Personally, even if such funds were available, could not countenance spending nearly $40K on a … purse. Not even a satchel.
And what’s even funnier is that about 96 percent of that $40K purchase price is simply for the label.
China plays chess as GrandMaster, while the Orange Menace keeps losing at Tic-Tac-Toe.
Ha! This is beautiful.
Saw on the Toks of the Tik that Chinese manufacturers are basically telling ‘Murricans that they (the ‘Murricans) are idiots for spending all that extra on “Made in France” and “Made in Italy” when those luxury goods – like absolutely, positively, everything else – is made in China … only the labels are affixed in Europe. Told the ‘Murricans to just buy from the manufacturer to get the same quality sans label and price, gave up the website and everything. Even told them they could avoid the tariffs by buying direct.
HA!
Buncha (and quoting the hillbilly couch-lover here) “Chinese peasants” just decimated the western luxury market for overpriced consumer goods without impacting their own bottom line.
Genius. Guess that stereotype is well-deserved. Check, mate.
Some folks said they would keep spending for the labels (see above: the aforementioned “idiot”) because brand recognition is more important than the actual construction … yaaaahnooooo
The other funny thing? Those selfsame Chinese manufacturers were subsequently blocked on the Tok of the Tik … remember when the platform went dark back in Jan. 2025 then SURPRISE!!! a day later it was back? Yaaaahnooooo methinks the Zuck acquired them ownership rights, oh yes.
The importance of gov’t control over media … in all its forms.
Which begs the question – when did America bankrupt her democratic, capitalistic principles?
Well, that presumes she – at one point – ever had any, what with being built on human suffering ‘n all.
In some ways, communist China has done capitalism even better than the US … by becoming the world’s manufacturer, China dictates global economic terms, which is brilliant btw …
… the long view reigns undefeated.
Watched a documentary on the global drug trade, and how it would not be possible without governmental complicity. Ye olde merry horsemen wanted to crack the market shell of 19th-century China but the Qing Dynasty told those old men to go home, nothing for you here.
Welp, the horsemen … given a bow and a crown, went forth conquering and to conquer … did not ride to the top of the global dung heap by appealing to a better nature, and decided to conspire with China’s criminal element – the Triads – and flood the nation with drugs.
Hmmm. Reminds me of something something Sandinistas … something something the real Rick Ross … something something crack epidemic … why change what works?
The formula (duhn-duh-duhn-na-duhnnn, duhn-duh-duhn-na-duhnnn …)
What is super-duper comical har-dee-HAR-har is that Chinese rulers (and, presumably, the ruled) preferred to remain a closed society yet certain folks simply just could not let them be (looking at you, slow Curious George III … looking at you, Milhous Nixon) … so we get dragons feasting on eagles.
Methinks much of China’s dominance rests in its homogeneity … when every neighbor looks like family, easier to unify against a common threat, speak with a single voice.
One thing the DUI-hire Hegseth did get right … diversity in the US is her greatest weakness.
Horsemen are too busy hating on everyone else to develop a plan to benefit the nation. {Psalm 127:1}
Ergo, to wit: back in 1947, the poors got charity and the rich had, well, money, and the middle class – predictably – struggled with paying for healthcare. So almost 85 years ago President Truman pushed for universal health care for every US citizen – the Wagner-Murray-Dingell Bill – financed via a kind of payroll tax.
Big money (well hello AMA), a fear of the communism boogeyman, state-run healthcare, and the possibility that “my taxes!!!” could be spent on “those people!!!” defeated the bill.
Ergo, to wit: folks still mad about Nobama’s ACA.
And the debt of healthcare continues.
Again, the experimental democratic republic was nice while it lasted.
The kind folks across the seas are happy to teach us Mandarin.
RedNote is great. Should probably get started on that. And a garden.
Goats give meat, milk, and pelt. Blahh.