Why The Siberian and Amur Tigers Must Be Destroyed.

 

There are deep cultural fissures and struggles at work in the new era of geopolitical contest and confrontation that stalks the third decade of the 21st century. This is surprising given the past 35 years of globalization that were supposed to erase ideological divides and erode cultural boundaries. As a result, we have grown accustomed to collectively rejecting notions that cultural contrast or prejudice underpins policies and actions in the international space. Yet if anything, the past decade has seen these divides and boundaries reinforced. Why?

(OSTB : Disagree. Nope not at all. The Chinese are no less Chinese today than they were 50 years ago or 20 years ago. Neither are the Americans any less American than they were 50 years ago or 20 years ago. People are what they are. The only difference is who has become more scientifically advanced. Who is scientifically more progressive. Because that is what makes individuals and societies better than what they were before. Not your unchanging cultures, not your unchanging traditions or your religious beliefs.)

The US as the most powerful global superpower helped set this new direction – for two separate reasons. First, the attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September 2001 unleashed a wave of fear and prejudice towards the Muslim world. The Global War on Terror that the attacks spawned launched the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan that cost millions of civilian lives and has left a legacy of deep suspicion towards Arab and Muslim society. 

(OSTB : Disagree again.  There is a deep suspicion towards Arabs, Muslims, Chinese, Russians, Venezuelans, Cubans by the United States and its political mentor the United Kingdom. The rest of the world, including continental Europe, may not share the same sentiments. For years Europe has almost completely thrown open its doors to Arab and Muslim migrants. As a result of which Europe is now suffering 'multi-culturalism is bad' problems. Yet the Europeans are unfazed. They are still accepting Arab and Muslim immigrants. Rabidly anti-Islam Geert Wilders whose party won the largest number of seats in the Dutch Parliament will not be the Prime Minister after all. He did not win a sufficient majority and he cannot form a coalition. Meaning the majority of Dutch parties do not accept his anti-Islam phobia. I am not saying they are right or wrong but these are the realities. Not everyone around the world thinks like the Americans.).

A decade later, America’s fear of Chinese economic and military primacy revived long-dormant anti-Chinese sentiment, which in some political quarters has started to assume the same level of cultural and social paranoia as anti-Muslim sentiment post 9/11. 

(OSTB : The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of enemies. If not real then imaginary.)

Today, Chinese students and academics are finding it hard to obtain visas for US colleges. Last year, the US State Department reported issuing 20,000 fewer visas to Chinese students than in 2019. The Chinese foreign ministry has said that some students have been unfairly questioned and sent home after arriving at airports in the U.S.

Not surprisingly, Chinese authorities have stepped up their concern about foreign influence in China. Nowadays, many Western governments advise their nationals to avoid travel to China. Only around 700 American college students were studying in China in 2023 compared to about 25,000 a decade ago, the Washington Post reported.

Serving US military officers no longer travel to China for exchange visits or education; Chinese officers that once attended the Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies in Hawaii, a Defense Department Institute, stopped going after the Americans invited Taiwanese officers to attend courses there.

China’s resistance to Christian proselytization has subtly underpinned suspicion of the world’s most populous country, especially in American minds since the late 19th century. When China’s growth and development started to impinge on American economic primacy, in the past two decades, these historical tropes re-emerged.

My Comments : Here is the real story. The Chinese economy is now the world's largest economy. I think this is World Bank data here. These are the world's largest GDPs by Purchasing Power Parity or PPP.

In 2023 the size of the Chinese economy at US$33 Trillion is 43% bigger than the US economy (at US$23 Trillion).  The real story is the numbers for China are understated. The Chinese figures could be higher.

And according to the World Bank's latest "revised" reports the Russian economy has overtaken Japan since 2021 (according to Alexander Mercouris). The Russian economy is now the fourth largest economy in the world at US$6.45 Trillion (2023), larger than Germany's US$5.7 Trillion (est. 2024).   Russia also produces 2.5 times more steel per year than Germany does. 

Considering that Germany was the powerhouse of the European economy, it means that Russia is actually a much bigger powerhouse. So understandably Russia is not counted as part of Europe. "The Russian economy is the powerhouse of Europe" does not sound like good reporting.

But here is the real issue. Both China and Russia are tiger economies. The Chinese Amur tiger and its identical "cousin" the Russian Siberian tiger.  

 WHICH IS WHICH?

The Amur tiger (also known as the Siberian tiger) and the Siberian tiger are actually the same species of tiger (Panthera tigris), but they are different subspecies. The Amur tiger is found in the Amur region of Russia and northeastern China, while the Siberian tiger is found in Siberia and other parts of Russia

Both China and Russia are far removed from Wall Street or the City of London banks and they are largely de-dollarised economies. They earn US Dollars (and pile them up) from their export earnings. But for their economic growth they have their own plentiful sources of capital in Yuan and Rubles.

What does this mean? It means they must be destroyed. Thats what it means. As simple as that. 

Nothing to do with culture or whatever.  Russia and China are becoming just too competitive. Here is an 8 minute video on Russian heavy machinery, trucks, vans, cars and other vehicles.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.