Supermoon = Superlow tides

The Chinese in Africa.

A tricky one this. Is the huge investment in Africa by the Chinese a good thing for Africa?

Let's start with what little I know. Firstly the Chinese will happily invest in any country, human rights issues are not even considered. Then there is the type of investment. Which mainly seems to be, build the infrastructure to ship natural resources out of Africa and Chinese products back into Africa.

Though it seems the infrastructure in many places is the bare minimal needed. Often built and run by the Chinese with only low paid jobs for the African nationals. There are sometimes big local companies set up with the local government. Presumably to give the impression that it's a local business. Then again it's not going to be hard to let corruption and miss-management of funds run the company into the ground. Then you can come in and buy the company, install a Chinese workforce for all the skilled jobs and you now own a huge company that is more than likely a monopoly.

Obviously you give the local government their cut with tax and sweeteners. After all having the same dictator or 'only option' elected leader in power for a long time allows you to do long term planning. Like invest in a railway to get to the mine. Invest in the mine to improve investment. Take control of the mine to improve profitability. Invest in the railway to meet maintenance costs. Buy the railway to make it profitable.

Within a decade or two you can help set up a national monopoly and privatize it while making it look like you are just trying to help. Then you can ship all the resources you like back to resource poor China to make all those cheap products. To then ship these products all over the world, including Africa. For there comes another drawback to the Chinese deal. The more Chinese you have working in these new industries, the more services run by Chinese you have. Shops, doctors, banks and entertainment run by the Chinese for the Chinese. Some of these can even under cut the locals with Chinese food or cloths shipped in from China.

Just like the west did for the last couple of centuries the Chinese seem to be taking and giving very little back. Yes you may get some perks like better roads or a mobile phone network. Also the local government will get more money but this is unlikely to filter down to the poor. Along with this you have jobs being replaced by technology and foreigners.

The only real advantage is that better roads, phone networks, internet connection or any other kind of communication infrastructure helps the local start up business. Good communication is important to business and any good business person can utilize good communications to make money and grow.

I guess the question is are more people disadvantaged by the Chinese or are more people better off?

Wrong advert for a tsunami

While the Japanese tsunami was unfolding I was watching live TV from Japan on http://www.ustream.tv/

Every time I dropped in to watch it the above advert was playing followed by images of the awesome destructive power of water.

To go from happy fluffy kids playing around in water to images of water destroying buildings and washing away thousands of lives seemed quite disturbing.

Definitely did not make me want to rush out and book a holiday.

I think in hindsight it may not have been the best advert for the time and content. 

Don't ask!

If you don't ask you don't get.
If you do ask you don't get.

Why the no-fly zone is the wrong move.

Hello. It's the 21st century.

Let's have a look first at the no fly option.

1 Will take ages to set up.
2 Will be controversial.
3 May not stop the problem.
4 Very, very expensive.
5 Decisions and enquiries will all be secretive.

Basically your looking at planes permanent flying over the country, refueling planes flying about. Ships and massive movement of people.

Now here is my high tech option.

Step one.

Satellite. Probably already been done anyway.

Get a snapshot of the country. Eliminate all the areas where there are definitely no airplanes or helicopters.

Step two.

Droids. Probably also already done.
Send in high altitude drones to monitor the active areas. Locate and track airborne vehicles.

Step three.
Open source.
Open the droid feeds. Tell the whole world what they have, where they are and how often they have been used since surveillance started. Broadcast live(ish) feeds of the big threats. So if they are used the world knows.

Obviously you may be saying they will shot down the droids. Maybe but they are relatively cheap and no humans will die. It will show they have something to hide if they do start shooting. There is always the option that they may not shot. Maybe their technology will not be as agile as the droids. Maybe they will think the publicity would be bad. Maybe they will flee realizing the game is up.

Step 4
Missiles.
Hands up if you have seen on tv someone explaining how we have missiles that can be flown for many kilometers and hit a car in a field.

We have some very smart weapons. Unfortunately often with dumb humans controlling them.

You plan out the best way to target and destroy the aircraft. Be it from planes, ships or another continent.

Announce when you will do it. Noon on a clear day would be best.

Keep the droids monitoring the situation in case of hostages being amassed around crafts. Leaflet the areas making sure everyone knows the times and places.

If everyone does the sensible thing of getting the hell out of the area. You blow them all up.

If they gather round the crafts to protect them. Well then they can't be used. So double win.

Step 5
Compensation
After the trouble has settled down. You use the money you saved to pay the (hopefully) new government for their loss.

Which does not have to be used for military purchases.

Can't quite see the Yanks or Brits governments going for this though and you know the French and Russian governments will object.

It may have flaws, but it's got to be worth a shot as a cheap option.