Politics

[fourfive8]

Ehh… just get a box with spigot of 4buckchuck and call it good.

I am truly thankful I don’t worry about such trivial and childish things.

 

[Fastrig]

Ehh… just get a box with spigot of 4buckchuck and call it good.

I am truly thankful I don’t worry about such trivial and childish things.

If you drink a box of 4buckchuck, you probably won't be worrying about much at all

 

[Red Leg]

Nice!!! Still working, but have a nice bottle of cab on the counter waiting for day's end

I am retired and had a lovely Sancere with lunch.

 

[Fastrig]

I am retired and had a lovely Sancere with lunch.

Now you are just being mean LOL

 

[Red Leg]

Gold hit 2997 an hour ago and is back "down" to 2995. It is heading north of 3K.

 

[Russ16]

Bars and restaurants average their costs across the whole portfolio. A significant increase in acquisition price on European wine will result in higher prices on all wine and spirits products. There is no winner here.

 

[WAB]

It is actually far worse. In virtually no parliamentary government does any one party ever get a majority. The one with the most votes (seats won in parliament) then does a bunch of horse trading with other parties to form a ruling coalition. Germany is the most egregious example currently - at least from a republican (small r) perspective.

In the most recent parliamentary election, 49% of the German people voted for either the CDU/CSU or AfD. That is a significantly larger block than any other political group would be able to muster in Germany. However, because the AfD is considered beyond the pale by many in and out of Germany for being too right wing, the CDU/CSU is forced to form its "conservative" coalition among the various socialist factions.

Many are unaware that in the parliamentary system of government, very few citizens actually cast a vote for the leader of the country. The PM is simply the leader of the party able to establish a majority in parliament. As such, the only Canadians who cast a vote for Justin Trudeau were those in his riding. I don’t know this for a fact, but I would guess that less than one percent of voters cast a vote for Justin Trudeau.

 

[Vashper]

That definition of "left" doesn't stand up to scrutiny. I know what's taught in college about it, and has been for decades. It's wrong.

The US constitution is/was the embodiment of liberalism. Marx and the rest of the 19th century socialists believed they were coming up with something ever further left than American enlightenment liberalism. In reality, it was just more authoritarianism with a different group of despots in charge.

The 19th century industrialists were the left - it was they who were ushering in wealth and prosperity and the old order couldn't tolerate it - WRT the conservatives who wanted to preserve the monarchies. In reality, the only thing the "new" left did in Germany and Russia was displace family names like Hohenzollern and Romanov with party names like NAZI and Communist. Otto von Bismarck hated the industrialists at least as much as Marx did.

The US conservative is unique in the whole world - he seeks to conserve enlightenment liberalism, the original and only true left.

The essence of the real "leftist idea" is the socialization of the means of production. There are possible options here - the property of the state, or territorial communities, or industrial collectives. What real liberalism is has been stated above. Lovers of fucking publicly in the chimney are actually neither leftists nor liberals, no matter how they call themselves.

 

[Wheels]

Wheels,
I can understand that completely, I would be fed up with it too as an American, but that was your policy, or did someone from the majority of countries call you out, please correct me if I'm wrong, I like to learn.
Your motto since the end of the war(wwII) has been “kick out the communists and bring them the way of American life, so we can open up the markets there.
I am grateful for this policy in my life, but nobody called you out in the countries that followed, where you invaded everywhere, and, by the way, you haven't won much militarily since 45, I would be grateful for your corrections in retrospect.
Direct invasions and major ground operations:

Korea (1950-1953) - Korean War against North Korea and later China.
Dominican Republic (1965) - intervention to support a pro-US government.
Vietnam (1955-1975) - Vietnam War against the communist forces in North Vietnam.
Cambodia (1970-1973) - Bombing and ground operations against Vietcong positions.
Laos (1964-1973) - Secret bombings and military operations.
Grenada (1983) - Invasion to overthrow a Marxist government.
Panama (1989) - Overthrow of Manuel Noriega.
Iraq (1991) - First Gulf War to liberate Kuwait.
Libya (2011) - Air strikes in support of the overthrow of Muammar al-Gaddafi.
Syria (2014-present) - Air and ground operations against ISIS.

Foxi,

Good points. The majority of American's in 2025 will agree with you that America's wars, which so many other countries helped participate in, had no strategic goals in mind prior to the invasion. The post WWII people that designed those policies are gone and it seems American's have changed their minds.

The Holy Roman Empire was the epicenter of Germanic life for 600 years until an intrepid Priest nailed his Thesis to the church doors in Wittenberg. Gradually his actions reshaped the Germanic peoples and Western Civilization. The people had changed their minds.

I would say that since the Iraq invasion of 2003 under false/misled pretenses, the American people have been changing their minds regarding foreign wars and Trump is the tool they have selected to change the paradigm. Regarding internal issues such as trade and the debt, the Tea Party movement of 2007 was the initial shot across the bow. It took ten years for America's politicians to understand this with the election of Trump and 18 years to get where we are now.

In my opinion, America is moving away from constant foreign conflicts and to strengthening itself financially/internally. Trump whether your opinion is good or bad is the manifestation of the majority of American's present position both internally and externally. This change of focus can certainly make it difficult for our friends, however the signs have been building for 20 years and foreign leaders should have been able to see this demographic shift coming. Many have. It seems that Europe and Five Eyes have been the slowest to react.

 

[Wheels]

Bob,
You have a much higher opinion of the folks in Brussels than I do. I hope you are right, but their recent interference in Romania certainly gives me pause.
Bill

Definitely sad what is going on in Romania.

 

[Wheels]

I think the Nolan Chart is probably the most useful measure these days.View attachment 671201

Historically I agree with the Nolan chart. In the past 15 years I would disagree with it as it pertains to America. The liberal left has been the ones pushing against personal freedoms. This has led the conservative right to become champions of both economic freedom and personal freedom. Unless Democrats move back toward the center they have lost a platform to run on and will find it difficult to win.

 

[OxfordTheCat]

Definitely sad what is going on in Romania.

Is it? What is there to be sad about?

Georgescu ran an illegally financed campaign, backed by Russia (according to Romanian intelligence who declassified their files).

Ran a campaign estimated to cost more than 40 million Euro, but declared that his campaign expenses were zero dollars on the legally required electoral disclosures. Hid a bunch of donations.

The Romanian Constitutional Court unanimously found that election laws were violated, and anulled the previous voting rounds of the election, and set new dates for the election.
A Romanian court reviewed his case, barred him from running.
A Romanian court reviewed his appeal, and confirmed their original ruling.

Seems like this is a pretty clear cut case of a candidate being disqualified due to electoral campaign fraud, even before you factor in the Russian support portion of it.

 

[Tanks]

Of course it is. Whether the current younger generations have the will or skills to exercise that opportunity is another issue. That isn't on them by the by, it is on you and me. My son, a technical school graduate of all things, lives in a finer home and has a far larger base salary and more disposable income than his father did until he left the military.

Sadly, too many of the younger generation have been failed by an education system that has left them illiterate and without hope. That has nothing to do with opportunity which is still here in abundance, but everything to do with preparation.

Yes, my daughter and son make in 7 figures and same for their spouses. And that is without hardship at the start. I remember rolling quarters for gas money when my partners and I were trying to get our company going in the 80s as all we had were contracts from oil companies but no investment money. We were hurting until the mobilization invoice got paid. Luckily it worked out.

I was thinking on that the other day. In today's ultra consumption and debt driven society how many people can take a chance to create something when they are loaded with debt. At the time the only debt my first wife and I had was our mortgage.

 

[Wheels]

Is it? What is there to be sad about?

Georgescu ran an illegally financed campaign, backed by Russia (according to Romanian intelligence who declassified their files).

Ran a campaign estimated to cost more than 40 million Euro, but declared that his campaign expenses were zero dollars on the legally required electoral disclosures. Hid a bunch of donations.

A Romanian court reviewed his case, barred him from running.
A Romanian court reviewed his appeal, and confirmed their original ruling.

Seems like this is a pretty clear cut case of a candidate being disqualified due to electoral campaign fraud, even before you factor in the Russian support portion of it.

So says the main stream media.

What is going on in Romania is the same thing that happened to Bolsonaro in Brazil. An activist judiciary gets installed and uses the judicial system to counteract the will of the people. The US Government was involved in getting the populist Bolsonaro ousted in Brazil, just like they have done in many other elections around the world. I don't know but wouldn't be surprised if we find out that the US Government was involved in Romania as well. Georgescu will shut down the building of the new massive NATO base on the Black Sea. The people in Brussels and Washington DC (until two months ago) can't have that happening. They also can't have another Orban in the EU.

 

[bowjijohn]

I’m in Italy skiing and supping a rather good Italian red with 7 other long standing friends

One of them sent a group photo to a colleague

The response?

“Some where there is an old people’s home wondering what happened to their residents”

Bit rude

 

[Certus]

On the second part of your reply to fail to mention that Everyone has the Opportunity to succeed. This is The American Way! It is the only system that has proven over and over to actually work and allow people to move upwards from their lot in life.

In theory..yes. But in theory communism works, too..

The American way is still very heavily dependant on what you’re born into, which is what influences your upbringing. From their it’s pretty much set unfortunately.

 

[Red Leg]

In theory..yes. But in theory communism works, too..

The American way is still very heavily dependant on what you’re born into, which is what influences your upbringing. From their it’s pretty much set unfortunately.

Genuinely curious what you mean by "born into." Education opens virtually every single door in this country. I'll grant you that it is more difficult to appreciate that in a home devoid of books or intellectual curiosity. Notice, I said nothing about wealth. But the child, adolescent, young adult also has a responsibility to apply themselves. Do so, and there is a world of opportunity, hang out in the parking lot - and not so much.

 

[VertigoBE]

I guess my question on those previous writing was how often was the cavalry making a difference in battle, and how often was it a Deus ex Machina plot device where troops came out of no where to change the entire direction?

Old west cavalry was typically not the "well educated", and there hasn't been a nobility here since 1776 or so.

I think your sentence "other images on the battlefield" becomes the important point. If it's a movie about the Civil War, then yes, there's your battlefield. But the old Westerns usually were resolving plot points like surrounded by outlaws, or surrounded by Indians, or surrounded by outlaws working with Indians, or some such. Those are the movies of which I'm speaking.

Fair point, I had actually more the battle of Agincourt or the slightly earlier Battle of the Golden Spurs, where the French twice tried to "save the day" by use of heavy cavalry. Unsuccesfully in both cases. The second one is very personal, and also a bit satisfying for me

(even though my wife is French)

 

[sgt_zim]

In theory..yes. But in theory communism works, too..

The American way is still very heavily dependant on what you’re born into, which is what influences your upbringing. From their it’s pretty much set unfortunately.

Absolute rubbish. 90% of the millionaires in this country are 1st generation rich.

Both my parents are exemplars, both born into absolute penury. Mom recently passed, and when Dad passes, they'll be leaving my sisters and me quite the estate - not that any of us needs it. But it'll be a nice windfall.

For me personally, I was eating lots of ramen noodles, peanut butter & crackers just 16 or 17 years ago. No college degree, much to the chagrin of my parents, but I have a high paying job and a growing real estate portfolio.

Anybody can do what I did if they'll put in the effort and live below their means. I drive a 13 yo truck not because I have to, but because I'd rather invest the money. The missus drives an 11 yo car. Same thing. We could afford 2 new vehicles. But that would just be stupid. Other than business debt, the only debt we have is the mortgage. Because we live below our means. Hunting is our 1 and only extravagance.

I've retooled 3X in my life, and still managed to get myself into the top 3-4% of income earners.

But it's hard!

Yeah, no effing kidding its' hard. Suck it the eff up, buttercup.

 

[ActionBob]

You are right that in america everyone has an opportunity. But that mindset its a leftover from the colonial times that many cling on to. Go find gold and you are rich. But in reality more and more of your citizens are being pushed over the edge because they don`t find gold. You are wrong if you believe that its only in america that has proven system that allow people to move upwards(social mobility).

Everyone has opportunities. Few fully investigate, take risk, and go for it!

Yes of course other places have opportunities. At least if they have Capitalism.