United States Biden administration policies and actions - megathread

[LindyAF]

I wouldn't look at it as stupidity, rather, it's an understanding of who the threats to themselves are and who their real enemies are.

America doesn't have any peer or even near-peer enemies right now. The only other nations that are even properly sovereign (i.e. could meaningfully make us bleed if we decided to invade) are Russia and China- and they have very small spheres of foreign dominance relative to our own. It's notable that the tension points between us and them are happening effectively next door to them, but around the world from us.

 

[Lord Sovereign]

America doesn't have any peer or even near-peer enemies right now.

A great way to get those is by ruining your military capabilities!

 

[Zachowon]

China is close enough

 

[LindyAF]

China is close enough

Has China ever won a war that isn't in it's own backyard?

If the US and China dec war on each other right now over, say, some South China Sea stuff that somehow keeps escalating, how does that end?

 

[strunkenwhite]

This is a casual discussion. A typo or grammatical error is no big deal, and correcting them instead of engaging with the material is off subject, somewhat condescending, and a tad rude. It's just not necessary. Everyone knows what that poster meant.

Fair enough on the "NBD" aspect of things. Possibly I was motivated by pettiness after he made it clear he wasn't willing to have any substantive discussion with me, which is why I didn't bother engaging on anything other than the most elementary level of fact. I actually had a bit more in that post which I deleted; maybe I shouldn't have.

But, regardless of perhaps-petty feelings in this specific instance, the itch is genuine for me.

 

[Rocinante]

Fair enough on the "NBD" aspect of things. Possibly I was motivated by pettiness after he made it clear he wasn't willing to have any substantive discussion with me, which is why I didn't bother engaging on anything other than the most elementary level of fact. I actually had a bit more in that post which I deleted; maybe I shouldn't have.

But, regardless of perhaps-petty feelings in this specific instance, the itch is genuine for me.

Oh believe me, I can relate. I want to correct stuff ALL THE TIME, despite making plenty of my own errors...

I have to continually remind myself that it just makes me look like a jerk.

 

[Zachowon]

Has China ever won a war that isn't in it's own backyard?

If the US and China dec war on each other right now over, say, some South China Sea stuff that somehow keeps escalating, how does that end?

You do know Ctber and Space are huge components to modern combat

 

[DocSolarisReich]

I wouldn't look at it as stupidity, rather, it's an understanding of who the threats to themselves are and who their real enemies are.

America doesn't have any peer or even near-peer enemies right now. The only other nations that are even properly sovereign (i.e. could meaningfully make us bleed if we decided to invade) are Russia and China- and they have very small spheres of foreign dominance relative to our own. It's notable that the tension points between us and them are happening effectively next door to them, but around the world from us.

The Eurasian block doesn't even have to actively do anything to maintain their sphere of influence, just deter the Atlantic Empire's naked thirst for 'regime change' and 'democracy' for long enough for the Empire to collapse in a stinking pile of its' own contradictions.

 

[LindyAF]

You do know Ctber and Space are huge components to modern combat

Are they components that actually change the outcome here?

I agree China is something of a threat, especially going forward, as is Russia- there's a reason I singled them out as "properly sovereign," but currently the american empire stretches from Taiwan to at least Germany, whereas China is trying to reinforce it's claim over... a sea it is on and a city on their own mainland.

 

[Bacle]

Are they components that actually change the outcome here?

You do understand enemy sats and such are vital pieces of their command and control system, right?

Also, there is no 'higher' ground than in orbit, and those that control the orbitals stand the best chance of winning a modern conflict.

 

[LindyAF]

You do understand enemy sats and such are vital pieces of their command and control system, right?

Also, there is no 'higher' ground than in orbit, and those that control the orbitals stand the best chance of winning a modern conflict.

Are you saying that China currently outperforms the US in Space to a sufficient extent to change the outcome of a conflict? We have like > 4x the number of satellites China does.

 

[Bacle]

Are you saying that China currently outperforms the US in Space to a sufficient extent to change the outcome of a conflict? We have like > 4x the number of satellites China does.

It's not about raw numbers, it's about what happens when those sats become targets.

China can revert to landline and line-of-sight comms a lot easier than we can in a conflict in most potential conflict zones.

We need our sats more than China needs theirs, and that's not even counting civie birds that would be collateral damage, or secondary targets.

Space is where a lot of our edge, and vunerability, both lie. So dismissing the impact of the space theater of combat/conflict, simply due to current raw numbers, is operating in an outdated mindset.

 

[Zachowon]

Are they components that actually change the outcome here?

I agree China is something of a threat, especially going forward, as is Russia- there's a reason I singled them out as "properly sovereign," but currently the american empire stretches from Taiwan to at least Germany, whereas China is trying to reinforce it's claim over... a sea it is on and a city on their own mainland.

It is actually stretching to Poland. We have a lot of troops there.

And yes, Cyber and Space are such huge components, that the US military is throwing a lot of money into this fields, especially for the Army and Air Force

 

[LindyAF]

It is actually stretching to Poland. We have a lot of troops there.

And yes, Cyber and Space are such huge components, that the US military is throwing a lot of money into this fields, especially for the Army and Air Force

My question wasn't that Cyber and Space are huge components, it's if they're components at which China outperforms us by large enough margin that it swing the balance of power in favor of China.

China can revert to landline and line-of-sight comms a lot easier than we can in a conflict in most potential conflict zones.

Yes, see, IMO this is the key bit here. The reason why that's true is that "most potential conflict zones" are in either very close to China or actually in China.

 

[DocSolarisReich]

Yes, see, IMO this is the key bit here. The reason why that's true is that "most potential conflict zones" are in either very close to China or actually in China.

China/Russia must want trouble, just look at how close they put their borders to our military bases!

 

[LindyAF]

^Yeah

We've kinda strayed from the topic, so here's some more Biden admin policy I haven't seen mentioned here yet:

White farmers blast $5bn promised to nonwhite farmers in Biden's relief: despite making up <13% of farmers, 50% of federal aid to farmers during the pandemic is being earmarked for nonwhites.

 

[Rocinante]

^Yeah

We've kinda strayed from the topic, so here's some more Biden admin policy I haven't seen mentioned here yet:

White farmers blast $5bn promised to nonwhite farmers in Biden's relief: despite making up <13% of farmers, 50% of federal aid to farmers during the pandemic is being earmarked for nonwhites.

An outright, blatantly racist policy that has nothing to do with covid.

 

[Bear Ribs]

Yeah, saw and posted the farming thing a while back.

I have the impression they want to export poor minorities from downtown LA slums and give them farms with this. A lot of this land seems to be grants to obtain farms and paying off land debt for purchases of farmland.

I've seen that pop up quite a bit on places like SB, often with the misconception that farming is easy because the plants grow themselves so really you just need to own tons of land, hire immigrant labor for four cents an hour to pick for you while you sip lemonade, and you're done. This is often paired with sentiments like "Poor farmer... owns 500 acres... pick one." They seem to think this will flip rural areas blue.

 

[Rocinante]

Yeah, saw and posted the farming thing a while back.

I have the impression they want to export poor minorities from downtown LA slums and give them farms with this. A lot of this land seems to be grants to obtain farms and paying off land debt for purchases of farmland.

I've seen that pop up quite a bit on places like SB, often with the misconception that farming is easy because the plants grow themselves so really you just need to own tons of land, hire immigrant labor for four cents an hour to pick for you while you sip lemonade, and you're done. This is often paired with sentiments like "Poor farmer... owns 500 acres... pick one." They seem to think this will flip rural areas blue.

Oh shit.

Your last sentence.

Suddenly it all makes complete sense.

 

[Arlos]

often with the misconception that farming is easy because the plants grow themselves so really you just need to own tons of land, hire immigrant labor for four cents an hour to pick for you while you sip lemonade, and you're done. This is often paired with sentiments like "Poor farmer... owns 500 acres... pick one."

There is much wrong here I am not even sure where to start....pfew.
How do you get this disconnected from reality?