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Biden threatens U.S. sanctions in response to Myanmar coup

46 Comments
By David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick and Jarrett Renshaw

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46 Comments
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No, I was referring to last place Fox “news”. CNN is solidly in number one. Maybe Bass will finally give them their due (They won 8 Emmys for reporting last year alone. Fox? None ever) because they have the most viewers - his flawed matrix for credibility, but I’m not holding my breath. Nor am I betting good money (and bragging about it as a certain someone has....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

There is no credible scenario that brings the US and Myanmar to war. None.

You could be right, I don’t believe it, but we shall see. Again, I hope it doesn’t come to that and I mean that.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

It doesn’t mean the US won’t go to war, there is no way to rule that possibility out.

There is no credible scenario that brings the US and Myanmar to war. None. They are militarily unimportant. They don't even like China that much but are forced to deal with them due to a shared border and lack of other nations who are friendly with them.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Biden is already polling higher than trump ever did throughout his presidency. Trunk just keeps on losing to Biden every time on every thing. What do you call someone who loses every single time?

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/biden-settles-his-approval-rating-already-tops-trump-s-n1256462

0 ( +1 / -1 )

War can be ruled out.

I believe it when I see it. I sure hope not.

We all know that's why little Bush invaded Iraq. The problem was, he did it while lying about WMDs to the world.

I care more that Saddam is no longer around.

And with American Exceptionalism, no American ever had to take responsibility for the deaths of 500,000 Iraqi citizens who died for little Bush's revenge, framed as lies about WMDs.

Sad, but I care more about the American lives that were lost and injured.

America's chickens are coming home to roost. Trump was what America deserved.

And No war, thank God....

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Other than that and looking back I think the war was a huge mistake.

Hilarious, like no one here was around for the years you and Serrano first cheerled the attack on Iraq, rah-rahed the war, then defended it for years after only finally “looking back” when Trump called it a mistake

So, yeah, you do change position depending on who is in office.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

China will never be the dominant power, as they have a fundamental cultural issue of building amazing structures, with no foundation. So when the wind blows hard, they fall down.

This can be seen throughout Chinese society. Their government and economy are strong, but without a solid foundation. Their aggression in the world is hard, but without the foundation of the support of other nations. They have a massive manufacturing economy, but the corruption will undermine them.

China is an amazing culture, but one thing they've never done well is build foundations. While another thing they've done well is persevere. That's why they're not going anywhere, but neither will they ever be the dominant power of the world.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

No, the US returns to the policy it had towards Myanmar prior to 2015

It doesn’t mean the US won’t go to war, there is no way to rule that possibility out.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

 But the fact is, China is likely going to be the dominant power in 100 years time

Do you realize that in the late 1980s supposedly knowledgeable "experts" on economics and foreign policy were saying the same exact thing about Japan? I have books on my book shelves on this very topic. Some even claimed a US Japan war was inevitable.

China's demographic cliff and rising sea levels argue against your claim. China's working age population has been declining since 2014 and their overall population is peaking right now. Their future is actually kind of bleak as there will be fewer workers to support a rapidly growing cohort of elderly Chinese. Rising standards of living for the people of China are not guaranteed. The fertility rate in northern China is only 0.5. That means only one baby is born for every four adults. China will fall off a demographic cliff in a couple of decades. Its population is projected to decline by the hundreds of millions. This has huge implications for their economic viability. In addition, if you look at what happens when sea levels rise even a few meters, which is on the conservative side of most projections, a lot of big Chinese coastal cities are under water. If the Greenland icecap melts, Beijing becomes a beachfront town, Shanghai is submerged and Lake Tai becomes a coastal bay. Cities on the west coast of the Americas tend to be on hilly terrain and lose much less land.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

No, I wanted Bush to get Saddam, it was a good thing and no one misses the butcher of Baghdad. Other than that and looking back I think the war was a huge mistake.

Shrub was not even half as smart as his father. His father wisely did not remove Saddam from power after the 1991 victory in Desert Storm. Bush Senior understood the ethnic dynamics of that part of the world and did not want to risk starting an open competition for power between the Shiites and Sunnis in the region. Bush Senior understood toppling Saddam risked creating conditions for a destabilizing regional conflict that would strengthen only Iran. Shrub by comparison was blind to these risks and opened that can of worms fully. Saddam did not have nuclear weapons and there was no good reason for invading Iraq. Shrub compounded the problem by installing a Shiite dictator in Baghdad and also by purging the Iraqi civil service and Army of Sunnis. Those purged Sunnis were the future fighters and supporters of Daesh. Worse, resources that rightly should have been available to ensure defeat the Taliban and occupy Afghanistan to prevent them from reorganizing were wasted on an invasion of Iraq that has accomplished nothing beneficial to the US and actually made the situation in the region much worse.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Seems like we are sadly going to involve ourselves in another war....

No, the US returns to the policy it had towards Myanmar prior to 2015.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

GdTokyoToday 

I seem to remember that Bass argued that faux “news”

I suppose by "faux news" you mean CNN? That one is so far out in propaganda space, I just watch it at as entertainment these days. Very much like North Korea TV.

As for the much kneejerked "Fox", I thing our CNN crowd has missed that they have gone mainstream since the ownership change. (Although to their credit, they still seem to host a few dissident commentators.)

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I seem to remember that Bass argued that faux “news” was the most credible source because it got the most viewers.

I don’t agree but just to hold his view to account (and mods, this is neither off-topic nor impolite to other posters) A) faux is now solidly in 3rd place and you have a consistent and large down following. what does that say about your credibility?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

William Bjornson

Uh yep! 'Sanctions' on people disobedient to America's wishes. Off to a great start there Joe "let's change America's image in the world" Biden.

Absolutely. Just wait for the rethoric about bringing "democracy" to Syria to start. If you look at Bidens cabinet, it is stocked with the same warmongers who are intent on meddling in the Middle East while being subservient to China. After all, the CCP model with social credits and speech control is very much to their liking.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Oh really, It is pretty cheap to criticize the regime in Rangoon.

I guess you're more into lauding regimes like those in Pyongyang?

Lets if he is equally strong against the Xi Ping.

Getting the Chinese Premier's name right would help you a lot.

So far, the CCP is glowing with praise for Biden, and one of the first of his blizzard of executive orders was to re-allow CCP companies into the US power grid, something that Trump had stopped.

Your stance is that China should be attacked no matter what. But the fact is, China is likely going to be the dominant power in 100 years time. China's record on issues such as human rights is atrocious, and while I once harboured ambitions to visit China on vacation, I cannot in good faith give them my money on a personal level. But diplomacy, not saber-rattling, is the correct path forward to try and democratize China.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

P. Smith

The president condemning authoritarians instead of praising them. What a 180 from the Trump administration.

Oh really, It is pretty cheap to criticize the regime in Rangoon. Lets if he is equally strong against the Xi Ping. So far, the CCP is glowing with praise for Biden, and one of the first of his blizzard of executive orders was to re-allow CCP companies into the US power grid, something that Trump had stopped.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Classic. When/If Biden takes action, you’ll immediately claim he’s a warmonger. Love it. You can’t lose either way.

Yes and not because he’s Biden, but I just don’t believe we need to get involved in any war, that’s my position and it won’t change whoever is in office and if we are attacked or any of our closest allies art being attacked, that’s different.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Probably not, Trump had 4 years to start a war and to the disappointment of the entire Washington establishment (including Bolton) that never happened.

It seems that you used to think that John Bolton would be a terrific President. Have you changed your mind?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Trump: I am going to sanction every country because I woke up on the wrong side of bed,

Conservatives: Yes, random sanctions is great. Sanctions are a very good punishment.

Biden: I am considering sanctioning Myanmar in response to a military coup.

Conservatives: No. Sanctions are basically war. How could you.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

This is Biden's first opportunity to burnish his democratic credentials by punishing Myanmar's criminal military regime with draconian sanctions to make their economy scream.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

After January 20th, the world became a free for all, China bullying Taiwan, the army in Myanmar staging a coup...

The world knows Biden is all talk. This is just the beginning.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

No kidding. Trump would have likely done something really strong like met with the generals or praised them on Twitter. 

Probably not, Trump had 4 years to start a war and to the disappointment of the entire Washington establishment (including Bolton) that never happened.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

Dictatorships always cosy up to murderous regimes like Russia, China and N.Korea.

Happened earlier when the military was in power, it will happen again!!!

3 ( +5 / -2 )

The army said in taking over in the early hours of Monday that it had responded to what it called election fraud.

Wonder where they got this idea from?

Rejecting legitimate elections, trying to install dictatorial governments, supressing rights of minorities, promoting divisive hatred.....

In case anyone got confused , I am still talking about Myanmar!!!!

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Thank goodness! Good call, Pres. Biden!

Had it been Trump, you'd have to worry about him congratulating their generals for a successful coup.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Japan's second largest brewer Kirin is a majority shareholder in Myanmar Brewery Ltd. and Mandalay Brewery Ltd. in partnership with the Myanmar military-owned-and-operated Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd. In 2015, Kirin bought 55 percent of Myanmar Brewery Ltd., 4 percent of which it later transferred to Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd. In 2017, Kirin acquired 51 percent of Mandalay Brewery Ltd. in a separate joint venture with tthe Myanmar military-owned-and-operated Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd.

Given the military coup in Myanmar, Kirin will certainly dissolve its partnership with the Myanmar military. /s

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Seems like we are sadly going to involve ourselves in another war....

-10 ( +7 / -17 )

Burning Bush

It's sad we never got a chance to do that...

-15 ( +2 / -17 )

The president condemning authoritarians instead of praising them. What a 180° from the Trump administration.

'Sanctions' on someone we disagree with: More like a 360°...

-9 ( +6 / -15 )

Uh yep! 'Sanctions' on people disobedient to America's wishes. Off to a great start there Joe "let's change America's image in the world" Biden. Don't talk with them Joe, hit them with pain and intolerance for other countries trying to act independently under our thumb. From recent reports, Aung's government isn't doing much better for the people of Myanmar than a military junta might be but, Aung is our projected hero image however true that image may be. In America, propaganda is completely slathered over every outbreak of truth and any misbehavior or deviation from America's view of how things should be (for its advantage) receive painful attention. Whatever problems Myanmar may have, they are NOT Joe Biden's business given the absolute MESS on his plate AT HOME. When we, America, after hundreds of years finally figure out how to run our own country successfully despite the psychopaths every country contains and grovels to, THEN we can advise other countries how to run themselves. Short of that, we are just bullies...

-9 ( +6 / -15 )

Myanmar has resources its military wants to continue to control. And Myanmar's military has connections with China, North Korea and Russia.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/north-korea-china-and-russia-are-arming-myanmars-military-despite-genocide-accusations-un-report-finds/2019/08/05/f4dd49d0-b531-11e9-acc8-1d847bacca73_story.html

5 ( +9 / -4 )

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