The changing environment of world affairs and it's effect on musical gear.

[TonalEuphoria]

War has broken out in Europe but Ukraine is not a NATO member. Slovakia is in NATO. It is NATO soil. If anyone attacked Slovakia, automatically NATO is activated and within 3 weeks they can setup anywhere in the world to carry out any mission they want. It would end the Russian army in Ukraine in a few days. This is a fact. Just look at the size of NATO. So tube manufacturing would be the last of our worries because what would happen is WWIII or Russia backs down (meaning doesn't try invading again).

Sorry that's not a fact, just a belief. Don't buy into the propaganda. Russia isn't as weak as they are portraying it. Russia has been holding back and using Ukraine as a training ground. They have used it to switch to a war time economy and prepare their military. A large number of soldiers, that they haven't used yet. And Russia is also aligned with China. When fighting truly breaks out we will be fighting both, as one can't afford to lose the other. But Russia is also one of the largest weapons and ammunition manufacturers in the world. They stockpile their weapons and have since WWII. They have also been using up all their old stuff, while using the situation and waiting while Nato drains itself. And what they have besides is the biggest nuclear weapons stockpile in the world and many experts agree that they will use it. If they have truly threatened in losing they will use nuclear weapons. It's in their doctrine.

Once China attacks TaIwan as their actions having all shown their preparing to do, experts also feel that all their allies may also go kinetic on their enemies and Nato could be unbelievably overwhlemed. China attacking Taiwan, Russia with Belarus and probably others, pushing further into Ukraine and beyond, North Korea attacking the South and Iran attacking Israel. None of it could happen of course and all of it could happen. War is a fluid situation, but we are seeing all kinds of actions across this world that our and our allies militaries are preparing for.

Foolishly, our leaders are giving aways a large amount of our reserves in weapons to Ukraine too and putting us further into debt, while countries are divesting themselves of the US Dollar. Which is what the situation seems really about and world leaders looking to protect their power and wealth. Russia and China have been intertwined in purpose for decades now since atleast the beginning of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization if not before. They have been working to overthrow America's grasp on global politics and control for a long time now. They know what they have to do and have been working towards it, while our country grows weaker. Something they support and are more than happy to see happen.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Our military has technological might, but wars are not won by technology alone. And especially when your enemy is working to defeat it. For example, they both have developed anti-satelite, hypersonic missile systems and emp weapons which are posed to bring down our sight, communications and grid. And our allies. War are essentially won by men though. Pushing through and fighting on, striving through adversity when all is against them. Doing what needs to be done, when it's hardest to. And they have been laughing at how weak we have gotten. Our core values this country was built on that holds us together, drug through the gutter. Our culture saturated with boys who want to wear dresses and become girls more than they want to do what boys have always done and become warriors to protect their families and country.

Our society at each others throats, with civil war and revolution being opening talked about in every avenue of our society. Our military recruiting levels at all time lows in the longest time. And a military more focused on woke culture than making warriors. While they give away weapons the manufacturers themselves can't be replaced for years to come if not decades and more. And the biggest chip manufacturing country in the world where we get the majority of those componets to build and repair the vast amount of our systems and weapons we rely on, under the threat of attack when war breaks out truly and goes kinetic.

And all this is just some of what's going on. We're in trouble. Big trouble. And our leaders know it, all the while they lead us straight into it. After all, they have bunkers to hide in. But not us. Their children will be put in safe positions, while ours will be sent to the fight. For those that do go instead of go against the draft and enlistment. There's an absolute reason they were trying so hard to make women eligible for the draft too. Because when it does kick off, they will have to draft to fill the ranks. Over and over again. And likely need everyone they can get.

Requirement for Women to Register for the Draft Back on the Table in Annual Defense Bill

The proposal is back in the version of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, making its way through the Senate.

www.military.com

 

[TonalEuphoria]

Supply chain limitations, train derailments, inflation, food supply issues, second amendment challenges, first amendment control, GND, petro dollar replacement, immigration, faulty energy grids, dictated tax obligations, UBI, CRT, gender, cancel culture, illegalization of a VPN.....why focus elsewhere when the war is within the open boarders of the USA. The ramifications of such is clearly affecting the entire world.

And anyone awake to understand and see what is going on, needs to prepare themselves for the worst. Hope for the best, yes, but be ready regardless. Which is only smart to do or be left without and in a very bad position from it. Same as our elders did in the past. They did so, because they knew the hardship that can be and often saw it. Now sadly we are at our most priveleged and take too much for granted.

 

[FutureProf88]

And anyone awake to understand and see what is going on, needs to prepare themselves for the worst. Hope for the best, yes, but be ready regardless. Which is only smart to do or be left without and in a very bad position from it. Same as our elders did in the past. They did so, because they knew the hardship that can be and often saw it. Now sadly we are at our most priveleged and take too much for granted.

My own thought of this is that much of it is sheer stupidity that is causing a lot of our problems. While I think that there are bad actors, I think that those bad actors are working locally for their own benefit rather than some nefarious purpose of destruction, and I think that it allows for some incompetence to cause problems elsewhere. The effect is just additive.

 

[TonalEuphoria]

My own thought of this is that much of it is sheer stupidity that is causing a lot of our problems. While I think that there are bad actors, I think that those bad actors are working locally for their own benefit rather than some nefarious purpose of destruction, and I think that it allows for some incompetence to cause problems elsewhere. The effect is just additive.

Oh there is more than enough stupidity to go around with our world leaders. And they are definitely working for their own benefit and that of their friends in nefarious purpose for their wealth and power. And they have been warned by so many experts in the intelligence and military command leadership to the outcome of their actions. And they simply don't care. And this is what's so dangerous for all of us. They know the possible outcome for the people, and they don't care. Not enough in any way to stop the plan they have laid out and goals they have in mind. We are nothing but to be sacrificed by the outcome of their actions and choices.

 

[Maxbrothman]

Sorry that's not a fact, just a belief. Don't buy into the propaganda. Russia isn't as weak as they are portraying it. Russia has been holding back and using Ukraine as a training ground.

We know their plan, and it's not a training ground. In training grounds, you don't lose 14 Russian generals in less than a year.

Foundations of Geopolitics - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Aleksandr Dugin's plan is that book. In it, they split the UK from Europe (Brexit success) and invade Ukraine (failing). Dugin's daughter was assassinated in a car bomb last year.

 

[PelliX]

We know their plan, and it's not a training ground. In training grounds, you don't lose 14 Russian generals in less than a year.

Foundations of Geopolitics - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Aleksandr Dugin's plan is that book. In it, they split the UK from Europe (Brexit success) and invade Ukraine (failing). Dugin's daughter was assassinated in a car bomb last year.

Wait, you're telling me it was the Russians who got Brexit done?

 

[Maxbrothman]

Wait, you're telling me it was the Russians who got Brexit done?

Indirectly, they helped get Brexit done because the success of Brexit is the same as Dugin's plans to divide and conquer in specific steps. It knew the UK, as a Euro-skeptic, could be persuaded to leave the EU. The Kremlin created bots to interfere in elections, and political parties used that information against the opposition. Cambridge analytics used micro-marketing to spam voters with what they wanted to hear. After Brexit, Boris Johnson, now in the government, said the interference did not impact the election outcome and played it down. Today we know that oligarchs were assassinated on UK soil simultaneously, and today the UK has had to clean house with Russian business magnets and doners. So I don't think we shall know the full extent of the influence unless Labour gets into government, which is likely at the next general election.

So we know the plan. It hinges on breaking up the EU and causing divisions. It must do that to have any chance of success. World leaders are adamant about maintaining cooperation together and no divisions. If they keep doing that, Dugan's plan is in tatters. Dugan's plan is already in tatters because it also hinges on Russia having a functional army. It doesn't because generals have been pocketing money that should have been used to maintain equipment. The parents of kids sent to the front line have to buy their army gear for them. One asked a general who visited them where their bulletproof jackets are. The general told them to 'steel themselves' against the enemy. Imagine being drafted by a government that can't even give you functional riffles that aren't from WWII. Oh and another thing is that if you are a General in the Russian army then it's payday as you are in line to receive those nice chunky bribes in dollars which is more money in a year than you'll see in your entire life. Putin's imagination and fantasy world collided with reality, resulting in a military blunder of historic proportions that will be in the textbooks as changing the face of Russia forever for many generations to come.

 

[FutureProf88]

So do we think that Western Electric is going to start producing guitar tubes?

 

[Lo-Tek]

Sorry that's not a fact, just a belief. Don't buy into the propaganda. Russia isn't as weak as they are portraying it. Russia has been holding back and using Ukraine as a training ground. They have used it to switch to a war time economy and prepare their military. A large number of soldiers, that they haven't used yet. And Russia is also aligned with China. When fighting truly breaks out we will be fighting both, as one can't afford to lose the other. But Russia is also one of the largest weapons and ammunition manufacturers in the world. They stockpile their weapons and have since WWII. They have also been using up all their old stuff, while using the situation and waiting while Nato drains itself. And what they have besides is the biggest nuclear weapons stockpile in the world and many experts agree that they will use it. If they have truly threatened in losing they will use nuclear weapons. It's in their doctrine.

Once China attacks TaIwan as their actions having all shown their preparing to do, experts also feel that all their allies may also go kinetic on their enemies and Nato could be unbelievably overwhlemed. China attacking Taiwan, Russia with Belarus and probably others, pushing further into Ukraine and beyond, North Korea attacking the South and Iran attacking Israel. None of it could happen of course and all of it could happen. War is a fluid situation, but we are seeing all kinds of actions across this world that our and our allies militaries are preparing for.

Foolishly, our leaders are giving aways a large amount of our reserves in weapons to Ukraine too and putting us further into debt, while countries are divesting themselves of the US Dollar. Which is what the situation seems really about and world leaders looking to protect their power and wealth. Russia and China have been intertwined in purpose for decades now since atleast the beginning of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization if not before. They have been working to overthrow America's grasp on global politics and control for a long time now. They know what they have to do and have been working towards it, while our country grows weaker. Something they support and are more than happy to see happen.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Our military has technological might, but wars are not won by technology alone. And especially when your enemy is working to defeat it. For example, they both have developed anti-satelite, hypersonic missile systems and emp weapons which are posed to bring down our sight, communications and grid. And our allies. War are essentially won by men though. Pushing through and fighting on, striving through adversity when all is against them. Doing what needs to be done, when it's hardest to. And they have been laughing at how weak we have gotten. Our core values this country was built on that holds us together, drug through the gutter. Our culture saturated with boys who want to wear dresses and become girls more than they want to do what boys have always done and become warriors to protect their families and country.

Our society at each others throats, with civil war and revolution being opening talked about in every avenue of our society. Our military recruiting levels at all time lows in the longest time. And a military more focused on woke culture than making warriors. While they give away weapons the manufacturers themselves can't be replaced for years to come if not decades and more. And the biggest chip manufacturing country in the world where we get the majority of those componets to build and repair the vast amount of our systems and weapons we rely on, under the threat of attack when war breaks out truly and goes kinetic.

And all this is just some of what's going on. We're in trouble. Big trouble. And our leaders know it, all the while they lead us straight into it. After all, they have bunkers to hide in. But not us. Their children will be put in safe positions, while ours will be sent to the fight. For those that do go instead of go against the draft and enlistment. There's an absolute reason they were trying so hard to make women eligible for the draft too. Because when it does kick off, they will have to draft to fill the ranks. Over and over again. And likely need everyone they can get.

Requirement for Women to Register for the Draft Back on the Table in Annual Defense Bill

The proposal is back in the version of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, making its way through the Senate.

www.military.com

I'm not really concerned with a civil war here. There may be a rise in people that favor a dictatorial or fascist government but I think most people still want democracy to succeed. I really don't think the average person is ready to start a war with friends and neighbors. And to what end? It would certainly be really dumb.
An increase in domestic terrorism? That seems quite possible. Violence against elected officials, institutions etc? Quite possible.

Internet effect?

 

[Lo-Tek]

So do we think that Western Electric is going to start producing guitar tubes?

I was wondering about that. If they do I may actually retube!

 

[Deftone]

IMHO, NATO exists only to serve the elite.

 

[FutureProf88]

I was wondering about that. If they do I may actually retube!

Same!

 

[PelliX]

Indirectly, they helped get Brexit done because the success of Brexit is the same as Dugin's plans to divide and conquer in specific steps. It knew the UK, as a Euro-skeptic, could be persuaded to leave the EU.

I'm not convinced here. There were various problematic aspects to our membership in the EU, and of course vehement campaining (both for and against leaving) in the UK. Not to tread on anyone's toes here, but when the United States (well, they weren't called that back then of course) claimed its independance from us, nobody inferred that the Russians or anyone else was involved. "By the people, for the people", etc. The legislative and economic strangehold that the EU had placed on Britain was starting to outweigh the benefits of the membership - at least in many minds.

The Kremlin created bots to interfere in elections, and political parties used that information against the opposition.

To the best of my knowledge, this has never been proven - in fact, many attempts to associate or link Russia to election meddling have been proven to be false. If there's proof the other way, I'm open for it, but I haven't seen it yet. Note that I'm not talking about elections *in* Russia itself, which indeed... I have some doubts about.

So I don't think we shall know the full extent of the influence unless Labour gets into government, which is likely at the next general election.

Without getting into partisan policitcs, do you *really* think either of the two parties is so much more honest and transparent than the other?

So we know the plan. It hinges on breaking up the EU and causing divisions. It must do that to have any chance of success.

Divide and conquer. Aye, we Brits were pretty good at that, too.... Proven method, I guess.

World leaders are adamant about maintaining cooperation together and no divisions.

Hmm, some are, some aren't. The EU is on the verge of splitting or having more countries leave. The sentiment is strong in various countries, whether it's Hungary, France or member states up north. It's anyone's guess, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a few members leave within a few years' time.

If they keep doing that, Dugan's plan is in tatters. Dugan's plan is already in tatters because it also hinges on Russia having a functional army. It doesn't because generals have been pocketing money that should have been used to maintain equipment. The parents of kids sent to the front line have to buy their army gear for them. One asked a general who visited them where their bulletproof jackets are. The general told them to 'steel themselves' against the enemy. Imagine being drafted by a government that can't even give you functional riffles that aren't from WWII.

You should see what Germany has in the way of 'army gear'. It's a joke. If Poland wanted, they could overthrow the country in days (well, except for the NATO backing, obviously...). Just sayin' that quite a few countries are in rather poor shape militarily. Maybe that's even a good thing, I dunno. Now the EU is working on an EU army, basically. Where are the efforts for de-escalation? What do they see as the grand outcome? Soldiers with EU/NATO helmets marching through overthrown Russia, from Moskow to Siberia?? The last time someone tried to unite Europe under a single command ... let's not go there.

Oh and another thing is that if you are a General in the Russian army then it's payday as you are in line to receive those nice chunky bribes in dollars which is more money in a year than you'll see in your entire life. Putin's imagination and fantasy world collided with reality, resulting in a military blunder of historic proportions that will be in the textbooks as changing the face of Russia forever for many generations to come.

I think I'm going to have to add some kind of disclaimer that I'm not pro-Putin here. Fact of the matter is that NATO has been ignoring the agreement signed long ago about the Ukraine remaining independant and has been building up weapons/military presence around the area. What Putin did - in my opinion - is merely push the clock forward. "OK, enough of this, let's get down to brass tacks". Not that I support, condone or otherwise agree with the invasion of another country, but the clock was ticking and he simply skipped a few rotations of the hands, if you see what I mean. If you put someone between a rock and a hard place, you're going to get a reaction. In the interest of peace and properity, de-escalation and solid agreements - to be respected by both sides - would have been apt.

It's amazing how the west will continue to swallow the west's own propaganda. I'm sure the same is happening in Russia, too. But as we know from history, both sides are probably pushing a skewed version of the facts and some of the truth is probably left in the middle for historians to piece together later.

TL;DR: I think both sides have some blood on their hands, and inching towards war isn't going to fix this in the best way for the 'common man', either in the EU, UK, Ukraine or Russia.

 

[Deftone]

It's amazing how the west will continue to swallow the west's own propaganda.

Agree with most of what you say. But if you are basing this statement off election results, then that might not be true. Unproven or not, IMHO election fraud is rampant in nearly every country. There's far too much money and power at stake to allow the common man to decide how we are governed. The (elitist owned) media will not only show you what they want you to think, they will only show you people who believe it and they will portray anyone who believes anything different or dares to think for them selves as lunatics and conspiracy theorists.


FWIW:
https://www.heritage.org/voterfraud

1,422 proven cases of fraud and 1,277 criminal convictions. All verifiable. Tip of the ice berg, as they say. IMHO.

Apologies to all if I have stepped over the line on forum rules.

 

[Deftone]

Back to the original question: "The changing environment of world affairs and it's effect on musical gear."

I'm seeing some good deals appear. Almost everyone is nervous. People are liquidating non essential gear, most are asking stupid high prices but some just want it gone. Very few are buying so it's a buyer's market. CL is where the deals are.

 

[TonalEuphoria]

I'm not really concerned with a civil war here. There may be a rise in people that favor a dictatorial or fascist government but I think most people still want democracy to succeed. I really don't think the average person is ready to start a war with friends and neighbors. And to what end? It would certainly be really dumb.
An increase in domestic terrorism? That seems quite possible. Violence against elected officials, institutions etc? Quite possible.

Internet effect?

I don't think neighbors has to mean right next door, as many media sources for instance like to categorize people on the other side of town as someones neighbors at times. But it's something that will happen regardless to a point if the country falls apart bad enough I think. And out of our control. Whether the country falls apart though depends on what happens. Americans are still pretty fat and comfortable. Situations have to get very bad for them to have that push to get off the couch in mass. When war between us, our allies, and China and Russia, and their allies truly kicks off as we're only progressing to, it's just depends on how bad it gets.

They can cripple us in a way that we'll bring the continental US to it's knees in chaos and the government is incapable of countering the effects in large scale. And that is through grid destruction and EMP weaponary. Which they know very well, and have weapons designed specifically for and made statements of warning and intention. Hit us hard enough, with EMP attack and this country will change in an instant. Our own emp commission has warned our leaders how vunerable we are, and for the most part they have only made steps to protect themselves. While the country and the people will be left to their own means to survive. Should it happen, we will certainly see violence of groups against other groups. But whether anyone wants to see it as civil war, really doesn't matter. It will be survival.

Homepage

Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack

www.empcommission.org

 

[TonalEuphoria]

So do we think that Western Electric is going to start producing guitar tubes?

I really hope they do.

 

[GustHFS]

I think the critical point and what concerns us most is having to face a shortage of tubes at some point in the future. Perhaps this causes dissatisfaction to the point where we see no other alternative except to get rid of our amplifiers, and start using things like plugins, emulators, or even a Marshall Code (I already have mine). Probably, if we did not have this situation of the production of these components only in Russia and China (with the exception of JJ in Slovakia), everything would be fine with us, we would not be arguing about this. I remember a time when tubes were produced everywhere, right here in Brazil there were companies like MINIWATT, and IBRAPE, which manufactured tubes. I think what's missing is someone waking up to this reality and resuming manufacturing these items in America. And let's face it, valves are still profitable, there is a market for them, and they are not complex components to manufacture. Who knows, maybe soon we will have the local manufacture of tubes back? Just my two cents...

Gust

 

[TonalEuphoria]

Back to the original question: "The changing environment of world affairs and it's effect on musical gear."

I'm seeing some good deals appear. Almost everyone is nervous. People are liquidating non essential gear, most are asking stupid high prices but some just want it gone. Very few are buying so it's a buyer's market. CL is where the deals are.

They are here too. Very good deals at some points. I can't say I'm not either. What I need and what I don't. Put the money into something more useful. Only smart really. I finally sold my Fractal FM3 and turned the money over to pay for a new computer for my studio, which is much more capable to run the amp sims I have with alot more going on besides. Making the FM3 basically pointless, since I only used a few of the models it did anyways and didn't like it for a live setting.

I'm doing the same with non musical gear too. Stuff I don't really need and bought for particular reasons, than didn't pan out. Things that go bang and such. For example.

 

[TonalEuphoria]

I think the critical point and what concerns us most is having to face a shortage of tubes at some point in the future. Perhaps this causes dissatisfaction to the point where we see no other alternative except to get rid of our amplifiers, and start using things like plugins, emulators, or even a Marshall Code (I already have mine). Probably, if we did not have this situation of the production of these components only in Russia and China (with the exception of JJ in Slovakia), everything would be fine with us, we would not be arguing about this. I remember a time when tubes were produced everywhere, right here in Brazil there were companies like MINIWATT, and IBRAPE, which manufactured tubes. I think what's missing is someone waking up to this reality and resuming manufacturing these items in America. And let's face it, valves are still profitable, there is a market for them, and they are not complex components to manufacture. Who knows, maybe soon we will have the local manufacture of tubes back? Just my two cents...

Gust

I think part of it for American production has to do with EPA oversight and the cost to making them these days. Where other countries don't have the same restrictions. And American labor costs are definitely more than elsewhere. But so is our cost of living, which is where people need to get paid to survive. And costs are going up. If Western does make tubes for guitar amps again, I doubt they'll be cheap compared to other choices.