RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:hey TX did the Chinese try to get it too cheapValuePro wrote: "Sort of sounds like our government, doesn't it?"
It is a bit worse than that. The Army supports itself by operating businesses. They are very probably more aggressive in looking out for their financial interests than is the government. That makes them a larger threat to world peace than the National People's Congress, an entirely separate entity.
The tongs have the same interests in money and power, but they are more covert about it.
But yes, in terms of abuse of power, their system does seem to compare with ours.
VP
This subject of China, VP, is a little off topic on this Novo channel, but WTF ... it's better than a lot of other $hit being posted.
I read once that the largest holders of real estate in China were their own Red Army. At first I was shocked by what seemed like rampant corruption and unchecked greed. What really was enlightening was a US Department of Defence document released last year:
Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2020.
https://media.defense.gov/2020/Sep/01/2002488689/-1/-1/1/2020-DOD-CHINA-MILITARY-POWER-REPORT-FINAL.PDF It's a lengthy read, but here is the essence of the report (stated in the Executive Summary):
I have highlighted in blue a key observation regarding Chinese Military / Civialian separation of activities.
UNDERSTANDING CHINA’S STRATEGY
The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s) strategy aims to achieve “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” by 2049. China’s strategy can be characterized as a determined pursuit of political and social modernity that includes far-ranging efforts to expand China’s national power, perfect its governance systems, and revise the international order.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) frames this strategy as an effort to realize long-held nationalist aspirations to “return” China to a position of strength, prosperity, and leadership on the world stage.
The CCP’s leadership has long viewed China as embroiled in a major international strategic competition with other states, including, and in particular, the United States.
In 2019, China intensified its efforts to advance its overall development including steadying its economic growth, strengthening its armed forces, and taking a more active role in global affairs.
Foreign Policy
The PRC’s foreign policy seeks to revise aspects of the international order on the Party’s terms and in accordance with ideas and principles it views as essential to forging an external environment conducive to China’s national rejuvenation.
In 2019, the PRC recognized that its armed forces should take a more active role in advancing its foreign policy, highlighting the increasingly global character that Beijing ascribes to its military power.
Economic Policy
The CCP prioritizes economic development as the “central task” and the force that drives China’s modernization across all areas, including its armed forces.
China’s economic development supports its military modernization not only by providing the means for larger defense budgets, but through deliberate Party-led initiatives such as OBOR and Made in China 2025, as well as the systemic benefits of China’s growing national industrial and technological base.
Military-Civil Fusion (MCF) Development Strategy
The PRC pursues its MCF Development Strategy to “fuse” its economic and social development strategies with its security strategies to build an integrated national strategic system and capabilities in support of China’s national rejuvenation goals.
MCF encompasses six interrelated efforts:
(1) fusing the China’s defense industrial base and its civilian technology and industrial base;
(2) integrating and leveraging science and technology innovations across military and civilian sectors;
(3) cultivating talent and blending military and civilian expertise and knowledge;
(4) building military requirements into civilian infrastructure and leveraging civilian construction for military purposes;
(5) leveraging civilian service and logistics capabilities for military purposes; and,
(6) expanding and deepening China’s national defense mobilization system to include all relevant aspects of its society and economy for use in competition and war.
While MCF has broader purposes than acquiring foreign technology, in practice, MCF means there is not a clear line between the PRC’s civilian and military economies, raising due diligence costs for U.S. and global entities that do not desire to contribute to the PRC’s military modernization.
And there we see it. The Military is in fact integrated deeply within the civilian business structure. It cannot really be considered as corruption as we define it because it's all socially engineered by design, and the CCP is an integrated component as well.
This is really closer to a "bee hive" management structure. Any component of it that is attacked or threatened, automatically becomes an attack on the whole. And vice versa, when it moves outwards to attack others, it is also an activity executed as a whole. All components join in the attack or the defense of the hive.
Now, we arrive at key question: Is this all good or bad?
I acually don't know. Strict dictatorships like Singapore can be wonderful places to live. Is it better to live freely in poverty, or under restrictive affluence? Hard to gauge in many cases, and it varies between individuals.
One thing for sure: It's horrible living restricted, and in poverty as well. That's what many are descending into these days.
So VP, I really can't judge where all this is going. I only know it's not the world I grew up in. And must accept that younger generations (especially in dictatorial emerging economies) may think that times are better now than thev've ever been for them. And they are probably right.
TxMetrics 201: F-uck em all but 6, because you need them for pall bearers.
Tx