Give me something worth zapping.

Finally fixed my zappn

Nope! No kids (yet) 😆! We keep stacking sats no matter the price 🫡

I was using it mostly as an expression, though I'm sure my closest people probably do get a little annoyed sometimes.

🌹🌺♥️

#bloomscrolling #flowerstr #nature #photography #art #plantstr

Nah, the PLA tried to invade Vietnam and got their butts kicked 😅

Chinese influence in Taiwan has a wide spectrum, there's lots of nuance. Taiwan is 23 million people -- many don't share much history or culture, lots of direction to go. Kinda amazing the harmony that has been achieved, life on this island has always been a challenge.

Taiwan identity is a fairly new phenomenon 😇 The constitution of the Republic of China is itself Chinese (circa 1911), it's only natural that certain influences remain on the island. 50 years of martial law also nationalized many industries around "Chinese", it was a fairly brutal regime to Taiwanese, hard to imagine communist spies survived that 🤭

Being labeled as a closet communist meant a bullet in the head, today it is pretty much political suicide.

The media tends to overblow Beijing influence, its a bit brainless if one think about it seriously (Beijing influence can't even win local elections), but outrage gets views. Just recently Taiwanese YouTubers exposed a scheme where a CCP-funded media company wanted to offer a free trips to China to make propaganda videos and establish a CCP-friendly political organization on Taiwan. Talk about a complete backfire when they figured they'd be better off not taking the money and sent the offer straight to news outlets 🙂‍↔️

Trade between Taiwan and Mainland China has always been intertwined, and has always been messy. Taiwan trades on equal footing with its neighbors. Historically the island of Taiwan was mostly a smuggling outpost before colonies (dutch, Spanish, British, japanese, etc) started to establish it. Taiwanese merchants are effectively pirates, they'll trade with anyone which is why trade in Taiwan remains diverse to this day 🤓

Lots of nuance no media can ever capture 🫠

Prostitution is more dignify work than politics

Never done it before but just counted 🧺

Once a week, I spend $15 on laundry in my building. I remember when I first came to the USA, it only cost a few dollars to wash and dry my clothes.

How much do you pay?

My non-zero scenario puts us closer to next century 🤭 I'd point out that even the US avoided invading Taiwan during WWII, and it has only gotten more difficult (literally everything is reinforced concrete)

I appreciate anyone giving a shit about Taiwan, truly 🥳 it'd be nice to talk about our wonderful island without bringing up our silly neighbors

Do consider visiting!

Communist flags, Palestinian flags and Allahu akhbar chants in Paris to protest against the results of the election. Zero surprises here. Anyone with half a brain knows they are all funded by the same people and have the same objectives.

Oh Germany, brah..

Trying so hard to not repeat the past is basically guaranteeing you will, especially when you foist shit like this on people. nostr:note1jk9ndpr7d57w85nmaajtu2za4kxxyy2xs2gstp48nqf6ulda9lpq2fjl2v

Agreed. They are demonic psychopaths.

There is zero chance that China invades Taiwan, regardless.

First, China (as in the dictator Xi and the CCP) doesn't need to invade Taiwan. It already controls its economy, all of its major companies, all of its elites and even a big chunk of the population's opinion.

Second, it would be a massive military defeat. People have the wrong impression about the military status quo in the Taiwan Straits and the sort of amphibious invasion the would be required. Taiwan is extremely defensible and the Taiwanese are extremely entreched. China could completely level the island with bombs, yes. But as the successive military failures of the US have proven, that doesn't put boots on the ground and create a new regime.

In short, China would basically bankrupt itself and get itself into a decades long mess for nothing.

For the communists, the best (the only) path is to keep the status quo as it is now, which allows them to agitate with the ultranationalist propaganda now and then, and gives them access to what really counts, namely Taiwan's economic and industrial apparatus, and to its political elites.

The things you can buy with other peoples money. Zelensky's wife purchased the newest Bugatti Turbillon for 4.5 million euros. Shout out to the EU and US for making this possible. With OUR money.

Ah ok, thanks! Yes, definitely something to avoid.

It’s a note for myself from September 2022

I don’t talk about that stuff much on the internet but you are also family now so here we are. 😂