Crimea gave China a pause on SCS- My POV

[American_Millenium]

Public debt actually includes debt to foreigners. Are you trying to make Americans look like retards.

Public debt includes it but is not limited to it estupido. Western Civilization as a whole owes the great majority of it's debt to itself. How much is owned by Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, South and SE Asia, and East Asia? Probably under 10%.

 

[TheTruth]

@gambit I'm in finance, but your ignorance on the matter is not excusable

 

[gambit]

@gambit I'm in finance, but your ignorance on the matter is not excusable

Yeah...Sure you are...

 

[TheTruth]

Yeah...Sure you are...

No need to prove anything to you. You can take it or leave it.

 

[gau8av]

with every other post I get more convinced that @US_statedept_retired is faking his "retired US state department with 30 years expertise in Indo-Af-Pak affairs"

I can understand not wanting to go public with your personal details on an open forum like this but maybe a small vetting process with the site admins, much like how they work it with former armed services members from many nationalities (Turkish, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, US etc) is in order.

you, of course, will not be representing the current administrations objectives but it'd be a hell of an addition to the forum to have a confirmed former diplomat's views.

We're not here to be trolled by fakers, this should be a real platform for people from across the world to discuss these issues. I see no reason why OP shouldn't confirm his credentials to the management (information not privy to anyone else here)

@Chinese-Dragon @vostok @gambit @jhungary @Joe Shearer @Rashid Mahmood @asad71 @WebMaster @Horus @Neptune @sandy_3126 @Solomon2 @LeveragedBuyout @SvenSvensonov @Nihonjin1051 @Hindustani78 @Capt.Popeye @FaujHistorian @Serpentine @Mosamania @Norwegian @at anyone who's reading OP's stuff

 

[Joe Shearer]

I see no reason to tell the administration how to do its job. Thanks for inputs.

 

[Solomon2]

...I see no reason why OP shouldn't confirm his credentials to the management.

I do. Being a diplomat is a 100% full-time job - you are always representing your country wherever you go. Thus in diplo-speak a diplomat who offers a "personal view" is offering the view of his government that cannot be attributed to his government publicly or officially - but his government wants it conveyed nonetheless.

So for a diplomat to offer his REAL personal view he or she has to retire from government and stay anonymous. Retiring from government isn't enough - people will still assume he speaks for his connections. Staying anonymous while staying employed isn't enough - if the identity is revealed later that will cause trouble either with his home government or his hosts.

He has to remain without connection or identity to offer a REAL personal opinion. The flip side to that, of course, is that he can never truly convince everybody 100% that he really was a diplomat.

 

[LeveragedBuyout]

with every other post I get more convinced that @US_statedept_retired is faking his "retired US state department with 30 years expertise in Indo-Af-Pak affairs"

I can understand not wanting to go public with your personal details on an open forum like this but maybe a small vetting process with the site admins, much like how they work it with former armed services members from many nationalities (Turkish, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, US etc) is in order.

you, of course, will not be representing the current administrations objectives but it'd be a hell of an addition to the forum to have a confirmed former diplomat's views.

We're not here to be trolled by fakers, this should be a real platform for people from across the world to discuss these issues. I see no reason why OP shouldn't confirm his credentials to the management (information not privy to anyone else here)

@Chinese-Dragon @vostok @gambit @jhungary @Joe Shearer @Rashid Mahmood @asad71 @WebMaster @Horus @Neptune @sandy_3126 @Solomon2 @LeveragedBuyout @SvenSvensonov @Nihonjin1051 @Hindustani78 @Capt.Popeye @FaujHistorian @Serpentine @Mosamania @Norwegian @at anyone who's reading OP's stuff

In truth, no one should trust any credentials on an anonymous internet forum like PDF. We don't know the identities or credentials of the site staff, so how can we rely upon their vetting process? We cannot, so there isn't much utility in demanding that an individual should present credentials to the administrators.

As for our "State Department" friend, I'm of two minds. On the one hand, the unprofessional writing style, the lack of lucid, analytical thinking, and the undiplomatic temperament make me highly suspicious of this individual. On the other hand, it's precisely those qualities that dominate our real State Department and make it the least respected component of the executive branch in America (which is why foreign policy has been conducted by the Pentagon, and not the State Department, for the last 15 years). Therefore, it's entirely possible that this individual is who he says he is, in which case, I can only shake my head and pity him.

At the end of the day, credentials on a site like this don't matter, it's the quality of input that matters. Whether someone is an unemployed janitor in real life (like me ), or a Fulbright Scholar, we should not be swayed by credentials and titles, but rather by quality, lucidity, and the ability to cite universally recognized sources as support for arguments. One of my first posts on PDF questioned the utility of the TTA title, because the quality of TTAs is just as mixed as the general population. More than six months later, I still haven't come upon a satisfactory answer.

We should take a step back and take PDF for what it is: not a forum for serious discussion, but rather, a source of entertainment. Let our "State Department" friend have his fun, as will we.

By the way, happy New Year, everyone.

 

[gau8av]

I do. Being a diplomat is a 100% full-time job - you are always representing your country wherever you go. Thus in diplo-speak a diplomat who offers a "personal view" is offering the view of his government that cannot be attributed to his government publicly or officially - but his government wants it conveyed nonetheless.

So for a diplomat to offer his REAL personal view he or she has to retire from government and stay anonymous. Retiring from government isn't enough - people will still assume he speaks for his connections. Staying anonymous while staying employed isn't enough - if the identity is revealed later that will cause trouble either with his home government or his hosts.

He has to remain without connection or identity to offer a REAL personal opinion. The flip side to that, of course, is that he can never truly convince everybody 100% that he really was a diplomat.

ok, fair enough

still... I sometimes wonder if we're being trolled by OP (even though he's been a bit pro India)

"@US_statedept_retired" is still a provocative nick to have on here,

no ?

In truth, no one should trust any credentials on an anonymous internet forum like PDF. We don't know the identities or credentials of the site staff, so how can we rely upon their vetting process? We cannot, so there isn't much utility in demanding that an individual should present credentials to the administrators.

As for our "State Department" friend, I'm of two minds. On the one hand, the unprofessional writing style, the lack of lucid, analytical thinking, and the undiplomatic temperament make me highly suspicious of this individual. On the other hand, it's precisely those qualities that dominate our real State Department and make it the least respected component of the executive branch in America (which is why foreign policy has been conducted by the Pentagon, and not the State Department, for the last 15 years). Therefore, it's entirely possible that this individual is who he says he is, in which case, I can only shake my head and pity him.

At the end of the day, credentials on a site like this don't matter, it's the quality of input that matters. Whether someone is an unemployed janitor in real life (like me ), or a Fulbright Scholar, we should not be swayed by credentials and titles, but rather by quality, lucidity, and the ability to cite universally recognized sources as support for arguments. One of my first posts on PDF questioned the utility of the TTA title, because the quality of TTAs is just as mixed as the general population. More than six months later, I still haven't come upon a satisfactory answer.

We should take a step back and take PDF for what it is: not a forum for serious discussion, but rather, a source of entertainment. Let our "State Department" friend have his fun, as will we.

ha, so you think he's faking it too

sure, it's an open forum where 2nd year engineering nerds throw in some garbage and pretend to be radar tech masters etc lol but it's still a good platform to have some dialogue with real people across the fence

faking diplomat status on here is pretty fuk'd up

not sure about the "think tanks" here either, but at least there's some legitimacy to the other "professional" ones (the site 'vetted' them, I'll bite.. but state department veteran ?

 

[Foggy_Bottom]

ok, fair enough

still... I sometimes wonder if we're being trolled by OP (even though he's been a bit pro India)

"@US_statedept_retired" is still a provocative nick to have on here,
View attachment 180182 View attachment 180182
no ?

Saying I'm pro India could mean I have an agenda of bias against someone else. Topics dictate my views.

My background is specifically aligned with this region. I know some truths and I have personal views. When I express them it does not mean I'm pro anyone, rather I let the chips fall as is. I'm pro U.S., period.

 

[MilSpec]

with every other post I get more convinced that @US_statedept_retired is faking his "retired US state department with 30 years expertise in Indo-Af-Pak affairs"

I can understand not wanting to go public with your personal details on an open forum like this but maybe a small vetting process with the site admins, much like how they work it with former armed services members from many nationalities (Turkish, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, US etc) is in order.

you, of course, will not be representing the current administrations objectives but it'd be a hell of an addition to the forum to have a confirmed former diplomat's views.

We're not here to be trolled by fakers, this should be a real platform for people from across the world to discuss these issues. I see no reason why OP shouldn't confirm his credentials to the management (information not privy to anyone else here)

@Chinese-Dragon @vostok @gambit @jhungary @Joe Shearer @Rashid Mahmood @asad71 @WebMaster @Horus @Neptune @sandy_3126 @Solomon2 @LeveragedBuyout @SvenSvensonov @Nihonjin1051 @Hindustani78 @Capt.Popeye @FaujHistorian @Serpentine @Mosamania @Norwegian @at anyone who's reading OP's stuff

Have the discussion/debate on his content not his credentials. This a forum for open debate.

 

[Joe Shearer]

ok, fair enough

still... I sometimes wonder if we're being trolled by OP (even though he's been a bit pro India)

"@US_statedept_retired" is still a provocative nick to have on here,
View attachment 180182
no ?


ha, so you think he's faking it too

sure, it's an open forum where 2nd year engineering nerds throw in some garbage and pretend to be radar tech masters etc lol but it's still a good platform to have some dialogue with real people across the fence

faking diplomat status on here is pretty fuk'd up

not sure about the "think tanks" here either, but at least there's some legitimacy to the other "professional" ones (the site 'vetted' them, I'll bite.. but state department veteran ?

What I want to know is how you got an illustration that looks so uncannily like me (just 50 kgs lighter, but what's 50 kgs between diplomatic encounters?).

 

[jhungary]

with every other post I get more convinced that @US_statedept_retired is faking his "retired US state department with 30 years expertise in Indo-Af-Pak affairs"

I can understand not wanting to go public with your personal details on an open forum like this but maybe a small vetting process with the site admins, much like how they work it with former armed services members from many nationalities (Turkish, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, US etc) is in order.

you, of course, will not be representing the current administrations objectives but it'd be a hell of an addition to the forum to have a confirmed former diplomat's views.

We're not here to be trolled by fakers, this should be a real platform for people from across the world to discuss these issues. I see no reason why OP shouldn't confirm his credentials to the management (information not privy to anyone else here)

@Chinese-Dragon @vostok @gambit @jhungary @Joe Shearer @Rashid Mahmood @asad71 @WebMaster @Horus @Neptune @sandy_3126 @Solomon2 @LeveragedBuyout @SvenSvensonov @Nihonjin1051 @Hindustani78 @Capt.Popeye @FaujHistorian @Serpentine @Mosamania @Norwegian @at anyone who's reading OP's stuff

Debate the man's point, not the man.

I dont see how he is or isnt from the US state department have anything of value in here, let alone the need to show his credentical.

This is an open forum, you post your own idea with your own leisure, so every point is valid up to a point without regarding to the persons back ground. As we all intelligent enough to post here, even tho some time some post are simply, well...

But regardless, whats the man did or what he claim to do is not a matter to what his view, we should just leave it at that.

However, if he was paid to join PDF and offer exclusive insight, then thats another story.

You judge a mans post, not what he claim he did. Do you think i am a military professional like i said i did? Cus people who actually met up usually surpised to hear i served in the military, as my general demeanor does not looks like a soldier in traditional sense.

 

[jhungary]

At the end of the day, credentials on a site like this don't matter, it's the quality of input that matters. Whether someone is an unemployed janitor in real life (like me ), or a Fulbright Scholar, we should not be swayed by credentials and titles, but rather by quality, lucidity, and the ability to cite universally recognized sources as support for arguments. One of my first posts on PDF questioned the utility of the TTA title, because the quality of TTAs is just as mixed as the general population. More than six months later, I still haven't come upon a satisfactory answer.

thats because TTA is infact just general member, with privilege.

As i said many time already, the use of the rank TTA actually defeat the purpose of establishing the title TTA in the first place, what they wanted to create is a group of people whom view are respected and who actually can produce some idea here and there, and hence academicalize this forum

But what they instead get is a bunch of people who view is as radical as other member and as general as other member and the only difference is that they dont troll. Insteae of calling name on other member when they are disagreed, they simply put in a nice way to rebuttal, and when i said nice, i dont mean their rebuttal is at the point and meaningful. But rather just nice words...

for a considerable period of time, the only requirment for joining the TTA Rank is simply you dont troll and you dont disrespect people and you can hold it against other which you are being troll with. That does not equate to quality poster, that only mean they are polite poster...Meanwhile you have a TTA talking about all western media is mouthpiece and propaganda and another TTA claim the Russian are the party that won WW2 single handedly and the west is actually collabrated with the Nazi.


And only recently the.management have a change of heart and trying to induct people with critical thinking and best idea present into the rank RD (still not TTA) but by now TTA have grown in their rank that removing old TTA so the new one.can slide in their place is no longer prossible and in administration own word, problematic.

So now, TTA is just ordinary people who have power to negative and positive rate people. Dont get me wrong, there are some TTA I respect and really to the point, but their number is.heavily supressed by the sheer number of incompetent TTA...

 

[Wine&Steak]

@gambit I'm in finance, but your ignorance on the matter is not excusable

Ha. Ha.. you must be a Bank teller then, if not you need to be fired pronto, because you rely on guesswork/emotions instead of numbers.
you are just a knucklehead hyper-nationalist. Go and grease the palms of your standing committee overlords in Beijing, maybe they will throw you some crumbs.