Comments by "Peter Jacobsen" (@pjacobsen1000) on "FRANCE 24 English" channel.

  1. 2:20 "It rains 300 mm on average, less than a can of Coke". They seem to confuse mm and ml. 300 mm of rain is equivalent to covering the ground with Coke cans, three layers thick. Even so, 300 mm of rain annually is not really enough for intensive agriculture, but should be enough to cover the ground with grasses, bushes and trees, provided the land is managed properly.
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  2.  @Oscarcat2212  Yes, most likely over grazing and population. In the past, when people were few and farther between, there were fewer goats and less need for firewood, so you could just go out and take what you needed. As populations in the developing world have grown, these practices no longer work. At the very least, penning of goats and sheep is a minimum requirement for rehabilitation.
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  3.  @markhirstwood4190  Yes, but remember that evaporation is significantly higher in tropical climates, thus they need more rain to sustain agriculture. It is normal in northern Europe to get about 500mm annually, and that is plenty up there.
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  4. China is free to build up anything they like. Other countries have also been through 'centuries of humiliation'. In fact, it's more common than not.
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  5. "Glory to Ukraine"
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  6.  @TheBooban  Are you advocating for killing people?
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  7.  @duncansmith7562  Do you have some links to videos of "Donbass babushkas greeting their Russian liberators". I'd like to see them. It's good to see the situation from both sides.
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  8. We're a good 40 years into the Personal Computer age. Surely, by now people should know the difference between memory and a logic chip.
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  9. In that case, America's export restrictions shouldn't be a problem. Everyone is happy.
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  10.  @chengyangzhou8785  "Search up Operation Barrel Roll". Operation Barrel Roll dropped bombs in eastern Laos, not near the railway line. So do you have information about mine clearing along the line as part of construction?
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  11. Strange how the teacher, whose responsibility it is to teach Swedish to foreigners, is the one with the worst English among all those interviewed.
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  12. These sand storms are largely a result of an excess of goat/sheep grazing. As China, and now Mongolia, have become more prosperous, herdsmen have increased their herd size to make more money. As the grasslands are a 'free for all', no one seems to consider the long term consequences of letting the sheep eat everything, including the roots. China has made some efforts to change herding practices by mandating penned herds (and bringing the grass to the pens), but Mongolia still hasn't quite gotten to that level yet. In time, this will hopefully improve. Economic development is complicated.
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  13.  耳耳  "Laos uses one percent of the potash mine it owns to pay off its debt". Laos is a net potash importer, not exporter. Therefore, Laos cannot pay off its debts using potash. " Why is Laos not in debt, tell me? " Laos IS in debt! Total foreign debt: US$ 16 Billion = 88% of GDP. That's a very large debt load.
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  14.  耳耳  Key words here: " If the acquisition of potash fertilizer resources in Laos is successful". So far, potash imports into Laos are bigger than exports. Thus, no surplus to help pay back the loans.
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  15.  耳耳  I'm suggesting China is at fault here, but I am suggesting that the loans will be very difficult, almost impossible, for Laos to pay back.
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  16.  耳耳  That's very helpful to Laos for paying back the loans. Maybe the railway will be beneficial to Laos' economy. We'll see.
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  17.  耳耳  " the twenty-third year". You mean 2023? Well, let's see. I couldn't find any info about this mine.
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  18.  耳耳  Well, you're clearly more optimistic than me about Laos' ability to pay off those loans. Let's hope you're right.
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  19. I think you're basically right, but there is no need to join BRI in order to invest. BRI is a Chinese program, but it is not the only way to invest in infrastructure globally.
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  20.  @whohan779  You cannot compare volume to 'height' of rain without also specifying how big an area you're talking about. The news piece doesn't do that but instead implies that the Sahel only receives a Coke can worth of rain. That's the problem. But thanks for your 7th grade calculation, which looks correct. A+ for you!
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  21.  @laszloiso777  Yes, nobody has denied that.
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  22.  @53toddk  Yes, that's also my argument. But the video says that 300 mm is 'less than a can of Coke', which is a useless comparison.
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