obama.

[Zilla80]

Stop trying to start shit.

[IndiReloaded]

Like to win over your approval

You could do worse. Tsk, and to think I was going to suggest coming to Vancouver if you can't get into med school 1st time.

[vaneigem]

Vaneigem, I disagree with you about Obama. He is not more dangerous than McCain. I agree with you about some of the issues with China (really, they are just opportunistic, like Britain a century or so ago--who can blame them?) but Obama is much better prepared intellectually to deal with them than McCain's team ever was.

The Economist has been warning doom & gloom (for the West) re: China for several years now. With their resources, and the Bush admin basically tanking the US economy, I think this is basically a done deal as far as their reaching into new markets like Africa. They've been doing this all over the world, even in Canada. Obama will not take on China head to head. The US simply can't afford to. I think Obama will focus on domestic improvements, including putting funding into a lot of new energy research & development.

And Obama is a consummate politician. Much, much better than McCain. He 'speaks' the Chinese political language, which as you know isn't at all obvious, much better than the current admin. And where he flags, he will find someone who does. He doesn't seem at all stupid that way.

Well, Obama is a better politician, true, and that's what concerns me. I didn't quite make my position clear for fear of offending people too much, but regarding the Congo (and Africa as a whole, largely) the best solution would be to kick out the US, Australians, Europeans, and Chinese, nationalise it's vast mineral wealth and sell it to the first world, using the profits for developing infrastructure and investment in local industries. A far better scenario than having all of Africa's enormous wealth owned by foreign companies, sold to the developed world, and then the profits go back to the hands of wealthy investors also in the developed world. But it's unlikely that's going to happen for some time, so I think at least for now I'm supporting China because they have a very positive influence on the development of Africa whereas the EU and US have mostly hindered development.

It's not to do with whether the Chinese are more "good" or "moral" than the west, it's just the nature of the Chinese economy; based largely on the export of commodities, rather than on the export of capital; has a less parisitic influence on the developing world. It invests in the Congo because it needs copper and cobalt for it's own production. The west invests purely because it wants to take as much profit as it can.

(and yes, the Chinese are opportunistic, but so is every nationstate-is the US not also opportunistic? and is Britain not still opportunistic?)

[doppelgaenger]

Your comment on language convinced me that you don't know what you're talking about.

[IndiReloaded]

It's not to do with whether the Chinese are more "good" or "moral" than the west, it's just the nature of the Chinese economy; based largely on the export of commodities, rather than on the export of capital; has a less parisitic influence on the developing world. It invests in the Congo because it needs copper and cobalt for it's own production. The west invests purely because it wants to take as much profit as it can.

(and yes, the Chinese are opportunistic, but so is every nationstate-is the US not also opportunistic? and is Britain not still opportunistic?)

Yep. China is a net exporter, and (as we discussed in another thread), we know thats a good thing. As far as China's reasons for investment in Africa, that's not a justification. They invest also for profit, you are foolish if you think otherwise. Western countries are interested in metals for their emerging energy sectors. I'm invested in some of these companies myself. So the US is interested. Whether they can compete given their current economic situation is another story.

As for opportunism, I never made a judgement about it, just simply stated it as obvious. Of course any large economy was and is opportunistic.

[Mish]

Obama is going to appoint a first US Chief Technology Officer. That's pretty exciting news for IT sector, considering that's the first time this position is availble in US government.

[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7734414.stm[/url]

[url]http://obamacto.org/[/url]

[IndiReloaded]

That's good. Because the Chief Science Advisor position doesn't cut it, I think. Both are needed.

[misombra]

today's the day people. bye bush. byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDUTM3NViHc"]YouTube - Yo-Yo Ma & Perlman at the Obama Inauguration[/ame]

[starbuck]

I watched the footage of his inauguration on a big screen in the auditorium of my office building. He really is such a great orator.

My favorite part of his speech was the part in which he started talking about freedoms being taken away and alluding to the patriot act and the camera cut to Bush.

[vashti]

I missed it.

[Mish]

I watched it at lunch at work with my colleagues. Good speech.

[tooxshort]

since it started 7AM Pacific Time, I had to DVR the thing ... but I did enjoy it when I woke up ...

[IndiReloaded]

Its all over utube by now. It was good, but not over the top. Now he's got where he needs to be he's cutting off the rabble-rousing speeches. A good thing, I think.

[misombra]

well our country is in a pretty sad state. it would suck for him to give some happy-go-lucky speech.

but some people were crying and shit. that's cheesy as hell.

[IndiReloaded]

People are scared. So they lose control of their emotions. Its not unexpected, it just needs to be accounted for.

Americans need more stiff upper lip, less Oprah/Dr Phil. It helps. Obama is a good role model for that.