Today in amateur geopolitical observations:

Look, I know everyone is dispensing geopolitical advice from the comfort of their couch right now, but this thing with Chinese humanitarian aide to Ukraine is weird right?

"Dear President Xi Jinping, you don't know me, but I have an internet connection
and some opinions about how you should conduct China's foreign policy..."

-Basically everyone on 

the internet right now

What I'm saying is that the ultra-rich
are why we're all broke now. So let's get'em?

I mean, I don't want to tell the People's Republic how to walk a diplomatic tightrope between Russia--the nuclear superpower with whom they share a border, and the rest of the world who buys container ships full of stuff from them, but seriously? $2.4 million? That's what the Chinese Red Cross is sending to Ukraine and that's super. Like, everything helps, right? And $2.4 million dollar is a lot of money. I think. It's actually hard to tell when Elon Musk has $233 billion--with a "b"--while the rest of us are doing Kickstarters to pay for kidneys and medication. 

Huh...an insecure autocrat holding a 

rally for himself to create the illusion of

widespread support. Fancy that... 

But fine, good for them. China, I mean. They're between a rock and a hard place here. If they back the violent thug running Russia, the international community will condemn China along with him. If they back the international community and support Ukraine, it will be super-awkward when they eventually try and assert control over Taiwan. I suppose that someone in the government did the math and $2.4 million is the sweet spot between helping out while at the same time trying to appear neutral. Great. But Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher just raised thirty million dollars for Ukraine. 

Yeah, the largest country on earth by population was outdone by a fifth of the cast of That 70's Show. That's weird, right? I know we live in a version of reality in which there have been ten Fast and the Furious movies and we let a reality TV host who lost the popular vote be the President for four entire years, but still, this is weird and I sincerely hope the wellbeing of the people of Ukraine isn't entirely dependent on turn of the century sitcoms.

I guess the ball's in your court Malcom in the Middle...