To: roto who wrote (175458 ) 7/28/2021 5:15:54 PM From: TobagoJack Respond to of 217649 Re << your post reads bleak.. presents as China vs America >> Yes, at least somewhat bleak. The trajectory arguably was tee-ed up by Team Obama when Team China offered to share, and enhance by Team Trump. And further enhanced now. The issues are trans-politics and deep-state hubbed. Re <<as it shakes, there is little to be gained for the Americans here, but for China, everything. (look at the sideline cheerleaders from E./ S.E./ S. Asia.. who do you think they are they rooting for?) >> Doubtful there is anything to be gained by non-cooperation. By cooperation, perhaps something. But we are well beyond possibilities of cooperation. Uni-pole, an aberration, is obviously no more. As to rooting, difficult to say, especially if one treat Mexico-USA-Canada as one domain, and without checking, I suspect everywhere of the red shading. Still a few blue spots to convert. Perhaps Belt & Road can accelerate the global cooperation trend. Multi-pole is arguably a more stable system. Re <<one can put all the hyperbole (strictly China domestic consumption only) aside & deal with the cards presented.. Ms Sherman acted like a mother dealing with a recalcitrant child... she did well from her position of strength. Maybe the Oct meeting will improve. >> I doubt the premise, and am suspicious that Team Biden will get much accomplished by 2024, and therefore the going forward possibilities 2026 /2032. It is not a DNC vs GOP thing, but without cooperation each team shall likely and simply take turns to mill time and get not much done. Just a suspicion. Time shall tell. Little need to debate and more profitable to sus out by dialogue. Doubtful USA’s enemy is China, its largest supplier should we choose to treat Mexico-N.America as one domain. Suspicious that the USA enemy is within the USA. If so, very troubling, because the world needs a stable USA. Am agnostic to the extent of physical metal savings allocation of ~10-15% - have not tallied for awhile so flying a bit distracted.