John Carlos Baez3d ago

China is carrying out the solar revolution at scale. Here panels float on a reservoir in northwest China. This is just one of many massive solar power plants. The photos look like something out of science fiction:

https://www.theatlantic.com/photography/archive/2025/07/photos-china-solar-power-energy/683488/

Meanwhile Trump is fighting solar and pushing coal. The Chinese call him 建国同志, "Comrade Jianguo". Literally this means "Comrade Building the Nation". It's a joke about "Make America Great Again". It hints that Trump is actually helping China.

Show threadToni Aittoniemi
@johncarlosbaez This will be the Chinese century, perhaps because of Trump is completely gambling on US futures, sheer ego instead of sound policy. Will threats make it or break it? Because if US loses the dollar as world reserve currency, they’re going to go bankcrupt. Not chance in hell they’ll survive.
Jul 13 at 10:46amWeb
Show threadLazarou Monkey Terror 🚀💙🌈2d ago

@gimulnautti @johncarlosbaez I hear European nations are pulling their gold out of the US as we speak, I mean would you have your gold kept with a madman who's mind is unravelling and is destroying the nation bit by bit?

#Politics #Trump

Show threadToni Aittoniemi2d ago

@Lazarou @johncarlosbaez But I do think the people behind Trump know what they’re doing.

The crazy theory is for them to crash the US dollar on purpose to restore exports profitability even if it hurts the people really bad.

Make the people poor on purpose, as crashing it means wage labour in reshored manufacturing can be paid a more competitive wage in world standards.

But they don’t need the dollar per se, a dollar-nominated stablecoin would be enough.

Show threadToni Aittoniemi2d ago
@Lazarou @johncarlosbaez I know this sounds crazy, but hard-right conservatives really do think the world should have peasants and factory labourers without any rights.