footeab@yahoo.com + 2,194 December 24, 2021 (edited) 11 hours ago, frankfurter said: Suicides among USA farmers is highest in world, and increasing yearly. yup, rural USA must be better than China. USA poverty is increasing, middle class is collapsing. China poverty is decreasing, middle class is rising. USA citizens access to health care is decreasing, insurance premiums rising, to the point 30% of Americans have NO health care insurance. China citizens have health care, 100% of citizens, 100% covered. USA is now woke, where men are women, women are men, and some are its; where education is now based upon race; where universities prosecute those who dare to claim freedom of speech; where demented and dementia people are elected to be leaders; and the majority of what was once sane people do not care. yup. America must be the greatest place on Earth. Ah, Franky, getting desperate because some portions of EU/USA are becoming authoritative racist pigs like China? Wondering where to run to if you can get out of China? We agree, I hope the USA/EU stops becoming Shitholes like China, but judging by history, every high point is succeeded by a low point so... China has health care.... !!! Good one. Only if your bribe high enough Edited December 24, 2021 by footeab@yahoo.com 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 December 24, 2021 1 hour ago, Hotone said: What about New York? Did you watch the video about condition of the New York metro?😱 Don't you find it shocking? Please bear in mind, New York has the most EXPENSIVE metro in the world, costing 3.5 Billion per mile of track! https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/28/nyregion/new-york-subway-construction-costs.html In contrast, I read somewhere that Shanghai's metro cost is only 33 Million per km, although that may be an old statistic. Paywall, but I will take your word for it. I don't know New York very well, but what I have seen was OK. Hopefully the bad parts aren't any worse than Los Angeles. I would say that there is only about 5% that is really bad, but you will see tents along some freeways and throughout the wholesale district, Beverly Hills in front of the Veterans Administration, Venice and the nearby beach towns are full of old RVs in questionable operating condition. All of the above are due to liberal judges, district attorneys, city councils, mayors, etc. None of it should be tolerated but this is what is allowed to exist these days. I said 5% but I would say that, in any large city, you should search a crime map before you start driving around or through them. Double that at night. Always keep your doors locked. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 December 24, 2021 11 hours ago, frankfurter said: Suicides among USA farmers is highest in world, and increasing yearly. yup, rural USA must be better than China. USA poverty is increasing, middle class is collapsing. China poverty is decreasing, middle class is rising. USA citizens access to health care is decreasing, insurance premiums rising, to the point 30% of Americans have NO health care insurance. China citizens have health care, 100% of citizens, 100% covered. USA is now woke, where men are women, women are men, and some are its; where education is now based upon race; where universities prosecute those who dare to claim freedom of speech; where demented and dementia people are elected to be leaders; and the majority of what was once sane people do not care. yup. America must be the greatest place on Earth. It was on the right track to correction under Trump, but got derailed by the Demoncrats. Things will begin to get on track in 2023. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUZNV + 1,197 December 24, 2021 (edited) TLDR, I spent time and read every single post on this and understand the perspectives of both sides, given that my background of VN,NZ feed the anti USD hegemony and my US background feed me the other side. ------------------ Disclaimer: I am neutral because: 1 Currently I am enjoying in the US but who knows in the future I will have to move to Australia, NZ or back to where I came from, Vietnam. At the end of the day, I have take the responsible decision to my family above all else, including my wealth (which is negative atm). 2 As VN has been through bloody wars right after WW2, we can hate most of the powerful countries from history: France took back VN right after liberating from Germany. UK supported them. US needed France and UK against Eastern Europe , including the USSR and allowed although US was the only one could stop it. China was not Communism yet and Vietnam could have a chance to be democracy and have some peace. Then the Geneva Accord in 1954 which was signed by Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), France, the People's Republic of China, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom. South Vietnam and US didn't sign it. And later on US was dragged into the war themselves. US, Western countries, China, USSR, (and Cambodia) all could claim they helped one side of Vietnam but we could argue all of them betrayed their allies (Soviet Union didn't join VN with 2 fronts War with China and Cambodia) and caused pain to the other side and they were the ones who cut VN in half the first place. But without these historical bloody events, the both sides of Vietnam couldn't spread out around the world and sending remittance back home or increasing trading to all sides. And all the wars in the world caused by politicians, not the people themselves. ----------------------------- Both sides anti/support USD each has only nearly half of the picture and over proud or over hate USD. As a person who is familiar to both sides' propaganda of love and hate USD and thus associate it with US hegemony/power, although we all need that no matter what unless all FIAT get back to gold standard, doesn't matter of euro, yen, yuan, ruble etc. The misunderstanding came from each country's media only shows half of the pictures and each side thought they understand more about that than the other half because of their background, but their is a blind spot from both sides that lead to the misconceptions. I will bet all of the governments understand this blind spot, despites all mainstreams around the world ignore it. I guess because this will undermine both side's propaganda, too complicate for non-international finance background folks to understand and out of reach of even the FED or any other governments/central bank , and thus, they choose to ignore it. Unless you try to question both sides and dig deeper, media and economy/financial majors don't help in this and the folks who do doesn't get into power, maybe it gives them advantage for investing. Even @0R0 when he tried to explain this, he used complicated finance terminologies that is very hard to for non-financial people to decode, including myself. I will try to do my best to explain as clearly as I could but English is not my native language so I have no idea how hard to read my writing. I have spent lots of time to dig deeper in order to protect myself from the post Covid19 financial storms ahead, where every country "print" more money than in WW2, which is bank lending money out in modern time and we have no idea if these money-debt would be pay back for de-printing money or roll it to the future or default. Let's take a step back in what leads to current situation, start from revising USD as world currency timelines. -1944, US dollar as world currency is the result of Bretton Woods system and the Marshall plan after that. All the Western Europe pegged their currency on USD, and USD pegged on gold. a) The alternative is Bancor system, which would track the transaction of Western currencies but each currency pegged on Gold. Personally I love this system but consider which excuse would US to explain to their people to lend physical gold to build back Western Europe post WW2? What if Western Europe defaults the debt? another WW3? Remember there was a Cold War ahead. b) Fun fact: Harry Dexter White, the one who represented on US behalf and proposed USD as world reserve currency was found guilty as a Soviet Union spy. -1970s, US stopped pegging USD to gold and becoming petrol dollar. And here go the conspiracy about US hegemony by USD and I will explain why it is conspiracy in the below: The truth is: -Since US is the reserve currency, most of the debts on the world after WW2 are nominated in US dollars. And because the first USD half loan half given was to Western Europe in Marshall plan, it called Euro dollar. -The FED has no control of Euro dollar debt outside of US. Remember that USD was printing by the banks inside US loan to US business and people, the only way other countries can have USD from the US is to export to the US, buying US treasuries for yield, or speculate US assets. So, no, the FED is not the World Central Bank. Of course banks or central banks outside of US can load other USD or US treasuries or sell goods and commodity each other for USD. -There is no such direct Currency pairs can go around USD. This is the very common misconception among people don't understand the deep level of international banking. USD is the ruler of these currency pairs, not gold. Why? Because the gold price we see is simply future gold contract aka paper gold. For 1 oz of physical gold on reserve banks or gold custody banks, there is about 53 oz of gold contract so if you want the real price of gold, multiply to at least 53. They can do this because they can hypothecation and re hypothecation gold contracts many times. The same with the USD FED ever gave out in M2 money supply is nothing compares to the Eurodollar bubble, maybe many times bigger than all the GDP in the world put together . M2 is the money reserve in each US bank and it is not printing money until these are loaned out, either to US government, institution, people or business who can have access to US banking system and the SWIFT is just an extension of US banking system, at the end of the day you need some kind of tracking the flow of USD. -However these system cannot track loan and contract in the international banking efficiently, because these banks once it is outside of US border, it doesn't need to strictly follow US bank guidelines as not many governments can audit banks in oversea, like FED cannot audit banks in China. No one have the clear view of shadow banking Euro dollar, even the financial parties participate in this, because each node only know their neighbor nodes and not further than that. The euro dollar regularly shocked the FED with inverse yield curves aka the Fed can try to do as much QE or tapering as much as they can or increase the rate and the US treasury yield curves many time doesn't reflect by the FED action. Note that insides countries like China, Vietnam etc. there is local debts in China yuan or VND that doesn't count into the debts Central Government know about as local governments may cook the book as well, at the end of they day, how can you stop people lend other money on contracts nominate in any currency? Euro zone try to make their currency to be alternative ruler to USD but failed and currently in negative interest rates since 2008. This is because people choose US as they have superior military, technologies and natural resources over EU bureaucracy with the conflicts between common ECB and individual fiscal policies without much natural resources nor military power. It is not US fault for people on the world trust them as the ruler of other currencies, just line Portugal currency and UK pound in the past. No doubt any World Reserve Currency will collapse someday, we just don't know when. But because USD is the world reserve currency, oversea politicians use that excuse to blame the US for their failures to not lose the votes or make non-voting countries citizen feel their governments are their only savior for the evilness of US. Each country legal Mafia is their government. Europe and Asian Countries' culture are too trusty to their government and always hopethis generation of governments will be different from the past. Yes in booming time but in tough time, Governments won't have much choice to keep their jobs and retain their powers. Cons and Pros of USD as a reserve currency to USA: Pros: -Allow US to invest in R&D and fixed mortgage rate for 30 years which are major sources of Wealth Creation with lots of opportunities for people who constantly accumulate knowledges and lots of venture capitals. This is why Euro zone try to have a common currency to replace but failed, so Euro, Yen or Yuan are still the extension of USD until they can be choose as world currency ruler. -IMF try to have the SDR system to include these currency but it is still negligible as the world addicted to USD too much, although they don't trust US government nor FED , they don't trust each other much further. - Allow US people to consume mores and which gave them more resources in investing in themselves or R&D with high rewards. -At the end of the day, USD is the mainstream of world reserve currency and private ownership make US assets themselves become most safer assets in the world, including US treasuries. Even Communisms countries politicians have assets in the US to reserve their wealth, taken from their countrymen. Cons: -This make US will have to always have trade deficit as this is on of the main way USD can get out of US. South America performs poorly because they are too far a way from direct export to US and China is the biggest beneficiary as they the main exporters. But the USD nominated debt bubble in China make this negligible, along with Yuan nominated debt bubble among companies and local governments inside China. (*) The other way is to hold US treasuries and have the yield, generally central banks love to have it more than USD, even considering this is safer than gold (which only added as top reserve asset in Bazel III) -Consequently , many US citizen feels entitlement of their USD as world currency, consume/entertain more than invest time in develop knowledge or trade skills or STEM. At the end of the days, most of easy jobs are outsourced so without proper investing in knowledge or modern trade skills, it is easy to lack behind. I say entitlement because how do you justify your productivity of flipping burger in the Western Countries with flipping burger in Vietnam or Africa. The value of the action is the same yet you have higher salary because the distribution by Western government's policy make the hard working learning sectors & exceed credit for consumptions pull these up aka you don't really deserve it but at least you got rewards for your time to go to work and your working moral to contribute, you deserve it than people who can work and contribute but won't. This leads to low end job in the Western is no different or even worse than stay at home and get welfare. The lower 50% of household actually receive tax more than their share of the countries. 50-80% contributes surplus of 3% tax and the rest 60%. This statistically is s few years before Covid19, I don't have time to update these but you get the idea. It won't add up to 100% because it is in the social securities and government funds deficit aka Ponzi scheme. US Gov themselves don't know how to solve this so kick the can down the road. Depends on government more and more from US government which make Government have more power and more corruption. Less knowledges will lead to vulnerable to mainstream and propaganda as they couldn't see the full complicate pictures and no religion for principle. Good time creates weak man. -US monetary policy won't be effective as pressures from the global economies. If they raise rates to high or less importing, the Eurodollar bubble collapse and the world come economy went in to the chaos of recession (without US military super power unchallenged, or super power got nuclear, historically this lead to World wars). -If US keep consumptions and overspending , this lead to moral collapse of people who contributes, entitlements, no appreciation, feel themselves victims of someone else as an excuse, socialism, less productivity inside the US which leads to Idiocracy or social collapse from the entitlement like the Roman Empire. -US global corporation can use Cantillon effect to benefit from the system and the US people are the one who pay for the prices and bear all the hates. Global elites make people around the world less freedom. XI and Pu government represents are local elites that try to keep the global elites from their shares. Without constant learning and keep watching TV, gaming, drinking using drug, you enslave yourself, your family or future generations. In a democracy country, the politicians reflect the quality of the people. ------------- The alternative of USD as world currency is to put the gold to its real price and all currencies pegged in gold again as a ruler, or ruler bitcoin, or a future IMF crypto currency as ruler for other crypto CBDC which have to be transparent to be trust, and because it is transparent, there is no place for shadow banking and everyone can view the transactions (they many not know who send to who but they can see the transactions for investigation). This will help the Central Banks or FED can have better tools in controlling the economy and governments can have effective helicopter money but say goodbye to privacy and less freedom and give Governments tremendous powers to mess up with as they can have a tool to ban you base on your ideology. And boys, when they mess up.... Edit1 : typo and grammars and add the extra way a country can have money from the US directly in *. Add: The other directly method is US president return the Cash to Iran, in full. FIAT is the medium all dark money and terrorists all have to go through at some points, or shadow organization, not crypto where everyone can see the transactions. The SDR can take money out from US or any major currencies for their money basket and this will deduct from these countries' tax , but not in US decision. They try to have FIAT Bancor so USD is still the ruler for measurement. I don't suggest to invest on crypto as no one knows Governments (, Democracy or not) can stand them or not. They may do what governments always do, ban them, or over regulate them, or let institutions to manipulate them , but I have some just in case and for diversify and to catch up with technologies and patterns. I found out hate or jealous will only waste my time and happiness and the current hate won't stay with you in next 10 years (or when Trump or Biden's death). Try to have some empathy and you will see the other side is not that bad although their thoughts may be affected by the environment surround them. I also found out that the best way to overcome your fear of uncertainty is try to understand it as much as you can. We human can corrupt ourselves and so do Governments. At least we can say what we think with votes and bear the consequences. Merry Christmas and happy new year to all! Edited December 25, 2021 by SUZNV 3 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RichieRich216 + 454 RK December 24, 2021 17 hours ago, Andrei Moutchkine said: No contradiction at all https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperialism,_the_Highest_Stage_of_Capitalism I agree with what you are saying but the brush you use is painting too wide a swath. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Strangelovesurfing + 737 JD December 25, 2021 (edited) On 12/24/2021 at 6:21 AM, SUZNV said: They may do what governments always do, ban them, or over regulate them, or let institutions to manipulate them Most crypto wealth is held by small numbers of people. Crypto is sold as a new financial structure but it sure looks similar to the old. https://luxurylaunches.com/other_stuff/long-term-effects-on-uneven-distribution-of-bitcoin-wealth.php https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-25/bitcoin-still-concentrated-in-few-hands-study-finds?sref=8lmlVGBP On 12/24/2021 at 6:21 AM, SUZNV said: I found out hate or jealous will only waste my time and happiness and the current hate won't stay with you in next 10 years (or when Trump or Biden's death). Too many people seem to enjoy marinating in resentment these days. Both Trump and Biden will most likely be gone ~5 years. What does all that seething get you? Edited December 25, 2021 by Strangelovesurfing 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUZNV + 1,197 December 25, 2021 29 minutes ago, Strangelovesurfing said: Most crypto wealth is held by small numbers of people. Crypto is sold as a new financial structure but it sure looks similar to the old. https://luxurylaunches.com/other_stuff/long-term-effects-on-uneven-distribution-of-bitcoin-wealth.php https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-25/bitcoin-still-concentrated-in-few-hands-study-finds?sref=8lmlVGBP I want to see creative solutions to problems and I has always seen decentralized is a way for sustainable things. I don't care about crypto wealth is held by small numbers of people, it is the same with every assets or securities. But at least the book keeping transactions are transparent at core level, plus the concept of code is law, immutable and it would execute without human tampering in the middle. It also open a door for software developer to get into automated book keeping, finance, laws and who knows maybe someday I will have to make a living with these technologies. If I don't step in, I would never have a vision on what is inside. I also think it is good to keep my brain exercising out of its comfort zone, think out of the box. If I live long enough, I will have more than 30 years until retirement so I will have to keep up with the fast changing landscape from bubbles to bubbles. Crypto technologies also exposes the weakness/ level of trust of the current global financial system. I don't advice invest in it because IHMO crypto is a big bubble as any asset currently, where debt are cheap. But who know how far the technology would be in next 10 years. Every innovation in modern world will be introduced with bubble but the one survives the bubble crash will stay as it proves its value and no one know which one would be the future. I hate using lots of the word "I" but I want to separate myself with crypto get rich quick theme on youtube or tiktok or mainstream, which capitalized on public greed and fear, just like politicians. Blind trust is never recommended and people should at least have a trading skill for stable income before risk on. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 December 25, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Strangelovesurfing said: Most crypto wealth is held by small numbers of people. Crypto is sold as a new financial structure but it sure looks similar to the old. https://luxurylaunches.com/other_stuff/long-term-effects-on-uneven-distribution-of-bitcoin-wealth.php https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-25/bitcoin-still-concentrated-in-few-hands-study-finds?sref=8lmlVGBP Too many people seem to enjoy marinating in resentment these days. Both Trump and Biden will most likely be gone ~5 years. What does all that seething get you? Resentment serves no purpose but the energy can be used to elect those who will do the best job for our country. That is what needs to be done. Edited December 25, 2021 by ronwagn Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RichieRich216 + 454 RK December 26, 2021 On 12/3/2021 at 10:28 PM, frankfurter said: @ ronwagn. run,run, the sky is falling ! But where you should run is the big question. For 4 years you had a demented president. Now you have a dementia president. This year alone, the number of murders in just one city, Chicago, is over 4100. You have 2 mass murders per day on average. Your country is polluted with poisoned waters, poisoned soils, poisoned air. Your people no longer know the difference between male and female, man and woman. Your fear and attention should be directed to your fellow citizen and how you could possibly help to make your country internally safe and livable. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. You have posted many times prior, you are in favour of the war mongering perpetrated by the USA. Americans cannot describe anything other than by terms of war. The fact the USA has murdered untold millions of people, means nothing to you. The fact the USA supports the ongoing genocide of the Palestinians, by ensuring they have insufficient food and water, by ensuring their waters are poisoned, means nothing to you. But the fact China and Russia give aid to such people, does mean something to you. The destruction of your county is occurring within. Good men and women, who know the perdition, are silent, entirely too apathetic to speak and act. The US has unilaterally supported and commenced all wars since 1945: nobody else, the list is very long. At some point, warmongers like you will make a grave mistake to commence another war, and cause the greatest war and destruction of all time. When that day arrives, which may be sooner than later, I hope you and others like you are on the front lines. There are very few things then war, Countries have there economics around war or building components for war, The little flaw ups are nothing more than training excercises for new weapons systems. Like it or not it's been this way since WWII ended. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hotone + 412 December 26, 2021 (edited) On 12/25/2021 at 12:02 AM, ronwagn said: Paywall, but I will take your word for it. I don't know New York very well, but what I have seen was OK. Hopefully the bad parts aren't any worse than Los Angeles. I would say that there is only about 5% that is really bad, but you will see tents along some freeways and throughout the wholesale district, Beverly Hills in front of the Veterans Administration, Venice and the nearby beach towns are full of old RVs in questionable operating condition. All of the above are due to liberal judges, district attorneys, city councils, mayors, etc. None of it should be tolerated but this is what is allowed to exist these days. I said 5% but I would say that, in any large city, you should search a crime map before you start driving around or through them. Double that at night. Always keep your doors locked. 10 hours ago, ronwagn said: Resentment serves no purpose but the energy can be used to elect those who will do the best job for our country. That is what needs to be done. You can watch this video instead. https://youtu.be/8Y4Rkz-3Uj8 According to the video, the price tag is 1.7 billion per kilometer, which is close to 3.5 billion per mile. At this price, you can expect the New York metro to be more opulent than Arab sheikh palaces. Instead, this is what many stations look like... what other decay is not shown.. https://youtu.be/hHp_qSZmvoI There is something seriously wrong with America, and I don't think that changing your elected officials is going to solve the problem. You can change your administration, but Wall Street still rules your country. I say this as someone who received my training from IBM lecturers, and worked for a number of American technology companies. I have seen what the focus on meeting short term stock market expectations have done to once proud and widely admired organizations. Btw, wishing you a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Edited December 26, 2021 by Hotone 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hotone + 412 December 26, 2021 1 minute ago, Wombat One said: No frankfurter, you are clearly not a scientist and have no concept of how science and technology is generated and dispersed. You would not have a solar panel industry without Australian expertise. Now that China has basically declared war on Australia, you will find that Chinese Phd students will be replaced with those from India, to your demise. Provided those students from India can pay exorbitant fees for their education, why not. 😉 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eyes Wide Open + 3,555 December 26, 2021 9 hours ago, Hotone said: There is something seriously wrong with America, and I don't think that changing your elected officials is going to solve the problem. You can change your administration, but Wall Street Actually you are quite correct. The American press has lost their way. The US public was hoodwinked...bamboozled in 2020. 2022 will more than probably be the end of the Democratic Party as we know it now. XI and Putin are quite aware of this, and more than probably take advantage of this bubble. To anticipate aggressive actions towards Taiwan and Ukraine are inevitable. 2 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUZNV + 1,197 December 26, 2021 Super powers around the world started WW2 to reset the economy and Japan dragged US to WW2 as well. So after these destructions, US naturally the only one has the capital to maintain the sea trading routes, lend money to rebuild Europe, or support Western Europe in the Cold War and become "police of the world". Pros: No direct war between super powers anymore as none can oppose US in a brief direct total war. Cons: The more US interferes to the world, the more the world interferes back to US politics and traditional US style. Because US economy need to be structured for consumption to export USD and top R&D innovation . It leads to the gap between the rich and poor because on use the advantages of this system to learn useful knowledge to make innovation & money while other feeling lack behind and don't know how to catch up and feel they are the victims. The modern liberalism or socialism, originated in Europe, would have no chance to corrupt US people with politicians, mainstream... if USD was not world reserve currency after WW2. If everyone in US were back to the old way, stop being world reserve currency , learned hard, worked hard and didn't expect handout from government or feeling entitlements. these would happen: 1 The world economy will have to restructure to a new system USD will become stronger with high interest rate (I have no idea what will replace USD as a standard). Euro dollar bubble outside of US collapsed this will affect EU, Swiz, Japan, Singapore and UK the most, along with any developing countries that currently have a big foreign debt nominated in USD. However in the long run in the recovery after the big adjustment, developed countries in EU cannot compete with productivity with developing countries like China, India, ASEAN for cheap labor, cannot compete with Arab or Russia or South America or Australia or Canada for natural resources, UK for trade network and cannot compete with US in productivity from innovation. 2 US can cut back military spending as police of the world while others will need to spend more to secure the trade networks. Less tax for the US people and higher tax else where. US government shrink smaller and private sector booming. 3 A risk of WW3 when no country have the superior military and politicians will use war to reset the economy for their votes, just like situations leaded to WW1 and WW2. Yes Hitler was a dictator, but let's not forget he was elected before became a dictator. And I couldn't see any advantage EU have over Russia or China rising in power. EU politicians know this and the establishment politicians in both parties of the US know this as well. That is why they were freak out with Trump's MAGA direction and mainstream all over the world have a propaganda against Trump at all cost. They need USD as a world reserve currency to keep their powers, hegemony and to keep the status quo so that's why US need to keep printing USD and US welfare and woke and liberal movement to keep US government grows bigger. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 December 27, 2021 16 hours ago, Hotone said: You can watch this video instead. https://youtu.be/8Y4Rkz-3Uj8 According to the video, the price tag is 1.7 billion per kilometer, which is close to 3.5 billion per mile. At this price, you can expect the New York metro to be more opulent than Arab sheikh palaces. Instead, this is what many stations look like... what other decay is not shown.. https://youtu.be/hHp_qSZmvoI There is something seriously wrong with America, and I don't think that changing your elected officials is going to solve the problem. You can change your administration, but Wall Street still rules your country. I say this as someone who received my training from IBM lecturers, and worked for a number of American technology companies. I have seen what the focus on meeting short term stock market expectations have done to once proud and widely admired organizations. Btw, wishing you a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year When you have far left wing attorney generals elected, mayors elected, councilmen elected, judges elected, the police are not allowed to do their job. Instead they are criticized for the crimes they are not allowed to deter. When they make a mistake, they are treated worse than felons with a long rap sheet. That is even when their record is faultless! That is to satiate the hate of the criminal community which, by the way, gets far more lenient treatment. So you will never get good law enforcement in such a setup.Voters will get what they vote for. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TailingsPond + 1,012 GE December 27, 2021 (edited) 7 hours ago, Eyes Wide Open said: 2022 will more than probably be the end of the Democratic Party as we know it now. Occasionally look at reality. Losers will continue to lose. Have you ever made a correct prediction? Time to eat crows not double down. P.S. "more than probably" is funny. Tell us more of your intellect. Edited December 27, 2021 by TailingsPond Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TailingsPond + 1,012 GE December 27, 2021 47 minutes ago, ronwagn said: Voters will get what they vote for. That is democracy. The voters voted. The majority disagrees with you, right or wrong that is the way it is. If the country is full of liberal hippies, then the country should be led by liberal hippies, no? If you think that some right wing "leader" knows better than the people then perhaps show yourself the door. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TailingsPond + 1,012 GE December 27, 2021 (edited) 59 minutes ago, ronwagn said: When they make a mistake, they are treated worse than felons with a long rap sheet. That is even when their record is faultless! Law enforcement should be held to a higher standard. All criminals have a "[faultless record]" until they first get caught. Cops tend to protect their own so don't doubt there are plenty of blind eyes turned within the force when they see unscrupulous behaviour. Edited December 27, 2021 by TailingsPond 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 December 27, 2021 17 hours ago, Wombat One said: If only it were that simple Tomasz. Do you think the Saudi's or Nigerians etc would accept the worthless "Chinacoin" in exchange for their oil? There has never been such a thing as petrodollar, only petrogold. That is, the only way to clear several millions gazillions worth of oil spot contracts near instantaneously is to have the brokers go into the back room in a commodity exchange and move some gold bars between their safe deposit boxes. China has gold, and US does not really. China wins. I don't need to explain why and how the US/UK commodity exchanges are woefully short on physical gold, do I? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 December 27, 2021 (edited) 17 hours ago, Wombat One said: No frankfurter, you are clearly not a scientist and have no concept of how science and technology is generated and dispersed. You would not have a solar panel industry without Australian expertise. Now that China has basically declared war on Australia, you will find that Chinese Phd students will be replaced with those from India, to your demise. Could you be more specific about the critical Australian contributions to PV tech? I am a scientist and invested into PV projects as a VC. Edited December 27, 2021 by Andrei Moutchkine Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 December 27, 2021 8 hours ago, Eyes Wide Open said: Actually you are quite correct. The American press has lost their way. The US public was hoodwinked...bamboozled in 2020. 2022 will more than probably be the end of the Democratic Party as we know it now. XI and Putin are quite aware of this, and more than probably take advantage of this bubble. To anticipate aggressive actions towards Taiwan and Ukraine are inevitable. There is no point in "aggressive action" towards Ukraine anymore. The place is broke and Russia would have to subsidize it if we were to take it over. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 December 27, 2021 (edited) 39 minutes ago, TailingsPond said: Law enforcement should be held to a higher standard. All criminals have a "[faultless record]" until they first get caught. Cops tend to protect their own so don't doubt there are plenty of blind eyes turned within the force when they see unscrupulous behaviour. You are probably right. I am thinking of the policewoman with a 26 year spotless record who shot the black person and was recently sentenced severely. He was not complying with commands. She thought she was shooting a tazer. Adrenaline can do that to you. Especially if you think your rookie partner is at risk of dying. If she had just shot him, any sentence would have actually been lighter IMHO. To me, it was unfair sentencing like that, which will discourage good people from going into law enforcement. https://www.city-journal.org/police-recruitment-crisis?wallit_nosession=1 Edited December 27, 2021 by ronwagn reference 1 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 December 27, 2021 35 minutes ago, TailingsPond said: That is democracy. The voters voted. The majority disagrees with you, right or wrong that is the way it is. If the country is full of liberal hippies, then the country should be led by liberal hippies, no? If you think that some right wing "leader" knows better than the people then perhaps show yourself the door. You make not sense at all. There are many layers of people that make those decisions, and I already explained that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TailingsPond + 1,012 GE December 27, 2021 Just now, ronwagn said: You are probably right. I am thinking of the policewoman with a 26 year spotless record who shot the black person and was recently sentenced severely. He was not complying with commands. She thought she was shooting a tazer. Adrenaline can do that to you. Especially if you think your rookie partner is at risk of dying. If she had just shot him, any sentence would have actually been lighter IMHO. To me, it was unfair sentencing like that, which will discourage good people from going into law enforcement. I would support leniency, especially if the person admitted fault. Accidents do happen. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 December 27, 2021 Just now, TailingsPond said: I would support leniency, especially if the person admitted fault. Accidents do happen. She demonstrated great grief at her mistake but didn't get any leniency but a harsh sentence. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
frankfurter + 562 ff December 27, 2021 17 hours ago, Wombat One said: Actually Frankfurter, the only reason Mr Xitler did not perform a repeat of the Beijing Massacre is because I warned him against it. Now that "one country, two systems" has been thrown in the bin, the West is even more determined to help Taiwan defend herself from the CCP death machine. Have we got this right? YOU warned Xi. hmmm, a warning is an advice, no? The party to give advice is an advisor, no? So you are stating you are an advisor to Xi ? hmmm, you have stated you are Australian. So Xi takes advice from an Australian? I happen to know who advises Xi: nobody is Australian. But to humour you, let's assume you had or hold now some office in Australia whereby you would have some contact with Xi. This would be as Prime Minister and below. As PM, or delegate, you would certainly present the interests of your country. But such is hardly advice. Thus I find your claim to be an advisor to be incredulous and patently false. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites