All Things Russia & Ukraine

[PizzaSnake]

You think cultural issues don't matter, or that both parties don't use them ?

Sure I do! You're not listening, as usual.

What I'm telling you, for the 100th time is: the Republicans have substituted governing and ideas for governance with scare tactics and fake cultural issues. And you're the A#1 sucker when it comes to this.

When I ask you or any other Republican: what's your plan? You can't answer it. You come back with nothing, and then mock me calling these simple, basic, obvious questions as "little games".

The Dems, yep, they play the culture wars, too. But....but: Like it or not, they can articulate plans. Green New Deal. Free college. Obamacare. Infastructure. Tangible stuff. Yep, you can criticize it. But in the end, what's the alternative? (there isn't one)

Working class families care about what their kids are exposed to.

Yep. But they're being told that draq queens are reading to kids in NYC.....and thinking that voting Republicans in Omaha will stop that. It's silly.

You can't see the irony in your EUroburgher idols squealing about Biden's protectionism

You still don't get it. No matter how many times I tell you these things, you don't listen, and just trundle on.

They're not my idols. The American Economy as it stands makes me and everyone I know flush with cash. We all have advanced degrees. We all come from families that put a premium on education. Not only am I set, so is my family. And all your team does is shovel more money my way....and to all my pals with the same multiple degrees with multiple homes, vacations and little or no debt. We're not the 1%ers. We're the top 10% earners, just like you.

If you want to continue on this econommic path? Knock yourself out. I win with your way, my man.

What I THOUGHT you wanted (and what I want) is for the American working class to enjoy what I enjoy.

The Euroburgers have given that to their working class. Health care, education, unions, fewer working hours, more vacation.

If you have a better way to give this to the working class? Let's hear your plan, my man. The floor is yours!

....(we both know you won't answer the question, because you haven't the foggiest idea)

The American working class can get back there if we can get more jobs back. Most of the paychecks cashed in our grocery store every Fri were from UAW workers. That was cut in half when Chrysler was purchased by Daimler-Benz & they shut down the largest Chrysler plant in the USA which had been there 50 years. Made in America. Protectionism. Targeted tariffs & duties. Energy production incentives & exports. Subsidized ag exports. Hell yes ! Hearing Jamie Dimon whine on behalf of the EUroburghers brings a tear to my eye.

"The American working class can get back there if we can get more jobs back. Most of the paychecks cashed in our grocery store every Fri were from UAW workers."

Umm, that was a long time ago, economically and demographically. Have you seen the reports on the "missing" workers of "prime" age (25-54)? Where are they? Dead? Addicted? Unsuitable for today's labor market? And just so we are clear, are you advocating for the resurgence of unions?

"Men have been steadily clocking out of the American workforce since pre-pandemic times — even now despite there being millions of job openings and an uncertain economic climate.

While the U.S. labor market remains incredibly tight — with the economy adding another 263,000 jobs in November — around 7 million “prime age” men between the ages of 25 and 54 are reportedly sitting it out.

“They are affirmatively not looking for work. They've punched out. They're done,” TV host Mike Rowe said on The Brian Kilmeade Show, citing research from economist Nick Eberstadt."

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/most-chi ... 00193.html

[old salt]

Here's where the auto jobs went ;

In key manufacturing industries, such as the auto industry, NAFTA has had a clear impact. Global auto producers built 11 new assembly plants in North America from 2009 to 2017. All but three were sited in Mexico – even though they all primarily made vehicles for the U.S. market.

My hometown Chrysler plant was the largest Chrysler plant in the US. They made minivans & pickups. When it closed, production of those models shifted to Canada & Mexico. You could hear the NAFTA sucking sound.

If imported European made cars destined for the US market are manufactured in US plants due to lower energy costs, that will bring manufacturing jobs back to the US.

[old salt]

Have you seen the reports on the "missing" workers of "prime" age (25-54)? Where are they? Dead? Addicted? Unsuitable for today's labor market? And just so we are clear, are you advocating for the resurgence of unions?

"Men have been steadily clocking out of the American workforce since pre-pandemic times — even now despite there being millions of job openings and an uncertain economic climate.

While the U.S. labor market remains incredibly tight — with the economy adding another 263,000 jobs in November — around 7 million “prime age” men between the ages of 25 and 54 are reportedly sitting it out.

“They are affirmatively not looking for work. They've punched out. They're done,” TV host Mike Rowe said on The Brian Kilmeade Show, citing research from economist Nick Eberstadt."

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/most-chi ... 00193.html

Yes. i've heard Mike Rowe on that. Why are they sitting it out ? How are they living ?
Might a manufacturing job with pay & benefits commensurate with those lost jobs lure them back into the labor force ?
They don't have to be union jobs if compensation is good. Newest auto plants in the sun belt prove that.
This is from the article in your yahoo link :
The decline of men in the workforce may be partially due to the drop in manufacturing jobs since the 1960s, which have either been automated or moved offshore.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Here's where the auto jobs went ;

In key manufacturing industries, such as the auto industry, NAFTA has had a clear impact. Global auto producers built 11 new assembly plants in North America from 2009 to 2017. All but three were sited in Mexico – even though they all primarily made vehicles for the U.S. market.

My hometown Chrysler plant was the largest Chrysler plant in the US. They made minivans & pickups. When it closed, production of those models shifted to Canada & Mexico. You could hear the NAFTA sucking sound.

If imported European made cars destined for the US market are manufactured in US plants due to lower energy costs, that will bring manufacturing jobs back to the US.

This is old news. I debated this in 1990. My sister took a buyout and moved to Texas. Your retirement account has done well.

[Typical Lax Dad]

[Typical Lax Dad]

I interned at a GM plant. My project was to measure the total cost to produce hydraulic motor mounts and of the total cost to produce, how much “waste" was associated with the production of the part. For that part it was 44%. Another team had light flex springs for Corvettes it was close to 50%…..my sister couldn’t believe I didn’t take a job with GM after I graduated…..I told her I wasn’t stupid. She went to work right out of high school….I knew I could do better after taking my first trip East with a bunch of lacrosse teammates…. I wasn’t settling after I saw what I saw….

Auto manufacturers in this country had a management problem. Lost out to more nimble competition with better design and higher quality.

[Typical Lax Dad]

https://hbr.org/2009/09/nummi-what-toyota-learned

We got our clocks cleaned. Thanks

[Typical Lax Dad]

https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insight ... onomy.html

For something other than the Euroburgers took our jobs.

[old salt]

From Defense One, today's D brief :

December 16, 2022. At least half of Ukraine is without power after Russia launched another 76 missiles at its democratic neighbor on Friday. Ukraine's military says 72 cruise missiles and four guided air-to-surface missiles were used in Friday's barrage, which was trimmed down to 16 missiles after Kyiv says it shot down 60 of the projectiles with anti-aircraft and air defense weapons. Some of the missiles appear to have been visible from a passenger plane flying over Moldova on Friday; see that video shared on Twitter by European outlet Visegrád 24.

New: Ukraine says it thinks Russia will launch a new and wide-ranging offensive sometime around February, since that's when some 150,000 newly mobilized troops are expected to become available for service. Ukraine's defense chief said as much to The Guardian on Thursday, and Kyiv's top uniformed officer said much the same in an interview this week with the Economist.

"I have no doubt they will have another go at Kyiv," said General Valery Zaluzhny. That may come later, though, he predicted. Other large-scale offensives—possibly in the south, maybe from the east—are expected "in February, at best in March and at worst at the end of January," Zaluzhny told the Economist.

"The enemy shouldn't be discounted. They are not weak," said Kyiv's ground forces commander, ​​Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrsky. "They have very great potential in terms of manpower," he added.

"I know that I can beat this enemy," Zaluzhny boasted. "But I need resources. I need 300 tanks, 600-700 IFVs [infantry fighting vehicles], 500 Howitzers." (The Economist noted those figures alone are "bigger than the total armored forces of most European armies.")

New: Japan will significantly increase its defense spending and purchase missiles capable of hitting China, making the country—which has been pacifist since the end of World War II—the third largest military spender in the world.
The land of the rising sun is at a "turning point in history," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, calling the new strategy and beefed up spending "my answer to the various security challenges that we face." The main challenge, of course, is China, which Japanese leaders worry has been emboldened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

[old salt]

Ukraine's liberal democracy.

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/o ... -policies/

On Ukraine’s De-Russification Policies

By MICHAEL BRENDAN DOUGHERTY, December 16, 2022

...it is quite true that the war has triggered a nationalistic response among Russians, Vladimir Putin has denounced “extreme nationalism” when he sees nationalist movements working against his interests, which makes sense as he is the head of a multinational Russian Federation. Ukraine’s struggle to retain its territory and maintain an independent and sovereign government is a classically “nationalist” struggle. And it is accompanied by the kind of anti-liberal nationalist politics that usually troubles critics of nationalism.

As an example, ...the laws instituted this year prohibiting the publication of Russian-language content in Ukraine unless an equivalent Ukrainian language publication is offered as a first option. ...How could Ukraine possibly ban Russian? It’s the most common language.
...as evidenced by an article from Radio Free Europe, a news source that the U.S. government funds.

Now, Europe has lots of language laws. France still has laws on the books that circumscribe the use of Breton, a Gaelic language from Brittany, on the radio or in schools. Ireland has laws aimed at preserving what’s left of the Irish language. Hungary famously launched campaigns of “Magyarization” while trying to build its one nation-state. But Ukraine’s cultural-nationalist project is on another order of magnitude. A third of Ukrainians don’t speak Ukrainian as their first language. There’s a massive population of Ukrainian citizens who have no interest in learning Ukrainian. The law is an attempt to coax them into adopting Ukrainian culture or be cut off from public life.

Over a century ago, Irish nationalists envisioned the de-Anglicization of Ireland. But when they dreamed of a Gaelic-speaking Ireland, even ultra-nationalists like Patrick Pearse saw it as a consequence that could come about when English stopped being a lingua franca of global business.

Although the Russian language has fallen in prestige sharply with the destruction of the Soviet Union, it still has tremendous vitality as a lingua franca in the region.

And under the pressure of war, Ukraine has upped the stakes in its cultural politics. From Reuters in June:

Ukraine’s parliament on Sunday voted through two laws which will place severe restrictions on Russian books and music as Kyiv seeks to break many remaining cultural ties between the two countries following Moscow’s invasion.

One law will forbid the printing of books by Russian citizens, unless they renounce their Russian passport and take Ukrainian citizenship. The ban will only apply to those who held Russian citizenship after the 1991 collapse of Soviet rule.

It will also ban the commercial import of books printed in Russia, Belarus, and occupied Ukrainian territory, while also requiring special permission for the import of books in Russian from any other country.

Another law will prohibit the playing of music by post-1991 Russian citizens on media and on public transport, while also increasing quotas on Ukrainian-language speech and music content in TV and radio broadcasts.

Ukraine’s cultural minister took to the pages of the Guardian in December to argue that Russia’s cultural vandalism in the occupied parts of Ukraine deserved an international response, namely a ban on Russian culture.

Boycotting Russian culture is an important step. We’re not talking about cancelling Tchaikovsky, but rather about pausing performances of his works until Russia ceases its bloody invasion. Ukrainian cultural venues have already done this with him and other Russian composers. We’re calling on our allies to do the same. Already, many of the theatres and cultural venues that previously refused to perform Russian music or to cooperate with Russian artists who support the war have since renewed their ties. And Ukrainian culture has so much to offer.

I don’t blame Ukrainians for their reaction. It’s perfectly understandable that in a war for survival, the cultural politics of the most advanced ultranationalists will prevail. But Ukraine’s cultural laws cannot reasonably be described as liberal or cosmopolitan. They are radical. And, if we mean anything we have said about U.S. support of Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction, we should encourage the laws’ relaxation or abandonment.

[rasheed]

Regardless of what side you’re on, I always find it fascinating listening to the advisors to presidents. Mate and Halper and somehow score an interview with Anna Soroka, advisor to LPR



https://youtu.be/n2BXirfg1Uk

[Typical Lax Dad]

Regardless of what side you’re on, I always find it fascinating listening to the advisors to presidents. Mate and Halper and somehow score an interview with Anna Soroka, advisor to LPR



https://youtu.be/n2BXirfg1Uk

Which “side” you are on!! It’s that obvious to you too!!

[PizzaSnake]

https://hbr.org/2009/09/nummi-what-toyota-learned

We got our clocks cleaned. Thanks

And amusingly, they learned it from an American, Deming. America got fat and complacent. Got their asses waxed.

Then along came the cult of the almighty MBA. Tried to apply Deming's lessons stateside. And really finished fcuking the blue collar workers. Thanks, Mittens, you fcuk.

[old salt]

https://hbr.org/2009/09/nummi-what-toyota-learned

We got our clocks cleaned. Thanks

And amusingly, they learned it from an American, Deming. America got fat and complacent. Got their asses waxed.

Then along came the cult of the almighty MBA. Tried to apply Deming's lessons stateside. And really finished fcuking the blue collar workers. Thanks, Mittens, you fcuk.

In 1989, the Navy tried to adapt Deming's Total Quality Management theories into a Total Quality Leadership program. It was the pet project of a new CNO. We all dutifully read Deming's book, attended training sessions & off site retreats, drafted Total Quality mission statements, hung them on lobby walls alongside our official pictures, & then tried to figure out how to apply it to military operations, a military chain of command, military performance evaluations & promotion criteria & process. Then Tailhook happened, our local Admiral got fired, his female LT aide became a victim/tv celebrity, that CNO took the fall, & we never heard anymore about Deming or TQL. We shifted from TQL workshops to sexual harassment training. Deming's book was interesting in explaining the Japanese auto industry.

[Typical Lax Dad]

https://hbr.org/2009/09/nummi-what-toyota-learned

We got our clocks cleaned. Thanks

And amusingly, they learned it from an American, Deming. America got fat and complacent. Got their asses waxed.

Then along came the cult of the almighty MBA. Tried to apply Deming's lessons stateside. And really finished fcuking the blue collar workers. Thanks, Mittens, you fcuk.

In 1989, the Navy tried to adapt Deming's Total Quality Management theories into a Total Quality Leadership program. It was the pet project of a new CNO. We all dutifully read Deming's book, attended training sessions & off site retreats, drafted Total Quality mission statements, hung them on lobby walls alongside our official pictures, & then tried to figure out how to apply it to military operations, a military chain of command, military performance evaluations & promotion criteria & process. Then Tailhook happened, our local Admiral got fired, his female LT aide became a victim/tv celebrity, that CNO took the fall, & we never heard anymore about Deming or TQL. We shifted from TQL workshops to sexual harassment training. Deming's book was interesting in explaining the Japanese auto industry.

It’s the woman’s fault…..quality is free….freedom isn’t free.

[old salt]

https://hbr.org/2009/09/nummi-what-toyota-learned

We got our clocks cleaned. Thanks

And amusingly, they learned it from an American, Deming. America got fat and complacent. Got their asses waxed.

Then along came the cult of the almighty MBA. Tried to apply Deming's lessons stateside. And really finished fcuking the blue collar workers. Thanks, Mittens, you fcuk.

In 1989, the Navy tried to adapt Deming's Total Quality Management theories into a Total Quality Leadership program. It was the pet project of a new CNO. We all dutifully read Deming's book, attended training sessions & off site retreats, drafted Total Quality mission statements, hung them on lobby walls alongside our official pictures, & then tried to figure out how to apply it to military operations, a military chain of command, military performance evaluations & promotion criteria & process. Then Tailhook happened, our local Admiral got fired, his female LT aide became a victim/tv celebrity, that CNO took the fall, & we never heard anymore about Deming or TQL. We shifted from TQL workshops to sexual harassment training. Deming's book was interesting in explaining the Japanese auto industry.

It’s the woman’s fault…..quality is free….freedom isn’t free.

I'd enjoy hearing you & ffg discuss her if you knew the details.

[Typical Lax Dad]

https://hbr.org/2009/09/nummi-what-toyota-learned

We got our clocks cleaned. Thanks

And amusingly, they learned it from an American, Deming. America got fat and complacent. Got their asses waxed.

Then along came the cult of the almighty MBA. Tried to apply Deming's lessons stateside. And really finished fcuking the blue collar workers. Thanks, Mittens, you fcuk.

In 1989, the Navy tried to adapt Deming's Total Quality Management theories into a Total Quality Leadership program. It was the pet project of a new CNO. We all dutifully read Deming's book, attended training sessions & off site retreats, drafted Total Quality mission statements, hung them on lobby walls alongside our official pictures, & then tried to figure out how to apply it to military operations, a military chain of command, military performance evaluations & promotion criteria & process. Then Tailhook happened, our local Admiral got fired, his female LT aide became a victim/tv celebrity, that CNO took the fall, & we never heard anymore about Deming or TQL. We shifted from TQL workshops to sexual harassment training. Deming's book was interesting in explaining the Japanese auto industry.

It’s the woman’s fault…..quality is free….freedom isn’t free.

I'd enjoy hearing you & ffg discuss her if you knew the details.

I am sure you would like to hear it….. try one of these

[MDlaxfan76]

https://hbr.org/2009/09/nummi-what-toyota-learned

We got our clocks cleaned. Thanks

And amusingly, they learned it from an American, Deming. America got fat and complacent. Got their asses waxed.

Then along came the cult of the almighty MBA. Tried to apply Deming's lessons stateside. And really finished fcuking the blue collar workers. Thanks, Mittens, you fcuk.

mmmm, I disagree with your second paragraph, especially last sentence.

Here's the thing, less than 20% of all companies are truly "excellent"...these have a shot at competing successfully on a national, and increasingly importantly in the past 4 decades, international, stage. The rest take up space but earn substandard returns and are simply on their way out, that is, without a turnaround of some sort. A few have monopolistic protections so it can take awhile, but it's inevitable.

And companies that have been "excellent" at an earlier stage of their lifespan are not guaranteed to be so later...as all of the internal incentives tend to get locked into maintenance of status quo, their current preeminent position. They become bureaucratic. Short term rewards for management, tied to quarterly earnings and stock prices....ugh.

So, it takes fantastic leadership from management to buck the short term focus of Wall Street and to not fall prey to upstart competition, and instead stay ahead, and frankly, from an economic progress standpoint, we very much want that to be the case.

We want the best to win, and have to win again, else someone better displaces.

And this is a big world, with a heck of a lot of competitors...America has done pretty darn well in that global competition, though displacement does indeed happen and it's darn hard when labor can't keep up with the pace of change.

We can more reasonably debate, however, how government can play a role in this process (or not) given that competitors in other regions do get involved. Education, workforce training, safety nets that enable labor movement...investments in deep technology, financial/tax support for risky, long term investments....there's a spectrum...

[PizzaSnake]

https://hbr.org/2009/09/nummi-what-toyota-learned

We got our clocks cleaned. Thanks

And amusingly, they learned it from an American, Deming. America got fat and complacent. Got their asses waxed.

Then along came the cult of the almighty MBA. Tried to apply Deming's lessons stateside. And really finished fcuking the blue collar workers. Thanks, Mittens, you fcuk.

mmmm, I disagree with your second paragraph, especially last sentence.

Here's the thing, less than 20% of all companies are truly "excellent"...these have a shot at competing successfully on a national, and increasingly importantly in the past 4 decades, international, stage. The rest take up space but earn substandard returns and are simply on their way out, that is, without a turnaround of some sort. A few have monopolistic protections so it can take awhile, but it's inevitable.

And companies that have been "excellent" at an earlier stage of their lifespan are not guaranteed to be so later...as all of the internal incentives tend to get locked into maintenance of status quo, their current preeminent position. They become bureaucratic. Short term rewards for management, tied to quarterly earnings and stock prices....ugh.

So, it takes fantastic leadership from management to buck the short term focus of Wall Street and to not fall prey to upstart competition, and instead stay ahead, and frankly, from an economic progress standpoint, we very much want that to be the case.

We want the best to win, and have to win again, else someone better displaces.

And this is a big world, with a heck of a lot of competitors...America has done pretty darn well in that global competition, though displacement does indeed happen and it's darn hard when labor can't keep up with the pace of change.

We can more reasonably debate, however, how government can play a role in this process (or not) given that competitors in other regions do get involved. Education, workforce training, safety nets that enable labor movement...investments in deep technology, financial/tax support for risky, long term investments....there's a spectrum...

"mmmm, I disagree with your second paragraph, especially last sentence."

We're all entitled to our opinions.

I have an article I'll share with you. Interesting analysis of the impact of MBA-think on institutional knowledge and corporate leadership over the past 40 years. Going to take some time, but I'll find it and post it for your delectation.

[MDlaxfan76]

https://hbr.org/2009/09/nummi-what-toyota-learned

We got our clocks cleaned. Thanks

And amusingly, they learned it from an American, Deming. America got fat and complacent. Got their asses waxed.

Then along came the cult of the almighty MBA. Tried to apply Deming's lessons stateside. And really finished fcuking the blue collar workers. Thanks, Mittens, you fcuk.

mmmm, I disagree with your second paragraph, especially last sentence.

Here's the thing, less than 20% of all companies are truly "excellent"...these have a shot at competing successfully on a national, and increasingly importantly in the past 4 decades, international, stage. The rest take up space but earn substandard returns and are simply on their way out, that is, without a turnaround of some sort. A few have monopolistic protections so it can take awhile, but it's inevitable.

And companies that have been "excellent" at an earlier stage of their lifespan are not guaranteed to be so later...as all of the internal incentives tend to get locked into maintenance of status quo, their current preeminent position. They become bureaucratic. Short term rewards for management, tied to quarterly earnings and stock prices....ugh.

So, it takes fantastic leadership from management to buck the short term focus of Wall Street and to not fall prey to upstart competition, and instead stay ahead, and frankly, from an economic progress standpoint, we very much want that to be the case.

We want the best to win, and have to win again, else someone better displaces.

And this is a big world, with a heck of a lot of competitors...America has done pretty darn well in that global competition, though displacement does indeed happen and it's darn hard when labor can't keep up with the pace of change.

We can more reasonably debate, however, how government can play a role in this process (or not) given that competitors in other regions do get involved. Education, workforce training, safety nets that enable labor movement...investments in deep technology, financial/tax support for risky, long term investments....there's a spectrum...

"mmmm, I disagree with your second paragraph, especially last sentence."

We're all entitled to our opinions.

I have an article I'll share with you. Interesting analysis of the impact of MBA-think on institutional knowledge and corporate leadership over the past 40 years. Going to take some time, but I'll find it and post it for your delectation.

gracias...I'd be interested in what someone would define as "MBA-think". I suspect there's quite a lot of misunderstanding of what was taught 4 decades ago (about my time), and likewise what is taught today. Certainly lots of evolution.