I recently became aware of a new global alliance, BRIC -- Brazil, Russia, Iran, China.
Thanks to we the consumers, cheap goods manufactured in China have brought never-before wealth to that country. With our wallets, it's increasingly apparent that we're funding our next World War -- and our elected and appointed representatives have assisted in the process.
Those cheap goods fund the war in Ukraine. They fund the acquisition of natural resources around the world, often to the complete exclusion of the countries in which those resources are found. Like your expensive cell phone (which was also manufactured for less than 1 cent on the dollar in China)? That battery, and the ones in electric cars which our governments are attempting to jam down our throats, contains lithium, an extremely limited natural resource that is controlled almost exclusively by China. Stores of lithium are to be found in other countries, but environmentalists have made sure that they can't be extracted -- which is all well and good as long as China doesn't become offended by any of us.
Worried about Putin's threats of atomic warfare? During Hilary Clinton's time as Secretary of State -- a job which she apparently qualified for by being the putative wife of a former US President -- she was responsible for giving rights to American uranium to Russia. Now there was a great idea.... Angela Merkel created Europe's dependence on the Russian energy supplies and lined her own pockets doing it.
Iran and Brazil seem to be part of this alliance largely for China to establish global beachheads in the Arab world and South America.
Please -- if you can read this -- FIGHT BACK. Stop buying Chinese manufactured goods. Demand that your governments onshore their natural resources and their manufacturing capabilities. In the meantime, buy goods from countries that align with your own national interests. Europe, Japan, Vietnam, Australia, South Korea and the United States, just to throw out a few names. When you go to make a major purchase (appliances, cars, etc.), demand to be told why you can't find one entirely manufactured in your own country -- from parts sourced in your own country.
As "the little people," it's our only way to fight back -- and as a bonus, it will created thousands of high-paying jobs for our own citizenries. If our governments won't protect our national interests, we have to.....

I just read (another!) story about how a belief in a meritocracy was not only false, but bad for you.

The next time someone tries to sell you this idea, ask them about their preference in heart transplant surgeons: the one with the highest skills, or just some guy from down the street.

Every year, I try to have a resolution that lasts. One year I learned to speak conversational French. One year I gave up complaining, which took a helluva long time. Another year, I gave up using the phrase "I hate." That took three months!
This year, I've decided on a year of discipline. Exercising every day, cleaning my house every day (ugh -- which is worse??), doing all of the things in a day that I'm supposed to be doing instead of blanking off.
Wish me luck! And Happy New Year!

My feed contained a story this morning that made me laugh out loud: "Is Social Media Making Us Stupid?"

It was a trick question, right?

Hooray for the good guys!