Rants & Tangents

[Dennis1209]

Since we do not have a sub-forum on this topic, I will start my own. 

Before I go off on another of my tangents, I first want to acknowledge God is in control, and everything is precisely occurring according to his plan, purposes, and timing. I can only look at things through frail human understanding and what our Bible says.

We are intentionally self-destructing as a nation in every way possible, morally, economically, nationally, and divisive. Our government has betrayed our commitments, friends, allies, citizens, and even our military on more occasions than I can count.

An empire is the globe's police force and delves into the affairs of other sovereign nations. As with Britain, the sun is also setting on our little kingdom. It would be much too long to list the intentional acts of our destruction—everything from open borders and sanctuary cities to being the globe's largest debtor and shutting down America's energy independence by stopping oil and coal production.

We continue to compound the insanity of self-destruction with another O'Biden initiative, Mother Earth worship.

Namely, the directive for the military to convert to all-electric vehicles. Are you kidding me? There is no need to list the myriads of logistical, financial, and dependability problems; that is self-evident.

Liberals and the Democrats are doing their best to make war with China and Russia. Where do the majority of electric vehicle batteries come from?

How China Dominates Global Battery Supply Chain (voanews.com)

We do not even manufacture our replacement electrical transformers and power grid equipment. We depend on communist countries and countries we have alienated. We rely on the world to meet our military, food, and everyday needs. We did not even have the ammunition to fight the Gulf Wars and contracted ammo from Israel and other countries.

The book of Revelation, at times, sounds high-tech, at other times, like to stone age. One-third of all the trees and green grass will be burned up; this sounds global. Which side of the hemisphere has the most trees and green grass?

Scarcely reported, but severe solar flares have only missed Earth by a couple of weeks. A nation can carry out an EMP attack, terrorist group, or proxy; a solar flare or CME can set a segment of Earth back to the stone age and could also be an extinction event for that side of the planet.

One of the most asked biblical questions Americans ask is, "Where is America in biblical prophecy?" I think about these natural-supernatural events and what is shaping up today.

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev said: "We cannot expect the Americans to jump from capitalism to communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving Americans small doses of socialism, until they suddenly awake to find they have communism."

Did Khrushchev have some demonic insight?

[R. Hartono]

Its the greedy US politicians who tell people what to do instead of the people who pay them with tax.

 

[Starise]

1 hour ago, Dennis1209 said:

Since we do not have a sub-forum on this topic, I will start my own. 

Before I go off on another of my tangents, I first want to acknowledge God is in control, and everything is precisely occurring according to his plan, purposes, and timing. I can only look at things through frail human understanding and what our Bible says.

We are intentionally self-destructing as a nation in every way possible, morally, economically, nationally, and divisive. Our government has betrayed our commitments, friends, allies, citizens, and even our military on more occasions than I can count.

An empire is the globe's police force and delves into the affairs of other sovereign nations. As with Britain, the sun is also setting on our little kingdom. It would be much too long to list the intentional acts of our destruction—everything from open borders and sanctuary cities to being the globe's largest debtor and shutting down America's energy independence by stopping oil and coal production.

We continue to compound the insanity of self-destruction with another O'Biden initiative, Mother Earth worship.

Namely, the directive for the military to convert to all-electric vehicles. Are you kidding me? There is no need to list the myriads of logistical, financial, and dependability problems; that is self-evident.

Liberals and the Democrats are doing their best to make war with China and Russia. Where do the majority of electric vehicle batteries come from?

How China Dominates Global Battery Supply Chain (voanews.com)

We do not even manufacture our replacement electrical transformers and power grid equipment. We depend on communist countries and countries we have alienated. We rely on the world to meet our military, food, and everyday needs. We did not even have the ammunition to fight the Gulf Wars and contracted ammo from Israel and other countries.

The book of Revelation, at times, sounds high-tech, at other times, like to stone age. One-third of all the trees and green grass will be burned up; this sounds global. Which side of the hemisphere has the most trees and green grass?

Scarcely reported, but severe solar flares have only missed Earth by a couple of weeks. A nation can carry out an EMP attack, terrorist group, or proxy; a solar flare or CME can set a segment of Earth back to the stone age and could also be an extinction event for that side of the planet.

One of the most asked biblical questions Americans ask is, "Where is America in biblical prophecy?" I think about these natural-supernatural events and what is shaping up today.

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev said: "We cannot expect the Americans to jump from capitalism to communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving Americans small doses of socialism, until they suddenly awake to find they have communism."

Did Khrushchev have some demonic insight?

Good afternoon Dennis,

I just want to say I love your posts, even if we might sometimes see some of it in different ways.

Here's my rant on the subject, well not really a rant but more of an agreement from another angle. The US has been buying just about everything from China for a very long time. Many other countries have as well. Lots of these companies have items designed by their engineers and then have it made in China because it was cheaper to have it made there and imported than to have it made in their home country.. I'm sure we are all aware of these items. Some of high quality, but many not so much.

Everyone made money. No matter what a company sold they could get it made dirt cheap in China and make a larger profit on whatever it is. Lots of people use Ali Babba. They are in fact the Asian Amazon competitor.

When it comes to batteries for electric cars and batteries in general, there are truths and half truths galore. The article on EV batteries is from 2020. A few of  variables have changed since the article was written. The US is  pivoting to our own resources by making rules in favor of EVs made in the US. There is a massive effort by large OEMs to secure their own battery materials that qualify. Tesla is readying their own lithium refinery in the US. Others are opening mines or becoming affiliated with mining operations in North America. There is a slow pivot away from dependency on China. The US offers nice tax rebates to buyers who have cars and batteries made here. The US is probably the most restrictive of all countries. For example in the UK they have no issue importing EVs made by the Chinese company BYD.Austrailia is the same. These are huge markets. The carrot for them is people can buy EVs for less than an ICE car. The famous UK car MG has an EV made in China and imported into the UK.

While BYD cars don't generally have the range or spec of cars like Tesla, people buy them up due to the lower prices in other countries.BYD is not sold in the US yet.

We are still at an interim phase where EV makers rely heavily on China in one way or another until they can scale their own operations. Ford is enlisting the help of CATL China's largest battery maker to help establish a battery factory in Tenessee using mostly American labor. They are licensing Chinese tech to make Ford EVs. Tesla uses CATL batteries in some of the cars it makes in China and exports elsewhere. GM has uses LG for it's ultium platform and Tesla uses Panasonic to help make 2170 batteries for it's long range cars. While the intention is to eventually become fully independent from China making their own batteries many of these companies are still scaling up with Tesla in the lead. Some of this is due to their un matched charging infrastructure in the US. If you want to travel distance in an EV buy a Tesla or invite lots of headaches trying to find dependable charging.

Other manufacturers are taking their brands here to to be made, such as VW producing the ID 4 and selling the Buzz in the US now  ,qualifying for the rebates and incentives. Tesla is developing thier own dry cathode batteries the 4680 and are selling some cars with those batteries. While lithium ion batteries are the top battery used by Tesla, another common battery the LFP uses less hard to obtain minerals and therefore costs less to make in exchange for higher weight and not so good cold weather charging compared to Litium ion phospate batteries and usually less range. These are the batteries used extensively by BYD and CATL.

New tech i.e. solid state batteries and batteries not so reliant on lithium are beginning to emerge and be developed which could take the battery lead away from China eventually since we wouldn't need thier minerals any more. One of the biggest problems in the US is large OEMs are slow to pivot from fossil fuels to electric. They are only now beginning to scale to make EVs in larger quantities. Most of their cars are still concept cars and are yet to be made. Tesla OTOH is EV from the ground up and has some advantage in that regard with a cheaper 25K Tesla expected in 2024 to grab that market.

So while I agree China IS ahead, the US is s-l-o-w-l-y  gaining as more makers scale production here building factories costing billions $$$. Some makers probably won't make it because they didn't move fast enough in response to the competition.

To completely replace ICE by 2035 probably isn't going to happen, but by then I predict a large percentage on cars on the road will be electric.

[Sower]

2 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev said: "We cannot expect the Americans to jump from capitalism to communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving Americans small doses of socialism, until they suddenly awake to find they have communism."

Did Khrushchev have some demonic insight?

A joke from the past by president Regan (The Democrat Blindness)

The President. "But did you hear the story about the kid who was outside the Democratic fundraiser selling kittens? When the people came out from the fundraiser, he was holding up the kittens, and he was saying, ``Buy a Democrat kitten.'' Well, a couple of weeks later the Republicans held a fundraiser in the same place. And when they came out, there was the same kid with the kittens. And he said, ``Buy a Republican kitten.'' And one of the members of the press who'd seen him there 2 weeks before said, ``Wait a minute, kid. You were selling these kittens the last time as Democrat kittens. How come they're Republican kittens now?'' Kid says, ``Because now they've got their eyes open.''

[BibleStudent100]

12 hours ago, Starise said:

So while I agree China IS ahead, the US is s-l-o-w-l-y  gaining as more makers scale production here building factories costing billions $$$. Some makers probably won't make it because they didn't move fast enough in response to the competition.

Thank you Starise for giving us some balanced perspective on this issue.  I drive a Tesla and I love it, but I have done a little research on how the battery is sourced and mined and produced and that process itself is not very environmentally friendly, which is in part, why US companies and regulators have lagged behind in their development and manufacturing on US shores.  

In Southern California there is a region called the "Saudi Arabia of Lithium," (https://dot.la/salton-sea-lithium-2658577206.html) and companies are rushing to develop this key mineral in the production of batteries.  This area is not too far from where I live and some are concerned about the environmental damage (when I retire I am leaving the area, so I worry only a little), but it is true that the US needs to create their own supply-chain as we transfer to electric means of transportation versus ICE.  This is a lengthy process and will cost a tremendous amount of money (just think about how many gas stations across America need to be converted to charging stations, to give just one example).  

As a high school teacher, I worry about the youth who are going into the ICE maintenance programs, as will their career still exist in 10-20 years from now?  There will always be some ICE, but as a Tesla owner, I never take my car in for maintenance and the guys at my local shop, all of whom know me, must wonder what happened to that teacher who always in for one reason or another.

Still, I harken back to the Bible:  "It does not belong to man to direct his own step" (Jeremiah 10:23); at some point, even though man uses (or should use) his own judgement and logic, we have to leave these matter to a higher power.

Great discussion!

[FJK]

2 minutes ago, BibleStudent100 said:

I drive a Tesla and I love it, but I have done a little research on how the battery is sourced and mined and produced and that process itself is not very environmentally friendly  ........

"Not very environmentally friendly" is a gently mild way of saying it.  

Personally I'd say something more like "environmentally corrosive" to describe it.

But I suppose as long it's being done over there where we don't have to look at it up close instead of here where we do, it's OK.

[Dennis1209]

13 hours ago, Starise said:

Good afternoon Dennis,

I just want to say I love your posts, even if we might sometimes see some of it in different ways.

Here's my rant on the subject, well not really a rant but more of an agreement from another angle. The US has been buying just about everything from China for a very long time. Many other countries have as well. Lots of these companies have items designed by their engineers and then have it made in China because it was cheaper to have it made there and imported than to have it made in their home country.. I'm sure we are all aware of these items. Some of high quality, but many not so much.

Everyone made money. No matter what a company sold they could get it made dirt cheap in China and make a larger profit on whatever it is. Lots of people use Ali Babba. They are in fact the Asian Amazon competitor.

When it comes to batteries for electric cars and batteries in general, there are truths and half truths galore. The article on EV batteries is from 2020. A few of  variables have changed since the article was written. The US is  pivoting to our own resources by making rules in favor of EVs made in the US. There is a massive effort by large OEMs to secure their own battery materials that qualify. Tesla is readying their own lithium refinery in the US. Others are opening mines or becoming affiliated with mining operations in North America. There is a slow pivot away from dependency on China. The US offers nice tax rebates to buyers who have cars and batteries made here. The US is probably the most restrictive of all countries. For example in the UK they have no issue importing EVs made by the Chinese company BYD.Austrailia is the same. These are huge markets. The carrot for them is people can buy EVs for less than an ICE car. The famous UK car MG has an EV made in China and imported into the UK.

While BYD cars don't generally have the range or spec of cars like Tesla, people buy them up due to the lower prices in other countries.BYD is not sold in the US yet.

We are still at an interim phase where EV makers rely heavily on China in one way or another until they can scale their own operations. Ford is enlisting the help of CATL China's largest battery maker to help establish a battery factory in Tenessee using mostly American labor. They are licensing Chinese tech to make Ford EVs. Tesla uses CATL batteries in some of the cars it makes in China and exports elsewhere. GM has uses LG for it's ultium platform and Tesla uses Panasonic to help make 2170 batteries for it's long range cars. While the intention is to eventually become fully independent from China making their own batteries many of these companies are still scaling up with Tesla in the lead. Some of this is due to their un matched charging infrastructure in the US. If you want to travel distance in an EV buy a Tesla or invite lots of headaches trying to find dependable charging.

Other manufacturers are taking their brands here to to be made, such as VW producing the ID 4 and selling the Buzz in the US now  ,qualifying for the rebates and incentives. Tesla is developing thier own dry cathode batteries the 4680 and are selling some cars with those batteries. While lithium ion batteries are the top battery used by Tesla, another common battery the LFP uses less hard to obtain minerals and therefore costs less to make in exchange for higher weight and not so good cold weather charging compared to Litium ion phospate batteries and usually less range. These are the batteries used extensively by BYD and CATL.

New tech i.e. solid state batteries and batteries not so reliant on lithium are beginning to emerge and be developed which could take the battery lead away from China eventually since we wouldn't need thier minerals any more. One of the biggest problems in the US is large OEMs are slow to pivot from fossil fuels to electric. They are only now beginning to scale to make EVs in larger quantities. Most of their cars are still concept cars and are yet to be made. Tesla OTOH is EV from the ground up and has some advantage in that regard with a cheaper 25K Tesla expected in 2024 to grab that market.

So while I agree China IS ahead, the US is s-l-o-w-l-y  gaining as more makers scale production here building factories costing billions $$$. Some makers probably won't make it because they didn't move fast enough in response to the competition.

To completely replace ICE by 2035 probably isn't going to happen, but by then I predict a large percentage on cars on the road will be electric.

Good morning Starise,

And my rants just keep on coming. This is better than professional therapy, because it is free. Please note my final paragraph.😊

I have no problem with electric vehicles for those that want them. They have some advantages, but the disadvantages far outweigh their benefit, in my opinion. Especially with the mechanized military.

I have before me a copy of the Constitution of the United States of America and Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America. The Federal government's role is restricted and clearly defined; the remainder is the state's rights. They have abdicated their role and responsibilities in many areas handcuffing our military, coining and regulating money, hindering capitalism and free trade, not all-inclusive.

Congress turned over its responsibility of regulating our economy to the control of greedy for-profit private banks. Another great sucking sound is their good faith and credit clause. The government is responsible for nothing, we the people are legally responsible. Had the duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton happened a few years prior, perhaps we would not be in the pickle we are in today.

Remember that "great sucking sound" of American jobs leaving the country. A company is in business to make a profit margin and be accountable to its shareholders. Unions, minimum wage, benefits, retirements, strikes, wage disputes, global free trade agreements, the alphabet of government regulatory agencies, and taxes all contributed to that great sucking sound. When labor and costs rise, the end product rises in proportion to the consumer. The entitlement mentality demands more than their worth. As employees, we are entitled to profit sharing from the risks and hard work that built this company and America.

Where in the Constitution grants the government to take my labor, diminishing my ability to provide for myself and family, and give it to the poly-ticks choice of beneficiaries for votes?

Our government has grown into our masters vs. serving their constituents and keeps expanding, creating new oppressive departments, agencies, and unconstitutional laws, executive orders, regulations, and mandates. Greatly expanding the IRS to go after hard-working Americans. They are taking away choices and forcing politically correct ideologies on their subjects.

Cow flatulence devastates the environment; switch to eating less meat and a renewable resource, bugs. Spoons are killing people, restricting proportions, changing to nasty-tasting cooking oil, provide healthy choices for those burgers and KFC. When has the government last established a self-sustaining, efficient, and successful program?  

With all the “pork” they attach to bills, you would think they were strictly predator carnivores.

Obummer Carelessness: What business does the Federal government have in mandating and proving you have health insurance or pay a hefty fine, and so much more?

Every action and inaction of these liberal administrations reeks of socialism and destroys our national sovereignty, promoting and establishing globalism.

I am not sure about links with an embedded video needing approval, but it is obvious our government is following the global Great Reset plan:

Armstrong Economics

Once again, I know the Lord is in control, He established human government to punish and restrain evil, and we are to follow the law(s). Everything is occurring according to God's plan, purpose, and timing. As a Christian with free will, I do not have to like it or not speak against it.

The Bible strongly discourages indebtedness, charging, or paying usury. Interestingly, the Bible does not directly condemn indentured servitude or slavery. Our system has turned into unequal weights and measures.

A business must pay taxes in advance for what they expect to earn in the next quarter. Wage earners must pay deductions before they are due. Greedy banks charge at least triple for money borrowed and created out of thin air for a mortgage, and the interest must be paid first with little going toward the principle. The borrower is a slave to the lender.

If I were paying $150.00 an hour for therapy sessions to work out my frustrations, I would have to rely on my mandated Obummer health insurance. Think about all the money I saved America in taxes by venting my frustrations for free here. LOL. You are welcome. 😊

[Ray12614]

Simply stated: We have elected most of our politicians (Trump and other freshman republicans and a very few democrats excepted) who have never worked in business or manufacturing, or served in the military, and frankly never done anything productive in life and have been indoctrinated by liberal colleges. How then would we expect them to wisely Manage our country, economics, Military, or correctly rule on social issues? . . .

Why would we expect a different outcome other than decline and disaster ? ? ?

BUT . . . God has a long history of correcting nations, and taking impossible conditions and turning them around for His glory.

So . . . I have hope for my children and grand children and as I like to often say: "It ain't over until the fat angel sings". In other words - God is not done with the United States until He says He is done with her.

Many more things I could say about these end times we are living in . . . but . . . it would turn into a 'rant' LOL

Grace and Peace . . . Ray . . . 

 

[JimmyB]

26 minutes ago, Ray12614 said:

Simply stated: We have elected most of our politicians (Trump and other freshman republicans and a very few democrats excepted) who have never worked in business or manufacturing, or served in the military, and frankly never done anything productive in life and have been indoctrinated by liberal colleges. How then would we expect them to wisely Manage our country, economics, Military, or correctly rule on social issues? . . .

Why would we expect a different outcome other than decline and disaster ? ? ?

BUT . . . God has a long history of correcting nations, and taking impossible conditions and turning them around for His glory.

So . . . I have hope for my children and grand children and as I like to often say: "It ain't over until the fat angel sings". In other words - God is not done with the United States until He says He is done with her.

Many more things I could say about these end times we are living in . . . but . . . it would turn into a 'rant' LOL

Grace and Peace . . . Ray . . . 

 

Simply stated: Claiming that "we have elected most of our politicians (Trump and other freshman republicans and a very few democrats excepted) who have never worked in business or manufacturing, or served in the military, and frankly never done anything productive in life and have been indoctrinated by liberal colleges" is ridiculous.  Have you actually done the research or can you cite the source of these claims?  Do you actually think that they have never worked in business or manufacturing?  Or worse, "never done anything productive in life"?  And you claim to know where they went to college?  THAT IS ABSURD!!!

Posting propaganda as though it is factual is a serious sin!  James 5:12b, " let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation."

Edited May 5, 2023 by JimmyB

[Starise]

2 hours ago, BibleStudent100 said:

Thank you Starise for giving us some balanced perspective on this issue.  I drive a Tesla and I love it, but I have done a little research on how the battery is sourced and mined and produced and that process itself is not very environmentally friendly, which is in part, why US companies and regulators have lagged behind in their development and manufacturing on US shores.  

In Southern California there is a region called the "Saudi Arabia of Lithium," (https://dot.la/salton-sea-lithium-2658577206.html) and companies are rushing to develop this key mineral in the production of batteries.  This area is not too far from where I live and some are concerned about the environmental damage (when I retire I am leaving the area, so I worry only a little), but it is true that the US needs to create their own supply-chain as we transfer to electric means of transportation versus ICE.  This is a lengthy process and will cost a tremendous amount of money (just think about how many gas stations across America need to be converted to charging stations, to give just one example).  

As a high school teacher, I worry about the youth who are going into the ICE maintenance programs, as will their career still exist in 10-20 years from now?  There will always be some ICE, but as a Tesla owner, I never take my car in for maintenance and the guys at my local shop, all of whom know me, must wonder what happened to that teacher who always in for one reason or another.

Still, I harken back to the Bible:  "It does not belong to man to direct his own step" (Jeremiah 10:23); at some point, even though man uses (or should use) his own judgement and logic, we have to leave these matter to a higher power.

Great discussion!

Thanks for your comments @BibleStudent100. I would agree there needs to be better ways of making the batteries. If we are to believe a lot of the hype, there are new battery technologies just around the corner that show great promise. In contrast to what the media would have us all believe, only some of the minerals are sourced from questionable sources and this is becoming less and less. Most minerals are mined by legitimate mining operations same as most other materials we get to make the things we use

While I believe you have a very realistic view of the current process, it's tempting to focus on only electric cars and not see the effects of ICE which are many. We hear the word carbon thrown around as a measure for how much damage any action does to our planet. Depending on the lobby group promoting the results are sometimes skewed. I think about the extraction methods used to get fossil fuel for gasoline production, the process used to convert crude oil to gasoline, and lastly the effects of beathing very localized tail pipe emissions. When we are behind any gasoline car and we see the smoke coming from the tail pipe, did we think our cabin air filter would protect us? Many cancers come from these emissions. It's an invisible killer. I believe we need to weigh all of it equally. 

The battery EV segment is dominated by China at this point. I have to blame many of the countries that are allowing them to sell in their countries. If we had all banded together China would only be in their own market. China is making it very difficult to sell anything but Chinese products in China. Ford will be slowly pulling out of that market due to the way the Chinese have set things up there. To be fair, some of the fault lays on western countries for not seeing the writing on the wall sooner. European companies are strangling there, BMW, Mercedes, Audi and VW. Thousands of their cars lay in storage unsold in China and they are practically giving them away to sell them. This was mainly tipped by government regulation phasing out ICE and funding their own companies to make millions of EVs. They actuially make some very nice cars which I suspect were engineered from data gained through looking at existing EVs. They even have a Tesla look alike.

The way I see this from a Christian perspective is, I believe in the same way God used Babylon to decimate Israel due to her rebellion and worshipping other Gods, we are headed down the same path. The US just won't learn her lesson, so things are just going to get worse and worse until she no longer exists in the way she once did. If we aren't obliterated, we will will only be a skeleton of what we once were. Abortion, pornography, homosexuality, compromisng apostate churches leaving the truth for a lie, lax worldly christians. I think it's coming and nothing short of a revival will change our course now. I give that a snowball's chance in hell at this point.