Outstanding. I had a great friend that that gave me great scoop on China but he passed away due to cancer. I have an unusual collection of friends and friends of friends that give me tidbits on quite a bit of stuff and I fill in the rest. I look forward to your posts.
You are most welcome fren. I usually only post when I have something to add to the information since I am probably more informed about these topics than most. Been a CCP watcher for years and was sounding the alarm bell about the CCP decades ago when they came into the WTO. Everyone thought I was nuts. Trump has been sounding the same alarm bell about the same length of time and no one listened to him either. Some are still not taking it seriously.
As far as Iran, I know Iranians and some of the people I follow are closely connected to anti-regime people inside and outside Iran that are strategizing actual actions against the regime. The same applies to Russia. The only one that is even more of a black box than the CCP is No Korea. Very few know what the hell is going on there and even if they do, it's not much. Kim is like Trump and uses a lot of strategic ambiguity. I think they understand each other.
I know some people with an Iranian fatwa on them. If they go back to Iran they will be arrested and killed - especially those that are Christian. I know one Iranian couple that became Christians, and when they were baptized, the congregation was given strict instructions not to post any pics of them on social media as it could endanger their family still in Iran - some of them also Christian. Most of the Iranians I know are actively involved in Iranian diaspora movements to support the revolution despite the risks. It is that important to them and they understand that they need to seize this moment.
There are a couple of Russian people I know where things are similar. It is a crime in Russia to speak against Putin or the war. They are speaking the truth about what is happening inside Russia and the truth about the real state of the war - what is not being told officially to the Russian people. The situation in Russia is a far cry from the white prosperous utopia that Russian propaganda promotes in the West, especially in conservative circles. As long as Putin is in control, these people will never be able to return to Russia. They could end up thrown out of a window or disappeared. Random car explosions is another favorite method of silencing. But, even pro-Putin Russians within the country and oligarchs are starting to ask questions going on 5 years of war, the tanked economy, the control crackdowns, and increased censorship. Discontent is rising.
I also know people that managed to get out of China while they still could. Lately it has gotten much harder to get out of the country, especially since the beginning of the year. The CCP is confiscating passports. Not just of officials, which they started doing last year, but also regular ordinary citizens. Anyone that works for any kind of SOE or government job have had their passports taken - for safe keeping. To travel outside of the country they have to apply for permission to travel. They have to submit all kinds of intrusive documents in advance to get their passport back. To add to the difficulty, if the person given the passport ends up not coming back to China, the one that gave the approval will be held responsible. So what do you think the odds are of the bulk of those applications to travel being approved?
One of the hallmarks of failing authoritarian regimes is increased crackdowns on the freedoms of their citizens. When things are failing and leadership is afraid of losing control, the pressure is increased and life becomes more draconian and unbearable. We are seeing this unfold in China, Iran, and Russia.
Excellent info. I think Russia will bounce back after the war. I think it will be over before the midterms.
China has been papering over a financial collapse for a long time. The tariffs and this oil shock has not helped. Trump wants to prevent the 2027 war for Taiwan or at least win it quickly. The CCP sees a big pile of gold on that island. Trump is asking for an additional $500B to accelerate the B-21, F-47 and hypersonic weapons build out. Just in case and as a deterrent.
Outstanding. I had a great friend that that gave me great scoop on China but he passed away due to cancer. I have an unusual collection of friends and friends of friends that give me tidbits on quite a bit of stuff and I fill in the rest. I look forward to your posts.
You are most welcome fren. I usually only post when I have something to add to the information since I am probably more informed about these topics than most. Been a CCP watcher for years and was sounding the alarm bell about the CCP decades ago when they came into the WTO. Everyone thought I was nuts. Trump has been sounding the same alarm bell about the same length of time and no one listened to him either. Some are still not taking it seriously.
As far as Iran, I know Iranians and some of the people I follow are closely connected to anti-regime people inside and outside Iran that are strategizing actual actions against the regime. The same applies to Russia. The only one that is even more of a black box than the CCP is No Korea. Very few know what the hell is going on there and even if they do, it's not much. Kim is like Trump and uses a lot of strategic ambiguity. I think they understand each other.
Outstanding! My best source had to be extracted when the regime put a hit out on her.
I know some people with an Iranian fatwa on them. If they go back to Iran they will be arrested and killed - especially those that are Christian. I know one Iranian couple that became Christians, and when they were baptized, the congregation was given strict instructions not to post any pics of them on social media as it could endanger their family still in Iran - some of them also Christian. Most of the Iranians I know are actively involved in Iranian diaspora movements to support the revolution despite the risks. It is that important to them and they understand that they need to seize this moment.
There are a couple of Russian people I know where things are similar. It is a crime in Russia to speak against Putin or the war. They are speaking the truth about what is happening inside Russia and the truth about the real state of the war - what is not being told officially to the Russian people. The situation in Russia is a far cry from the white prosperous utopia that Russian propaganda promotes in the West, especially in conservative circles. As long as Putin is in control, these people will never be able to return to Russia. They could end up thrown out of a window or disappeared. Random car explosions is another favorite method of silencing. But, even pro-Putin Russians within the country and oligarchs are starting to ask questions going on 5 years of war, the tanked economy, the control crackdowns, and increased censorship. Discontent is rising.
I also know people that managed to get out of China while they still could. Lately it has gotten much harder to get out of the country, especially since the beginning of the year. The CCP is confiscating passports. Not just of officials, which they started doing last year, but also regular ordinary citizens. Anyone that works for any kind of SOE or government job have had their passports taken - for safe keeping. To travel outside of the country they have to apply for permission to travel. They have to submit all kinds of intrusive documents in advance to get their passport back. To add to the difficulty, if the person given the passport ends up not coming back to China, the one that gave the approval will be held responsible. So what do you think the odds are of the bulk of those applications to travel being approved?
One of the hallmarks of failing authoritarian regimes is increased crackdowns on the freedoms of their citizens. When things are failing and leadership is afraid of losing control, the pressure is increased and life becomes more draconian and unbearable. We are seeing this unfold in China, Iran, and Russia.
Excellent info. I think Russia will bounce back after the war. I think it will be over before the midterms.
China has been papering over a financial collapse for a long time. The tariffs and this oil shock has not helped. Trump wants to prevent the 2027 war for Taiwan or at least win it quickly. The CCP sees a big pile of gold on that island. Trump is asking for an additional $500B to accelerate the B-21, F-47 and hypersonic weapons build out. Just in case and as a deterrent.
Lots of pieces are in play.