First Blog

  China's Consequence. · Most everyone believes the COVID-19 virus came from a lab in Wuhan, China. · Most everyone believes China deliberately developed this virus. · Most do not know if China intentionally released this virus - for whatever reasons. · Most everyone believes China is not giving full information on the nature of this problem. Thus, yet another black flag is associated with China in world memory. An earlier one concerns Huawei's spy communications chips. Need we mention China’s decades long use of prison labor in their factories and now Uyghur labor in their concentration camps. Who can forget Chairman Mao’s Great Cultural revolution, with 20 million deaths. Massive death is no stranger in China. Their latest abrogation of human rights is their absorption of Hong Kong. Fishing in the South China Sea is almost impossible these days if your ship doesn’t fly a Chinese flag. Therefore, in the future, China faces a horrific problem of trust – not to me

Today, we are discussing all those cameras being placed all over our cities.   Officials tell us it's for our protection.   Citizens are worried. Movements are afoot to reduce this camera presence.   Is it justified?   Remember, its not just the picture, it what comes with it. Pictures plus a thousand words?   Artificial Intelligence (AI) can put together your picture with all your personal data. Subversives should be nervous.   So should we all. Dossiers for all. In the West we need to trust our government to restrain its natural instincts to use any information they have to stay in power.   The comes to ethics, and ethics is rapidly becoming a theoretical subject, a historical artifact, a quaint quality. Deprecated at last review.     I don’t care what your politics.   Can you say with certainty your party would not use this information to track political opponents in looking for damaging information?   Like the old song, “Simply Irresistible.” Want more?   Enter the h

Today’ topic. Manipulation by the Chinese. It is well known and proved the Chinese manipulate:  Their currency to avoid the problems of tariffs and other trade matters. Companies to steal their intellectual property. The management of other countries through loans. Internal communications of countries by Huawei.  It is NOT well known the Chinese may be manipulating stock markets by manipulating the trade talks, possibly by short selling. This signals that a few in China are amassing great fortunes as the trade talks lumber along - ineffectually. This implies that while fortunes are being made, there will be no clear resolution or agreements to even the simpler issues of trade. Simple plan for Chinese wealth*: They say “No go,” and the markets tumble. They say “Let’s talk,” and the markets rise. *When you know the when, you stand to make a fortune.  W hile all talk about uncertainty , the point is the Chinese may also manipulate uncertainty.   It

Any agency that steals from one constituency will certainly steal from another. Stealing knows little restraint, principles, or morality. Theft is a way of life. While China steals IP from US firms, they also steal IP from each other. When Iran steals lives from other countries, they will steal lives in their own country. Moral: Beware   of the base philosophy   of all regimes.   All believe in the “tarnished” golden rule:  Do unto your kin what you do to others. --------------------------------------- +++ --------------------------------------------- The newest camera makers  advertise  they offer telephoto lenses so long they can focus into the future. :)

Basic comment on the China deal.   My message to the Trade Team.   “Do what you can, BUT accept what cannot be done.”   Probable facts. 1. China has already stolen enough technology and materials to sustain them for at least ten years.   They need no more now, but cannot give up their practices if only to save face. 2. China will continue to hack.   3. China will continue to promote their information hegemony worldwide, and military hegemony in the Pacific. China’s military development in the the South China Sea.   What can you do except get promises?   Here you can exert tariff policies if it continues.   This is measurable! China’s space explorations and militarization.   These will continue regardless. This is not measurable! Trade deal.   Negotiate a move toward a fiscal quid pro quo over the next six/seven years. This is measurable! China’s foreign corporate ownership (in China).   This should be a non negotiable part of a trade agreement.   China is bending

On tariffs.   Commentators recite over and over again how the imposed tariffs are paid by the people, the taxpayer, the consumer.   True, perhaps.   But without the tariffs and with the current horrific trade arrangements between China and the USA, how many US jobs are lost, how many US industries move off-shore, how much is the imbalance of payments increased, and how much less competitive is our economy?   Something must be done to stop the usurious Chinese business practices. Too many critics imply we should negotiate “smarter.” Then tariffs won’t be needed. This is the buzz from people who really don’t know what to do.  Beware of the professors and pundits.   At most, they have negotiated the price of a used car for their kids. The Chinese cheat, and love it.   In fact, the English word “inscrutable” is a word almost exclusively used to describe the Chinese.   This word is cloaked with cloth made from threads of misdirection, misconception, and misrepresentation.   In sho

China cheats.   This is a fundamental fact all have learned.  In the trade talks they are loath to give up all their forms of cheating, from assuming foreign corporate ownership, to hacking for information and innovation, to lying about economic data, to usurious borrowing to corrupt countries.  China not only cheats, but they love to cheat and need to cheat.   They cheat even when they don’t have to. For their leaders, cheating is akin to an addiction. It’s virtually genetic. I believe the power brokers in China, especially Xi Jinping, will be unable to agree to any deal that stops cheating altogether. One approach the US trade negotiations could do is make an agreement with that allows them some cheating, but subtly controls it efficacy.   This is an update to my previous blog at https://used-ideas.blogspot.com/2019/01/pig-latin-and-chinese-checkers.html

CHINA and President XI We know Chinese President Xi Jinping has an appointment for life.   This is good news and bad for Xi.   Who doesn’t like a life-time job?   Following Machiavelli, this puts Xi in another category as dictator or king who is quietly and covertly challenged by the nobles in China.   The nobles are the super rich and super powerful players within China who see themselves in the same position.   They covet his power. They wait silently for Xi to make a mistake, one big enough to take him out.   And out he will come.   Xi is thus vulnerable and remains so, not having a cult-like following as did Mao, who was immune from any mistake. Trade by China may cause a Xi mistake.   The world is now openly talking about how China has taken advantage of all countries in trade, IP theft, high interest loans to poor countries, and the like.   This wholesale exposure indicates that it seems likely that China will be forced to yield in several ways.   As to which ways a

BAD BOYS What do the following have in common? NOKO’s Kim Jong Un and missiles Communists and Socialists China’s government Iranian Religious Dictators Russia’s Vladimir Putin Answer: All want pure power; all want material benefits; all want unlimited hegemony over their opponents. All are inclined toward violence and murder to get it.   It seems the world’s bad boys all want the same thing. BITCOIN Have you been watching the price fluctuations lately?   The price, currently about $7,000 per coin, has been going up then down, then up, usually in the 5-15% range. It happens almost monthly.   But when you consider so very few investors control so much of the total product, it is impossible to ignore that a few may be controlling the price, buying on the dip, selling on the peak.   And knowing all along when the peak or trough has been reached.   Under these guidelines , I am not ready to invest in this very possibly unfair game. BOLOGNA The favorite dish of th

Why will North Korea’s strong man dictator Kim Jong Un will never permit any sort of coorperation with South Korea or inspection of his country by outsiders? It's all about the consequences of exposure.  Many of his sins are hidden because of total news blackouts.  His master state, China, may be aware of many of his sins, but for them it becomes a conviction by proxy should the sins become known. Thus Kim is indirectly protected.  Both China and Russia (thought to be Kim’s supplier of rocket engines) are aware and dread the day Kim is exposed.  Such is Kim’s buffer. Kim’s sins and secrets: Nuclear weapons – the open sin Offensive ICBM and other missiles – the delivery vehicles of choice Weapons export – to Iran and elsewhere Radiological contamination – almost a certain consequence of nuclear testing* Biological testing – e.g. possible Anthrax experimentation* Slavery – export of his own to forced labor in China and other countries Torture – of prisoners, e.g. W

As you may have heard, North Korea refuses to meet with the Chinese envoy.  Indeed, it is not clear why Kim Jong Un has snubbed China by not receiving its high level envoy.  Intransigence?  Maybe.  However, this may be a method for China to comply with Trump but support NOKO.  So tricky these people are.  The tea leaves from the East are difficult to read.   ------------------ Thanksgiving.  Don’t let politics thicken your blood and affect your family dinner. Of course, I don’t.  With my taser at the ready, all political disputes are dealt with quickly and successfully.  

Goodness sakes.  Is China worried about a migration of millions of North Koreans crossing the NOKO-China frontier escaping a besieged Kim regime?  Believe me, no one will hear the machine guns a blazing in such an event. China may be worried about a ferociously armed Japan and South Korea, but a few million NOKO refugees is no problem at all.  In that part of the world there are no good guys or bad.  There are only special interests. Power and  money top the list.  Destroy your enemy and seek revenge come next.   Human rights and human sanctity?  Hmm. What are they? ------------------- Guinness Book of Records new category – the greatest time elapsed for raising a sexual molestation charge against a public figure.  Now held by Roy Moore of Alabama at 40 years. Roy is toast, life is ruined.   --------------------- I just heard the news about Senator Al Franken's miscalculation on groping.  And there's a picture - no less.   So, I went to my German mug

North Korea, NOKO? No worry!  Even the most casual observer will not believe the independent NOKO advance in rocketry to be so unbelievably quick.  Their latest ICBM launch featured a rocket with a look rather similar to a Chinese version.  This suggests China is helping their “bad boy” above the 38 th parallel. But the West persists on focusing on NOKO.  So, NOKO can sell technology to Iran, with China sitting peacefully on the sidelines.  So, China can build military islands in the South China Sea and nobody worries or hardly reports.  So, Kim jung un can play the role of power master.  It is a good bet that China has embedded players in Kim’s inner circle who could act upon command.  Kim asserts and amuses himself by destroying enemies from time-to-time. China is in fact the true key to NOKO.  That oft-described fear of China of being invaded by millions of NOKO refugees is ludicrous.  With no press reporting anything, such an “invasion” would be easily repelled or repress

If North Korean (NOKO) dictator Kim jong un cared about his people, he would feed them, not go about launching expensive missiles which can do his country no good, except court the enmity of his neighbors and the world. Kim wants his own life more than anything, but I fear if he senses his end is imminent, he may do anything, and I mean anything.  USA and even China should be careful here.  The only possibility to end Kim’s regime is a sudden coup from within. Kim knows this well. What NOKO wants .  Attention, benefit deals, a place on the world stage for Kim.  Possibly a screen for China. What China wants .  A distraction.  As long as NOKO is being the bad boy, outrageous, and blustering, who pays attention to what China is up to – such as building military islands in the South China Sea?  Banking sanctions?  Phooey.  Just move the money around.  China is already prepared for this.  The only peaceful recourse for the USA is to exact tariffs on imported Chinese produced go

Which country has the largest population?  You know this one.  It is China.  But did you know the second largest population, India, is a mere 3% smaller?  Below we list the top six world populations. They comprise about 50% of the total world population of 7.5 billion people.  Is your country there? Rank Country Population 2017 Total Population  Cumulative Population 1 China 1,388,232,693     18.5% 18.5% 2 India 1,342,512,706     17.9% 36.4% 3 U.S. 326,474,013      4.3% 40.7% 4 Indonesia 263,510,146      3.5% 44.2% 5 Brazil 211,243,220      2.8% 47.0% 6 Pakistan 196,744,376      2.6% 49.6%   World 7,515,284,153     100.0%   Which are the smallest populations?  These you cannot possibly guess.  The lowest, the Vatican, has a population of only 810 folks. In this country, you can actually know everybody!  It goes up, but no

FLOPS.   What is a FLOPS? It is the number of multiplications a computer can compute in one second,  far less than additions, though not quite.   It is the number of floating point operations a computer can compute in a single second.   A floating point number has a bunch of digits (e.g. 12) times a power of ten.   For example, most computers would have native trouble with the number 12345678901234546789012345, but they do well with approximations such as 1234567890 x 10^16. This means you lose some precision, i.e. accuracy, but you get the magnitude.     Let’s not devolve into software that can handle very high precision numbers, or the precise representation of floating point numbers inside the computer. It is enough here to know that we are working with numbers having a fixed number of digits together with a power of ten.   Let’s just talk about the FLOPS, floating point operations per second, of the native hardware. You know computers are fast, and expensive computers