Merv's Politically Incorrect Audio Blog

Errrm... FAANG?

(OK, I googled. But you see what you did there? Just as they smeed you, you faanged me... Using corporate jargon as if everybody knows it. We don't.)

This though, pleases me. Google says it's an acronym, and hey, looks as if it is! Or maybe its the stopped-clock thing. At least it's correct twice a day.

 

I tried explaining to my boss that I'm a LSS black belt and scrum master that can bend his burn down curve and help him matrix his employees but he looked at me with a blank stare and then suggested I take a Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion course.

 

This is what ai bots writing tinder profiles looks like...

 

Is it possible to like China's Xi? Well maybe for 15 mins in my life and I am already ashamed of myself

I checked Xi statements about Putin nuclear threats in 2022. He said it three times to Scholtz and others that he finds it unacceptable.
But we heard insanities in Russian TV about nuking this and that, Warsaw, London etc.. . Even today.

So finally Xi had enough, and made Putin say it. Here is the direct quote from Russian press agency Interfax:

"Russia, China declare unacceptability of unleashing nuclear war - statement
MOSCOW. March 21 (Interfax) - Russia and China said it is unacceptable to unleash a nuclear war in which there can be no winners, calling on all nuclear powers not to deploy weapons outside their territories and withdraw them from abroad.
"[...] The parties reiterate that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and it should never be unleashed," a joint statement signed by the Russian and Chinese leaders following talks in Moscow said."

 

Obviously, there's an ulterior motive here... probably for Russia to point to later if Depleted uranium is used against Russian forces, while China gets the insurance of being neutral if something happens...

 

I will not dig into the motives for neutering Putin nuclear threats. It has been pretty clear to me that this is the last thing China would allow to happen but making Putin saying it, sends the message. And it makes Xi look good unfortunately.

 

I thought "not to deploy weapons outside their territories" was the major out. IOW, Russia considers Ukraine their territory.

 

There are many different aspects, I found it very interesting, that nuclear powers should not keep nuclear weapons outside of their territories, meaning the US should not have any nuclear weapons outside US territory. I wonder how many they have in Europe (and other regions) at the moment.

Edit: included the important „not“

 

On another note, I think a republican senator called Russia a glorified gas station (before the war).
Now some people think that China‘s main political interest in Russia is its capability to prove a nuisance for the West and it’s main economic interest in Russia is as a super cheap gas station.

 

Thanks for:

a) the information (I would have expected fewer)

b) the protection this provides not only to the US but also other nations where people enjoy the freedom of speaking their mind

 

I believe the UK still has some nuclear armed subs under its own command as well.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...t/uk-nuclear-deterrence-what-you-need-to-know

 

Aha, but: what about the censorship of horror movies in Hong Kong?

 

Having since moved away from Silicon Valley and more recently laid off by a FAANG company, I concur. : )

SME is just one of many...

 

One thing bothers me about all of this for years.

The landmass that connects Europe, Asia and Africa has been desired by all kinds of rulers and empires for millennia. From the Black Sea to the Fertile Crescent, this has been happening for so long. As a kid I used to read the Bible and history books to get a sense of why, how and when. Well there are many reasons.

Thing is, every landmass on this earth that connects one or more continents, thus trade-routes is very beneficial to control. How many empires has it been now? Who knows? What matters is that this is not new.

In 1921 the Ukrainians could not unify and the the Soviet Union took over. In 1991 the Ukraine became kind of independent but was not quite stable yet.

Now it is 2023 and it is a cluster-f**k. Well, read and learn. That is the fate of this particular landmass between Europe, Asia and Africa. It will not end.

 

Everything ends in tragedy.

 

Very LOL when most of the FL GOP Reps are backing Trump over DeSantis except for one Congresswomen who used to work for DeSantis.

 

I hope the U.S. will have a president that knows how to behave.

Kindness requires more inner strength than most people realise.

In NL some people celebrate 10 years a king. Some people detest him. He sometimes forgets that he is only the king because of the deal the monarchy made in 1848. Post 1848 Europe could have been without monarchies. He is not the smartest head of state. I hope he learns.