December 18, 2022
Today is a two-fer. For my next MSFS trick, I’ll be flying the classic British WW2 fighter, the Spitfire. But not just any Spitfire, mind you, the one-of-a-kind “Black Spit” of the Israeli air force. I’ll explain the story behind the 57 Black Spit in a second, but first, let’s get this thing started. Starting […]
December 18, 2022
Today in Microsoft Flight Simulator I’ll be flying the Fouga CM.170 Magister, the world’s first 2-seat jet trainer, which starting in the 1950s played a key role in transitioning several air forces from piston to jet aircraft – and also fought in a number of “brush wars”. I’ll start the story here at Toulouse’s Blagnac […]
December 18, 2022
I knew Eddie Rickenbacker was an American flying ace in World War I, and won the Medal of Honor, but I didn’t know that much about the rest of his life until now. Rickenbacker grew up in poverty. His parents were struggling immigrants from Switzerland. His home had no electricity, plumbing, or heat. He ran […]
December 18, 2022
From a Twitter thread I wrote on December 10, 2022: 1. Xi is visiting Saudi Arabia, so I see we’re going to do the “OMG, the Saudis are going to start accepting the RMB for oil and destroy the dollar” thing, so let me explain why I don’t see that as being in anyone’s real […]
December 18, 2022
From a Twitter thread I wrote on 1. I’m going to start over with what I hope will be an informative thread on “What is Phoenix TV?” 2. People in the US started asking this because a Chinese correspondent from Phoenix TV asked President Trump a question yesterday at his briefing, and he questioned her […]
December 18, 2022
From a Twitter thread I wrote on June 2, 2021. 1. As with the NBA/Hong Kong kerfuffle in 2019, John Cena’s apology to Chinese fans over Taiwan has sparked a new round of anxiety over US businesses “kowtowing to China”. I have some thoughts (thread). https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/31/hollywood-just-cant-stop-groveling-china/ 2. The concern often articulated involves the Chinese government/party […]
December 18, 2022
From a Twitter thread I wrote on May 23, 2022: 1. How to evaluate Biden’s recent statements that the US would defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China? Is this a smart thing, a dumb thing, or does it even matter? A thread. 2. On the one hand, the US has no […]
December 18, 2022
From a Twitter thread I wrote on October 14, 2012: 1. I’m reading “Red Roulette” by Desmond Shum. While it’s fascinating, I’m a bit concerned that people will read it and think that is how all business in China gets done. Some thoughts: 2. Shum describes a business world in China in which connections to […]
December 18, 2022
From a Twitter thread I wrote on July 24, 2020: 1. I’m often asked, if I’m so critical of Trump’s approach to China, what I think the US *should* do … with the assumption I’ll be stumped, because I have nothing to offer. So let me answer that question, perhaps not exhaustively, but in some […]
December 18, 2022
From a thread I posted on Twitter on February 27, 2022: 1. Some thoughts on the strategic relationship between Russia and China. A thread. The current closeness between the two is basically driven by two factors: 2. First, and this predates Xi, is China’s concern about the vulnerability of its supply lines, particularly oil, to […]