Time to read THE LAST CENTURION?

TFLYTSNBN wrote:
Dilandru's opinion that this pandemic will elevate China's status is absurd. It appears that China created this virus. It is indisputable that China attempted to conceal the epidemic which enabled it to become a pandemic. China will not only become a moral pariah just as occurred after the Tianamen Square massacre, China has proven that it is an unreliable source for manufactured products. I predict that China will implode just like the Soviet Union.

TFY, I understood that you are afraid and insecure. But the reality would not change just because you desperatedly wanted it to be other way. The history would not stop just because Americans are scared to hysteria of their dominabce ending.

Daryl wrote:I don't want to seem to be continually attacking the US so hesitated, but a news article I have just read seems germane to this discussion.
Despite the corona virus they will not be shutting the schools in New York. Why? Apparently the schools are the only source of food for the poorest children. There are 110,000 that are completely homeless alone, apart from those whose parents are just too poor to feed them.
If this is true, it really is an indictment on the system. Going back a couple of decades. our PM was caught ad libbing in a speech. He was supposed to say "After this initiative, no Australian child will need to live in poverty", but actually said "After this initiative, no Australian child will live in poverty". Considering how some parents are that was obviously untrue.
However it does appear that many US children in the richest city on earth, are indeed living in poverty.

Again, that's just a bit misleading. The same decision exists in NC. As of yet, we are not shutting down the schools. I question that wisdom as well, but since I live in America, I'm aware of the bigger picture.

Indeed, many kids only source of sustenance during the day is school breakfasts and lunches. But of course, they are at school. I know you mean that their parents can't afford to feed them. That's not true across the board by a long shot. Of course there are poor families who count on the meals their kids get at school, and as a result they only need to worry about dinner.

But. There are other considerations. Such as babysitters and childcare. Working parents cannot afford to stay at home to look after their kids for extended periods of time when schools are out. In drug and crime infested cities like NY, the virus will truly be a secondary concern. Kids left at home unattended in NY may or may not be able to cook for themselves, they may or may not contract the virus, but they definitely will be raped, killed, maimed, assaulted, exploited, kidnapped, and possibly sold into slavery.

When schools close, all schools close. From kindergarten on up.

Again, as foreigners, you are too far removed.

cthia wrote:Kids left at home unattended in NY may or may not be able to cook for themselves, they may or may not contract the virus, but they definitely will be raped, killed, maimed, assaulted, exploited, kidnapped, and possibly sold into slavery.

I am sure you can enlighten us "far removed" european folk with some statistics that prove your assertion that there are criminals lurking at every corner of NYC just waiting for children to be unattended.

Because, you know, that seems quite far removed from reality.

cthia wrote: In drug and crime infested cities like NY, the virus will truly be a secondary concern. Kids left at home unattended in NY may or may not be able to cook for themselves, they may or may not contract the virus, but they definitely will be raped, killed, maimed, assaulted, exploited, kidnapped, and possibly sold into slavery.

...And you still insist that your nation is not crumbling apart?...

The E wrote:

cthia wrote:Kids left at home unattended in NY may or may not be able to cook for themselves, they may or may not contract the virus, but they definitely will be raped, killed, maimed, assaulted, exploited, kidnapped, and possibly sold into slavery.

I am sure you can enlighten us "far removed" european folk with some statistics that prove your assertion that there are criminals lurking at every corner of NYC just waiting for children to be unattended.

Because, you know, that seems quite far removed from reality.

::choking on beverage::

Your attempts to simply argue with me are getting more and more insane.

NYC is still one of the unfriendliest cities on the planet. If you ask someone the time in NYC, you might be ignored or challenged. People think you just want to see their watch, because pickpockets can pick your pockets and steal your watch while picking your brain.

You want me to prove to you that water is wet in NYC? I don't know if it's more hilarious that it needs to be proven or that you think I need internet statistics to do so. If you've ever been to NY, this nonsense of yours wouldn't exist. If you have been, then this post is proof positive you only wish to argue.

It's New York City man. It's New York City. The birthplace of gangs. A place which inspired an entire generation of gang warfare, culture and movies. A city where you can still be murdered in broad daylight for wearing the wrong colors. A city where all of your tires can be stolen, while you are still in your car.*

A city that is currently experiencing a sex trafficking epidemic where kids are stolen in broad daylight. Hungarians are preying off of New Yorkers like Jack the Ripper.

I sold my place in the Hamptons to my brother because of break-ins in one of the richest communities in New York. He sold it to one of our sisters because of the same problem. She sold it because she lost a 100k in jewelry to a rash of break-ins. IN THE HAMPTONS!

*Anecdotes that you hate:

I lived in NYC for less than six months decades ago. I bought four cars in as many months. All four tires were stolen from three of the cars. The tires on one car were stolen three times. Three of the cars were stolen. The last car I bought was a Porsche 911. One of my closest friends still tease me about that car. He tells the story that it was stolen because it was too slow. It had a listed speed of 0-60 in 3.6 seconds. It was stolen in 3.5 days after purchase. One tenth of a second too slow.

But! He fell asleep in his Mustang after staying up for days to meet a deadline. When he awoke, his car was sitting on cinder blocks. With him still in it!

When I visit NYC now buddy, I'm overlooking Central Park from One57 Plaza. Same friends' $50M pie in the sky. And I still don't feel safe. I'm leery of incoming jets.

They call it the concrete jungle because it's sweet.

So, to recap that bunch of words you wrote: You have no data that would lend credence to what you said.

Where have I seen that before? Oh, right, from the time you threatened to sue me! How's that going for you, by the way?

Dilandu wrote:

cthia wrote: In drug and crime infested cities like NY, the virus will truly be a secondary concern. Kids left at home unattended in NY may or may not be able to cook for themselves, they may or may not contract the virus, but they definitely will be raped, killed, maimed, assaulted, exploited, kidnapped, and possibly sold into slavery.

...And you still insist that your nation is not crumbling apart?...

Why? Nothing has changed since the roaring twenties in NYC crime except the Tommy guns and getaway cars.

cthia wrote:

Dilandu wrote:


...And you still insist that your nation is not crumbling apart?...

Why? Nothing has changed since the roaring twenties in NYC crime except the Tommy guns and getaway cars.

Not quite true:

https://qz.com/162289/217-years-of-homi ... -york/amp/

This is a little out of date:

https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-43628494

Keep in mind that back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, New York City was enjoying about 2,000 homicides per year. The vast majority were never solved. Most killings were with guns but homicides with rifles much less evil "assault rifles" were nearly non existent. Murder rates plummeted because of changing demographics. The reduced case load has enabled NYC police to solve almost 2/3s of murders!

England has plenty of children who are victims of sex trafficking. However; the British keep a stiff upper lip about it because other portions of their anatomy are to limp to confront the perpetrators who are Muslims.

Dilandu wrote:

TFLYTSNBN wrote:
Dilandru's opinion that this pandemic will elevate China's status is absurd. It appears that China created this virus. It is indisputable that China attempted to conceal the epidemic which enabled it to become a pandemic. China will not only become a moral pariah just as occurred after the Tianamen Square massacre, China has proven that it is an unreliable source for manufactured products. I predict that China will implode just like the Soviet Union.

TFY, I understood that you are afraid and insecure. But the reality would not change just because you desperatedly wanted it to be other way. The history would not stop just because Americans are scared to hysteria of their dominabce ending.

As President Ronald Reagan might say, it is the Soviet Empire, not the United States that has been cast upon the ash heap of history.

China has existed as a unified country for only a few brief episodes of its history. Most of this limited time as a unified country has occurred during the Pax Americana since WW2. The Wuhan virus IS motivating even more corporations to relocate out of China and many back to America. The economic hemorrhage will get even worse when Trump finally withdraws US forces in the Persian Gulf. China's oil supply will go up in flames.

TFLYTSNBN wrote:

As President Ronald Reagan might say, it is the Soviet Empire, not the United States that has been cast upon the ash heap of history.

And for some reason you are so sure that USA would not repeat this fate?

Considering that you seems to be very eager to repeat Soviet mistakes, I somehow doubt that)

TFLYTSNBN wrote:
China has existed as a unified country for only a few brief episodes of its history. Most of this limited time as a unified country has occurred during the Pax Americana since WW2. The Wuhan virus IS motivating even more corporations to relocate out of China and many back to America. The economic hemorrhage will get even worse when Trump finally withdraws US forces in the Persian Gulf. China's oil supply will go up in flames.

Yeah, one problem. China pandemic is over, and China demonstrated, that it could handle such crisis.

Europe pandemic is just gearing up, and USA one is just starting. Considering general incompetence of European and American administration, there are reasons to assume that it would last far longer than Chinese one.

And so where would the corporations move?...

Seriously, I wonder what difference left between Trump America and Andropov USSR? Exactly the same level of wishful thinking that some processes somehow would turn reality upside down.