Tag: China

“Buy Bigger Tractors”

My state of Mississippi is dependent on the sell of our major crop, soybeans, and thanx to Donny’s massive tariffs on China our framers are in pain and searching for alternatives….

Members of the state Senate Agriculture Committee were informed Wednesday that the struggles faced by Mississippi farmers are worsening, affecting not only vegetables but also beef.

Agriculture, the state’s largest industry that directly or indirectly employs over 11 percent of the state workforce, has been gut-punched by high inflation, falling prices, drought, and declining exports. Now, many farmers are watching what Washington D.C., especially the White House, will do next concerning tariffs as well as President Donald Trump’s recent plan to import more beef from Argentina.

“Agriculture faces extreme, extreme risk every day,” said State Senator Neil Whaley (R), committee chairman. “When you look at the market volatility and the prices that are returned, the cost of reduction is through the roof. If we do not find ways and avenues to utilize our crops locally and domestically, we are going to lose these family farms, therefore losing independent food. And that is a big problem for us.”

Soybeans, a powerhouse crop in Mississippi, are witnessing a massive drop in sales, largely due to China’s purchase of soybeans from South America, said Duane Dunlap, president of DNS Commodities. Prior to China switching suppliers, Mississippi’s soybeans were a major part of the state’s export, and the Delta was dependent on those foreign orders.

(magnoliatribune.com)

Then the magic of Donny has come to the rescue of farmers…..and they are told to buy bigger tractors(?)….

China has agreed to purchase at least 25 million metric tons of US soybeans annually, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday. Bessent said China will start by purchasing 12 million metric tons of soybeans from the US between now and January, the AP reports. “So you know, our great soybean farmers, who the Chinese used as political pawns, that’s off the table, and they should prosper in the years to come,” Bessent said in an interview on Fox Business Network’s Mornings with Maria. He said the agreement lasts for three years.

he soybean agreement was part of the deal President Trump reached with Xi Jinping at their South Korea meeting, reports the Wall Street Journal. “I was extremely honored by the fact that President Xi authorized China to begin the purchase of massive amounts of Soybeans, Sorghum, and other Farm products,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “Our Farmers will be very happy! In fact, as I said once before during my first Administration, Farmers should immediately go out and buy more land and larger tractors.” Last month, for the first time in almost seven years, China bought no soybeans from the US. The country switched to suppliers in Brazil and Argentina, the latter of which annoyed administration officials by removing its export tariffs after receiving a financial lifeline from the US.

This is great news for our farmers…..but I ask what about the deals China has already made elsewhere since Donny and his magic Sharpie?

Will this be a lasting deal?  Or will Donny get his panties in a twist and nullify it down the road?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

A Disturbing Chinese Report

China has made it back into the conversation and the news….I guess Gaza is not that important now (but that is a mistake) and Donny has imposed more tariffs on China and the markets took a hit.

And of course China fired back at the imposition of more tariffs…..

Beijing has vowed countermeasures against Washington if US President Donald Trump makes good on his threat to impose new 100% tariffs on Chinese imports.

Trump’s latest threat came after China unleashed a raft of export restrictions on rare earth minerals last week. The escalating tensions threaten to derail months of progress in trade talks.

“Resorting to threats of high tariffs is not the right way to engage with China,” a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said Sunday, in Beijing’s first comments on the threat.

“If the US persists in acting unilaterally, China will resolutely take corresponding measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” the spokesperson added. “Our position on a tariff war remains consistent – we do not want one, but we are not afraid of one.”

https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/12/business/china-warns-us-of-counter-actions-if-trump-doesnt-walk-back-his-100-tariff-threat

What does that rhetoric mean?

But for me there is more disturbing news than the economics of stupid…..you need to READ this article…..very disturbing.

Here’s a “Dr. Strangelove”-sounding idea: drop three consecutive nuclear missiles on the same target.

The Chinese military simulated this shock and awe scenario in a miniaturized lab experiment in order to see what kind of damage would happen, according to the South China Morning Post, and published their findings earlier this month in the science journal, Explosion and Shock Waves.

They found that striking a target with multiple nuclear munitions in rapid succession leaves a bigger crater and causes way more destruction than a single detonation — duh — but the scientists claim that the research is relevant because it’s the first laboratory test to accurately simulate the damage from such a brutal attack.

But the true value from this test is probably that the military could glean data from the paper to build better bunkers that could withstand such an apocalyptic situation — a matter that’s on everybody’s mind as China and the United States size up each other’s weapons arsenal amid rising geopolitical tension.

The scientists in the paper in particular singled out the power of American and Russian weaponry such as a “new generation of low-yield earth-penetrating [nuclear missile] warheads” as a cause for concern.

For the missiles strike test, the team of Chinese military scientists produced a large metallic vacuum chamber with heavy, thick walls but small enough to fit in a lab room. Inside the chamber, they used pressurized gas to pierce three glass spheres buried in quartz sand to simulate a rapid succession of nuclear explosions, while cameras captured every second of these blasts.

They ran calculations that referenced the US Palanquin test in 1965, which was held to identify the impact from a nuclear detonation; in that long-ago experiment held in Nevada, the explosion left a crater radius of 119 feet and a depth of around 69 feet.

https://futurism.com/science-energy/chinese-military-multiple-nuclear-strikes

When will these fuckers stop worrying about the bombs and do something useful for humanity?

Any deep thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Winds Of Change?

After decades of building a public support for the money being spent on policies to counter the ‘China problem’…..is about to change…..and after spending billions upon billions to protect Taiwan…..

The newly rebranded Department of War is expected to release a National Defense Strategy that prioritizes missions in the homeland and the Western Hemisphere over countering China and Russia, a shift from the Pentagon’s policy in recent years, which has placed China as the top priority, according to a report from POLITICO.

The report said that the new NDS has been placed on the desk of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who could make changes to the document before it’s released. The news comes as the US military has been deploying National Guard troops in US cities and has sent an armada of warships near Venezuela in the Caribbean, where it recently bombed a boat allegedly carrying drugs.

…

A new NDS that de-prioritizes China doesn’t mean that the US will slow its military buildup in the Asia Pacific, since China is still expected to be the top priority outside of the Western Hemisphere. Colby is also overseeing the Pentagon’s Global Posture Review, which could lead to US troop reductions in Europe and the Middle East, potentially allowing more troops to be deployed to Latin America and Asia.

(antiwar.com)

After the attack on the so-called drug boat off the coast of Venezuela the US is focusing more and more on Latin America…. we have moved a navy flotilla into the waters off Venezuela and after the boat attack the jets of Lula’s military keeps buzzing the American ships….

Here we go again….another regime change to waste money on yet again….

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday didn’t rule out the possibility of the US military pursuing regime change in Venezuela and suggested more US strikes on boats in the region were coming.

Hegseth made the comments in an interview on Fox News on Wednesday morning, the day after the US bombed a boat in the Southern Caribbean that it claimed without evidence was carrying drugs, marking the first US kinetic military action in the name of combating drug trafficking, though the real purpose of the attack may be part of a new push to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

“We have assets in the air, assets in the water, assets on ships because this is a deadly serious mission for us, and it won’t stop … with just this strike,” Hegseth said. “Anyone else trafficking in those waters who we know is a designated narco-terrorist will face the same fate.”

When asked if the goal was regime change in Venezuela, Hegseth said that was a “presidential decision” and added that “we’re prepared with every asset that the American military has.”

(antiwar.com)

Every administration has to have in its sights a nation for regime change……

Why is that?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Big Three Meet

Over the weekend three members of the BRICS, China, Russia and India, met and discussed the happenings of the day…..

At a summit in Tianjin, eastern China, on Monday, the leaders of China, Russia, and India offered a carefully choreographed show of unity aimed at the West. Cameras caught Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Narendra Modi exchanging handshakes and laughter, with Modi at one point linking hands with Xi and Putin, who represent an alternative world order challenging the US, per the New York Times. The summit was part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which drew over 20 regional leaders and featured speeches that subtly rebuked US foreign policy. Xi urged members to reject “Cold War mentality” and “bloc confrontation,” while Modi endorsed multilateralism and a larger global role for countries like India.

The discussions, coming as the US escalates tariffs on India and tightens its stance toward China and Russia, are seen as a response to Washington’s hardline trade policies, which have nudged India closer to the other two powers. Modi’s warm gestures, including a shared limousine ride and lengthy conversation with Putin, marked a shift from India’s traditionally cautious approach to relations with China and Russia.

While China and India remain at odds over territorial issues, Modi said there was an “atmosphere of peace and stability” between them, per the BBC. India’s economic reliance on the West cannot be easily replaced by Russia, whose economy is weakened by sanctions. But as one analyst tells the Times, “the White House should grasp that its policies will result in other countries looking for alternatives to meet their interests.”

Interesting since China and India have been at each others throats over some deposited border territory….did they make nice?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, on Monday, and told the Russian leader that New Delhi and Moscow should deepen cooperation in “all sectors.”

The comments from Modi are the latest sign that tariffs and other pressure from the US won’t impact India’s import of Russian oil and its trade relationship with Russia in general. In a post on X, Modi shared a photo of himself and Putin in a vehicle en route to their meeting, and said conversations with the Russian leader were always “insightful.”

After the meeting, Modi described the talks as “excellent” and said they discussed “ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in all spheres, including trade, fertilizers, space, security, and culture.”

In Tianjin, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered remarks in which he criticized “bullying” practices, an apparent reference to US sanctions and other economic pressures. Xi, Modi, and Putin briefly huddled together at the summit, and the 10 SCO member states called out the US by name in a joint declaration that condemned the recent US-Israeli war on Iran, which is an SCO member.

The statement said that the SCO states “strongly condemn the June 2025 Israeli and US military aggression on Iran targeting civilian nuclear infrastructure, causing casualties (and) violation of international law and UN Charter principles.” They also strongly condemned “acts causing civilian casualties and humanitarian disasters in Gaza.”

(antiwar.com)

Is it possible that Donny and his silly foreign policy have brought together these partners for mutual security?

Think about that….3 heavily nuked up countries.

The New Cold War is getting hotter?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

3 From The East

A couple of nations from the diabolical East will meet and compare notes….China, Russia, North Korea…..should we be worried?

Chinese President Xi Jinping is making a bold diplomatic play as he prepares to host both Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un for a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender, which ended its occupation of regions of China. It’s the first time the three leaders will gather together. The Sept. 3 gathering in Beijing, to bring together leaders from 26 countries in all, including Indonesia, Iran, Cuba, Pakistan, and Malaysia, serves as a high-profile showcase of China’s expanding influence on the world stage, per the BBC and NPR. While President Trump continues to struggle for a diplomacy breakthrough in Ukraine and seeks another meeting with Kim, Xi is demonstrating his ability to convene key players.

Kim’s presence is especially notable, marking the first time a North Korean leader has attended a Chinese military parade since 1959. Despite speculation that Kim’s growing alignment with Putin might have frayed ties with Beijing, his first visit to the country in six years signals otherwise. The visit also offers Kim “legitimacy,” per the BBC, as he shares a stage with other world leaders. Xi, meanwhile, stands to gain leverage in upcoming negotiations with Washington. Trump, who’s under pressure to resolve trade tensions and will be in the region at the end of October, has said he’s open to meeting Xi. As the BBC reports, “Xi will want the strongest hand possible as negotiations go on” and, following this visit, “he may even have information his US counterpart does not.”

Is this a strategy session on dealing with the US?

Are we looking at a new bloc to counter US adventurism?

Will this be more troubles in the Pacific?

Will this be money thrown at a ‘rising’ threat?

Should we be worried?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

 

China In The Crosshairs

Donny has been rabid about the tariffs and sanctions he has placed on China some go as high as 125%…..and then out of the blue a pause to give China time to do whatever it is they think it will do.

Is this competition with China a winning strategy or is it just BS from a cluttered mind?

China’s economy is already one-third larger than the U.S. economy and growing far more rapidly. This was true before Donald Trump took office, but the growth gap has been even larger in the first six months of this year.

China’s economy has been growing at more than a 5.0 percent annual rate. Meanwhile the US economy grew at just a 1.2 percent annual rate. Put in dollar terms, China’s economy has grown by roughly $1 trillion in the last six months, while the US economy has grown by just $180 billion.

This comparison doesn’t really mean much to any of us in our daily lives. People care about whether they have jobs, rising wages, and living standards. Things don’t look great on the wages and living standards front either, but I’ll leave that one for now.

The point here is that if we envision ourselves in a Cold War competition with China, we’re losing badly. I know that China’s growth statistics must always be viewed with skepticism (that may be true here soon as well), but there is little doubt that over long period of times they are pretty much on the mark.

Over the last half century China has gone from Sub-Saharan Africa living standards to upper middle-income living standards. This means that even if the 5.0 percent growth reported for the first half of the year may not be exactly right, it is likely in the ballpark.

So, we shouldn’t be like Donald Trump and say we can ignore the numbers. We are behind China and falling further behind. Those are the facts that the New Cold Warriors need to recognize.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/08/11/in-trumps-competition-with-china-china-is-winning/

Will all these half-ass policies actually make China greater?  After all we are having a mini Cold War with China in and around the South China Sea……

Two certainties have emerged after seven months of Donald Trump’s control of America’s national security policy. First of all, there is no comprehensive national security policy and no likely candidate in the administration for formulating and managing a comprehensive policy. Second, the greatest challenge in the national security arena is China—the most important bilateral policy in the entire global arena—and the Trump administration is doing everything it can—whether intentional or not—to make China great and to worsen America’s standing vis-a-vis China. The dumbing down of the United States continues under Trump, and China’s standing in the global community is becoming stronger.

Over the past 75 years, China has rarely relied on the use of military power—in Korea in the 1950s to stop the advance of U.S. forces, and in 1979 to “teach the Vietnamese a lesson,” which didn’t go well for Chinese forces. Conversely, the United States has relied on the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to pursue wars that were neither winnable nor affordable (Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq), and to use covert action unsuccessfully in overthrowing democratic governments in Iran, Guatemala, the Congo, and Chile.

U.S. military engagements that were designed to last weeks and months turned into decades of military engagement and occupation. Nearly every administration claimed it was not engaged in nation-building, but hundreds of billions of dollars were wasted in doing exactly that—nation-building. And, of course, the ridiculous absurdity of the Iraq War that was going to introduce democracy as a model for the entire Arab world. No strategic purpose was served by any of these interventions. And apparently no lessons were learned.

Meanwhile, China has transitioned from one of the poorest nations in the world to the second-largest economy with nuclear-armed forces growing at a record pace. Over the past 40 years, China has had the world’s fastest-growing economy with annual growth rates that often exceeded 10% a year. China’s economy grew over five percent in the first half of this year; the U.S. economy expanded by one percent. Meanwhile, U.S. tariff policy is losing friends around the world.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/08/08/trumps-policies-will-make-china-great-again/

The only people that are suffering the consequences of this competition are the consumers…..when will that be accounted for?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

A Terrifying Thought

There are many of those these days of indecision and propaganda….but there are some that transcend politics and into the realm of scary….and a recent report enters into that realm….

Chinese hackers are suspected of hacking the US nuclear weapons agency after breaching a flaw in Microsoft’s software.

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which maintains the US nuclear arsenal, has been targeted via a vulnerability in Microsoft’s document system SharePoint, according to reports.

Microsoft has warned that hackers linked to Beijing are exploiting the flaw, while Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre has said organisations in the UK have also been hit.

The flaw allows hackers to remotely run software code on victims’ servers, potentially allowing them to install malicious software and steal data.

According to Bloomberg, which reported the breach, no sensitive information is believed to have been stolen in the hack on the NNSA.

A spokesman for the US energy department said it was “minimally impacted” by the hack last Friday.

“On Friday, July 18, the exploitation of a Microsoft SharePoint zero-day vulnerability began affecting the Department of Energy,” it said.

“The department was minimally impacted due to its widespread use of the Microsoft M365 cloud and very capable cybersecurity systems. A very small number of systems were impacted. All impacted systems are being restored.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/07/23/chinese-hackers-suspected-americas-nuclear-weapons-agency/

The report is that no damage was done and that all systems are back on-line….that is good to hear but still are we getting the whole story or some whitewash BS from the prez and the DNI?

Is cybersecurity still a priority or is it more important to focus of something that has nothing to do with national security?

Whacha think?

I read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Tariffs To The Left….Tariffs To The Right

Since our boy Donny has taken office he has imposed tariffs on most of the world….from an island populated by penguins to the nation of China, which has tariffs already of about 145%….all because Donny wants to punish China for its one sided trade with the US.

Consumers are started to see prices increase as these tariffs start taking effect.  But just how badly is these policies hurting the Chinese economy?

China’s economy has shown strong growth in the first half of 2025, growing by 5.3 percent despite ongoing trade tensions with the United States. The growth rate has exceeded Beijing’s targets, showing the resilience of the world’s second-largest economy.

According to The Washington Post, the impressive economic performance comes as Chinese manufacturers have increased their exports during a temporary pause in the trade war. This surge in exports has been a key factor in supporting China’s economic growth, as both customers and producers took advantage of the trade war ceasefire.

Trump’s decision to increase tariffs to 145 percent in April has proven ineffective in slowing China’s economic progress, while American consumers face significantly higher prices on everyday goods due to these tariff policies. The Chinese economy has defied Washington’s expectations, weathering the trade war better than many U.S. officials had predicted.

Following the May truce that helped ease trade tensions, negotiators from both countries are now working to transform the temporary agreement into a permanent trade deal, though Trump has already made significant concessions to China in previous negotiations. The deadline for these negotiations has been set for mid-August.

https://wegotthiscovered.com/news/trumps-145-tariffs-prove-useless-as-chinas-booming-economy-defies-washingtons-dire-predictions/

So these extreme tariffs are hurting nobody but the consumer….was that the plan all along?

What Donny and his ‘expert’ panel of morons overlooked is China is a member of the BRICS and as such have a built in trading partners.

BRICS is short for the countries that make up the economic bloc that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and some say South Africa.

I have said all along since the very beginning that these tariffs are not going to save anything on the contrary it will cost the consumer heavily in an economy that does not need more pressure of the consumer.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Under Pressure

The US for far too long has threatened China over Taiwan…..originally it was over the Chinese doings in the South China Sea but then the focus went to Taiwan (I guess there was more of a case they could make for going to war over the island nation)…..for the past 3 or more years the war drums have been beating and now under Donny the pressure is being put on our Asian allies to get on-board….

The Pentagon is pressing Japan and Australia to make clear what role they would play if the US goes to war with China over Taiwan, the Financial Times reported over the weekend.

The report said that the Pentagon’s policy chief, Elbridge Colby, has been pressing the issue in recent meetings with Japanese and Australian officials, an effort that has frustrated officials in Tokyo and Canberra.

Appearing to confirm the report, Colby said in a post on X that the Pentagon is implementing President Trump’s “America First” foreign policy by “urging allies to step up their defense spending and other efforts related to our collective defense” in both Europe and Asia. “Of course, some among our allies might not welcome frank conversations,” he said.

Colby is a China hawk and a major proponent of the US preparing for war over Taiwan despite the risk of nuclear war. The FT report said that his meetings with Australian and Japanese officials were Colby’s latest effort to convince allies in the region to “raise deterrence” and prepare for a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait.

Sources told the paper that the US has been asking allies to raise military spending, but the request for commitments related to a potential war with China was a new demand. The US is for clarity on the issue despite maintaining a policy of strategic ambiguity over the question of whether or not the US would intervene if China attacked Taiwan.

https://news.antiwar.com/2025/07/14/us-pressing-japan-and-australia-on-what-they-would-do-if-the-us-goes-to-war-with-china-over-taiwan/

There has been lots of crazed macho chest beating over the situation and massive assets have been moved into the region for the coming conflict and in return China has been beefing up their forces and assets  in response

All the pieces are being put into place and the wait begins.

So is how firm is the commitment to Taiwan?

At first glance, Washington’s informal but very real commitment to defend Taiwan and preserve its de facto independence seems quite secure.  Over the past decade, Taipei’s security relationship with the United States grew steadily closer – with strong bipartisan approval in the United States.  Not only was that development apparent during Donald Trump’s first administration, but also, to the surprise of many experts on East Asian affairs, the trend persisted throughout Joe Biden’s presidency.

The prevailing assumption was that Trump’s return to the White House would be very good news for hardliners in Taiwan who want to push the envelope on independence.  Elbridge Colby, the official whom Trump chose to be undersecretary of defense for policy in his second administration is renowned for being an avid supporter of Taiwan.  Indeed, Colby embraces a hardline approach toward Beijing on a range of issues throughout East Asia.

However, Trump’s early statements indicated that Washington’s support for Taiwan’s security was far from unconditional.  He immediately pressured Taipei to raise its yearly defense spending – reportedly to 5 percent of annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  That is the same demand Trump is making to all members of NATO, and it is consistent with the U.S. president’s rhetorical commitment to an “America First” foreign policy overall.  One of his complaints dating from his 2016 presidential election campaign is that too many U.S. allies engage in “free riding” on Washington’s military exertions.  Trump’s insistence on greater “burden sharing” by America’s security clients has been a consistent theme of his tenure in the White House.

https://original.antiwar.com/Ted_Galen_Carpenter/2025/07/14/how-firm-is-washingtons-commitment-to-taiwans-security/

Muscle flexing 101….

Nearly 40,000 troops from 19 nations, including the US, have converged on northern Australia for the largest Talisman Sabre military drills ever, sending a hard-to-miss message about unity in the face of China’s growing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region. The live-fire drills held over three weeks involve artillery, rocket launchers, and tanks from the US, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and other allies, the Wall Street Journal reports. “Everyone is seeing the aggressive activities that China is doing,” said Lt. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, who commands the US Army’s I Corps. “That’s why they’re more interested in what they need to do to protect their sovereign interests.”

The scale and diversity of the force, which includes partners from Europe and across Asia, reflect growing concern over Beijing’s actions in the region. China’s military buildup and recent maneuvers—including live-fire naval drills near Australia and increased activity around Taiwan and the South China Sea—have spurred the US and its allies to expand joint exercises. This iteration features new elements: the debut of America’s Typhon missile system west of the International Date Line, drone operations inspired by the Ukraine war, and the first Talisman Sabre activity in Papua New Guinea. A ceremony kicked off the biennial event on Sunday.

Can the US afford another lengthy war?

How will the conflict be met by the American voter?

At what point is enough enough?

Just wondering.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Was That A Mosquito Or A Drone?

I use to be an avid watcher of the TV series ‘Elementary’, a modern day Sherlock Holmes…..one episode was about an assassination of a guy by a drone in NYC and of course Sherlock was pressed into investigating….while he was a miniature drone was sent to keep an eye on his investigation, about the size of a fly….

I thought that was a Hell of an idea a miniature drone and its applications….

“Here in my hand is a mosquito-like type of robot. Miniature bionic robots like this one are especially suited to information reconnaissance and special missions on the battlefield,” Liang Hexiang, a student at the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT), told CCTV while holding up the drone between his fingers.

We’ve already entered the drone age. Once the stuff of science fiction, drones are now woven into everyday life. They inspect power lines, monitor endangered wildlife, and deliver medical supplies or even just groceries. But in warfare, their impact is most profound.

In conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East, drones have transformed modern warfare — used for everything from precision strikes to real-time surveillance and even psychological operations. Cheap, commercially available quadcopters can be outfitted with explosives or cameras, turning them into weapons or eyes in the sky. Militaries and militias alike have embraced them, shifting the balance of power away from traditional forces. As this technology becomes smaller, smarter, and more autonomous, drones are rewriting the rules of engagement.

It’s designed to mimic the flight of real insects. Two leaf-like wings flap rapidly to keep it airborne, while three hair-thin legs may help it land or perch on surfaces. Though the design is biologically inspired, the engineering is anything but natural. Inside the body, advanced power systems, miniature sensors, and control electronics must all be packed into a space no larger than a coin.

Its biggest advantage is stealth. If the drone escapes undetected, it can offer valuable information in an urban setting. It could also be used in search and rescue missions or even in electronic or mass surveillance.

https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/mosquito-china-drones/

Obviously this smaller size would be perfect for intel gathering but could it be fitted with a potent quick acting toxin and used to eliminate adversaries?

As the article states China is not the only country in search of smaller and smaller drones.

Fascinating stuff.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”