• 0 Posts
  • 18 Comments
Joined 1 year ago
Cake day: July 2nd, 2023
  • Arcturus@kbin.socialtoMemes@lemmy.ml•China bad, USA good
    11·
    1 year ago

    We do business dealings in China, and let me tell you that American workers are compensated more for their efforts than the Chinese workers are. That’s why we do business in China lol. Its also why we do business in the Philippines. Mainly because we can profit, and Chinese owners can host an elaborate party for us (mainly because their margins are larger than ours). They feel compelled to because it’s a prestige thing, to be able to flaunt wealth. But it’s not exactly aristocratic, which is my background. One of the wives for example showed us their plate collection for example, which easily breaks over $100k in value, they had some interesting pieces, such as Queen Elizabeth state sets (my family has one of those somewhere), but they won’t understand the difference between all the plates, or what they are (that’s what the servants are for). It’s literally just meaningless consumption, more bourgeois capitalist than you can ever imagine. I’ve had Chinese businessmen literally call me while they’re in France, asking what kind of watch they should buy. It’s never under $5,000 at least. One of them bought an Extra-Plat Squelette 5395 in Hong Kong. And these aren’t workers lol. Chinese workers aren’t meeting with American billionaires, owners of big pharma, literal royalty. It’s a class that has been built and expanded under Xi Jinping’s reign that has. Just look at Feng Shui, and how the focus is on raking in money, and more importantly, keeping it.

  • Arcturus@kbin.socialtoMemes@lemmy.ml•China bad, USA good
    2·
    1 year ago

    But he does. Sending your kids to Harvard isn’t exactly cheap. His personal wealth is only beaten by his political power. Marxism and Leninism are political ideologies, not just economic. Xi also nods his head to Mao, but that doesn’t mean anything. Donald Trump also nods his head to Lincoln and Washington.

    You don’t seem to understand the difference between the party propaganda line, and the actual reality. A lot of urban educated in China do understand this, and know how to toe the line.

  • Arcturus@kbin.socialtoMemes@lemmy.ml•China bad, USA good
    1·
    1 year ago

    The Chinese state is cracking down on billionaires and the wealthy, to some extent, mainly as they are a challenge to the states own power. Not as a result of much else. Loyal ones, particularly close to Xi, are left alone.

    China continues to be highly neoliberal in business practice, supported and subsidised by the state, if you’re in a key industry, particularly as China faces economic downturn. Chinese workers are pliant, and educated. Which is why Elon Musk is there.

    The proletariat do not hold the power in China, they are seen as a threat by the Chinese elite. Hence a heavy surveillance state, and large propaganda arm.

    The transition from socialism to capitalism, in theory, does not include a devolution back to capitalism lol. Xi Jinping has created more wealth for the Chinese elite than any other previous Chinese President. Unless you think the Germans were also socialist during the 30’s and 40’s.

  • Arcturus@kbin.socialtoMemes@lemmy.ml•China bad, USA good
    2·
    1 year ago

    The US could definitely do that, their logistics capabilities are immense. On top of that you have the submarine fleet, as well as assistance from regional allies. Probably not enough to take the entire country, but enough for it to capitulate through conventional means.

  • Arcturus@kbin.socialtoUnited Kingdom@feddit.uk•Lockdowns and face masks ‘unequivocally’ cut spread of Covid, report finds
    112·
    1 year ago

    Sweden was a bit of an outlier though. Most younger Swedes live alone. And they tend to follow government advisories. New Zealand’s strategy was stellar, particularly early on in the pandemic. You could do what you want. I remember we were out having concerts as if there was no pandemic, thanks to the zero COVID strategy. But by late-Delta, early-Omicron, zero COVID could not longer be sustained, and it was clear only mitigations would stick. The government hoped to eliminate it like they did the other times, but it was just impossible then, people had become complacent. But yes, on the healthcare-side and economic-side, NZ fared better than Sweden.

  • Arcturus@kbin.socialtoLinux@lemmy.ml•Most uncomplicated Printer that just works™?
    2·
    1 year ago

    I will also add, the new Brother laser toners, can be a bit iffy with their chip. They’re not as easy to refill (or use aftermarket toners) as the used to be, not impossible, but it’s not as easy. Nothing wrong with Brother tho, when it works, it works well, and reliably. It’s not like HP, where the cheaper printers require a ink subscription service (and in my experience, tend to break more easily).

  • Arcturus@kbin.socialtoLinux@lemmy.ml•Most uncomplicated Printer that just works™?
    5·
    1 year ago

    If you want a simple colour printer and scanner, go for a Canon Megatank or Epson Ecotank. If you’re only printing black and white, a Brother laser printer is good, just a touch more expensive than other equivalents. The OEM toner isn’t cheap, in theory tho, they can last much longer without needing to print. The ink tank printers have far cheaper ink. Only downside is that it requires printing once a week to ensure that nothing clogs up. That said, these tank printers are smaller and lighter than Brother Colour AIO’s.