Per Tam, this is pretty interesting:
What is also interesting is the different ways that Russia and China have responded to pervasive corruption within their respective militaries. Xi is apparently trying to clean house. Putin seems to be less aware of corruption (or he is getting a cut), because he's not removing people. Putin may be more of a guy who has the Trumist/Bushie view that reality is what he says it is.
Still, Putin may prevail in Ukraine because the Republicans have his back, just as the American Right had Germany's back right up until December 11, 1941. And while Xi may be more aware of his military's shortcomings than Putin, Xi might yet attack Taiwan because he may comclude that the Republicans will be as willing to combat Chinese aggression as they are in combating Russian aggression.
Tis The Season For Calm And Reason
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December 7, 1941, September 11, 2001, whatever. Date may be off, observation right on.
The date isn't off. Germany declared war on the United States on December 11th, 1941.
Over the medium term (~10 -- 20 years), the gravest threat that the world faces is the personal insecurity of Xi Jinping and the concomitant unpredictability of his behavior and possibility that he may make some unimaginable mistake.
But the corruption is squarely on him, because (like any CEO) he sets the tone for hiring at every level of the organization, and (like all Party dictatorships) that tone is loyalty over competence. He has no standing to criticize that and no ability to change it, so it will continue indefinitely.
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