If you are experienced in the board game Risk, you know that it is for a maximum
of 6 players, and you know that one player will disappear from the game quite
quickly, and that two more will follow soon enough. Then the game is down to
three players, and this usually leads to 2 ganging up on 1, both throwing all
their forces against the 1 until that one is gone.
The world has gone something like that. We are down to
three players: the USA, Russia, and China. The EU doesn’t count because it is
not a warrior entity and because it is disintegrating where it stands. Japan
doesn’t count because it has no military power and Risk is a wargame.
Russia and China have played the game differently than
the USA. I think that to some U.S. leaders, and particularly President Obama,
the nation state is an inconvenience to be endured until we all come to unity
of non-democratic transnational organizations. Russia and China are very keen
on their national interests. Their leaders are not willing to sacrifice their
national interests to those of globalism. One tactic used in this 2 against 1 game may
have been the Russian hacking that led to the Clinton emails being leaked.
And they are collaborating in undermining the U.S.
dollar as the world’s reserve currency. The creation of the SDR as the new
world currency is a step away from the paramountcy of the dollar. The SDR is a
basket of currencies, of which China’s yuan is a significant part. This is not
some vague concept. Even Air Canada limits your claims to 17 SDRs per kilo of
lost luggage (http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/before/contract.html).
The dollar has been doing well lately. It seems that
the Trump victory (IF he even becomes President) has boosted confidence in the
dollar. I say IF because the electoral college still hasn’t cast their vote.
There is talk now that a number of the 307 members that the public thinks are
committed to voting for Mr. Trump are wavering. Something similar happened in
1824 (http://gordonfeil.blogspot.ca/2016/10/donald-trump-is-right-game-is-rigged.html).
If even 37 of them change their minds, then he fails to get the requisite 270
votes for victory, and then the decision goes to the House of Representatives. It’s republican controlled, but who knows how
many disaffected republicans are in that assembly and who would like nothing better
than to “throw the bum out on his ass”?
I like the reference to the game Risk - enjoyed it for many years. Although it would be fantastic if the EC rejected Trump, I don't think that is very likely. However, I do see evidence that a few Republicans are not in step with Trump and may actively seek to thwart some of his nominees and proposals (it would only take a few - the Dems have 48 votes in the Senate).
ReplyDeleteAs for Russia, I hope that a majority of Americans (Dems and GOP) will regard its tampering with the election as an attack on our country which demands retaliation. Where China is concerned, I'm sure that Nixon is spinning in his grave and Kissinger is shaking his head in disbelief at some of Trump's statements/actions. And, I would argue that the game is already down to ONE player (has been for years). Russia and China are trying to get back into the game - we can let them, but God help us if we do!
I believe that America's international military influence will wane as the cost of projecting power to the periphery of its reach will scale beyond the ability to pay. Plenty of room to be in the game.
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