-
Germans not impressed:
BERLIN — Until Sunday, Europe thought Joe Biden was an expert on foreign policy. Now, the American president’s decision to allow Afghanistan to collapse into the arms of the Taliban has European officials worried he has unwittingly accelerated what his predecessor Donald Trump started: the degradation of the Western alliance and everything it is supposed to stand for in the world. Across Europe, officials have reacted with a mix of disbelief and a sense of betrayal. Even those who cheered Biden’s election and believed he could ease the recent tensions in the transatlantic relationship said they regarded the withdrawal from Afghanistan as nothing short of a mistake of historic magnitude. “I say this with a heavy heart and with horror over what is happening, but the early withdrawal was a serious and far-reaching miscalculation by the current administration,” said Norbert Röttgen, chairman of the German parliament’s foreign relations committee. “This does fundamental damage to the political and moral credibility of the West.” Röttgen, a senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats, is no flamethrower. He has known Biden for decades and was optimistic about his prospects. While Merkel has avoided direct criticism of Biden, behind the scenes she has made it clear that she considered the hasty withdrawal a mistake.
-
Looks like ABC News isn't actually keeping abreast of the news....
-
@victor-meldrew I really can't think why some people might be questioning Biden's authority and executive skills.
-
@victor-meldrew said in US Politics:
Germans not impressed:
BERLIN — **Until Sunday, Europe thought Joe Biden was an expert on foreign policy.** https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-reacts-bidens-afghanistan-withdrawal/
Which part of Europe was that?
-
@canefan said in US Politics:
@rapido said in US Politics:
I think he meant Japan and West Germany, though. As the examples.
None of those were 3rd world countries to start with
My understanding was that Japan's management was extremely creaky and traditional, following Machiavelli's advice (well, his book), the Americans sent their best management gurus to modernize and streamline their industries and set up a very constructive alliance.
Ah, here is one example: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-east-asian-studies/article/americas-role-in-the-making-of-japans-economic-miracle/9C7CC6A85CE125290BAD2735B09A882A
-
As to Afghanistan, gee, I thought the Kurdish incident was bad enough.
-
@nostrildamus said in US Politics:
@canefan said in US Politics:
@rapido said in US Politics:
I think he meant Japan and West Germany, though. As the examples.
None of those were 3rd world countries to start with
My understanding was that Japan's management was extremely creaky and traditional, following Machiavelli's advice (well, his book), the Americans sent their best management gurus to modernize and streamline their industries and set up a very constructive alliance.
Ah, here is one example: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-east-asian-studies/article/americas-role-in-the-making-of-japans-economic-miracle/9C7CC6A85CE125290BAD2735B09A882A
Fascinating
-
@canefan said in US Politics:
@nostrildamus said in US Politics:
@canefan said in US Politics:
@rapido said in US Politics:
I think he meant Japan and West Germany, though. As the examples.
None of those were 3rd world countries to start with
My understanding was that Japan's management was extremely creaky and traditional, following Machiavelli's advice (well, his book), the Americans sent their best management gurus to modernize and streamline their industries and set up a very constructive alliance.
Ah, here is one example: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-east-asian-studies/article/americas-role-in-the-making-of-japans-economic-miracle/9C7CC6A85CE125290BAD2735B09A882A
Fascinating
It is, isn't it? And although it seems to have worked well, they don't seem to have done it again, I wonder why?
-
@nostrildamus said in US Politics:
@canefan said in US Politics:
@nostrildamus said in US Politics:
@canefan said in US Politics:
@rapido said in US Politics:
I think he meant Japan and West Germany, though. As the examples.
None of those were 3rd world countries to start with
My understanding was that Japan's management was extremely creaky and traditional, following Machiavelli's advice (well, his book), the Americans sent their best management gurus to modernize and streamline their industries and set up a very constructive alliance.
Ah, here is one example: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-east-asian-studies/article/americas-role-in-the-making-of-japans-economic-miracle/9C7CC6A85CE125290BAD2735B09A882A
Fascinating
It is, isn't it? And although it seems to have worked well, they don't seem to have done it again, I wonder why?
I think they've tried. But you need a combination of factors. Fear of communism and the domino effect in Asia motivated the US to strengthen their relationship with Japan both militarily and economically. Japan got a leader sympathetic to American concerns, just at the right time. The Japanese people did not feel the need to agitate against their government, or demand the US leave despite being unhappy with their presence. The economy flourished, led by a group of bureaucrats who imposed friendly conditions, and a group of industrialists. Few other countries the US has occupied could boast all of those things
-
@canefan said in US Politics:
@nostrildamus said in US Politics:
@canefan said in US Politics:
@nostrildamus said in US Politics:
@canefan said in US Politics:
@rapido said in US Politics:
I think he meant Japan and West Germany, though. As the examples.
None of those were 3rd world countries to start with
My understanding was that Japan's management was extremely creaky and traditional, following Machiavelli's advice (well, his book), the Americans sent their best management gurus to modernize and streamline their industries and set up a very constructive alliance.
Ah, here is one example: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-east-asian-studies/article/americas-role-in-the-making-of-japans-economic-miracle/9C7CC6A85CE125290BAD2735B09A882A
Fascinating
It is, isn't it? And although it seems to have worked well, they don't seem to have done it again, I wonder why?
I think they've tried. But you need a combination of factors. Fear of communism and the domino effect in Asia motivated the US to strengthen their relationship with Japan both militarily and economically. Japan got a leader sympathetic to American concerns, just at the right time. The Japanese people did not feel the need to agitate against their government, or demand the US leave despite being unhappy with their presence. The economy flourished, led by a group of bureaucrats who imposed friendly conditions, and a group of industrialists. Few other countries the US has occupied could boast all of those things
What got them into the war, got them out.
Solidarity behind a cause.
-
@mikethesnow said in US Politics:
@canefan said in US Politics:
@nostrildamus said in US Politics:
@canefan said in US Politics:
@nostrildamus said in US Politics:
@canefan said in US Politics:
@rapido said in US Politics:
I think he meant Japan and West Germany, though. As the examples.
None of those were 3rd world countries to start with
My understanding was that Japan's management was extremely creaky and traditional, following Machiavelli's advice (well, his book), the Americans sent their best management gurus to modernize and streamline their industries and set up a very constructive alliance.
Ah, here is one example: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-east-asian-studies/article/americas-role-in-the-making-of-japans-economic-miracle/9C7CC6A85CE125290BAD2735B09A882A
Fascinating
It is, isn't it? And although it seems to have worked well, they don't seem to have done it again, I wonder why?
I think they've tried. But you need a combination of factors. Fear of communism and the domino effect in Asia motivated the US to strengthen their relationship with Japan both militarily and economically. Japan got a leader sympathetic to American concerns, just at the right time. The Japanese people did not feel the need to agitate against their government, or demand the US leave despite being unhappy with their presence. The economy flourished, led by a group of bureaucrats who imposed friendly conditions, and a group of industrialists. Few other countries the US has occupied could boast all of those things
What got them into the war, got them out.
Solidarity behind a cause.
Afghanistan is a fractious tribal based country. More difficult to get everyone on the same page I'd assume. Especially if they aren't buying what you are selling
-
@mikethesnow said in US Politics:
@victor-meldrew said in US Politics:
Germans not impressed:
BERLIN — **Until Sunday, Europe thought Joe Biden was an expert on foreign policy.** https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-reacts-bidens-afghanistan-withdrawal/
Which part of Europe was that?
Berlin
-
@nostrildamus said in US Politics:
@canefan said in US Politics:
@rapido said in US Politics:
I think he meant Japan and West Germany, though. As the examples.
None of those were 3rd world countries to start with
My understanding was that Japan's management was extremely creaky and traditional, following Machiavelli's advice (well, his book), the Americans sent their best management gurus to modernize and streamline their industries and set up a very constructive alliance.
Ah, here is one example: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-east-asian-studies/article/americas-role-in-the-making-of-japans-economic-miracle/9C7CC6A85CE125290BAD2735B09A882A
Interesting article.
There's a very strong theory that Japan's industrial growth came from adapting their production processes to their geography and economic reality. By that I mean they tailored their factories to work with with the resources they had rather than import foreign systems and ideas. Without doubt, the US folks with their "can-do" attitude had a huge amount in making that happen.
E.g, Just-in-time manufacturing can be traced back to Japanese companies as they didn't have the cash to keep stockpiles of parts and there was a long tradition of honouring commitments in Japanese culture. The geographics and compact nature of the country helped as well.
A lot of Americans took credit for Japan's industrial resurgence which they really didn't deserve. People like Edwards Deming took the credit for Japan's quantum leap in quality when in reality he had a marginal input compared to people like Kaoru Ishikawa. In reality, a lot of the improvement in US industry from the late 50's onward came from Japanese thinking.
Slightly OT & I'm probbly boring people, so I'll stop there.
-
@victor-meldrew said in US Politics:
@nostrildamus said in US Politics:
@canefan said in US Politics:
@rapido said in US Politics:
I think he meant Japan and West Germany, though. As the examples.
None of those were 3rd world countries to start with
My understanding was that Japan's management was extremely creaky and traditional, following Machiavelli's advice (well, his book), the Americans sent their best management gurus to modernize and streamline their industries and set up a very constructive alliance.
Ah, here is one example: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-east-asian-studies/article/americas-role-in-the-making-of-japans-economic-miracle/9C7CC6A85CE125290BAD2735B09A882A
Interesting article.
There's a very strong theory that Japan's industrial growth came from adapting their production processes to their geography and economic reality. By that I mean they tailored their factories to work with with the resources they had rather than import foreign systems and ideas. Without doubt, the US folks with their "can-do" attitude had a huge amount to making that happen.
E.g, Just-in-time manufacturing can be traced back to Japanese companies as they didn't have the cash to keep stockpiles of parts and there was a long tradition of honouring commitments in Japanese culture. The geographics and compact nature of the country helped as well.
A lot of Americans took credit for Japan's industrial resurgence which they really didn't deserve. People like Edwards Deming took the credit for Japan's quantum leap in quality when in reality he had a marginal input compared to people like Kaoru Ishikawa. In reality, a lot of the improvement in US industry from the late 50's onward came from Japanese thinking.
Slightly OT & I'm probbly boring people, so I'll stop there.
Not boring at all
-
-
@sparky said in US Politics:
@victor-meldrew I really can't think why some people might be questioning Biden's authority and executive skills.
Perhaps this all comes as a shock to them, not having paid attention during the previous 40 years of his "public service".
US Politics