341: China's Belt and Road Iniative

The boys drink and review a kolsch, then discuss China's Belt and Road Initiative. They start with a quick review of the Persian Royal Road and the Silk Road, then bring things into the modern era with China's desire to control worlwide commerce. In the hopes it would lead China towards freedom, the west brought China into the modern world by giving them favored trading status. That pumped cheap good into the west and revitalized China's economy. But China isn't content with being the cheap labor force for the world, and is trying to become the main superpower. But they're not following the "cooperation with competition" model we see in the west. They're bullies. They embow their way in and take over. China is threatening to control world commerce with a long-term plan. Our leaders argue about bathrooms and pronouns.