2023-12-31
Temu Is a Chinese Scam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcbm5u6ZQGY&t=443s
What happens if we stop buying products reportedly made with slave labor? What happens to the slaves? Does the CCP set them free? Not likely. Maybe they would kill them.
Likewise, what happens to children if people don't buy products made with child labor? Children likely work these jobs to survive.
We only have second-hand information about the bad labor practices in other countries. Claiming the moral high ground by not buying products from countries could create unintended consequences. On what basis can people claim that the result will be positive?
Countries are poor because they have bad economic systems along with authoritarian governments that create those systems. Refusing to trade with these countries doesn't help impoverished people unless you are trying to create a revolution by making people suffer more. However, more often than not, revolutions lead to a different authoritarian in power.
Free trade can help impoverished people, although that depends on how repressive the government is. Free trade also can lead to political change by helping people rise out of poverty.
China is a military threat and that would have to factor in our decision on whether to trade with them. Economic interdependence could prevent war, but it also bolsters an authoritarian regime, That regime is not likely to go away just because we reduce trade with China.
2023-12-30
Watch "This is bad— American kids CAN'T READ 🍎📚" on YouTube
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Albert
If you can't read, you can't compete. The inability to read in this country is getting worse and worse. I noticed a year or so ago that Kroger placed identifying your vegetable or fruit choice by pictures ahead of spelling it at the self-checkout. If you can't read, now what?
2023-12-29
The single greatest failing of the human species
The single greatest failing of the human species is the tendency to believe almost anything without good evidence. There are many cults where you can see this. People lack the ability or are unwilling to step back and look at things objectively. People don't question what they hear. Humans have a strong tendency toward Confirmation Bias, where if something supports their narrative, they will take it as gospel.
Things have been said about the COVID pandemic and vaccines that are not supported by the evidence. I see many sources claiming that it has been proven that the vaccines don't work and are dangerous. However, the data shows a much lower rate of death among the vaccinated. It doesn't mean that the vaccines are perfectly safe or effective, but the evidence shows that you are much safer taking the vaccines.
I have multiple friends who think that vaccines are part of a conspiracy to kill off the human race. One of my doctors has encountered this and called these people paranoid.
Fear is the most powerful emotion and our greatest motivator. It is normal for people to have fears and be wary. This makes them susceptible to fearmongers. Many sources claiming to be scientific and objective are really just playing to people's fears.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
http://www.entertainmentjourney.com
John Coffey
http://www.entertainmentjourney.com
2023-12-27
A Film Depiction of a Coming Civil War...
There used to be common ground, that despite disagreements over policy, we were mostly united in the belief that the United States is a good thing, was founded on good principles, and is a force for good in the world. In the last decade or so, we have seen the rise of a significant number of people, including the majority of young people, who do not believe this and want to tear it all down.
If we do not have some common shared beliefs, then we will be at each other's throats.
2023-12-23
2023-12-22
The Global Empire of Palestine - Tablet Magazine
The salient fact is that the crushing military defeat suffered by the Palestinians will hardly matter, as long as the world's one superpower—alongside Europe and the Gulf Arab states—stand ready to rebuild whatever Israel destroys. By continually revitalizingthe Palestinians, by giving them new life, the stewards of global affairs have engendered something that by definition cannot survive in nature on its own: a society that celebrates death as its highest value. The Palestinians claim that it is their perseverance and faith, their willingness to suffer great losses, that ensures their ultimate victory. But the source of their steadfastness—their ability to replenish their arsenal and refurnish their tunnels and other military infrastructure—is, in fact, a luxury repeatedly afforded them by the U.S. and its European partners. Had world powers simply allowed Israelis and Palestinians to make war, the party of permanent resistance would have had two choices—change radically or perish entirely.
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/global-empire-of-palestine
2023-12-21
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2023-12-08
2023-12-07
2023-12-06
Japanese vs American Sports
2023-12-02
2023-12-01
Who won DeSantis, Newsom debate? Freedom – and Florida
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2023/12/01/desantis-newsom-debate-fox-blue-states-losing/71746426007/
All the YouTube videos I saw this morning claimed that Newsom won the debate and it was bad for Desantis' political career.
Conservative sources are saying the exact opposite.
Can Trump win in 2024? Biden is doing his best to make it happen
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2023/11/26/biden-trump-2024-election-battleground-polls/71667419007/
I question whether Biden will make it to a second term.
NEW Hans Niemann Chess Cheating Accusations
Either Hans Nieman is cheating or he soon will become a world top 10 player.
Human beings can be sociopathic, and humans also have a great capacity for delusional thinking. I have met many narcissistic chess players, and these people can be extremely annoying. I am pretty sure that narcissism is more common among chess players because competition appeals to people's egos.
This describes Nieman whose egotistical statements have turned opinions against him. Someone like him might feel entitled to win regardless of ability. In this case, a person could justify cheating because they think they are not getting the recognition they deserve. He could be motivated by a desire for acclaim.
I hope Nieman is the next great chess talent, but I don't know if this is true.
If I have time, I will analyze his games from this tournament.
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