[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Lone Palm thanks for the analysis!

They might feel they need to go to war to try and cover up their domestic problems, which would be a big mistake.

China has also been attempting to modify the weather and if it does anything it probably backfired. I suppose owning a lot of American food companies and their products could take the pressure off feeding their people.

(Unless they stupidly start a war and we seize those companies and stop any shipments.)

[OldWarBaby]

Nice rundown LP. One big chicom factor that’s always behind my mind is the US bonds that the chicoms hold. At one trillion $ , more or less, the interest on those bonds is what finances the chicom military——completely. If XI gets frisky and involves the US in any kind of conflict he can kiss those payments bye. In my view, at least, that is a huge factor in keeping XI minding his manners.

[LonePalm]

China has also been attempting to modify the weather and if it does anything it probably backfired. I suppose owning a lot of American food companies and their products could take the pressure off feeding their people.

(Unless they stupidly start a war and we seize those companies and stop any shipments.)

It is hard to understate the incredible shock the Russian war in Ukraine has had on the CCP. They already knew that getting across the largish anti-tank ditch that is the Taiwan strait was going to be harder than they thought but now they KNOW that their army, navy, and air force will likely fare little better than the Russians have.

They also know what sanctions will do to to their economy. They know that it will be the END of them, personally, politically, and as a functioning nation. They can't even be absolutely sure their atomic arms will function. They are sure that the ones coming back at them will work as designed.

WWG1WGA

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)