American Politics

[Tiny 12]

Not all cryptocurrencies are Ponzi schemes. Since it is a relative young technology, there will be a shit ton of bad actors within the industry. Similar to the dot com at the turn of the century. Most of this is driven by greed of "investors". At some point in the future, bad actors will be shaken out, and what's left will be useful technological advancements and innovations that will be beneficial to the masses. Until then, do be careful.

Look at what's going on with FTX and Binance. Also outfits that offer interest income on crypto deposits. I think they've gone bankrupt or are in regulatory trouble. And hackers have stolen lots of cryptocurrency from others. I don't understand why crypto has underlying value and it doesn't produce an income stream. So I won't invest in it. But I said the same thing in 2012, and obviously I wish I'd loaded up on Bitcoin then.

I know two people who made a butt load in crypto. When they were in their 20's, they went to work for firms that created cryptocurrencies and got paid mostly in coin. That would be the way to do it. Whoever created Amway made a whole lot more money than the people at the bottom of that pyramidal marketing scheme.

[Tiny 12]

OK, that's good enough for me. I don't know about Singapore, but I'll be happy to read about it. Thank you.

What party is that? For the umpteenth time, I'm not a Democrat. I'm a left-leaning centrist. If there was a Centrist Party in America, I would be there in a heartbeat, alone with likeminded Democrats and Republicans.

This is an absolutely unfair assumption, and you know that. In 2009 Obama was too busy fixing the economic catastrophe brought on by his predecessor. In 2021 Biden had no control of his own party.

This is just pure nonsense. It's Republicans who weaponized Healthcare, and not the other way around. Dead panels, socialism, totalitarian tyranny. . . Shish!

Democrats at least tried. What did their opponents do? The went to war

Agreed. The question is whether Republicans will ever try to do anything about it. And the answer is nope. As long as their favorite donors are happy, they have no interest in changing the status quo.

You sure sound like a Democrat to me. I've never read anything you've written that's counter to the Democratic Party platform. You should wear the badge with pride.

I'm pro-choice, don't care which bathroom a trans person uses, in favor of decriminalization of drug possession, criminal justice reform, lower military spending, universal healthcare, better education and financial support for poor children, and lower levels of military aid. I usually vote for Democrats for judges for criminal courts. And I don't mind if you call me a Republican. I will wear that badge with pride. The greatest president of our lifetimes, Ronald Reagan, was a Republican. Except for Tooms, that would be George Washington. Just kidding Tooms.

[Tiny 12]

If "economic issues" are important to people, then why has the Repub Party. Who has control of the House. Not sent one bill to the floor that combats inflation or betters the economy? They vote against every measure that the Democrats have passed but are quite willing to tell the folks back home how much those bills are going to do for them. If what is on the "MAGA Wheel of Outrage" are "distractions", why are Repub politicians like Rhonda Santis pandering to their "base" with many of these "distractions"? Why are other Repub politicians, like Ted "I deserted my state and went to Cancun" Cruz fuming over Barbie? Or the other Repub politicians fuming over the President wearing tennis shoes. At least it wasn't. Horror of all horrors. A tan suit.

Maybe you're right, though. Repub politicians, who campaigned on inflation and the economy in 2022 bring up these "distractions" instead of actually governing. Cold it be that they actually can't govern? After all, in the world according to the one-term, twice-impeached, soon-to-be-thrice-indicted, former-guy, people who support Repubs are so uneducated (and Donnie loves THEM) that they are happy to be fed BS by their politicians as long as that BS contains stuff on the MAGA Wheel of Outrage.

Any bill the House passes must meet muster with the Senate and the President to become law. I believe the Republican House did a great job, bettering the economy and combatting inflation, with H.R. 3746, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which was signed into law by President Biden.

Biden and a Democratic Congress passed legislation that would result in over $5 trillion in unfunded spending during 2021 and 2022. The legislation included the highly inflationary American Rescue Plan, which didn't receive a single Republican vote, as well as various bills that largely were pork for special interests and Democratic Party donors, like green energy companies, semiconductor manufacturers, and contractors. H.R. 3746 clawed back $1. 5 trillion of that $5 trillion. And if you look at the clawbacks, the majority of reasonable people wouldn't disagree them. Manchin and other moderate Democrats largely favored the clawbacks.

In recent times, the combination of a Democratic President and a Republican House has worked best for reducing deficits. You saw this during Clinton's 2nd term and Obama's 2nd term. And things are looking good right now for Biden and McCarthy, based on H.R. 3746.

[Tiny 12]

Don't like you attitude Mr. Tiny. Two middle fingers up to ya!

You appeared to accuse me of hating Democrats, wanting to ban MLK day, and being born into privilege and not working for what I've got. I responded in kind.

Sincerely, thanks for the comments on making payments by bitcoin, it was enlightening. I can see how it could be cheaper sometimes to use bitcoin instead of paying banks higher fees for forex and wire transfers. Certainly it would work better than banks for criminal enterprises and possibly tax evaders. It might be a viable savings alternative for people in places like Venezuela and Zimbabwe, where there's high inflation and they can't otherwise get their money out of the country.

As to other cryptos, besides bitcoin, I'd question what's in that orange pill that the crypto believers are taking. Is it legal outside of Oregon?

For savings and investment, which is what you use crypto for, I'd far prefer stocks and real estate and the like, investments that produce cash flow.

Not FUD, facts!

People accused Harry Markopolos of promoting FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt). He was right about Bernie Madoff.

https://fortune.com/2023/01/09/crypt...istorian-says/

[Tiny 12]

"Admittedly though I have a love-hate thing going with AOC. I want her to be the mother of my children, but otherwise can't stand her".

I love latina pussy more than most, but she's hideous, you almost made me vomit lololol.

Ok Ill admit she's not as bad as K Harris Hillary or Michelle O but cmon.

Keep comments like these to yourself LMAO.

Democrats attract the most vile "females".

True beauty skews RIGHT!

"Of course the fact that they're not making any more land close to beaches is a big reason too".

BTW ever drive north of LOS Angeles you can go all the way to Vancouver BC.

And there is a shitload of undeveloped ocean front property, sure the better beaches are south but I'm sure many wouldn't mind building there.

Come on man. Tell me you wouldn't tap that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMCzuWB4bwQ

And she's got a brain. In between banging you could discuss the predictions of Milton Keynes!

Economics degree holder AOC confuses Milton Friedman and John Maynard Keynes

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/n...maynard-keynes

The Examiner article doesn't mention it, but I bet AOC actually confused the English city, Milton Keynes, with two of the best known economists of all time! And she has a university degree in economics! But that's good. Ditzy, bat shit crazy women are better in bed.

[SubCmdr]

I agree with you on the privacy, simplicity, and costs of moving funds through POW. I do think crypto, BTC in particular, is the future of money. USD will continue to dominate the landscape in the foreseeable future.

In a perfect world, my wallet could hold USD (or a another handful of the strongest fiat currencies from around the world in digital form), BTC and LTC. That would allow the greatest flexibility for me to use the money that I have earned in the manner that I best see fit.

Right now BTC is a store of value. Like gold and silver. But the speed to make settlements have caught up with the speed to make transactions with BTC and LTC. That is the biggest difference. Try to send gold or silver across the country or the world. It does not work out so well. Try to send USD across the country or the world. You got to ask permission from corporate mother fuckers in the (Dis) United States of America for permission to use your own money and then pay them exorbitant fees to do so. Try to sent BTC or LTC across the country or the world. You don't need to ask permission from anyone. It is a peer to peer transaction with settlement within 10 minutes on the main BTC blockchain and 4 minutes on the main LTC blockchain. Move to lighting to send BTC and it is instantaneous. And there is a LTC version in beta testing.

However:

Since formation in 1933, almost 100 years (rounding up), FDIC has withstood countless numbers of banks gone under. It has saved countless accounts over the years, and the FUD around it being insolvent has being pushed for decades. Could it happen? Sure, it could. But, it would take a catastrophic event where some significant banks all going down at the same time, drawing down the insurance too fast, and thereby depleting the balance. I'd say the odds are pretty good that FDIC will continue to exist long after us.

I am good with your however. But you might have missed my point. FDIC has limits. And I pointed that out in the post you responded to.

COVERAGE LIMITS
The standard insurance amount is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category.
The FDIC provides separate coverage for deposits held in different account ownership categories. Depositors may qualify for coverage over $250,000 if they have funds in different ownership categories and all FDIC requirements are met.
All deposits that an accountholder has in the same ownership category at the same bank are added together and insured up to the standard insurance amount.

https://www.fdic.gov/resources/depos...s-at-a-glance/

Failure of Silicon Valley Bank would have been devastating to the confidence in the banking system if the Fed had not stepped in made all depositors whole even the ones that had deposits over 250,000 USD.

https://www.theguardian.com/business...t-janet-yellen

Is that going to happen every time in every bank failure?

Not FUD, facts!

[EihTooms]

I was being sarcastic seeing how great you say it was lololol before all the white flight including you lolol.

What I was not too subtlety pointing out is, I don't even see that shithole in the top 10 let alone #1 LMAO.

Um. Did you miss that the link you provided was for "The Top Ten Worst States To Live And Work In" and not the "The Top Ten Best" or anything like it?

So I don't quite get why you were and apparently still are gloating about California not making it on your link's Top Ten Worst list while almost every state on that list is a Trump Red State.

[MarquisdeSade1]

I agree with you on the privacy, simplicity, and costs of moving funds through POW. I do think crypto, BTC in particular, is the future of money. USD will continue to dominate the landscape in the foreseeable future.

However:

Since formation in 1933, almost 100 years (rounding up), FDIC has withstood countless numbers of banks gone under. It has saved countless accounts over the years, and the FUD around it being insolvent has being pushed for decades. Could it happen? Sure, it could. But, it would take a catastrophic event where some significant banks all going down at the same time, drawing down the insurance too fast, and thereby depleting the balance. I'd say the odds are pretty good that FDIC will continue to exist long after us.

Yes we rented a car in Scottsdale AZ drove to San Diego all the way north hugging the shoreline to Vancouver BC includ a car ferry ride over to Victoria.

Some very nice / steep hiking down to the shore near the Oregon Cal border, lots of deer etc.

Its incredibly beautiful, easily on par with Hawaii.

[PVMonger]

Nah, I think they are all distractions and PVM keeps buying into it. I care a lot more about economic issues, and I think most people do as well. FDA has been co-opted by drug companies. DOJ may as well be a wing of the Democratic party. The big Wall Street donors want all eyes not fixed on how much they are making for how little they are doing, and they want everyone distracted while they continue to play the game of private gains and public losses.

I think most Americans are willing to let the executive branch do whatever it wants as long as they get their check, their "free" health insurance ETC. At this point, Trump is a last gasp for an out of control executive branch. Desantis stands a much better chance of beating whatever Dem comes along. The problem is the Republicans / working people are so mad at how corrupt the executive branch has become and want to vote for Trump for that reason, a big middle finger to the neocons, the P4P government, and the insanely partisan DOJ. The problem with Trump is that he will get more votes for him that any other Republican candidate but he also is probably going to get more people than that to vote against him.

If "economic issues" are important to people, then why has the Repub Party. Who has control of the House. Not sent one bill to the floor that combats inflation or betters the economy? They vote against every measure that the Democrats have passed but are quite willing to tell the folks back home how much those bills are going to do for them. If what is on the "MAGA Wheel of Outrage" are "distractions", why are Repub politicians like Rhonda Santis pandering to their "base" with many of these "distractions"? Why are other Repub politicians, like Ted "I deserted my state and went to Cancun" Cruz fuming over Barbie? Or the other Repub politicians fuming over the President wearing tennis shoes. At least it wasn't. Horror of all horrors. A tan suit.

Maybe you're right, though. Repub politicians, who campaigned on inflation and the economy in 2022 bring up these "distractions" instead of actually governing. Cold it be that they actually can't govern? After all, in the world according to the one-term, twice-impeached, soon-to-be-thrice-indicted, former-guy, people who support Repubs are so uneducated (and Donnie loves THEM) that they are happy to be fed BS by their politicians as long as that BS contains stuff on the MAGA Wheel of Outrage.

[CheckMate1]

BTW ever drive north of LOS Angeles you can go all the way to Vancouver BC.

And there is a shitload of undeveloped ocean front property, sure the better beaches are south but I'm sure many wouldn't mind building there.

LA to BC is a very long drive. Only done SF to BC, so add another 5 hrs.

BTW, why northern coast of CA and southern coast of OR are underdeveloped:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOoFsehit6U

[CheckMate1]

That was my Orange pill moment. All this time I was buying BTC like it was a stock, waiting for it go up. All of a sudden it became a medium of exchange for me. Another person was willing to accept BTC. I could send BTC directly to them. Without asking for permission from some corporate mother fucker in the (DIS) United States of America in order to use my own money. So I bought the BTC I needed for the investment at spot price. Sent it to my business partner. They had the BTC in less than 10 minutes (just 2 actually) and it cost me 97 cents USD. WTF? It was a that moment I realized I was done with the mother fuckers holding my money hostage in the fiat currency system. Deflating my money each year and turning it into nothing.

Anybody up in here got more than 250,000 USD in a bank in the (Dis) United States of America? Better hope the USDGOV makes you whole. You are only projected up to the level FDIC insurance in play. They are coming for your cash people. CBDCs. Grab the lube!

I agree with you on the privacy, simplicity, and costs of moving funds through POW. I do think crypto, BTC in particular, is the future of money. USD will continue to dominate the landscape in the foreseeable future.

However:

Since formation in 1933, almost 100 years (rounding up), FDIC has withstood countless numbers of banks gone under. It has saved countless accounts over the years, and the FUD around it being insolvent has being pushed for decades. Could it happen? Sure, it could. But, it would take a catastrophic event where some significant banks all going down at the same time, drawing down the insurance too fast, and thereby depleting the balance. I'd say the odds are pretty good that FDIC will continue to exist long after us.

[MarquisdeSade1]

Yes, I spent over 55 years living in USA too. Almost all of those years in one of the most desirable regions of the most desirable and populace states as a matter of fact. If I won the Big Lottery tomorrow, where I live now would still be my preferred home base. Maybe I would travel more for 2-3 years but know I would get bored with that soon enough. Same as I got bored with the USA, bored with Western sensibilities and chose to experience something else in the last 1/3 or so.

In terms of relaxation, comfort, safety, peace of mind, fun, variety, freedom, pleasure and my good health, as a single man with no children, grandchildren, older parents or other family obligations in the West to speak of, it has turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. I wish I could have done it at 38 instead of 58.

I don't think Bangkok has been ranking either #1 or #2 on those Most Visited Cities lists for years due to drunks and mongers flooding the place. It would be general tourism same as it is for Paris, London and most others at the top of the list.

The superior mongering scene over the others at the top of the list could be the icing on the cake and also addresses a point Paulie made about it.

Noise pollution, water pollution, trash everywhere, massive rats and roaches? Not a problem where I sleep. Maybe you should choose a better hotel next time you treat yourself to a trip. I hear several cities in the USA had the worst air pollution on Earth lately out of Canada, no?

All those lies that say the Japs are the "nicest" ones or the most honest lolol compared to whom lololol CCPland?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0iOIxYMTUKk

[MarquisdeSade1]

Jesus loved sinners. So the least I can do is love Democrats. And I do. All of them. Except for Elizabeth Warren and Paulie. Admittedly though I have a love-hate thing going with AOC. I want her to be the mother of my children, but otherwise can't stand her.



True, no one moves based on whether a state is blue or red. They move for reasons like taxes, crime, schools, job opportunities, and as Tooms correctly says, because of cost of living considerations, including the cost of housing.

That's why you see people leaving highly-taxed, high-crime, high-cost blue states and / or blue cities, like Baltimore, Maryland and San Francisco, California. Now yes, many are moving to blue cities within red states, like Austin. And blue cities do have some good schools, although they often miserably fail poor children, in large part because of the Democratic Party's subservience to the teachers' unions. But on the whole, Republicans do better at state and local governance.

I live in a red city in a red state. Trump won by 57 percentage points in the 2020 election. (Aside: I didn't vote for him.) There's no state income tax. We have good schools and good city services. Crime is low. The GDP per capita is the highest in the USA. And lots of people are moving here. Now is that because they want to move to a red city in a red state? No, of course not. But Republican governance is part of the reason this is a desirable place to live and work. Given that the area is more dependent than most on carbon fuels, the Democratic Party platform would decimate the regional economy.

And yes Tooms, you're absolutely correct. When people were allowed to work from home, some must have fled higher-taxed blue states, and now are being called back to the office. In some cases though, the companies they work for have migrated to red states where they're more welcome. Better job opportunities in business-friendly red states may be the #1 reason for the migration out of blue states. And yes, too much regulation and taxation, zoning restrictions, and burdensome taxation have driven up the cost of housing in California. Of course the fact that they're not making any more land close to beaches is a big reason too.

"Admittedly though I have a love-hate thing going with AOC. I want her to be the mother of my children, but otherwise can't stand her".

I love latina pussy more than most, but she's hideous, you almost made me vomit lololol.

Ok Ill admit she's not as bad as K Harris Hillary or Michelle O but cmon.

Keep comments like these to yourself LMAO.

Democrats attract the most vile "females".

True beauty skews RIGHT!

"Of course the fact that they're not making any more land close to beaches is a big reason too".

BTW ever drive north of LOS Angeles you can go all the way to Vancouver BC.

And there is a shitload of undeveloped ocean front property, sure the better beaches are south but I'm sure many wouldn't mind building there.

[MarquisdeSade1]

You're right. California does not appear in your list of Top Ten Worst States To Live And Work In.

With Indiana coming in at #7, here is the list in your link for The Top Ten Worst States To Live And Work In:

Notice a pattern there? I sure do. LOL.

I haven't heard Ron DeSantis crowing about his State making the Top Ten on your list yet. Maybe he is waiting for his horrific governance of that State to boost it to #1 before that first GOP Primary so-called potus Nomination debate so he can really impress the GOP base with the goal he hopes to achieve for the rest of America.

I was being sarcastic seeing how great you say it was lololol before all the white flight including you lolol.

What I was not too subtlety pointing out is, I don't even see that shithole in the top 10 let alone #1 LMAO.

[SubCmdr]

I still have to work "my fucking ass off," as you put it. I can't sit on a Caribbean beach all day and drink pina coladas.

I take it that you are still a wage slave. Emancipate yourself and become a capitalist like myself. The image that you project of life on a Caribbean Island are fantasies in your own mind. I wrote this from Colombia where I am here doing business. Working on my own business not working for someone else. I have to pay my taxes so that individuals living in the (Dis) United States of America can live on them. While I receive zero benefit other than consulate services on the occasional basis.

Good luck with the crypto. Cryptocurrencies are Ponzi schemes. Most people will end up losers. The big winners will be those who created the cryptocurrencies. I'd say the crypto exchanges too, but their owners, like Sam Bankman Fried and Changpeng Zhao, appear to be destined for jail cells.

I do not need luck!

The Ponzi schemes have been created by the Central Bankers around the world with the fiat currency system. It is going to come down around everyone heads. And unless they own hard currency of some type they are going be in bad shape when it happens. I actually am surprised to read something like that from someone I would consider fairly educated. If you understood the "Proof of work" system and that Bitcoin (BTC) was created and given away with no group of founders the profit from the creation of BTC then you would understand that there is BTC and everything else. LTC is strong a strong contender also.

My orange pill moment was when I need to send money to invest in Colombia and neither my bank nor Pay Pal would allow it. Those mother fuckers in the (Dis) United States of America were going to decide for me where I could invest my hard earned money. And I was not sitting on a beach making this investment decision. It was a Friday night about 7 PM and I was working the problem in my head. I explained what happened to me to my business partner and I was told to use BTC. WTF?

Use BTC for what? Was the question I had in my head. I was told they would accept it and change over to COP in order to make the transactions we needed to start up.

That was my Orange pill moment. All this time I was buying BTC like it was a stock, waiting for it go up. All of a sudden it became a medium of exchange for me. Another person was willing to accept BTC. I could send BTC directly to them. Without asking for permission from some corporate mother fucker in the (DIS) United States of America in order to use my own money. So I bought the BTC I needed for the investment at spot price. Sent it to my business partner. They had the BTC in less than 10 minutes (just 2 actually) and it cost me 97 cents USD. WTF? It was a that moment I realized I was done with the mother fuckers holding my money hostage in the fiat currency system. Deflating my money each year and turning it into nothing.

Anybody up in here got more than 250,000 USD in a bank in the (Dis) United States of America? Better hope the USDGOV makes you whole. You are only projected up to the level FDIC insurance in play. They are coming for your cash people. CBDCs. Grab the lube!