Standoff in China over White House Press plane- Not being allowed off

KNX 1070 ^ | 8/7/08 | KNX 1070

[dragnet2]

Radio report, broke this as breaking

Mark Knowler with KFI is stuck on the aircraft...Not being allowed to be left off the aircraft.

[bert]

......People on this thread giving China huzzas are making me sick. .....

Guess what? It’s 2008, not 1968.

[jmc813]

Guess what? It’s 2008, not 1968.

What's that supposed to mean? In 2008 we're supposed to be all kumbaya with the ChiComs?

[bert]

Think Chicaps and your attitude might improve

[jmc813]

This is what I think of when I think about your "Chicap" buddies...

[Jeff Head]

I will not give George HW Bush a pass on this issue. He was a major player in opening up so-called free trade with China, and pushed it during his administration. Unfettered free-trade, without ensuring that the underpinning principles of the free-market are met and maintained with those with whom we trade (and doing so through increasing sanctions to those countries who do not meet those principles and conversely, increasing perqs or favored nation status for those who do), has led to a lot of this economic problem IMHO.

What we have been doing is giving favored nation status even to nations like Red China who don't even come close.

Anyhow, as regards the US Navy, again, HW does not get a pass. After victory in Desert Strom he started the wheels rolling in the largest Naval draw down in our history save for the draw down after World War II, and which has drawn us down to levels not seen since before World War I in terms of numerical strength.

That draw down continued full scale under Clinton, and slowed, but still has continued under Geroge W Bush.

Of late the planners have seen a need to return us to a 313 ship navy (total active US Naval vessels) in the next 10 years. The numbers you see on my page include major combatants only, not all the auxillary (of which there are 45-50), which you would have to add in there for full force numbers.

So, if we go back to 1987 when we reached the high number under the Reagan build-up, this is what has happened in terms of full force numbers:

1987 - 594
1992 - 471
1997 - 359
2002 - 313
2007 - 281

We have a total of less than half the ships today that we had 20 years ago.

Our quality is great, our lethality has imporved signifcantly...but our numbers are low. This has been recognized and there is now an effort to build back to a 313 force level.

China of course has been doing the exact opposite in the same time frame, and most particularly in the last 10 years. They are now rapidly building their force level, with new modern vessels. At the current rate, they will pass us in the next 3-5 years in terms of numbers, while significantly closing the technology gap.

20 years ago the Chinese were easily 25-30 years behind us. Today, in some areas they are nearing parity, but remain 5-7 years behind us in most others. Our force is much more lethal on a per ship basis than it was 20 years ago...but the Chinese PLAN growth in that same area (of lethality) has exceeded our own significanly in terms of pure percentage improvement.

These are trends we dare not ignore.

Our economic policies are funding this and similar things are happening with their air forces and their ground forces...using our trade imbalance to fuel it.

[DoughtyOne]

With regard the GHWB, I agree. While I think he was more of a stage setter with regard to trade, I don’t give him a pass on facilitating what took place after him. Clinton more or less carried on his policy, as did the current president.

With regard to the military, I don’t give GHWB a pass either. I agree with you there.

The one thing you didn’t mention is immigration. It was under GHWB that our borders just went down. Come one, come all, no need to worry. Reagan’s tough new polices on hiring and border security were thrown out the window. And this is why Reagan gets blamed for what is taking place today.

The amnesty under Reagan was ill advised, but there was no need for what took place to have taken place after his last term in office. The three subsequent presidents sold out this nation IMO. They should bear the full weight of their treachery. And I do consider it treachery.

Your numbers on our naval ships mirrors what my basic understanding of our naval numbers were. That 222 figure troubled me, so I asked for a clarification. I’m glad that wasn’t the actual figure. Thank heaven.

I agree with your thoughts on trade and what it has facilitated, China’s ascendancy and what that means for our kid’s future. Very few people in power seem to.

Thanks for the response.

[Jeff Head]

You seen THIS. Very troubling and very dire potentials in what is going on in Georgia.

[CRBDeuce]

The Chinese don't want to let the press in because they are far too Marxist for the Chinese.

What you said...there are more capitalists in China than in the USA!

[headsonpikes]

“What you said...there are more capitalists in China than in the USA!”

Well, fair’s fair - there are certainly more communists in the USA than in China!

[4woodenboats]

Funny. I was going to ask if (anti)USA Today had hired Michael Moore again.

I'd like to see what happens if he attempted hijack interviews over there ~ he'd end up wearing bamboo in places you wouldn't think possible.

[jmc813]

I noticed you didn’t have a comeback for that one.

[CRBDeuce]

1) Thank you for reminding us that in any crowd there will be at least one MSM apologist;
2) The White House Press corps is the most communist leaning of the MSM and need to be reminded that while in a communist country, they perhaps need to ‘back off’ a little, or face the consequences (unlike the USA, where they get a free pass). Reminder mission accomplished!
3) Imagine some chinese press arguing with the TSA that the TSA shouldn’t searth their bags!!!

[CRBDeuce]

searth=search

[jmc813]

1) Thank you for reminding us that in any crowd there will be at least one MSM apologist;

I called them "idiots" in my post. Hardly an apologist. But I'll take the side of ANY American over a ChiCom scumbag any day.

3) Imagine some chinese press arguing with the TSA that the TSA shouldn’t searth their bags!!!

We had an agreement with them that they would not be searched.

[DoughtyOne]

Russia has been steaming over our bombing of Serbia for a long time. Then we recognized Kosovo’s independence. This was bound to happen somewhere some time. Our military maneuvers with Georgia probably put a great big bullseye on them. And Georgia taking military actions in the last few days hasn’t helped either.

This was uncalled for. Russia doesn’t have a valid reason to do this in Georgia, so it’s acting the part of a pariah state IMO. From Russia’s point of view, I imagine it thought it had much more reason to do what it has done today, than it did.

Russia presents an interesting study, also IMO. We sometimes think that just because we vote in our leaders, that we have control of what is actually done in our name. There are times when I have to question that. Here we are presented with Obama and McCain this year. Are either of these men going to do what we want them to?

I’m not arguing the point of who to vote for. I’m just making an observation.

In some ways, I think we suffer from the same leadership problems the Russians do. I just think it’s a lot easier to fault Russia, than look at what our own leaders are doing, and take them to task on it.

Perhaps I didn’t explain this well enough, but I think you know what I mean.

[bert]

That stuff is pretty much surpassed by the photos and TV of all the pretty girls dressed in stylish western garb as they go about their daily lives on city streets all across the nation. You live in the past and can’t see the remarkable change that has come and is in progress.

The China of today is not your Oldsmobile.

[jmc813]

That stuff is pretty much surpassed by the photos and TV of all the pretty girls dressed in stylish western garb as they go about their daily lives on city streets all across the nation.

There would be a lot more pretty girls if they weren't forcefully aborted.

You live in the past

Those pictures were taken a few months ago. When did you become a whore for the ChiComs?

[bert]

I ask you again to pay attention to reality.

There is massive change under way in China. There has been tremendous improvement in the lives of many people. I understand that the government is still communist but the traditional values of trade that are the natural premao order are being reasserted. That is why I use the phrase Chicap. The capitalists are many and definitely on the ascendency. As the old men die, Chicaps will prevail.

[jmc813]

The capitalists are many and definitely on the ascendency. As the old men die, Chicaps will prevail.

Without respect for basic human rights, capitalism there will fail. I was chatting with one of the most pro-China freepers yesterday, and even he agreed with me that Chinese leadership will never voluntarily recognize these rights. Only through violent revolution or the real threat of it will they. Hopefully that comes sooner than later.

[bert]

You must extend the time horizon. Think not of 90 days as Americans are want to do, or even 5 years. Think of 25 or 50 years. Recall if you will that the communist movement lasted only a tad beyong 50 years before serious decline set in.

The leaders, the current leaders will die. The hard liners are very old. Their days are definitely numbered. The younger leaders though nominally communist are business men.... capitalists.