another type of global warming

The new cold war is increasingly warming. This cold war is between the USA, the Russians and the Chinese and there are various smaller nations involved too. Of course the USA leadership cannot conceive of a time when the USA is not the most dominant player, and Russia and China can. With the election of trump the Russians and Chinese will make their plays, and those plays are beginning. A case in point is the Philippines and their authoritarian, scary, murderer leader Rodrigo Duterte.

NZH

Russia's Pacific Fleet is amid a five-day visit to the Philippines of vessels, led by Rear Admiral Eduard Mikhailov. 

This marks the third ever visit made by Russian military vessels to the Philippines, according to the Filipino Navy's Commodore Francisco Cabudao.Speaking at the Manila harbour, Mikhailov attempted to pursuade the Philippines to join forces with Russia. 

"You can choose to cooperate with United States of America or to cooperate with Russia," Mikhailov said. 

"But from our side we can help you in every way that you need. We are sure that in the future we'll have exercises with you. Maybe just maneuvering or maybe use of combat systems and so on." 

Currently the Philippines' military remains underequipped and underfunded, leaving the country's defence force struggling to deal with attacks by jihadist terror groups in its south. 

"We have an experience in fighting these [threats]," Mikhailov said 

"We will share to [sic] you our knowledge on these problems, how to solve piracy and terrorism." 

He also indicated that other players in the region, such as China and Malaysia, could coordinate with the potential Russian-Philippine training exercises "in a few years". 

The United States did not get a mention. 

Meanwhile, Russia's ambassador has confirmed the country is willing to supply the Philippines with sophisticated weapons, including aircraft and submarines, with the aim of becoming a close friend with the traditional US ally. 

Russian ambassador Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev held a news conference in which he acknowledged the Philippines' intention to diversify its foreign partners."It's not a choice between these partners and those ones. Diversification means preserving and keeping old traditional partners and getting new ones. So Russia is ready to become a new reliable partner and close friend of the Philippines," he said. 

"We don't interfere with your relations with your traditional partners and your traditional partners should respect the interest of the Philippines and Russia."He said Russia had a range of weapons to offer. 

"We are ready to supply small arms and light weapons, some aeroplanes, helicopters, submarines and many, many other weapons. Sophisticated weapons. Not the second-hand ones," Khovaev said. 

"Russia has a lot to offer but everything will be done in full compliance with international law." 

But the move comes as the longstanding close ties between Washington and Manila turn increasingly sour in the wake of Rodrigo Duterte's presidency.In October 2016, the controversial leader drew gasps from the United States after he announced a major shift in alliances. 

"In this venue, I announce my separation from the United States," Duterte told a hall of Chinese and Philippine business people. His words were met with applause as he announced "America has lost", and that he has "realigned" himself with China's ideological flow. 

He even said he would go to Russia to meet with Vladimir Putin. 

"[I will] tell him that there are three of us against the world: China, Philippines and Russia. It's the only way," Duterte told the Beijing audience. 

Prior to that, he made global headlines after infamously calling outgoing US President Barack Obama a "son of a wh*re" and told him to "go to hell".

Now I've quoted a lot of that because it really shows how the relationships and positioning is developing. With that idiot trump and his dimwitted accomplishes coming in things will only get worse, much worse. Tensions will rise and the pressure will increase significantly this year. Trump is weak, putin knows this and China is under no illusions either. Trump, over his presidency will not only start wars but he'll lose them. This is my prediction.

Cows deserve respect

We deserve respect

The future of our dairy farms - is this where our dairy farms are headed?

"It is a containment farm, meaning the herd of more than 4855 animals resides in the four massive cow barns on the 35-hectare property, or in the calf-rearing shed or heifer barn.


Three thousand pregnant Friesians were imported from New Zealand to start the herd, which has just begun its second calving season.


The efficient containment system succeeds where pasture feeding is not an option – as in much of China where the land is unavailable or the winters are too harsh.


Self-consciously high-tech, the farm relies heavily on computers to track each cow's life history, medical records and movements, to measure feed consumption and forecast calving schedules, and to plan the herd's diet.


The milking operation goes 18 hours a day, with each cow milked three times. Two 30-tonne tankers leave the farm each day trucking milk to a range of domestic producers."

Lucky cows. Three times a day is a lot. Is this really the way to go. They are already considering the concept here. And i am not saying there shouldn't be dairy farms but they should be where cows grow best. A barn is not that place.

I wish we were helping the people over there bring back their traditonal methods. Those methods worked, they spread the wealth and benefits across more people and communities, they were sustainable and conservationally orientated. The answer seems to be in working with nature not in opposition by trying to put things where they are not meant to be.

By working with nature we achieve so much more.