Apropos:
In the race for arguably the second most powerful position in the West, it appears that the centre-left SPD party will be in power here in Germany, depending on how the rest of the votes fall. This would make Olaf Schultz the Chancellor if he can get the votes in the German parliament, most likely through coalition.
Thankfully, all parties have ruled out cooperating with the far-right AfD.
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Koch got ousted for corruption, Merkel came through as one of the few in that party who were untainted and who was seen as trustworthy.( among other attributes)
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It could be argued that Merkel held the mantel of ‘Leader of the Free World’ from 2016. She had her flaws but ultimately she was a strong willed and pragmatic leader.
As a representative of her country’s major right-wing party, she stands in stark contrast to Scotty from Marketing.
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Despite her economic conservatism and the post GFC austerity imposed on weaker Euro currency EU members such as Greece, she took a compassionate approach to refugees and in regard to economies built on the back of ‘guest workers’ .
She has also operated within a Federal system , showed leadership and did not do the ‘I don’t hold the hose’ thing or play off different States according to the party in power…
Segue - Zelman Cowen had a hand in drafting the post WW2 German Federal Constitution.
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An interesting read - Merkel’s early years & transition into politics
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Aglobal shipping crisis has been quietly brewing for months. Soon it will lead to layoffs, higher prices and fewer options at the grocery store. In time, it could threaten our nation’s security.
Vice President Kamala Harris caught a glimpse of the unfolding problem during her recent swing through Asia. In Singapore, a global hub for maritime trade, she learned that congestion at its piers was causing shipping companies to bypass the port.
What the Vice President saw in Singapore and other ports in Vietnam and China critical to global supply chains is a product of COVID. The Chinese port of Ningbo, the world’s third-largest, was closed for two weeks in August by authorities over a single COVID case.
In Singapore, Harris commented that the shipping backlogs might make it hard for Christmas shoppers to have gifts on time. But the challenges are weightier than that. Our national security apparatus maintains lean inventories and relies on just-in-time manufacturing and delivery—often from overseas suppliers— to replenish their stocks. Shipping delays can create serious vulnerabilities.
>>> Understanding and Protecting Vital U.S. Defense Supply Chains
The slowdown is already hitting home. In Los Angles, a key port for U.S. trade with Asia, historic shipping backlogs have resulted in a horizon full of ships at anchor waiting to enter port. The backlog is even impacting mid-west rail service and causing delays in air freight at major air hubs. For trade in perishables like fruit, delays are a deal killer; as winter approaches, consumers will find less fruit at the grocers.
The causes of these logjams are complex.
The COVID pandemic has hit global shipping and manufacturers with labor shortages for 20 months now. This problem was compounded when a large container ship grounded in the Suez Canal, blocking the waterway for six days. The cascading effects of these misadventures have created delays that will take months if not longer, to resolve.
These delays are compounding the backlogs by driving a shortage of shipping containers as ships wait at anchor to offload and reload. Container ships carry 13% of global trade by volume, accounting for 11% of global trade value. Shippers want cargo in standard containers, driving producers to look for replacements as too many are held up at sea, driving a surge in demand for shipping containers. Yet container production is located overwhelmingly in China, and supply is not likely to meet demand anytime soon.
Another problem is rising container shipping costs. On Asia-West Coast U.S. routes, they have soared from $1,485 per 40-foot equivalent unit in 2017 to rates ranging from $18,000 to $25,000 per FEU. With options limited by the container shortage, exporters-importers are over a barrel. Some shippers break contracted fees even after cargo is loaded, and this adds not only cost but new uncertainty to global trade.
The global shipping backlog, combined with a COVID-related dearth of truck drivers, is already disrupting U.S. assembly lines. Inventory-to-sales rates are at the lowest-ever levels. Ordinarily, supply and demand would result in more shipping companies and truck drivers entering the market, but that hasn’t happened for several reasons, including delayed re-entry into the workforce given generous unemployment benefits.
The foremost challenge in this quiet crisis is inflation—driven in part by higher shipping, labor and limited availability of resources and parts. However, the more insidious impact could be in the area of national security.
As The Heritage Foundation’s Maiya Clark points out, U.S. defense supply chains rely on a global network of manufacturers—access to which is being complicated by the shipping crisis. For years manufacturers have relied on lean inventories or just-in-time manufacturing, leaving little surge capacity for increased production or to mitigate disruptions such as a Suez Canal grounding.
Consider how a shortage of microchips slowed U.S. car manufacturing early in the pandemic. Now consider the impact supply disruptions could have on the nation’s next Columbia -class nuclear ballistic missile submarine. Supply delays among any of the sub’s 5,000 suppliers could imperil delivery, which must occur before 2028 to ensure the nation’s strategic deterrence.
>>> What the Pandemic Can Teach Us About Vulnerabilities in Our Defense Supply Chain
No reports of production delays have been reported as yet. But no one in or outside of the Pentagon fully understands the extent to which Navy suppliers rely on overseas sources—a truly troubling knowledge gap.
Events of the past six months offer some important lessons for the military. First, it needs to have a more complete understanding of its supply chains and actively diversify production as appropriate. Second, today’s limited port infrastructure and transportation workforce create bottlenecks that could impair wartime and crisis logistics. Three, given recent supply disruptions, the military needs to assure Congress that ‘lean inventories’ and ‘just in time’ manufacturing will not imperil success in a future war.
While no one looks forward to depleted store shelves during the Christmas shopping season, the bigger concern for Americans should be higher fuel bills, lack of fruit in the winter, and whether our military can keep us safe while they wait for parts.
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Try booking a container at the moment!!
It’s a mess.
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Taiwan rattles it’s Sabre.
Wouldn’t this turning up to 11 be just a fitting capstone to the clusterfk that is 2021? 
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Seems to be spreading…contagion. Very droll.
Reportedly, residential properties in parts of China going for a song, like the Banks in USA did during the GFC to get quick cashflow.
Are Australians allowed to buy property in China?
IDK, but FIRB has oversight of foreign non resident purchasing of residential property here - approval needed IIRC.
Pretty sure we’re not. They’re very sensitive to foreign ownership over there, bad colonialism historical memories.
You could probably play some sort of game via owning shares in a chinese company that owns property, but if the govt takes affront to it, then wave goodbye to your $ and forget about getting a fair court hearing (and be prepared for jail if you’re silly enough to try)
We’ve sent Abbott in.
Sadly that’s not a joke.
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Isn’t Abott working for the UK these days?
Advisor to the UK Board of Trade , unpaid.
Don’t think he is registered as a lobbyist here as an agent of a foreign power.
Rumours that Wong might have Qs prepared at Senate Estimates about his so called arms length participation as guest speaker at Taiwan Govt conference.
It changes more than Australia has changed Prime Ministers in the past 15 years so some of my experiences no longer be valid.
1 - Very few people / companies can actually buy land. Typically you sign on for a 50 / 70 / 90 year lease on a property. During that time the government can reallocate but must pay compensation. This is how a lot of people have made quick money, especially those that had good/close contacts with the government and purchase land just before major changes to zonings are made.
2 - I have owned an apartment in Beijing fully under my own name before, now i own my current residence jointly with my wife.
3 - When i relocated my company to Nanjing we did entertain the idea of ‘buying’ a piece of land but decided not to.
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A few days ago, Austria’s incredibly handsome chancellor Sebastian Kurz resigned over corruption allegations.
Australia really needs a federal ICAC.
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“As the island rises by between 10 and 30 inches per year—the beach where U.S. forces landed in 1945 is now over 50 feet above sea level—they are “moving” from offshore relics to eerie onshore monoliths.”
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