTo-kFkbYM_W8UuYgK8Uw1wx_yWeefMmuliGU_KK9FYBeKcGZLbvAu7UhzlQxOJa5hF9iibgBZC8xUN3vnUOrLXrm-ceRjqbVzKYgRVC2OgpmL6gtv_ZgUryWaFL54MyiXyfLP0DrA99FkixSKWQuR00mWtZQVBeq/w400-h400/d3545f6b-798a-49e7-8db2-66c9c6d841e6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">And in our backyard, looking lovingly at one of his favourite things: <br />tennis balls<br />(the turtle: it’s a statue!)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-77320586564821026622024-03-06T16:30:00.011+08:002024-03-07T20:20:54.881+08:00Review of “White Rural Rage”<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/TxgNmF3hs30?si=zgXV4nHxrBaeyjjo" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="610" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3NHW2b7W-UHGrBAfh9ECbSiyxTTF-4ZQjgb3dBD0pR1uCKthkVLvtb5ABfs38lgi-FBCqPK2_OK2sDpgBN3R-Oh5D9Fa5BOni5QlBXXsgmuiYN8tzd8L79cddqQfiHwiRa46tRcPTH8cyDzE3nOsHSQNW2BdnawnGsNuCnPRgOgBv597uQTLGybdU4G6/w400-h223/Screenshot%202024-03-06%20at%204.27.01%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click above for the video</td></tr></tbody></table><div>This is pretty funny. Also pretty sad. How the authors and MSNBC don’t get it. </div><p><b>Jimmy Dore </b>is a man of the Left. He’s a Bernie supporter. But has the hutzpah to call out craziness on the Left, when it’s crazy. And so obviously self-contradictory. </p><p>ADDED: <b>Matt Taibbi</b> “<a href="https://www.racket.news/p/msnbc-paul-krugman-panic-over-white" target="_blank">Panic over ‘White Rural Rage</a>’”</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835733450638808855.post-6784817921424082032024-03-06T12:59:00.001+08:002024-03-07T15:19:06.873+08:00“Trump Nostalgia Endangers Biden Presidency”| Rich Lowry<div dir="ltr"><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border: 0px; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 1.125rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.6875rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="drop" style="border: 0px; float: left; font-family: "Gentium Basic", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 100px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: 84px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">D</span><span class="small_caps" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">onald <a data-testid="dynamic-link" href="https://www.nationalreview.com/tag/donald-trump/" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-style: dotted; text-decoration-thickness: 1.5px; text-underline-offset: 3px; transition: color 0.2s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Trump</a></span> obviously left office on a sour note in January 2021, written off by many opinion-makers and political professionals. Then, <a data-testid="dynamic-link" href="https://www.nationalreview.com/tag/joe-biden/" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-style: dotted; text-decoration-thickness: 1.5px; text-underline-offset: 3px; transition: color 0.2s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">President Biden</a> happened.</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border: 0px; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 1.125rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.6875rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The most remarkable phenomenon of the 2024 election cycle so far is the rise of Trump nostalgia. It's difficult for anyone to have a new opinion about former president Trump, who is so well-known, so in-your-face, and so polarizing. Yet, people have a new, more favorable attitude toward his presidency in retrospect, certainly compared with the current occupant of the White House.</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border: 0px; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 1.125rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.6875rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After about 36 months of President Biden, in other words, people yearn for the halcyon Trump years.</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border: 0px; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 1.125rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.6875rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Consider the latest CBS News poll. It found that, looking back, 46 percent of people consider Trump's administration excellent or good, about five points higher than his average job approval when he left office. Only 33 percent say the same about Biden's time in office.</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; border: 0px; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 1.125rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.6875rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Even more starkly, on the economy, 65 percent think the economy was good under Trump, and only 28 percent think it was bad. In almost a mirror image, only 38 percent think the economy is good under Biden, and 59 think it is bad.</p></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2024/03/the-rise-of-trump-nostalgia/" target="_blank">Read on...</a> [<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240307071602/https://www.nationalreview.com/2024/03/the-rise-of-trump-nostalgia/" target="_blank">Wayback</a>]</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0