I'd like to hear from CMGers how you are doing

[Lance]

... given this insidious coronavirus. It certainly has put a cap on enjoying our many freedoms just to protect ourselves and others to stay socially distanced. I am particularly concerned about the NYC area, and our friends across the pond and in Australia. We still have people here hoarding consumables, but in this part of New York State, we have been very fortunate to have a low level of confirmed cases and 11 passages so far. Just want to make sure everyone is okay.

[david johnson]

Things are fine w/me. Musically, I am retraining my trumpet chops. I had to lay off playing while recovering from a bypass, and then I developed a tooth infection, which is bad for 'bypassers'. A tooth extraction put more delay in practice time. Yesterday I had a great day running through fundamentals
49 virus cases at a nursing home here in town! We've gone to online grocery orders and church has switched to streaming Sunday/Wednesday services.
I check news channels each day and try to determine if any reporters are telling the truth. Planting pumpkins this week! I hope you are well, Lance.

[Philip M]

Hi Lance

All OK in this UK household, thanks, though we like many others are housebound. Fortunately we live in the country and have a decent sized garden.

It’s still very serious here. Boris in now back at No. 10 and has just spoken to the nation. Clearly his personal near death experience has made him (fortunately) very cautious re easing lockdown. We as a nation will no doubt start to ease next month but we will do it slowly and sensibly. Not gung ho like some US states. The difference between our civilised and considered daily briefings and those in the US is stark.

There are still shortages in the shops of a few items eg flour, pasta, soap, but basically we get all we need - and more. Getting home delivery slots is very difficult, though now we are getting them weekly as my wife is on the “at risk” list due to her low immunisation, so we get priority. Garden centres, schools, most shops, offices are still closed.

I can’t see concerts and live theatre resuming till we have a vaccine ie for at least a year. Theatres and concert halls would need to sell only every third seat, which is uneconomic. Plus how does the audience get to the hall safely?

Similarly I don’t see spectators being allowed at major sporting events till there’s a vaccine. Same logic. It does though look as though major sport here will resume in a month or two behind closed doors with very strict rules and testing and monitoring etc. This is mainly for financial reasons ie TV money but there is also the argument that live sport on TV will help the nation mentally. I don’t though for instance see the usual 4 NFL games being played in London this year. Pity as I am a regular attendee.

We also part own some racehorses and we miss the social pleasures of attending race meetings when they are running. We also miss going to Tim Easterby’s stables in North Yorkshire to see them. But hopefully we’ll be able watch them run on TV soon.

Hoping everyone else is safe.

Philip

[lennygoran]

... given this insidious coronavirus. It certainly has put a cap on enjoying our many freedoms just to protect ourselves and others to stay socially distanced. I am particularly concerned about the NYC area,

Lance thanks, Sue and I are okay right now but our lifestyle has changed-the trips into NYC for museums, performances, gardens and restaurants have been curtailed-we wonder about staying at hotels and how being users of mass transit in NYC will work in the future-we wonder if Glimmerglass and Bard will actually do their operas this summer-we have tickets-then of course there's the Met season--like Phillip we have the garden to keep us busy-we watch alot of TV as well and spend some time organizing pick up orders at stores like Shoprite and Tractor Supply and also going into supermarkets--and of course the wine store. I was watching the PBS series NY Now and they were talking about Gov Cuomo taking a regional approach to when NY will start to open up and he said your area would probably be seeing an end to some restrictions first. Regards, Len

[Rach3]

--and of course the wine store.

"Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water."
W. C. Fields

[Holden Fourth]

Here in Queensland, we've never really been housebound, only getting as far as what seems to be called level 3 restrictions. Schools are partially open and for those that stay at home we use our learning management system to deliver the curriculum. I've been able to hit balls at the driving range and a number of courses have remained open. Fast food is also available and food retailers (cafes, bars and restaurants excepted) have remained open.

We've done very well with Covid 19 and have smashed as opposed to simply flattened the curve. An interesting comparison is the Kiwis who went into 100% lockdown. Our results are easily as good as theirs. Our government has trusted us to do the right thing and we have. The Kiwi government reaction suggests that they don't really trust their own citizens. Yesterday they stepped back from Level 4 to what they call level 3. Compared to us it's more like level 3.9

We are expecting a relaxation very soon and their is talk of opening up our schools to our Year 11s and 12s and also our Year 1 to 3 students. Time will tell.

[barney]

Thanks for asking Lance. I'm keeping absurdly well, thanks to a large house and garden for just my wife and me. I'm acutely aware of how awful, even desperate, the situation is for many, and I certainly don't want it to continue a second longer than it must, but for me personally it is quiet and peaceful. I leave the house twice a day to walk the dogs to the large native reserve at the end of my street, 50 yards away, and every few days to the supermarket.
I have my own coffee machine and grinder (of course), and my panic buying was coffee beans (4 kilos). My wife buys a take away coffee each day and sits in the cemetery just a kilometre away where two of our sons lie buried.
I have been asked to be one of three judges for a literary award, and was told there would be about 10 books. At the beginning of April the books arrived: 55 of them! So I've a lot of reading to do.
The weather is still lovely, but from tomorrow begins a cold, wet spell that will include the two coldest April days since 1996, forecasters say. 13 top (or 55 for Americans). We have family conferences by Zoom.
I'm putting up today's little column I wrote for CPX on that subject. Here it is:

As a man who, in my 60s, could fairly be said to be approaching the glimmering of the dawning of the foothills of early middle age, I am not much given to zooming about. Slack, a social media platform I have yet to explore, sounds much more my style.
Yet, like millions of Australians, I have become quite familiar with Zoom, the video conferencing app that allows several people at once to join virtual meetings. Two employers use it, and now my far-flung family is getting together regularly.
It’s quite entertaining, though we haven’t totally mastered the art of not all speaking at once, and toddlers can often dominate by generating the largest noise. When one grandson in particular hits the high decibels I suspect his uncle in Leeds (Yorkshire) can hear him unaided by technology.
Two recent catch-ups have featured a brilliant 44-question quiz, prepared by my son’s partner in Leeds. For example, where is there a small colony of Welsh expatriates: rural NSW, Patagonia, the Swiss Alps or Kazakhstan? Or which Shakespearean play features Cordelia: King Lear, Macbeth, Hamlet or Julius Caesar?
I smugly got both right (Patagonia, King Lear), without admitting the first was merely an educated guess. That’s not how our family rolls; instead, trash talk rules.
I share this not to show how clever I think I am (or not only), but to show what sort of inventive opportunities there are to keep families and friends together during the pandemic purgatory. There have been clever videos, virtual coffee or cocktail parties, book clubs – the varieties are virtually limitless (see what I did there?).
It says something wonderful about the irrepressible spirit of human beings, made in the image of God.

[Ricordanza]

I've been able to hit balls at the driving range and a number of courses have remained open.

I am envious! Here in New Jersey, we are subject to the highest level of restrictions, which even include such outdoor venues as golf courses and parks. So my outdoor activities are limited to walks in the neighborhood, accompanied by music via my iPhone. Yesterday's selection was Schubert's Quartet No. 15, played by the Emerson Quartet. Their precision and intensity are always impressive. On two previous walks, I listened to Granados' "Goyescas" played by Alicia de Larrocha. Magnificent music played by one of the greatest pianists of the 20th Century--what a way to elevate my mood!

[Rach3]

Here in Queensland, we've never really been housebound, only getting as far as what seems to be called level 3 restrictions....Time will tell.

Good to hear about you and Barney. I may be in error, but I believe the period Nov.,2019 to March,2020 has been one of the driest and hottest on record there,with higher Summer Sun angle (UV),all conditions which are big enemies of the virus ? Hope your rates stay low as wetter, cooler weather arrives.

[lennygoran]

I share this not to show how clever I think I am (or not only), but to show what sort of inventive opportunities there are to keep families and friends together during the pandemic purgatory.

Barney great that you're sharing-keep it up! Regards, Len

[barney]

Thank you, Rach3.
Different states have different rules, and Holden's Queensland is more relaxed than my Victoria. But the situation is looking hopeful in both states.
I'm sorry you are confined to streets, Ricordanza. I find parks hugely relaxing. We have lots of birds. A couple of wedge-tailed eagles (which I have not seen), black cockatoos, sulphur-crested cockatoos, kookaburras, wood pidgeons, Eastern rosellas, magpies, butcherbirds - a riot of colour and noise. Plus crows, along with cockies, the noisiest of the lot. It's mentally healing.

And thanks Len. You are always an encouraging voice.

[maestrob]

Thanks for asking, Lance!

We're still hunkered down here in the heart of the U. S. pandemic in Manhattan. We live in a ghost town now, with small businesses shuttered and streets mostly empty of traffic. Masked pedestrians scatter into the streets most of the time when the few cars are not passing. Being cooped up in small spaces has it's tensions, and one couple in our building got into a brawl in the lobby yesterday and the police had to be called. Nobody was arrested, but tensions are high. We were turned away from our local post office yesterday because they were closing early for no reason they cared to admit.

Everyone's wearing masks to go out in public now. Grocery stores and UPS stores are the only businesses open: I haven't seen my chiropractor in two months and am suffering for it. At this point, we don't expect a re-opening until June, and that may be just barber shops and laundromats. We're lucky: we have laundry machines on every floor just outside our doorstep, but others are hand washing everything in their apartments as laundromats and laundry services have been closed. As for food, we're again lucky that one of our local supermarkets lets us shop weekly by phone and they offer no contact delivery to our lobby: we just leave the tip with the doorman and the groceries are dropped off in a half-hour. Online delivery services are unavailable to new customers for fresh goods from both FreshDirect and amazon, but we can save on dry goods by ordering from amazon, and they deliver promptly within a few days. Of course pharmacies are open: some sell frozen food and even milk and soda. There are a few delis that deliver prepared food if you order by phone, but all our wonderful restaurants are closed for the duration. Schools also are closed for the season, as are daycare centers. Our governor Cuomo has suggested that we will probably be in lockdown until June at this rate, although the death rate is diminishing.

Still, there is music, and lots of it. Our library is extensive, and I've finally signed up for amazon's Prime Music HD, which offers even greater variety. We also have an extensive library of opera broadcasts from the MET on DVD to draw on. Am keeping in touch with friends here and by email: I'm intimidated by Zoom and other gimmicks. Phone calls and texts happen regularly, but we miss our gatherings at Crispo's, our favorite restaurant. We will be celebrating our 70th birthday this year, but plans for a gathering at Crispo's have, of necessity, been postponed already.

Thank God we are both well with no signs of infection.

Please stay safe, everyone. Our heartfelt thanks to you, Lance, for keeping our community together, and for all you do maintaining this forum.

[Lance]

Many thanks for all these messages here. As is often said, "we are all in this together." It is not always fun to take the steps to not go out except for groceries or meds. So far I have not relied on delivery services and, wearing masks and using hand sanitizer and sometimes doctor-type gloves, I can shop for groceries at a wide variety of stores, mostly within 20 minutes or less. Our Wegmans mega-grocery store, is fabulous. Even there, we cannot find certain things, especially soups, which I enjoy. I am very happy to be living in Broome County of New York State because all numbers are considerably low. IF the colleges and universities proceed to open up by the end of August, as is usual, the students predominantly come from the NYC area and Westchester County. And since I am associated with Binghamton University, I do worry about what may happen here when these students return and what they may bring with them. Public schools are all closed as are day-care centers. As Brian states, if it wasn't our ability to have enormous amounts of music available at any time of night or day, life would be totally different. Our opera company, symphony orchestra, and all other forms of live music has all come to a halt. Still, I have the best available music!

I continue to worry for those in the NY-downstate-NJ-CT areas because of the closeness of people. On the other hand, nobody but nobody is exempt from this disease. All the more reason to fully appreciate what caretakers are doing on behalf of Americans, and those caretakers everywhere who are at a great risk.

Please continue to be safe - all of you - and continue to use this thread to talk about things when the urge touches you!

[Lance]

WOW! It sounds like you have everything under good control Down Under. Hope it stays that way. Me, Zoom? I haven't gotten into that yet. Everyone seems to be using it. Teachers using it at the university are dealing with it but it is difficult to teach music properly via this method. Still, it's better 'n' nothing. I love the last sentence of your post, Barney!

It says something wonderful about the irrepressible spirit of human beings, made in the image of God.

[barney]

Thank you, Lance, that's very kind.
I also want to join the chorus of those thanking you for running the site and encouraging us. It gives a lot of us plenty to do. Reminds me of a wonderful cartoon years ago in which a man is sitting at a computer. A voice floats from outside the room, "Come to bed." "I can't," he replies. "Someone on the Internet is wrong."

[Lance]

Thank you, Brian. Very interesting, indeed, how each of us handles this situation. I sent you a private message a while back … not sure if it went through. Glad you both are staying as safe as possible. NYC has so much to offer and it must seem strange to view the streets as they are.

Thanks for asking, Lance!

[Lance]

LOL! Yes, I've heard that comment many times around here, too, but not because someone is wrong … this site can be addictive - and of course, I love being here. The only thing I have noticed in myself is how tired one gets from NOT doing what we normally do during the day. Nice to sleep later and I find myself dozing off at the computer some times. Must be a sign of getting older!

Thank you, Lance, that's very kind.
I also want to join the chorus of those thanking you for running the site and encouraging us. It gives a lot of us plenty to do. Reminds me of a wonderful cartoon years ago in which a man is sitting at a computer. A voice floats from outside the room, "Come to bed." "I can't," he replies. "Someone on the Internet is wrong."

[barney]

LOL! Yes, I've heard that comment many times around here, too, but not because someone is wrong … this site can be addictive - and of course, I love being here. The only thing I have noticed in myself is how tired one gets from NOT doing what we normally do during the day. Nice to sleep later and I find myself dozing off at the computer some times. Must be a sign of getting older!

Thank you, Lance, that's very kind.
I also want to join the chorus of those thanking you for running the site and encouraging us. It gives a lot of us plenty to do. Reminds me of a wonderful cartoon years ago in which a man is sitting at a computer. A voice floats from outside the room, "Come to bed." "I can't," he replies. "Someone on the Internet is wrong."

Not older Lance, or at any rate not by more than 60 seconds a minute. You've probably just been reading one of my posts.

[maestrob]

Thank you, Brian. Very interesting, indeed, how each of us handles this situation. I sent you a private message a while back … not sure if it went through. Glad you both are staying as safe as possible. NYC has so much to offer and it must seem strange to view the streets as they are.

Thanks for asking, Lance!

Lance--

I certainly did receive your PM and answered directly the next day!

Wow! I hope my message didn't get lost!

[Ricordanza]

I've been able to hit balls at the driving range and a number of courses have remained open.

I am envious! Here in New Jersey, we are subject to the highest level of restrictions, which even include such outdoor venues as golf courses and parks.

A pleasant update: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued an executive order allowing parks and golf courses to open as of Saturday, May 2. "Social Distancing" is still required, but that's pretty easy to do on a golf course.

[lennygoran]

A pleasant update: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued an executive order allowing parks and golf courses to open as of Saturday, May 2. "Social Distancing" is still required, but that's pretty easy to do on a golf course.

Hank thanks for this-I hadn't heard about it-not golf for me but possibly a garden within driving distance. Regards, Len

https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/5 ... 429c.shtml

[karlhenning]

Doing okay, thanks! I've even been able to resume my weekly outpatient therapy in the office A. with a relatively small pool of clients, B. which schedules the appointments so there is no client overlap, C. whose proprietor is extremely diligent about cleaning up, and D. which is therefore only open three days a week.

[maestrob]

Doing okay, thanks! I've even been able to resume my weekly outpatient therapy in the office A. with a relatively small pool of clients, B. which schedules the appointments so there is no client overlap, C. whose proprietor is extremely diligent about cleaning up, and D. which is therefore only open three days a week.

Wonderful, Karl! One of the terrible disadvantages of the curret situation is the discontinuation of such therapies. I haven't seen my chiropractor for my scoliosis since February, and am walking less frequently these days. Hope your recovery proceeds well now that you're able to continue.

[absinthe]

Thank you for asking, Lance, and to show I'm still around looking in from time to time, my household is ok - not much fun queuing up outside supermarkets but ok with the summary weather. We get by!
Been devoting much time to composing and piano practice. Good to be able to have some day to day continuity about it.
.
Hope you're keeping well, Lance.
.

[Mookalafalas]

Strange...I responded to this a couple weeks ago, but it's not here. Perhaps I forgot to hit enter? Anyway, here in Taiwan we were originally projected to be one of the hardest hit countries (huge amounts of business with China and flow between the countries). However, as one of the hardest hit countries by SARS some years back, the government set up strict protocols if another such case should arise. Fortunately, unlike in America, when we changed presidents they were all kept in place. Back in January our schools were shut for 2 weeks and testing was begun and powerful "tracing" committees were set up to demand all those exposed to the virus stay at home. They have been incredibly effective. Everyone wears masks, businesses and schools have all been open for the last 9 weeks or so, and we haven't had a single new case in 31 days! 55 local transmissions and 7 deaths so far in a country of 23 million crowded close together.

[barney]

Strange...I responded to this a couple weeks ago, but it's not here. Perhaps I forgot to hit enter? Anyway, here in Taiwan we were originally projected to be one of the hardest hit countries (huge amounts of business with China and flow between the countries). However, as one of the hardest hit countries by SARS some years back, the government set up strict protocols if another such case should arise. Fortunately, unlike in America, when we changed presidents they were all kept in place. Back in January our schools were shut for 2 weeks and testing was begun and powerful "tracing" committees were set up to demand all those exposed to the virus stay at home. They have been incredibly effective. Everyone wears masks, businesses and schools have all been open for the last 9 weeks or so, and we haven't had a single new case in 31 days! 55 local transmissions and 7 deaths so far in a country of 23 million crowded close together.

Yes, that is a significant achievement, yet according to WHO Taiwan has nothing to teach anyone.
Are you nervous in Taiwan with all the bullying and sabre-rattling by the Chinese? I have to say I'm a bit worried, because I don't trust Trump's America to come to your aid, and Xi seems to calculate the same thing.

[Mookalafalas]

Yes, that is a significant achievement, yet according to WHO Taiwan has nothing to teach anyone.
Are you nervous in Taiwan with all the bullying and sabre-rattling by the Chinese? I have to say I'm a bit worried, because I don't trust Trump's America to come to your aid, and Xi seems to calculate the same thing.

No, not at all. China's been doing this for most of the 17 years I've been here. Xi's already consolidating power throughout Asia by working with all the countries that used to be be our close allies but are now aghast that America is led by belligerent buffoon. Direct military confrontation is probably the only way Xi could lose...

[barney]

Yes, that is a significant achievement, yet according to WHO Taiwan has nothing to teach anyone.
Are you nervous in Taiwan with all the bullying and sabre-rattling by the Chinese? I have to say I'm a bit worried, because I don't trust Trump's America to come to your aid, and Xi seems to calculate the same thing.

No, not at all. China's been doing this for most of the 17 years I've been here. Xi's already consolidating power throughout Asia by working with all the countries that used to be be our close allies but are now aghast that America is led by belligerent buffoon. Direct military confrontation is probably the only way Xi could lose...

Interesting. Can you explain your reasoning? Do you think Taiwan could hold out by making the cost to China too high? Do you think there would be a regional response against China? Why is military confrontation the only way Xi could lose? And does that mean that, absent confrontation, an eventual Chinese takeover is inevitable?

[THEHORN]

I'm still stuck here at United Hebrew in New Rochelle because of my disability unfortunately . Things aren't too bad here but I've been stuck on my floor for about two months because of the corona virus , no visitors are allowed until further notice even immediate family , and I've been feeling pretty stir crazy and can't do my classical music program for the residents until things return to normal .
But there's tons of classical music on youtube - more than anyone could ever imagine and more variety than conceivable ,plus my collection of classical CDs and DVDs . But things could certainly be worse . . . . . . .

[Rach3]

Our moron , Trump clone , GOP Gov. has reopened Iowa against advice of most local experts and current case data. Her predecessor Gov.,whom she served as Lt.Gov., is now Trumps appointed ambassador to China. As expected, many spoiled, selfish people ignoring all rules, some brandishing or threatening to use weapons, “safe and responsible reopening” just GOP BS for “ business prevails over health”, always the case in America, “ I regret that you have but one life to give for my liberty, ie. ability to make money.”

[diegobueno]

I am staying at home most of the time, and that's fine because I like my house and my wife is good company. I'm working from home too, since everything I do at the Library of Congress can be done via telework. My musical activities, unfortunately, have been put on hold. The two community orchestras I play in, the Prince George's Philharmonic and the Avanti Orchestra, have cancelled their concerts, which is too bad because I missed out on playing the wonderful clarinet solo in The Pines of Rome. The amateur wind octet I conduct did not play this spring, because mostly we play in senior homes, and none of the senior homes want people coming in and blowing air in the presence of their residents. It's really hard to play a clarinet with a mask, too.

I've been amusing myself by practicing and recording clarinet quartets with my zoom H4n four track recorder. For instance, the Cavatina from Beethoven's op. 130:

https://soundcloud.com/markgsimon/beeth ... tet-op-130

[barney]

Our state government has released lockdown a little, so that up to 5 people can visit. Most restrictions are still in place, especially cafes, bars, restaurants, gyms and above all concerts. This weekend I saw my son, his wife and two children (3 and 1) for the first time in 10 weeks.
I've mentioned before that I live in a dead-end street that ends with a large native bush reserve, where I walk my dogs twice a day. Every weekday morning I join a group of dog-walking friends, and we amble about the grass part of the park. This morning one of them, who lives even closer than me, because his back gate opens on to the park, invited us home (4 guests) for tea and raisin toast. It was delightful.
Like many people, I am having more conversations with neighbours and enjoying that.

[Mookalafalas]

Interesting. Can you explain your reasoning? Do you think Taiwan could hold out by making the cost to China too high? Do you think there would be a regional response against China? Why is military confrontation the only way Xi could lose? And does that mean that, absent confrontation, an eventual Chinese takeover is inevitable?

A lot of questions! Taiwan puts a lot into the military, but it could only hold out with help from the US, which it counts on. I do not think that other countries in the region would come out to support Taiwan, even if they dread a Chinese takeover. China is just too big, and none of them have close local bonds. In fact, strongest bonds tend to be with China, which has made strong inroads with Viet Nam, the Philippines, Cambodia, etc. S. Korea and Japan have long standing close bonds with the US. Obama had been working on a massive trade agreement to deepen those bonds, but Trump nixed all of those immediately upon coming to power. He's been pressuring S. Korea to pay more for US protection, and has alienated segments of Japan and been a jerk to other foreign leaders (e.g. phone conversation with your PM when he came to power!)
China's economy has been growing by high single digits or more for 35 years. They have gone from a pitiful 3rd world country to world's 2nd biggest economy, and their growth continues, steadily and inexorably. Trump is threatening to cut off all funds (500 Mill) to the WHO. China just suggested giving them an extra 2 bill... Stepping right into the power vacuum, no?

[barney]

Interesting. Can you explain your reasoning? Do you think Taiwan could hold out by making the cost to China too high? Do you think there would be a regional response against China? Why is military confrontation the only way Xi could lose? And does that mean that, absent confrontation, an eventual Chinese takeover is inevitable?

A lot of questions! Taiwan puts a lot into the military, but it could only hold out with help from the US, which it counts on. I do not think that other countries in the region would come out to support Taiwan, even if they dread a Chinese takeover. China is just too big, and none of them have close local bonds. In fact, strongest bonds tend to be with China, which has made strong inroads with Viet Nam, the Philippines, Cambodia, etc. S. Korea and Japan have long standing close bonds with the US. Obama had been working on a massive trade agreement to deepen those bonds, but Trump nixed all of those immediately upon coming to power. He's been pressuring S. Korea to pay more for US protection, and has alienated segments of Japan and been a jerk to other foreign leaders (e.g. phone conversation with your PM when he came to power!)
China's economy has been growing by high single digits or more for 35 years. They have gone from a pitiful 3rd world country to world's 2nd biggest economy, and their growth continues, steadily and inexorably. Trump is threatening to cut off all funds (500 Mill) to the WHO. China just suggested giving them an extra 2 bill... Stepping right into the power vacuum, no?

Thanks for that answer, though you still haven't explained your comment that the only way Xi could lose is by direct confrontation. That really caught my attention because it seemed counter-intuitive. Explain that and I'll stop the barrage of questions.

I'm very interested in your views because you live where the next flashpoint could easily be, if China continues its pugnacity and the US continues its decline. Both highly probable. I noted articles this week saying that every time the US has wargamed a conflict with China for the past 10 years (that is, for a conflict in the Chinese region) the US loses. China's hypersonic weapons and precision with ballistic missiles apparently wipes out the US naval advantage. Frankly, I am concerned about that, because I am quite certain Chinese military planners are doing the same wargames, and Xi is quite capable of acts of war. I read quite a lot, but I am sure that, as someone who lives in Taiwan, you know more about it than I do.

[barney]

PS, I don't know why my reply looks as though it is a quotation. Sorry about that.

[Mookalafalas]

Not at all, Barney. I don't follow these things much...
Anyway, about direct confrontation, the US military is incredibly advanced and well-funded (US military spending used to be more than the next 4 big spenders combined--probably still is), and it if it came to direct confrontation with China, where China is clearly the aggressor and in the wrong, I think Japan and S. Korea would join with the States, because if the US went down, they wouldn't stand a chance on their own. In most US military actions, the main European powers (with UN) also lend support, when they resembled a "good guy" actions (after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, for example).

[barney]

Not at all, Barney. I don't follow these things much...
Anyway, about direct confrontation, the US military is incredibly advanced and well-funded (US military spending used to be more than the next 4 big spenders combined--probably still is), and it if it came to direct confrontation with China, where China is clearly the aggressor and in the wrong, I think Japan and S. Korea would join with the States, because if the US went down, they wouldn't stand a chance on their own. In most US military actions, the main European powers (with UN) also lend support, when they resembled a "good guy" actions (after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, for example).

Thanks Al. I hope and pray you are right, and especially that China thinks so too.