AHopeOnceMore [he/him]B
The de-industrialisation process deliberately targeted union-heavy industries, so union density was rapidly drained - faster than anyone could unionize every other industry. Unions are still highly relevant, the powers that be have just placed them on the back heel and won the propaganda wars for a generation that was coasting off imperial spoils and white supremacy.
That system is breaking down and younger generations are seeing the relevance more and more often.
Okay fair but little Jesus pictures on hats are kinda funny, you’ve gotta admit.
Chrome Owl rises
The US’ political economic system is built on a house of cards that is carefully maintained by imperialism, itself backed up by financial and military weapons. China is undercutting the financial weapons by simply existing with its productive capacity, its refusal to let the finance sector balloon, and forming more equitable trade relationships with peripheral countries.
This is correctly perceived as a threat to the US-dominated status quo, as it provides an alternative, and more appealing way of running a country, one that isn’t subservient to the US, and therefore will lead to less extraction by the US and its allies.
This will eventually lead to economic crisis for the US from which it cannot recover with its first line of attack, its financial weapons. The US has hollowed out its productive capacity in order to reap profits through imperialism, it can’t just turn inward and exploit its populace to escape (though it will try). That leaves actual military weapons.
On the long term, that’s why the US’ current movers and shakers want a hot war. An alignment of bourgeois and state interests.
Over the short term, the US is trying to “contain” China. It wants to do trade wars, prevent other countries from making mutually beneficial agreements with China, apply sanctions, and otherwise limit their productive growth. To do this, it needs to manufacturer consent for why China and the Chinese people are deserving of punishment. So we also now see official state sinophobia, racist and orientalist speech and terrorism, and a general push for “China bad” vibes. The new cold war won’t work if the public isn’t propagandized into supporting the destruction of China.
Indoors: all pests but only pests. They’ll take over and get you sick / very unhappy if you don’t deal with them thoroughly. Flies included - they tend to cross-contaminate, as they lay eggs on gross things, then land on and eat food you later ingest. If you have a pet that poops indoors, they’re gonna create a fecal-oral route, a very common vector for pathogens.
Outdoors: only the ones actively trying to hurt me like hornets, horseflies, etc.