The Native Iowan

10am on the 28th of 12, 2021. It’s kinda chilly here, in the valley. Overcast, rainy, breezy and not warmer than 20c/70f. I slept late, due to the chilled air, and once awake I ensconced myself in my recliner, wrapped in a blanket. My coffee is warm, a good Ip Man movie on.

Might sit here all day.

So, as the year wanes, as I sit wrapped in my blanket, all the windows and doors open, the chilled air pervading…

I ponder the past, peer into the future…

It’s been a rather strange past couple years. Recall, it was a short two years ago, in late 2019, that news of the Wuhan lab virus first came to us. It started slow enough but within a few short months all and everything changed.

Where are we now?

One important “thing” that has changed is the status of China on the world scene. I had been researching and writing on the activities China was carrying out, namely the “Belt and Road Initiative”. I was watching as China “bought-up” much of the Pacific Islands’ infrastructure. I watched as many African Nations too fell prey to the idea of basically “selling” main infrastructure like marine ports, airports, major roadways. Funny thing was that Australia too had sold much to China.

Dan Andrews, Victoria’s Premier, was a great proponent of the B&Rinitiative. The Port of Darwin, Perth, all involved in the “scheme”…

• Relations between Australia and China have deteriorated over the past year
• Despite the diplomatic spats, China remains one of Australia largest investors
• Beijing-backed firms own ports, water, energy companies, mines, and more
• Tighter regulations were introduced earlier this year to protect Australian assets
• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9011631/The-shocking-level-Chinese-ownership-Australia-cattle-stations-ports-water.html#socialLinkshttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9011631/The-shocking-level-Chinese-ownership-Australia-cattle-stations-ports-water.html#socialLinks

I believe that the important fact of any Chinese ownership is the reality that all is in fact “State-ownership”. A company in Hong Kong is indeed a company in the modern sense but, the Communist angle means it is in fact owned by the State.

Not everyone sees it this way…

There are some out there that (still) hold some warmnfuzzy ideals about communism. Warm n fuzzy and erroneous ideals…

I think of my ol buddy, Kristoff… Long story but Kristoff was the son of a Russian big-wig. He was a privileged member of the Russian Communist system. And a punk rocker. He was “sent away”, to the West, when he became a thorn in the system’s side. He never had anything good to say about Communism.

Another “big thing”, a huge change, is that our world of easy and inexpensive travel has ended. I do miss the travel.

And the beat goez on.

It has not warmed up here. Might go get a warm hat.

More later

Big smiles