Miscellaneous News

A potato

Junior Member
Registered Member
Even the previous Dalai Lama was a British shill. Why did he run away to British India twice when things got tough? Why did he allow so much British "influence and support" to be in Tibet?

Honestly speaking, I'm beginning to think the role of Dalai Lama should be abolished just like King, Emperor etc. Its just a religious relic from the past that no longer justifies remaining in this age.

That title isn't even some really ancient thing. Its just a title given during the Ming Dynasty era.
Actually the mongols aka yuan gave the title, the ming inherited it. Dalai is a Mongol word meaning ocean and only the Gelugpa refer their leaders as lamas. The rest of Tibetan Buddhism refer their leaders as rinpoches meaning venerable. But yeah like his predecessor tenzin sold the Tibetan people to India.
 

A potato

Junior Member
Registered Member
I'm still pretty convinced that Japan would stay out of a Taiwan conflict as much as possible. If anything, this Takaichi thing tells me that they just don't have the guts to fight against China; especially since there's a real possibility that they could lose real territory over it.


That's about the least surprising news ever. The CIA has a record of funding every enemy of countries that the US doesn't like, and the Dalai Lama fits that description like a glove. We even already knew that the CIA was deeply involved in Tibet in the 1950s, so giving him money is just an extension of that operation.
Penn and teller already covered it in bullshit.
 

FriedButter

Brigadier
Registered Member
The after the US tells airliners to stop flying in Venezuelan airspace. There is news about an operation beginning in the coming days. A steady incremental ramp up on the escalation ladder.

Exclusive: US to launch new phase of Venezuela operations, sources say​

WASHINGTON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The United States is poised to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days, four U.S. officials told Reuters, as the Trump administration escalates pressure on President Nicolas Maduro's government.

Reuters was not able to establish the exact timing or scope of the new operations, nor whether U.S. President Donald Trump had made a final decision to act. Reports of looming action have proliferated in recent weeks as the U.S. military has deployed forces to the Caribbean amid worsening relations with Venezuela.

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Two of the U.S. officials said covert operations would likely be the first part of the new action against Maduro. All four officials quoted in this article spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of impending action by the United States.

The Pentagon referred questions to the White House. The CIA declined to comment.

A senior administration official on Saturday did not rule anything out regarding Venezuela.

"President Trump is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice," said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The Trump administration has been weighing Venezuela-related options to combat what it has portrayed as Maduro’s role in supplying illegal drugs that have killed Americans. He has denied having any links to the illegal drug trade.

Two U.S. officials told Reuters the options under consideration included attempting to overthrow Maduro.

Maduro, in power since 2013, has contended that Trump seeks to oust him and that Venezuelan citizens and the military will resist any such attempt.

The Venezuelan president, who will celebrate his 63rd birthday on Sunday, appeared on Saturday night at Caracas' main theater for the premiere of a television series based on his life.

A military buildup in the Caribbean has been underway for months, and Trump has authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Friday warned major airlines of a "potentially hazardous situation" when flying over Venezuela and urged them to exercise caution.

Three international airlines cancelled flights departing from Venezuela on Saturday after the FAA warning.

The United States plans on Monday to designate the Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization for its alleged role in importing illegal drugs into the United States, officials said. The Trump administration has accused Maduro of leading Cartel de los Soles, which he denies.

HEGSETH: NEW OPTIONS AFTER TERRORIST DESIGNATION

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week that the terrorist designation "brings a whole bunch of new options to the United States."

Trump has said the upcoming designation would allow the United States to strike Maduro's assets and infrastructure in Venezuela, but he also has indicated a willingness to potentially pursue talks in hopes of a diplomatic solution.

Two U.S. officials acknowledged conversations between Caracas and Washington. It was unclear whether those conversations could impact the timing or scale of the U.S. operations.

The U.S. Navy's largest aircraft carrier, the Gerald R. Ford, arrived in the Caribbean on November 16 with its strike group, joining at least seven other warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 aircraft.

U.S. forces in the region so far have focused on counter-narcotics operations, even though the assembled firepower far outweighs anything needed for them. U.S. troops have carried out at least 21 strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific since September, killing at least 83 people.

Human rights groups have condemned the strikes as illegal extrajudicial killings of civilians, and some U.S. allies have expressed growing concerns that Washington may be violating international law.

Washington in August doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $50 million.
The U.S. military dwarfs Venezuela's, which is debilitated by a lack of training, low wages and deteriorating equipment. Some unit commanders have been forced to negotiate with local food producers to feed their troops because government supplies fall short, Reuters has reported.

That reality has led Maduro's government to consider alternative strategies in the event of a U.S. invasion, including possibly a guerrilla-style response, which the government has termed "prolonged resistance" and mentioned in broadcasts on state television.
This approach would involve small military units at more than 280 locations carrying out acts of sabotage and other guerrilla tactics, Reuters has reported, citing sources and years-old planning documents.
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Gloire_bb

Major
Registered Member
If Japan thinks that they will lose more by fighting a war with China than to back out, they absolutely can. Besides, by that point, Japan is likely going to have serious doubts about whether the Americans can protect them any more.
It isn't what Japan thinks; it's where Japan is.
Only firmly authoritarian nation can steer consciously, and even then things sometimes happen with leaders.

Japan is a nation which signed Plaza accords. Japan which will be steer away from US will be some other Japan, not the country we work with today.
 

manqiangrexue

Brigadier
I sympathize with their misfortune, while also pitying their ignorance.
They don't want your pity; they pity China for crashing over 300 J-15 fighters, roughly 4X the number that was manufactured! See, Tejas has the lowest crash number so it's the best and safest fighter in the world! Cow piss party time! LOL
588427913_1280749574092806_8435105660716353106_n.jpg

View attachment 165105
This statue named "Three Drops of Oil" at CAC's factory park originates from an event just prior to J-10's maiden flight. Sometime shortly before the planned maiden flight three drops of oil was found under the prototype. The leadership immediately ordered the maiden flight delayed and rear half of the prototype disassembled on the spot down to individual parts to discover the source of the leak. Only after the source was found and confirmed to be harmless was the plane reassembled and the maiden flight allowed to proceed.

That's the correct attitude to take with your aircraft, instead of deflecting blame to anyone but yourself.
Was it 3 drops? I thought it was 2 drops... I guess the statue settles it.
 

AntiDK

New Member
Registered Member
What concerns me is how this situation will play out. China has already raised the stakes significantly, but if Japan fails to respond, China risks creating an awkward stalemate. This would likely be followed by the anticipated prolonged freeze in Sino-Japanese relations. That said, Japan's controversial remarks do provide China with justification for more assertive actions. It's akin to former U.S. House Speaker Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, which gave China grounds to cross the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

I think right now in China, we would have to see how severe is the boycott towards Japanese brands such as Sony, Uniqlo, Daiso, Family Mart, Honda and so forth as I believe it would have some influence on China's desicion making towards hurting Japan's economy.

The more angry the people are, the more drastic measures China could unleash. Imagine prohibiting advertisement of Japanese products from online platform, shopping malls, billboard and such for a start.

China should increase its trade surplus and dependency on Japan by replacing those high tech machinery with their own and slowly work on others as they did with the seafood ban. I understand there are good Japanese people and companies out there desire friendly cooperation but as China already mentioned, all consequences will be borne by Japan specifically PM Sanae Takachi.
 

Thecore

Junior Member
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Imagine getting bamboozled by the US in 2025. Especially already after 4 years of Trump, Afghan government left high and dry, hundreds of thousands of dead Ukrainians, Kurds being slaughtered by Turkey and every single one of their "allies" being taken to the cleaners by Trump in his second stint. This is also just in this century too, disregarding last century fleecings like what they did to Toshiba, Plaza Accord and Alstrom. Too many masochists receiving fell for it again awards lately.
 
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Randomuser

Captain
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Tejas crash dampens export hopes for Indian fighter jet​


NEW DELHI/DUBAI, Nov 23 (Reuters) - The crash of India's Tejas fighter in front of global arms buyers at the Dubai Airshow is the latest blow to a key national trophy, leaving the jet reliant on Indian military orders to sustain its role as a showcase of home-built defence technology.
The cause of Friday's crash was not immediately known but it capped a week of jockeying for influence at the event, attended by India's arch-rival Pakistan six months after the neighbouring foes faced off in the world's largest air battle in decades.

Such a public loss will inevitably overshadow India's efforts to establish the jet abroad after a painstaking development over four decades, experts said, as India paid tribute to Wing Commander Namansh Syal who died in the crash.

CRASH AT SHOWCASE EVENT IN DUBAI​

"The imagery is brutal," said Douglas A. Birkey, executive director of the U.S.-based Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, referring to the history of crashes at air shows where nations and industries seek to tout major national achievements.
"A crash sends quite the opposite signal: a dramatic failure," he said, adding however that while the Tejas would suffer negative publicity, it would most likely regain momentum.

Dubai is the world's third-largest air show after Paris and Britain's Farnborough, and accidents at such events have become increasingly rare.
In 1999, a Russian Sukhoi Su-30 crashed after touching the ground during a manoeuvre at the Paris Airshow, and a Soviet MiG-29 crashed at the same event a decade earlier. All crew ejected safely and India went on to place orders for both jets.
Fighter sales "are driven by high order political realities, which supersede a one-off incident," said Birkey.

POWERED BY GE ENGINES​

The Tejas programme began in the 1980s as India sought to replace vintage Soviet-origin MiG-21s, the last of which retired as recently as September after numerous extensions due to slow Tejas deliveries by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd
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(HAL).
The state-owned company has 180 of the advanced Mk-1A variant on order domestically but is yet to begin deliveries due to engine supply chain issues at GE Aerospace
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.

A former HAL executive who left the company recently said the crash in Dubai "rules out exports for now".
Target markets included Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and HAL also opened an office in Malaysia in 2023.
"The focus for the coming years would be on boosting production of the fighter for domestic use," the former executive said, requesting anonymity.
But the Indian Air Force is worried about its shrinking fighter squadrons, which have fallen to 29 from an approved strength of 42, with early variants of the MiG-29, Anglo-French Jaguar and French Mirage 2000 set to retire in coming years.
"The Tejas was supposed to be their replacement," an IAF officer said. "But it is facing production issues".
As an alternative, India is considering off-the-shelf purchases to fill immediate gaps, with options including more French Rafales, two Indian defence officials said, adding that India still plans to add to about 40 Tejas already in service.

India is also weighing competing offers from the U.S. and Russia for 5th-generation F-35 and Su-57 fighters - two advanced models also rarely sharing a stage in Dubai this week.

'BASE' FOR FUTURE PROGRAMMES​

India has for years been among the world's biggest arms importers, but has increasingly projected the Tejas as an example of self-reliance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking a sortie in the fighter in November 2023.
Like most fighter programmes, the Tejas has fought for attention at the intersection of technology and diplomacy.

Development was initially held up partly by sanctions following India's 1998 nuclear tests as well as problems in developing local engines, said Walter Ladwig, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
But the jet's long-term significance is "likely to lie less in sales abroad than in the industrial and technological base it creates for India's future combat-aircraft programmes," he said.

REGIONAL RIVALRY PLAYS OUT​

Both India and Pakistan were present in force at the show, where the Tejas performed multiple aerial displays in the presence of the rival Pakistani contingent.
Pakistan disclosed the signing of a provisional agreement with a "friendly country" to supply its JF-17 Thunder Block III fighter, co-developed with China.
On the ramp, a JF-17 was flanked by arms including PL-15E, the export variant of a family of Chinese missiles that U.S. and Indian officials say
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at least one French Rafale used by India during an aerial battle with Pakistan in May.
At an exhibition stand, manufacturer PAC distributed brochures touting the JF-17, one of two models deployed by Pakistan during the four-day conflict, as "battle-tested".
India is a lot more careful with the Tejas, which was not actively used in the four-day conflict in May, Indian officials have said, without giving any reasons.
Nor did it participate in the annual January 26 Republic Day aerial display in New Delhi this year due to what officials said were safety reasons associated with single-engine aircraft.
 
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