China is in trouble, and this can only make them come to Trump with hands out. Or make them aggressive and want to steal from their neighbors.
First, a virus has wiped out a major protein source for their country:
With a mortality rate near 100%, ASF has swept through China’s hog industry, decimating their primary source of protein. Best estimates put losses at 30-35% of China’s 700 million swine population, and it’s still spreading across China and into neighboring Vietnam, Cambodia, Taiwan, and Mongolia.
As usual, Communist Party leaders deny there is an epidemic, but with a 35% reduction in protein available, and an even larger decimation possible in the future, the agriculture problem is serious—on its way to critical. This year China has already destroyed as many pigs as are raised annually in the United States.
That’s a lot of bacon going to waste. Already having a hard time feeding its people, there’s going to be a real challenge to keep them happy. “Feed them cake” may end up in the same result as the first time it was used.
Primarily because…
Well, enter the second plague: meet the Fall Armyworm. It can travel over sixty miles in a day (300 in its lifetime) and lay over a thousand eggs before it dies. It has no natural enemies and is extremely expensive to eradicate, especially for a nation of poor farmers.
The Fall Armyworm has been responsible for devastating China’s other sources of protein (and income). Crops of soybeans, wheat, corn, and rice, among others have been destroyed by this malicious pest. With the huge protein losses due to the swine epidemic, these other crops were critical in making up the difference.
And what does this mean for Trump?
The loss of export revenue brought about by the Fall Armyworm’s devastation couldn’t have come at a worse time for China, with President Trump’s hardline on trade, and tariff pressures. With China weakened by this twin assault on their agriculture industry, and with a faltering economy, we can expect that President Trump’s team will take full advantage as they hammer out a final trade agreement.
Any other president we’ve seen would have managed to turn this silk purse into a sow’s ear.
Friday comments available.
1952 GMC 101-22 1/2 ton Pickup. Owned by Phillip Pierce of Roanoke, VA, this is a beautifully restored truck and great color! Phillip’s in the auto body business and the quality of work on his truck sure shows it. Phillip was bitten hard by the GMC bug and he has a number of other GMCs including 1927 Chevy Capital 1… Read more »
31 here, so the app says. Climbing to 60 today.
First row, outside!
Wake up Slackers!
38 and frost on the pumpkin this morning.
Mornin’ Gang
45 grave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_M2qGR-NrE
Shannon, I don’t know if #99 was a reply to #98, but I must say it is a bizarre clip. I watched the whole thing!
…and now Bob Seger comes to mind.
They didn’t bus ’em in as heavy in the barrio this year. Maybe the cold weather discouraged all the baby mamas.
?100?
Sam Cooke
From the movie Cadence (1990)
https://youtu.be/5EAHlHD9qcA
Nah, not kinky at all, it’s sort of a shared-agony situation.
Kinky
Whoever plays bass on this mix kills it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh1PDEoBLDI
Adee, when I had my knee replacement surgeries (2013 and 2014), I had a choice of Physical Therapy by at-home visits or by being taken to the PT & Sports Medicine gym at Northwest Mem-H. Hubs could drive me in for the sessions, so that was a good choice. They have all the equipment at the gym, and also it’s… Read more »
Warren Zevon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1PFz56XWQI
Tis Halloween.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKhPVHoodrU
Considering what’s been going on lately, I’m doing this:
Let us ask for the intercessory prayers of the Church Triumphant and the Church Suffering for the Church Militant.
I think we fall into the category of unsorted bank statements.
My cousin would always find money stashed around his grandma’s house. We had a friend who lost his folks in a short period of time. They were paranoid and horrendous hoarders and stashed stuff amongst all of the trash that they were afraid to throw out because “someone” might find out about “their stuff” or get in their business. From… Read more »
Adee, best wishes for a quick and complete recovery. No metal parts, eh? I wonder what they found to replace the metal that could hold up to the stress. I just told Hubby that the more I look at this ring, the less sure I am that it’s my engagement ring. It’s awfully close, though, and I may keep it… Read more »
Still a cloud free evening, and as the sun is setting, the cold is setting back in. It warmed up to around 50 something today and was very pleasant, but looks like a cold night in store again. No baseball so I’m scouring You Tube for things to watch. It’s pretty amazing all the stuff out there on the free… Read more »
It’s odd, but I’m missing Texpat already.
Seems I remember a pretty good amount of cash found in the pages of my boss’s mom’s books after she had passed. I think there was some drama over who actually came upon it, a family of twelve kids they gotta be one or two of em I would guess the odds to be.
Glad you got it done Ms Adee, bet you will be happy you did it. Praying for a smooth and quick recovery for you.
My cousin would always find money stashed around his grandma’s house. He found quite a bit after she passed. I have a couple of encyclopedia sets from her, however, I’ve never found any cash.
#72 – MsAdee kneemail for rapid recovery is UP!!
You’ll be on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ in no time! 🙂
Tedtam go to the jeweler tomorrow! Don’t wait. Do not pass go. Do not collect your $200.
It feels weird on my finger…it’s been so long…
Happy, happy, happy!
Over twenty years ago I put my engagement ring in a “safe place” because a prong on the setting was catching on my clothes and snagging everything. I meant to take it to a jeweler, but I couldn’t find it later. It’s how I roll. I’ve warned my kids that they’ll need to sort through every paper, open every picture,… Read more »
Get well soon Adee!
#72 – Good for you. The tougher the therapy, the better the end result. Those female physical therapists that I dealt with did not seem to feel a bit of my pain, but you will be amazed at how quickly you will be back in service. Don’t skimp on the therapy. When it’s over you will be asking yourself why… Read more »
We’re not so fortunate as to have $1 taco nite at the DQ.
I must have accidentally ordered three extra for me.
Pretty good as always.
Ms Adee God love ya dear lady. My BSue had hers done and I know that have your wheels taken away for awhile is no fun. Time to get know a good book for awhile. If’n you are anything like my BSue at the end of the day you will be glad you done did. Prayin for a total healing… Read more »
Can’t say the same for Ben Taub. The in-house McDonald’s the preferred alternative.
73
MH/Mem City has pretty darn good food if you have no diet restrictions. And the same goes for their restaurant.
May you be back to running marathons soonest.
Good afternoon Hamsters. Kinda quiet here today as I’m recovering from total knee replacement done on Monday, got home yesterday afternoon. My left knee had been slowly deteriorating with arthritis for the past several years, so I decided to get it done before it deteriorated even more. If’n the ends of the bones are badly chewed up with wear it… Read more »
California fires: Goats help save Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
H/T the Boy, I’ve mentioned before that my sister used to rent goats.
Did I ever tell y’all about my cousin Booty Bugatti Box? He was the baddest demolition derby driver in Cut-N-Shoot. He never figured out that the idea was to outlast the other drivers. He would jump into the car and crash his car up so bad he was usually the first one out of the competition. He never won but… Read more »
I don’t think there’ll be a nosebleed section in a 3200 seat stadium.
Nah, I keep forgetting. Season opener in their new stadium is February 8 vs the Glendale Raptors. Check this out – season tickets (10 games) start at $175. That’s a pretty good deal.
Opening day is this coming Saturday in Texas, November 23, here in Alabama. But the season here runs until February 10, 2020.
#62, There is always Curling,… 😉
There’s always some kinda voicing or dancing or dating contest on the TV.
Did you ever make it to a local rugby match?
I’m warming to televised ice hockey.
We’re starting to move into the sports duldrums. Just two more months of college football and opening day is five months away. So we have three months of riveting bowling tournaments and cornhole championships. Yay sports.
Today was the tenth day he was in Texas.
Well it was 74 at noon 50 now, I think the front came through with all that rain we got. No Thunder Boomers though, but we had a few last night.