The pond has been delighted these past few days by King Donald images, for reasons explained at length by Hannah Yoest in The Bulwark in What We Choose to Nazi, The Department of Labor is posting Heroic Realism propaganda. What, exactly, are they telling us?
Short version ...
AI slop at its finest and a real inspiration for the lizard Oz's graphics department.
The pond has long been fascinated by propaganda posters, whether Stalinist, Maoist, Nazi or more minor practitioners of the form, but now King Donald's minions are catching up fast, and might well be the new frontier ... though they still have some work to do achieve pure Adolfism...
Not so hot.
Gotta hand a win to Adolf in that face off ...
While visiting The Bulwark, make sure to catch Andrew Eggers noting fascism in action...
In June 2023, a Washington man named Taylor Taranto drove cross-country to the nation’s capital on a mission. In YouTube livestreams, he said he had fitted his van with a detonator and intended to use it to blow up a government building. He posted an address online purporting to be Barack Obama’s home—one day after Donald Trump posted the same address on Truth Social—then drove around D.C.’s Kalorama neighborhood in an apparent attempt to find it. Approached by Secret Service agents, Taranto attempted to flee, but was arrested. When agents searched his van, they found multiple guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. A search of his online trail revealed a man positively addled by right-wing conspiracy theories who had been making threats against prominent Democrats—Obama, Kamala Harris, Jamie Raskin—for months.
This year, Taranto was convicted of carrying the guns and ammo without a license and of making a hoax bomb threat. His sentencing hearing is today—but the prosecutors who charged him, assistant U.S. attorneys Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White, won’t be attending. They were placed on administrative leave yesterday, hours after filing a sentencing brief in which they committed a forbidden act: acknowledging that the January 6th attack on the Capitol, which Taranto attended, was carried out by “thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters.”
Last night, after Valdivia and White were placed on leave, a new set of prosecutors for U.S. attorney Jeanine Pirro filed an updated sentencing brief. Identical in nearly every respect, the new brief removed all mention of January 6th and scrubbed the suggestion that it was Trump’s post that had informed Taranto where to look for Obama immediately prior to his arrest.
This year, Taranto was convicted of carrying the guns and ammo without a license and of making a hoax bomb threat. His sentencing hearing is today—but the prosecutors who charged him, assistant U.S. attorneys Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White, won’t be attending. They were placed on administrative leave yesterday, hours after filing a sentencing brief in which they committed a forbidden act: acknowledging that the January 6th attack on the Capitol, which Taranto attended, was carried out by “thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters.”
Last night, after Valdivia and White were placed on leave, a new set of prosecutors for U.S. attorney Jeanine Pirro filed an updated sentencing brief. Identical in nearly every respect, the new brief removed all mention of January 6th and scrubbed the suggestion that it was Trump’s post that had informed Taranto where to look for Obama immediately prior to his arrest.
Amazing scenes, but then each day King Donald's disunited states offers remarkable moments, as the slide into abject authoritarian degeneracy quickens in pace ...
It seems the world is falling apart, and the reptiles are struggling to keep up, what with King Chuck in a William-esque rage...
In the good old days, a black sheep like this could have picked up a GG gig, or at worst, a state guv posting until the heat died down. Or maybe enjoyed exile with a dictator, perhaps in Spain.
But that's not the reason the pond has turned to a late arvo posting, even as the pond struggles to keep up with the struggling reptiles.
For some reason, the archive version of this "agribusiness" story was saved to the archive with a shadow blurring the read, and such a splendid effort deserved better treatment ... so please, allow the pond ...
The header: Back Australia: Stop treating cows and cars the same, cattle farmers tell world governments
The scribbler: Matthew Denholm
The length: 5 minutes
The caption: Cattle farmer Adam Armstrong is a partner in NSW and Queensland-based cattle producer Russell Pastoral Operations. Picture: Simon Scott
For some reason, it seems that the reptiles are now opening up to comments, and at time of writing, this piece by Mattie D. had attracted some 125 of them.
More on that anon, let's get into it ..
Farmers across the world are demanding a more nuanced approach to tracking and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saying livestock must stop being a “whipping boy” for global warming.
Peak meat producer bodies from 11 key nations will on Friday demand governments globally follow New Zealand and Uruguay in treating methane from livestock and other emissions separately via “split gas reporting”.
They argue the current widespread approach of expressing livestock methane emissions as a carbon dioxide equivalent overstates the warming effect of this gas by three to four times.
Carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels lasts in the atmosphere for 1000 years, whereas methane from grazing animals is broken down in 10-12 years as part of a “constant” or “biogenic” carbon cycle.
“We need to separate those gases that are occurring in a cycle, and always have been, versus new carbon being injected into the atmosphere from fossil fuel burning,” said Adam Armstrong, partner in NSW and Queensland-based cattle producer Russell Pastoral Operations.
“We’re getting blamed for the climate crisis despite doing nothing different than has been going on forever, in a cycle that’s been in balance for millions of years.
“By some estimates, there are less ruminants in North America now than there were before it was settled (by Europeans), when there were 80 million buffalo running across the Great Plains.”
Peak meat producer bodies from 11 key nations will on Friday demand governments globally follow New Zealand and Uruguay in treating methane from livestock and other emissions separately via “split gas reporting”.
They argue the current widespread approach of expressing livestock methane emissions as a carbon dioxide equivalent overstates the warming effect of this gas by three to four times.
Carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels lasts in the atmosphere for 1000 years, whereas methane from grazing animals is broken down in 10-12 years as part of a “constant” or “biogenic” carbon cycle.
“We need to separate those gases that are occurring in a cycle, and always have been, versus new carbon being injected into the atmosphere from fossil fuel burning,” said Adam Armstrong, partner in NSW and Queensland-based cattle producer Russell Pastoral Operations.
“We’re getting blamed for the climate crisis despite doing nothing different than has been going on forever, in a cycle that’s been in balance for millions of years.
“By some estimates, there are less ruminants in North America now than there were before it was settled (by Europeans), when there were 80 million buffalo running across the Great Plains.”
The reptiles interrupted with a 06:28 news flash... Zac Purton prepares for The Everest horse race,Ka Ying Rising Jockey Zac Purton prepares for The Everest race. Mr Purton said Ka Ying Rising is...more
More? Of course there's more...
This frustration that emissions accounting and targets effectively place cows and cars “in the same basket”, is shared by meat producers and some scientists globally.
They fear it will lead to unnecessary, counterproductive reductions in meat consumption and herds and not maximise agriculture’s role in cutting emissions.
The declaration calling for a split gas approach is signed by Cattle Australia and peak groups from Canada, the US, Britain, NZ, South Africa, Ireland, India, Cambodia, Georgia and Kenya.
They say cattle farming can play a major role in reducing methane emissions through methane-cutting feed additives, selective breeding for lower-emitting cattle, improved manure handling, and by managing grazing to boost soil sequestration.
They fear it will lead to unnecessary, counterproductive reductions in meat consumption and herds and not maximise agriculture’s role in cutting emissions.
The declaration calling for a split gas approach is signed by Cattle Australia and peak groups from Canada, the US, Britain, NZ, South Africa, Ireland, India, Cambodia, Georgia and Kenya.
They say cattle farming can play a major role in reducing methane emissions through methane-cutting feed additives, selective breeding for lower-emitting cattle, improved manure handling, and by managing grazing to boost soil sequestration.
At this point the reptiles produced a splendid graphic featuring a gif-like opening aerial view of moo cows grazing, with this alone repaying the cost of the visit ...
That seemed awkward for the moo cows, but the reptiles were determined to save the day ...
“We are very much the solution to this climate crisis – not the problem,” Mr Armstrong said.
NZ earlier in October endorsed such a position, announcing a separate and lower methane emission reduction target – of 14 to 24 per cent below 2017 levels by 2050 – and $NZ400m in methane-busting measures.
The joint statement by the meat industries of the 11 nations calls on all parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to adopt a similar split-gas approach.
They say this would not necessarily impact net-zero strategies. “The science is clear: emissions of long-lived gases must reach net zero by reducing as far as possible, and then balancing with carbon storage or removals to prevent further warming,” the statement says. “In contrast, emissions of short-lived gases, like biogenic methane need only to decline gradually to have the same effect.
“This fundamental difference in behaviour needs to be recognised in climate policy, and adopting a split gas approach is the most effective way to do so.”
NZ earlier in October endorsed such a position, announcing a separate and lower methane emission reduction target – of 14 to 24 per cent below 2017 levels by 2050 – and $NZ400m in methane-busting measures.
The joint statement by the meat industries of the 11 nations calls on all parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to adopt a similar split-gas approach.
They say this would not necessarily impact net-zero strategies. “The science is clear: emissions of long-lived gases must reach net zero by reducing as far as possible, and then balancing with carbon storage or removals to prevent further warming,” the statement says. “In contrast, emissions of short-lived gases, like biogenic methane need only to decline gradually to have the same effect.
“This fundamental difference in behaviour needs to be recognised in climate policy, and adopting a split gas approach is the most effective way to do so.”
The reptiles then did an embed photo of Cattle Australia chief executive Will Evans and a charming slogan, which should be captured visually in order to convey its charms ....
The text alone, for those who care ...
Cattle Australia, one of the signatories, is lobbying the Albanese government to follow NZ and Uruguay in adopting the approach. “The reduction of emissions and their effect on global warming cannot come at the expense of food security,” Cattle Australia chief executive Will Evans said. “So we’re trying to get an accurate set of data so that we can make sure we’re not limiting production but are reducing emissions intensity.
“We’re not wanting to shirk responsibilities or get out of anything. This is about getting accurate measurement and we’re optimistic the government will see it that way.”
A spokesman for federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen suggested the government was unlikely to budge from its exclusion of split reporting from Australia’s Net Zero Plan and formal Paris Agreement target. “The government has accepted the independent Climate Change Authority’s advice to set national greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets that cover all greenhouse gases, including methane,” he said.
“We’re not wanting to shirk responsibilities or get out of anything. This is about getting accurate measurement and we’re optimistic the government will see it that way.”
A spokesman for federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen suggested the government was unlikely to budge from its exclusion of split reporting from Australia’s Net Zero Plan and formal Paris Agreement target. “The government has accepted the independent Climate Change Authority’s advice to set national greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets that cover all greenhouse gases, including methane,” he said.
For some reason, Little to be Proud of turned up in the yarn ...
Even the Coalition – deeply divided over climate change policy – appears uncommitted, backing detailed biogenic methane accounting while not explicitly endorsing a split gas approach to targets.
“The government should be developing accurate methane emissions accounting frameworks and metrics, to enable emissions to be accurately measured and demonstrated for the livestock sector,” said Nationals leader David Littleproud.
“The government should be developing accurate methane emissions accounting frameworks and metrics, to enable emissions to be accurately measured and demonstrated for the livestock sector,” said Nationals leader David Littleproud.
Ah, the coalition ... a chance to add to the pond's visual T quota ...
And so to the wrap up, albeit that the conclusion featured a final uncertain line ...
Livestock industries are urging countries to support a split gas approach as part of a review by the UNFCCC to be conducted by 2028.
Australia’s beef industry on Thursday reported it had reduced net CO2-equivalent emissions by 70 per cent since 2005, largely driven by carbon sequestration on grazing land.
Scientific studies differ on whether there are more or fewer ruminants in North America now than pre-European settlement.
Australia’s beef industry on Thursday reported it had reduced net CO2-equivalent emissions by 70 per cent since 2005, largely driven by carbon sequestration on grazing land.
Scientific studies differ on whether there are more or fewer ruminants in North America now than pre-European settlement.
Ruminate on all that as you will.
As for those comments?
Pretty much what you'd expect for those who pay to access the hive mind ... with these selected at random from the top of the pile-on at time of writing ...
And so on, and so to a bonus, featuring the lizard Oz editorialist.
The pond rarely pays attention to the Oz editorials, which is a great shame, because they're the spring which gives rise to a mighty paranoid river.
Take this outing, full of hysteria and panic ...
New York poised for socialism as Zohran Mamdani eyes mayor’s office, It’s incredible that 24 years after 9/11, New York is poised to elect as mayor an extreme-left, radical, Shia Muslim ‘democratic socialist’ who has had difficulty condemning Hamas but is fiercely critical of the ‘apartheid’ Jewish state for alleged ‘genocide’.
Editorial
2 min read
October 31, 2025
Editorial
2 min read
October 31, 2025
This in a town which boasts the WSJ and the NY Post! Not to mention Faux Noise!
How could this be? How could the world get it so wrong. A Muslim mayor in London. Maybe a Muslim mayor in the big apple?
Is there no end to the weird ways of a reptile world turned topsy-turvy?
Incroyable ...
It may seem incredible that, 24 years after 9/11, New York, the city with the second-largest Jewish population outside Israel, is poised to elect as mayor a 34-year-old extreme-left, radical, Ugandan-born Shia Muslim “democratic socialist” who has had difficulty condemning Hamas but is fiercely critical of the “apartheid” Jewish state for alleged “genocide”.
Ahead of Tuesday’s election in the city that came to symbolise global resilience in the face of terror, however, that is what polls overwhelmingly show voters are about to do in electing Zohran Mamdani, who arrived in the US in 2018, to fill one of America’s most high-profile and powerful public offices.
Polls give the man Donald Trump refers to as “Commie Mamdani” 47 per cent of the likely vote, well ahead of his nearest rivals, former New York state governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, on 29 per cent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa on 17 per cent. Mr Mamdani looks a shoo-in despite frantic, 11th-hour efforts to block him by getting Mr Sliwa to stand aside for Mr Cuomo.
That seems unlikely to happen despite prominent commentators such as Michael Goodwin, of the New York Post, writing: “In my 50 years of writing about politics, I have rarely seen a candidate so unworthy of the office he seeks. The world view he is selling would destroy virtually everything good about New York. He was raised by his parents to hate America, our history and our institutions, and many of his associates are cut from the same radical cloth.”
Mr Mamdani, if he wins, seems certain to turn politics on its head not just in overwhelmingly Democratic New York, Mr Trump’s home town, but more broadly within the Democratic Party across America. Despite views that, as the Jerusalem Post noted, “should alarm not only Jews and Israelis, but anyone who believes that if terrorism is to be defeated, the terrorists must be seen and treated as what they are – pure evil”, polls show Mr Mamdani has strong support, especially among younger voters.
Whatever offence he may have caused by prevaricating when asked in a Fox News interview whether Hamas should “lay down its weapons and relinquish control of Gaza”, and his condemnation of Israel for “genocide” and “apartheid”, appears to have been more than offset by voters seduced by pie-in-the sky socialist economic policies. They include free buses and childcare, city-run grocery stores and rent freezes. Given Mr Mamdani’s radical left-wing credentials and anti-Israel hostility, the stakes in the race for the mayoralty could not be greater.
Ahead of Tuesday’s election in the city that came to symbolise global resilience in the face of terror, however, that is what polls overwhelmingly show voters are about to do in electing Zohran Mamdani, who arrived in the US in 2018, to fill one of America’s most high-profile and powerful public offices.
Polls give the man Donald Trump refers to as “Commie Mamdani” 47 per cent of the likely vote, well ahead of his nearest rivals, former New York state governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, on 29 per cent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa on 17 per cent. Mr Mamdani looks a shoo-in despite frantic, 11th-hour efforts to block him by getting Mr Sliwa to stand aside for Mr Cuomo.
That seems unlikely to happen despite prominent commentators such as Michael Goodwin, of the New York Post, writing: “In my 50 years of writing about politics, I have rarely seen a candidate so unworthy of the office he seeks. The world view he is selling would destroy virtually everything good about New York. He was raised by his parents to hate America, our history and our institutions, and many of his associates are cut from the same radical cloth.”
Mr Mamdani, if he wins, seems certain to turn politics on its head not just in overwhelmingly Democratic New York, Mr Trump’s home town, but more broadly within the Democratic Party across America. Despite views that, as the Jerusalem Post noted, “should alarm not only Jews and Israelis, but anyone who believes that if terrorism is to be defeated, the terrorists must be seen and treated as what they are – pure evil”, polls show Mr Mamdani has strong support, especially among younger voters.
Whatever offence he may have caused by prevaricating when asked in a Fox News interview whether Hamas should “lay down its weapons and relinquish control of Gaza”, and his condemnation of Israel for “genocide” and “apartheid”, appears to have been more than offset by voters seduced by pie-in-the sky socialist economic policies. They include free buses and childcare, city-run grocery stores and rent freezes. Given Mr Mamdani’s radical left-wing credentials and anti-Israel hostility, the stakes in the race for the mayoralty could not be greater.
Terrifying ...
Sounds like the lizard Oz editorialist is suffering from ZMDS...where's The Times (of London) when it's needed?
And there was this one too ...
Trump, Xi meeting on trade goes off with a bang, The warm diplomatic words in Busan might not convey the full picture but they are welcome nonetheless. A stabilisation of global trade between the world’s two major economies is firmly in our best interests.
Editorial
2 min read
October 31, 2025
Editorial
2 min read
October 31, 2025
That seemed overly cheerful.
Strange, because Joe, lesser member of the Kelly gang, signatory to Pentagon "champagne" Pete's waiver, had seemed a little glum in his outing, itself a short 2 min read ...(snaps of King and Huangdi shaking paws in the archive)
Donald Trump needed to strike a bargain with Xi Jinping at their meeting in Busan, and not just to boost his credentials as a wheeler and dealer on the international stage.
The reality is that Trump had skin in the game – a bad meeting would have had real, immediate political consequences.
First, the US President needed to ensure he did not lose control of his bid to reorder the global trading system and lose face as the strategic and economic competition with Beijing heats up.
The reality is that China now has far greater leverage in the trading relationship and had carefully prepared for Trump’s tariff war, flexing its muscle by threatening to exert much greater control over global supply chains for rare earths.
This was a pressure point where the US is acutely vulnerable, with the threatened move by Beijing potentially halting the flow of smartphones, cars and even household appliances across the globe.
The impact of such a calculated Chinese power play would have potentially crippled hi-tech industries ranging from AI to defence manufacturers, with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently warning that the only reasonable response would have been a forced economic decoupling.
“Make no mistake, this is China versus the world,” he said.
For now, this fate appears to have been avoided, with Trump saying that Beijing had agreed to postpone its strict new controls for a period of a year following his 90-minute meeting with his Chinese counterpart – although the threat remains active in the background.
In return, Washington is expected to reduce by 10 per cent the fentanyl-related tariffs imposed on Beijing – bringing the overall rate on Chinese goods to about 47 per cent.
This will be framed as a victory for America by Trump, who swiftly described his discussion with Xi as an “amazing meeting”.
Yet, in typical Trump-fashion, he made another key announcement shortly before the encounter with the Chinese President that overshadowed their talks: the US would start testing nuclear weapons on an “equal basis” with Russia and China.
The second key political outcome for Trump was on US soybeans, a pressing domestic priority on which he needed to deliver. He said China had agreed to purchase “large amounts, tremendous amounts, of the soybeans”.
This will be welcome news to American soybean farmers who are seen as a loyal constituency for Trump despite becoming collateral damage in the trade impasse with Beijing.
Farmers have been under pressure on multiple fronts because the higher US tariffs have pushed up equipment prices.
Soybeans – America’s biggest agricultural export – have been especially hard hit and lost their biggest market when China stopped making purchases earlier this year.
Time was running out for the US President,with the harvest season well under way and agriculture groups across the country warning of a spike in bankruptcy filings and pleading for help in the task of unlocking new markets.
US Department of Agriculture figures show China made up slightly more than half the total $US24.5bn export value for US soybeans in 2024.
While Trump will frame the meeting with Xi as a success, it will also be a reminder that Beijing is now more than capable of playing the President’s game of tariff brinkmanship.
China was more far more cautious in the provision of detail about the trade talks following the meeting with Trump, with a statement released by China’s official news agency Xinhua noting that “follow-up work” still needed to take place.
The lizard Oz editorialist was having none of that .
Never mind the nuking, feel the joy...
There were theatrics aplenty in the lead-up to Thursday’s high-stakes meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. Militarily, Mr Trump announced an immediate resumption of nuclear testing in the minutes before the meeting got under way.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un blasted a sea-to-surface cruise missile shortly before Air Force One landed in the South Korean port city of Busan. And in the days leading up to the top-level handshake, Chinese and Taiwanese militaries both carried out simulated combat exercises to underscore the flashpoint nature of the island’s future.
Diplomatically, Mr Trump has been on a roll through Asia, witnessing the signing of a normalisation agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, receiving a golf bag and putter from Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, and getting a military band rendition of the Village People’s YMCA in South Korea. Anthony Albanese shared the love, with warm praise from the US President for a recent agreement to invest in new supplies of critical minerals and rare earths to break China’s dominance and control across a broad sweep of commodities essential for digital life.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un blasted a sea-to-surface cruise missile shortly before Air Force One landed in the South Korean port city of Busan. And in the days leading up to the top-level handshake, Chinese and Taiwanese militaries both carried out simulated combat exercises to underscore the flashpoint nature of the island’s future.
Diplomatically, Mr Trump has been on a roll through Asia, witnessing the signing of a normalisation agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, receiving a golf bag and putter from Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, and getting a military band rendition of the Village People’s YMCA in South Korea. Anthony Albanese shared the love, with warm praise from the US President for a recent agreement to invest in new supplies of critical minerals and rare earths to break China’s dominance and control across a broad sweep of commodities essential for digital life.
Indeed, indeed ...
Just what always comes in handy for a king...
As for the rest, it seems that a 47% tariff is what passes for normal these days, so everything's aglow with good Xmas cheer ...
Mr Trump and Mr Xi last met in person in 2019, during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, where the two leaders agreed to hold off on new tariffs and to proceed with trade negotiations after a series of escalations in their nations’ tariff battle threatened to disrupt the global economy.
In a repeat performance, Thursday’s meeting was strictly business. The pair attended the summit with a framework already determined by US and Chinese negotiators. Topics included export controls on Chinese rare earths and US technology, as well as market access for US soy bean farmers.
Mr Trump’s ambition was to agree to lower tariffs on China in exchange for co-operation in cracking down on the export of chemicals used to produce the deadly narcotic fentanyl. As part of the framework deal, China would delay implementation of new rare earths restrictions for a year and Mr Trump would agree to hold back on a threat to impose a new 100 per cent tariff on all Chinese goods.
Mr Xi is pushing for renewed access to the most powerful computer chips, and for the US to freeze potential new policy actions deemed harmful to China. Mr Xi said in his opening remarks that China and the US “should be partners and friends”, and that he was ready to continue working with Mr Trump to build a “sound atmosphere” for the development of both countries. Mr Xi added: “I always believe that China’s development goes hand in hand with your vision to make America great again, our two countries are fully able to help each other succeed and prosper together.” After the meeting, Mr Trump declared it a “12 out of 10” and “amazing”.
The warm diplomatic words might not convey the full picture but they are welcome nonetheless. This is particularly true for Australia, which is forced to balance its strong economic ties with China and its deep cultural and security affinities with our like-minded democratic ally. A stabilisation of global trade between the world’s two major economies is firmly in our best interests. But there is always the potential for collateral damage if a transactional US President decides to prioritise US exports to China in a way that damages ours.
Where it leaves the rare earths deal with Australia remains to be seen. All will become clear in the days and weeks ahead. Before the meeting, the Prime Minister declined to back Mr Trump’s tariff approach. Mr Albanese said free and fair trade was good for the world, and “the more open trade occurs, the better it is for the global economy, the better it is for Australia”. This is the only sensible position Australia can take.
In a repeat performance, Thursday’s meeting was strictly business. The pair attended the summit with a framework already determined by US and Chinese negotiators. Topics included export controls on Chinese rare earths and US technology, as well as market access for US soy bean farmers.
Mr Trump’s ambition was to agree to lower tariffs on China in exchange for co-operation in cracking down on the export of chemicals used to produce the deadly narcotic fentanyl. As part of the framework deal, China would delay implementation of new rare earths restrictions for a year and Mr Trump would agree to hold back on a threat to impose a new 100 per cent tariff on all Chinese goods.
Mr Xi is pushing for renewed access to the most powerful computer chips, and for the US to freeze potential new policy actions deemed harmful to China. Mr Xi said in his opening remarks that China and the US “should be partners and friends”, and that he was ready to continue working with Mr Trump to build a “sound atmosphere” for the development of both countries. Mr Xi added: “I always believe that China’s development goes hand in hand with your vision to make America great again, our two countries are fully able to help each other succeed and prosper together.” After the meeting, Mr Trump declared it a “12 out of 10” and “amazing”.
The warm diplomatic words might not convey the full picture but they are welcome nonetheless. This is particularly true for Australia, which is forced to balance its strong economic ties with China and its deep cultural and security affinities with our like-minded democratic ally. A stabilisation of global trade between the world’s two major economies is firmly in our best interests. But there is always the potential for collateral damage if a transactional US President decides to prioritise US exports to China in a way that damages ours.
Where it leaves the rare earths deal with Australia remains to be seen. All will become clear in the days and weeks ahead. Before the meeting, the Prime Minister declined to back Mr Trump’s tariff approach. Mr Albanese said free and fair trade was good for the world, and “the more open trade occurs, the better it is for the global economy, the better it is for Australia”. This is the only sensible position Australia can take.
Oh come on 47% is a real winner. Trust Ronnie Raygun, as channeled by King Donald, as only a demented king can do, to explain why.
So to the 'toon wrap, and remember, before Xmas there's always a few ghoulies, so enjoy the candy ...
