Chinese Military,Political and Social Superthread

[JLB50]

I am, by several orders of magnitude, less concerned about PP's interest in crypto than by parts of the left and centre-left's interest in abolishing cash. Weigh the consequences of that. I can provide a couple: fragility of electronic transaction systems; inefficiency of forcing people to substitute barter for cash (because they will: depend on it).

I agree with you on concerns about abolishing cash. Also, trying to keep this thread on topic, I do have serious concerns about Russia or China hacking in to our electronic banking systems even more so than they already have. I am of the belief that those countries are out to destroy the West. It’s not a matter of if but when push actually comes to shove and that we had better prepare for that eventuality, something that the Trudeau government has not done. Harper was perhaps slightly better but not a whole lot.

 

[JLB50]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/paper-excellence-pulp-china-1.6772654

The CBC has an interesting story on who is behind one of our biggest producers/suppliers of pulp and paper. Guess who?
But, hey, we sure are good at hewing that wood! Chop, chop!

 

[Czech_pivo]

Abolishing cash - so they can track everything you purchase. No thanks. The Orwellian sect doesn’t need to know.

Here's a fun fact -
in 1964 an imperial gallon of gas cost about 31 cents. You could have paid that with a 1964 50 cent piece at 80% silver purity, equaling .30 of an oz of silver. That same 50 cent piece from 1964 is now worth 8.17$ CAD because of its silver value. That same imperial gallon of gas today would you 6.81$/gallon in CAD. I'd like to keep my coinage/cash and avoid going digital.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Everything digital is ultimately very fragile.

 

[Halifax Tar]

We're doomed.

 

[dapaterson]

We're doomed.

#Evergreen

 

[Kirkhill]

Sabrina Maddeaux: From Chrétien to Trudeau, China has had its claws in the Liberal party

Any inquiry into Chinese election interference must go back decades

nationalpost.com

Des innocents et la Chine rouge

Justin Trudeau a été obnubilé par les perspectives de succès canadien en Chine.

www.ledevoir.com

Must be bad when both the National Post and Le Devoir are singing from the same hymn book.

Meanwhile the Globe and Mail meanders along, betwixt and between.

Trudeau can survive Chinese meddling uproar – but economic harms for Canada could be deep​

LAWRENCE MARTINPUBLIC AFFAIRS COLUMNIST

EXCLUSIVE
Canada rejected a visa for Chinese diplomat on foreign-interference grounds
YESTERDAY

POLITICS
Liberals filibuster opposition attempt to call PM’s chief of staff to testify on Chinese interference
MARCH 7, 2023
[IMG alt="Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, March 6, 2023. The House of Commons resumes today following a two week recess. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
"]https://www.theglobeandmail.com/resizer/l7MZYGmw7vr0iBy-jAgyOBPcmrA=/200x0/smart/filters:quality(80)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tgam/LF56AEEJWVLD7KHUWYHH3OYX44.JPG[/IMG]
CANADA
Trudeau orders two probes into Chinese election interference
MARCH 6, 2023

OPINION
Doubt has been sown in Canada’s democracy. This cannot stand
JEAN-PIERRE KINGSLEYMARCH 6, 2023
OPINION
We don’t need a public inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian elections
ANDREW COYNEMARCH 3, 2023

OPINION
Canada’s foreign-interference alert system failed voters in the 2021 election. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen again
KONRAD YAKABUSKIMARCH 3, 2023

OPINION
Ottawa’s sounds of silence on election meddling
THE EDITORIAL BOARDMARCH 3, 2023
POLITICS
CSIS investigating who leaked information of China’s election interference
MARCH 2, 2023

OPINION
An inquiry into foreign interference may restore trust in electoral process
JOHN IBBITSONMARCH 1, 2023

CANADA
Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation returning donation with link to China
MARCH 1, 2023

CANADA
Justin Trudeau should get tougher on China, Canadians say in poll
MARCH 1, 2023

POLITICS
Foreign interference did not affect outcome of 2021 election, report says
FEBRUARY 28, 2023

WORLD
Chinese donors who funded Trudeau Foundation wanted statue of Mao in Montreal
FEBRUARY 28, 2023
[IMG alt="From newsletter produced by University of Montreal’s law school with headline “HISTORICAL DONATION TO THE FACULTY OF LAW”. Left to right: Yang Xinyu, Minister-Counsellor for Education at the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa, the donor Zhang Bin, Peng Jingtao, Consul General of China in Montreal, Guy Breton, rector of the Université de Montréal, Guy Lefebvre, vice-rector, the donor Niu Gensheng, Alexandre Trudeau, director and member of the
Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Jean-François Gaudreault-DesBiens, Dean of the Faculty of Law"]https://www.theglobeandmail.com/resizer/7ibv6Bx62ELzZNBUF_1-Q4q4kgo=/200x0/smart/filters:quality(80)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tgam/OWCT5IS3DBCZ3CPNSDZ3IVNZA4.jpg[/IMG]
OPINION
CSIS is worried about China interfering in our elections, even if the government isn’t
ANDREW COYNEFEBRUARY 28, 2023

EUROPEAN BUSINESS
European Parliament to ban TikTok from staff phones for security reasons, EU official says
FEBRUARY 28, 2023

POLITICS
CSIS uncovered Chinese plan to donate to Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
FEBRUARY 28, 2023

THE DECIBEL: A DAILY NEWS PODCAST FROM THE GLOBE AND MAIL
CSIS documents reveal a web of Chinese influence in Canada
Podcast
FEBRUARY 27, 2023

REPORT ON BUSINESS
Iran’s currency hits record low as effects of anti-government protests roil economy
FEBRUARY 26, 2023

OPINION
CSIS found specific Chinese interference in Canada’s election. What happened next?
CAMPBELL CLARKFEBRUARY 22, 2023

POLITICS
CSIS reports outline how China targets Canadian politicians, business leaders
FEBRUARY 20, 2023

POLITICS
CSIS documents reveal Chinese strategy to influence Canada’s 2021 election
FEBRUARY 17, 2023

I suppose there might be a silver lining in all of this

Military procurement announcements would be just the thing to crowd the front pages and make an incumbent look tough and patriotic.

 

[Jarnhamar]

but I think that Poilievre is taking too many chances with my money

Money is definitely in short supply these days. How much money have you lost because of Poilievre so far?

and the fact that he has changed his mind suggests how dangerous his actions could be.

I would counter this by offering that someone who is too proud to change their mind when they are presented with new, better information are the dangerous ones.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Money is definitely in short supply these days. How much money have you lost because of Poilievre so far?



I would counter this by offering that someone who is too proud to change their mind when they are presented with new, better information are the dangerous ones.

I don't get it either. They don't like his statement on cryptocurrency and then when he changes course he dangerous.

Again if one can still vote Liberal then I have to assume you're simply a loyal party person who puts the party before the country.

 

[Furniture]

I would counter this by offering that someone who is too proud to change their mind when they are presented with new, better information are the dangerous ones.

The difference is; when it's someone I like and they change their mind, it's because they are willing to learn and adapt to new information. When it's someone I don't like, they are waffling and duplicitous.

 

[Kirkhill]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/paper-excellence-pulp-china-1.6772654

The CBC has an interesting story on who is behind one of our biggest producers/suppliers of pulp and paper. Guess who?
But, hey, we sure are good at hewing that wood! Chop, chop!

Sinar Mas. Owned and run by a billionaire Indonesian family of Chinese origin — the Wijayas — the family has interests in palm oil, real estate, financial services and a controlling stake in Asia Pulp & Paper (APP).

Palm oil as biodiesel (once touted as a biofuel even the EU has been phasing it out)

As palm oil for biofuel rises in Southeast Asia, tropical ecosystems shrink

4. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL?​

Palm oil has been and continues to be a major driver of deforestation of some of the world’s most biodiverse forests, destroying the habitat of already endangered species like the Orangutan, pygmy elephant and Sumatran rhino. This forest loss coupled with conversion of carbon rich peat soils are throwing out millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and contributing to climate change. There also remains some exploitation of workers and child labour. These are serious issues that the whole palm oil sector needs to step up to address because it doesn’t have to be this way.

8 things to know about palm oil

Palm oil is one of the most efficient and widely used vegetable oils that comes from the fruit of oil palm trees. We've broken down they key facts.

www.wwf.org.uk

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/palm-oil-health-impact-environment-animals-deforestation-heart-a8505521.html


Looking for other applications - Why your butter won't spread

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-dairy-farmers-palm-fat-hard-butter-1.5927559

Palm oil isn't good for you - palm oil is too saturated - same reason the butter from cows fed with palm oil is too hard.

 

[Furniture]

Palm oil as biodiesel (once touted as a biofuel even the EU has been phasing it out)

As palm oil for biofuel rises in Southeast Asia, tropical ecosystems shrink

8 things to know about palm oil

Palm oil is one of the most efficient and widely used vegetable oils that comes from the fruit of oil palm trees. We've broken down they key facts.

www.wwf.org.uk

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/palm-oil-health-impact-environment-animals-deforestation-heart-a8505521.html


Looking for other applications - Why your butter won't spread

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-dairy-farmers-palm-fat-hard-butter-1.5927559

Palm oil isn't good for you - palm oil is too saturated - same reason the butter from cows fed with palm oil is too hard.

When I was in Malaysia back in 2017 the cab driver on my trip from Port Klang to Kuala Lumpur pointed out the palm plantations all along the highway, and mentioned how destructive to the natural habitat the palm oil industry was.

 

[Jarnhamar]

RCMP investigating alleged Chinese government police stations in Quebec​

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating two alleged covert police stations in Quebec that it believes are working on behalf of the Chinese government.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the RCMP said investigators are taking steps to "detect and disrupt these criminal activities supported by a foreign state that could also threaten the safety of people living in Canada."

"The RCMP recognizes that Canadians of Chinese origin are victims of alleged activities conducted by these centres," reads the statement from RCMP Sgt. Charles Poirier.

 

[JLB50]

I don't get it either. They don't like his statement on cryptocurrency and then when he changes course he dangerous.

Again if one can still vote Liberal then I have to assume you're simply a loyal party person who puts the party before the country.

Just as I don’t believe Trudeau I don’t believe Poilievre either.

 

[OldSolduer]

RCMP investigating alleged Chinese government police stations in Quebec​

IF I were PM I would start expelling Chinese "Diplomats" starting with whichever one facilitated the establishment of "police" stations in Canada to monitor not just the Chinese here but us. Boot them the fuck out.
This is similar to the old USSR stuff - ""Soviet - Polish Fraternal Friendship Centre" in other words KGB.

We all know this will never happen... you know who being an admirer of the "Basic Dictatorship" and all....

 

[Jarnhamar]

Just as I don’t believe Trudeau I don’t believe Poilievre either.

Don't believe Poilievre about what?

 

[JLB50]

IF I were PM I would start expelling Chinese "Diplomats" starting with whichever one facilitated the establishment of "police" stations in Canada to monitor not just the Chinese here but us. Boot them the fuck out.
This is old USSR stuff - ""Soviet - Polish Fraternal Friendship Centre" in other words KGB.

We all know this will never happen... you know who being an admirer of the "Basic Dictatorship" and all…

“Boot them the fuck out”? I wouldn’t be quite so polite as that.

Seriously though, maybe if we stood up to them more, they would have a bit more respect for us. I’m convinced that China is out basically to neutralize if not outright defeat all other countries. Even Russia, more or less a current ally of China, will eventually run afoul of the Chinese, resulting in a gigantic land grab in Russia’s Far East. China is trying to get their ducks (Peking Ducks?) in a row as quickly as possible before the West wakes up and realizes that China is and will remain an existential threat.

 

[OldSolduer]

“Boot them the fuck out”? I wouldn’t be quite so polite as that.

Seriously though, maybe if we stood up to them more, they would have a bit more respect for us. I’m convinced that China is out basically to neutralize if not outright defeat all other countries. Even Russia, more or less a current ally of China, will eventually run afoul of the Chinese, resulting in a gigantic land grab in Russia’s Far East. China is trying to get their ducks (Peking Ducks?) in a row as quickly as possible before the West wakes up and realizes that China is and will remain an existential threat.

Well I am trying to clean up my language.....

Russia is no ally of China - it is merely playing "nice" because Russia needs something.

Neither Russia nor China have any experience with democracy...I have no idea why I said this.

 

[JLB50]

Don't believe Poilievre about what

Well I am trying to clean up my language.....

Russia is no ally of China - it is merely playing "nice" because Russia needs something.

Neither Russia nor China have any experience with democracy...I have no idea why I said this.

Well I am trying to clean up my language.....

Russia is no ally of China - it is merely playing "nice" because Russia needs something.

Neither Russia nor China have any experience with democracy...I have no idea why I said this.

The Sino-Soviet border conflict in 1969 is a prime example of the fear the Russians have of Chinese expansionism.

If Poilievre were to guarantee that he would, upon becoming Prime Minister, increase the defence spending to 2% immediately and then incrementally increase it to at least 3% over, say, five years then I might be a little more in favour of him. It would be contingent on his agreeing to resign his leadership if he failed to meet those objectives. Of course he would have to cut out many of the needless programs the LPC brought in, especially anything that promotes “wokeism”.

 

[Kirkhill]

So a bit of back story

The British Health Minister, Matt Hancock, resigned in disgrace after being caught on camera at his work place snogging a woman who wasn't his wife at the same time he was telling Brits to social distance and having police arrest those who weren't in compliance. And many other unpopular rules.

After resigning the Member of Parliament goes on a reality game show, as one does.

He then engages a writer, Isabel Oakeshott, to write his memoirs of the plague and how he saved Britain. As one does.

Unfortunately his writer couldn't stomach the crap she was reading and broke her Non Disclosure Agreement .... in the public interest.

Matt's Whatsapp transcription was made public and published by the Telegraph as the Lockdown Files.



A week later the Files are still being published with new info leaking out.

Yesterday's leak involved the Cabinet Secretary reminding Matt to stick to the party line and not criticize China over the Wuhan leak.

The occurrence of the outbreak in Wuhan was, officially, entirely coincidental.


Which brings us to this

Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the defence select committee, said: “It’s reflective of the confusion we have in our China strategy. Us hesitating [on speaking out] for fear of loss of trade shows China is exploiting our timidity.

“We don’t have a viable China strategy which is affecting China’s behaviour and China’s almost become too big a bully to challenge.”
Academics expressed concern about the prospect of an investigation inside China.

Dr Alan Mendoza, from the Henry Jackson Society, a national security think-tank, said the censorship of Mr Hancock's book showed the UK "appears scared of China".

Stop me if you've heard this one!

No 10 to consider Wuhan leak theory after backlash to 'entirely coincidental' remark​

PM's spokesman says 'still questions to be answered' after Lockdown Files showed censorship of China comments in Matt Hancock book

ByThe Lockdown Files Team9 March 2023 • 9:00pm



Downing Street has distanced itself from the Cabinet Office's claim that it was "entirely coincidental" that Covid-19 was discovered close to a Chinese government laboratory.
The Telegraph revealed on Wednesday that Matt Hancock was censored by the Cabinet Office over his concern that the virus was the result of a lab leak in Wuhan.
But No 10 declined to repeat the suggestion and said it was willing to consider the “lab leak” theory.
A spokesman for Rishi Sunak said that there were "still questions that need to be answered about the origin and spread of Covid-19" and added: "The UK wants to see a robust, transparent and science-led review and believes all possibilities remain on the table until that is concluded."
Whitehall sources told The Telegraph that ministers would not hesitate to condemn China and support the theory – which suggests Covid-19 escaped from a lab in Wuhan in 2019 – if evidence is presented by the World Health Organisation.
Mr Hancock was asked to remove passages from his book, Pandemic Diaries, in which he questioned the official Chinese version of events because of concerns they would “cause problems” and could “damage national security”.
In a process overseen by Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary, Mr Hancock was instructed to remove references to a lab leak with officials informing him that the Government believed the location of the first Covid outbreak was “entirely coincidental”.

Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary, sent Matt Hancock a letter signing off publication for his memoirs
Asked explicitly whether it was the Government's position that the proximity of the outbreak to the Wuhan Institute of Virology was "entirely coincidental", the spokesman added: "I'm not aware of that being a position of this Government."
Sources suggested that the Cabinet Office's review of Mr Hancock's book was intended to avoid the former minister making controversial statements about his work and did not reflect the Government's policy on the issue.
The episode will put further pressure on Mr Case, who is responsible for overseeing the censorship of books written by former ministers, after messages revealed by The Telegraph showed him criticising Boris Johnson and joking about travellers forced to quarantine in hotels during the pandemic.
Senior civil servants are understood to have criticised his “weak” leadership in light of the revelations, while a former colleague said on Thursday he was in the “endgame” of his civil service career and had “dug himself into a hole”.
Sources close to Mr Case have denied rumours he intends to stand down, and while Mr Sunak refused to commit to his Cabinet Secretary remaining in post until the next election, he said the mandarin would stay in his role “for a very long time to come”.
Asked on Thursday whether Mr Case had personally overseen the censorship of Mr Hancock’s book, Downing Street said it “wouldn't get into individuals”.

Pressure to take tougher China stance​

Mr Sunak is under increasing pressure to take a tougher stance on China ahead of the publication of the “Integrated Review refresh” on Monday.
The Telegraph understands members of his Cabinet hope No 10 will also explore the lab leak theory more proactively in light of a statement by Christopher Wray, director of the FBI, last week that said the origin of coronavirus was “most likely a potential lab incident”.
The US Department of Energy has made a similar claim.
On Thursday, Alicia Kearns, chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, said ministers should “pursue the truth” of the claims regardless of the “political cost”.
“It is the duty of our Government to have an honest discussion with the public and equip us with facts and information, not silence those with more information from sharing their concerns,” she said.
Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the defence select committee, said: “It’s reflective of the confusion we have in our China strategy. Us hesitating [on speaking out] for fear of loss of trade shows China is exploiting our timidity.
“We don’t have a viable China strategy which is affecting China’s behaviour and China’s almost become too big a bully to challenge.”
Academics expressed concern about the prospect of an investigation inside China.
Dr Alan Mendoza, from the Henry Jackson Society, a national security think-tank, said the censorship of Mr Hancock's book showed the UK "appears scared of China".
“A bold, confident nation would have no problem asserting the truth that a Wuhan lab leak scenario was possible," he said.
Dr Filippa Lentzos, co-director of the Centre for Science and Security Studies at King’s College London: said: “Yes, we still need an international forensic investigation, but, even if a mandate could be agreed and China came onboard – both highly unrealistic – the extent to which you could gather any reliable evidence this late in the game is questionable.”

No 10 to consider Wuhan leak theory after backlash to 'entirely coincidental' remark

PM's spokesman says 'still questions to be answered' after Lockdown Files showed censorship of China comments in Matt Hancock book

www.telegraph.co.uk