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This is familiar trauma 2.0 playing out in real time.Charles essentially lured and trapped Diana when she was a shy 19 year old for life under the premise he loved her. In reality, he used her as a brood mare all the while keeping his life and his love intact. His children grew up under the shadow of that dysfunction, made so more acute by the fact that Charles was “the heir” and Diana was, quite literally, “the spare.” Maybe not in the same sense as Harry but just as equally if the meaning of the thing is “expendable”.So here it is so many years later. In comes Meghan, a woman that triggers both brothers experiences as it relates to their mother. For William, Meghan’s touchy feely California intuitive energy reminded him of the worst of Diana. For Harry, Meghan represented a chance to o what he wishes he could have done all along: rescue his mother.Add to that some personality disorders and some racism and snobbery. William and Kate iced out Meghan from day one. Nevermind she was an accomplished professional, with a hit show and a track record as a humanitarian that landed her a speaking gig at the UN long before they met. She was open season for Wills and even for Kate, who resented everything she represented. The monarchy is a gilded cage, an institution that has gaslit an entire family into believing they owe us their life stories. I applaud H&M for getting out.
| no | 226 |
For once i agree with you. As an Australian with a mainland chinese wife, who has spent considerable time in China and has considerable experience dealing with chinese companies (i also speak and read mandarin) i have long been infuriated by western businesses and governments who saw the opening up of china as just an opportunity to share in the CPC’s gross exploitation of the chinese people; basically putting the west’s greatest weapon against the CPC - the chinese people - offside and straight into the CPC’s hands.The emperor’s closed foreigners out of china because they and their officials understood the ‘contamination’ of western ideas meant the collapse of china’s dictators. The CPC understands this too. It is only reaching out to the chinese people that can end the CPC’s, or any country’s, dictatorship. That, or total war. Trading with countries under dictators only strengthens the dictator. It should therefore be a prime principal of all democratic countries that trade comes with conditions that guarantee the rights, including economic rights, of the dictator country’s people and increase their access to information and knowledge. Sadly, given how viciously exploitative it is of its own people. the USA, a country which does such a poor job at economic rights, freedoms, and protections, is not a country that is able to spread freedom around the world.
| no | 4,436 |
riled Thanks for being open. This is why I don't want to travel, although many of my purportedly "green" friends are jetting all over the globe. I wish you good health and no long covid. I think the Covid shoe may yet drop again.
| yes | 7,844 |
Fire and security doors don’t work if tenants jamb the doors so they stay open. Landlords have responsibilities but so do tenants.
| no | 2,148 |
Lots of comments on here about him being a “hero” for sticking to his principles and not getting vaxed. Hero? For lying to people about not getting vaccinated and entering a country without authorization and then spreading lies about the COVID vaccine? Over 5.5 BILLION doses have been given and its has literally saved millions of lives. It’s safety has been proven over and over again. To say something differently is just careless and irresponsible. Yes, he’s a great tennis player but a complete bonehead as a person. And I’m familiar with his upbringing and what he’s done for the sport, but that doesn’t give someone carte blanch to be an idiot and blame others for his choices to keep him from playing.
| no | 210 |
Moonshine Excellent. Pass Go. Collect ₤200.
| no | 2,574 |
"American aspiration, idealism and mythology have mingled together from the start." Jill Lepore and Barack Obama got it.The reason why "big lies" from both ends of the political spectrum resonate with so many people is that so many people distrust those who claim to know the "real truth, or real intent" of a person, an action, an event. Everyday people may not all be especially literate or knowledgeable about specific matters. But they can most often spot frauds and self-serving self-interested ideologues. On both sides.So the impact of "myths" has a lot to do with the cultural and informational context that the "myth" is spun to address ... according to, and to the benefit of its proponents. Myths reflect aspired cultural norms.So long as politicians, journalists and historians opine about myths from the perspective of their personal self interest, ignoring inconvenient facts, then the cycle just continues. When politicians, journalists and historians stop conflating their opinions about "intent" with historical events, we might explore what binds us as a people. What beliefs do we share with each other? Does they outweigh that which divides us?Our form of governance, our abundance of human rights, our rule of law enables the most diverse population in human history to prosper when compared to every other form of governance on the planet.We just need to hold people accountable for living up to our aspirations. Now, that's a myth worth exploring.
| no | 1,552 |
Well when the hypocrites in the Republican Party added 7.8 TRILLION to the debt under Trump and raised the debt limit THREE times, yeah, I guess he has reason not to put things on the chopping block for these faux debt watchers. Also, perhaps some people don't understand the debt limit is about paying your PAST bills, not your future ones.
| no | 1,505 |
The inflation we have been experiencing was never about labor costs. Nor was it about $2000 checks given out years ago. It was about supply chain disruptions and stock buybacks instead of investing in additional capacity. It was also a result of good old-fashioned corporate price gouging. The supply chain bottlenecks are clearing out, and it has had nothing to do with the Fed "disciplining labor." Get the price gouging under control, and inflation will drop below the Fed's targets.
| yes | 9,590 |
Lyndsey Marie Shanley, All I’m saying is that the Seahawks had a chance to really be a Cinderella. Go back to the tape and watch Geno have open receivers who dropped a few, combined with a fumble in the red zone? Oh what might have been!
| no | 3,022 |
Used to be that companies laid people off because they were losing money, i.e., like on the way to losing their shirts. Microsoft's lay offs ---and many like them--- are to improve already gigantus profits. When did shareholders become more important than people?
| no | 3,813 |
I'm surprised it's only three-quarters. When I was in high school one of the common jokes was "Three quarters of guys masturbate and the others are liars."As I see it the major problem with this is that young people, with little or no actual experience, mistake perverted or otherwise harmful behavior for normal. Seems to me that the way to combat this is much better sex education -- for girls as well as boys -- to teach them and give them confidence and competence as to what's ok, especially what's ok in what situations, and to help them to help themselves with this knowledge. It's not obvious to me as to just how to do this, but for sure one dimension of it is for everyone to be as open and as honest about sexual practices as possible.
| no | 670 |
So much for private - public partnership
| no | 23 |
James I would certainly hope that it was built to the letter of the law: but an architect has the power to design to the spirit of the law and beyond. An inviting, open presentation to all, up front, not just a legal accommodation.
| no | 2,659 |
Intrator invests for Russian Oligarch Vekselberg who doesn’t want US funding Ukraine and poof- santos is against Ukraine. None of this is coincidence.
| yes | 7,366 |
My kid's school hands these things out like candy. Rough back-of-the-napkin math tells me it costs the school about $6500 a month on Covid tests, or about 65k a year. For a small elementary school, that's a major outlay, far exceeding the amount spent on books, supplies, field trips, and school events.From talking to parents, as best I can tell nobody even uses the tests. Everyone has a closetful gathering dust already.
| no | 3,786 |
Exactly correct! The short version: "show some spine". We are dealing with a pathological bully, and we certainly must not compromise or make room for him in any way. Putinism needs to be suppressed utterly and permanently. What happens to Russia after that is totally open and in a larger sense of almost no interest as long as they stop their aggressions.
| yes | 6,704 |
Sally -- The photo of Marjorie and Kevin is a clear example of "one picture is worth a thousand words."Whether McCarthy is trying to get Marjorie Tayor Greene's support, or if he absolutely agrees with every conspiracy theory she shares, the optics are not good, nor is McCarthy's drive for power at any cost.This is the man who supported George Santos, labeled a "serial liar" by "The Guardian.uk", just so he could get Santos' vote to be House Speaker.If McCarthy had proposals wanted by Americans, he might have captured enough bi-partisan votes to win the Speakership..But his Republican party and his fealty is to conspiracy theorists, prevaricators, misogynists, power-seekers whose agendas are driven by those who think Democrats eat babies, by those who cater to their big donors--Big Oil, Big Chemistry, Big Pharma, and by those who refuse to separate Church from State by supporting anti-abortionists.Those people are who he caters to, not the majority of Americans.
| no | 1,230 |
I'm not sure that the interviewer's adversarial approach ('isn't capitalism good?') made good use of this renowned Native American scientist's time and knowledge. The questions were superficial and didn't open up an opportunity for her to expand more on the specifics of her experience in Maple Nation, as she calls it. A missed opportunity
| yes | 5,748 |
I feel like Ross starts with a forgone conclusion, then works his way backwards toward the beginning, or what would usually be the end for that matter. I think media in general, and more conservative media in particular, is no longer open-minded, or even partially. I get the distinct impression that corporate media, and it's all corporate media to a certain extent, no longer accommodates any ambiguity. It must be out in front of events at all costs, even if that means pushing a specific "story" or massaging reality. I don't know if this is because the folks in the C-suite need things to be predictable, of if the donors require the same, or if it's both. Regardless, at a time when we need more incisive and deep coverage, we get "Will there Be a Biden Comeback?" (Comeback from what?)
| no | 1,368 |
I don't care about the price of eggs--or even the price of cars.I care about the fact that I have waited and saved all my (single) working life to buy a little (emphasis on "little") house for retirement, and now I find that I am competing against an entire generation of younger folks who want the same thing. Only guess what? There aren't any little houses to buy.The severe shortage in housing inventory in the U.S. has reached crisis proportions, partly (as I have read) due to the Fed's somewhat artificial "necessity" of keeping interest rates so low for so long over the past decade until oops, here comes raging inflation; and two, corporate investors swooping in during that time to buy up nearly 20 percent of our single family housing stock. Adding to the fun is that now of course, anyone who bought a house at 3.5 percent is hardly going to move to take on a 6.5 or 7 percent mortgage.Don't get me started on how the Fed expects the middle class to pay $700 more in mortgage payments so it can "bring inflation down."<a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/total-housing-inventory" target="_blank">https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/total-housing-inventory</a><a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/07/14/1109345201/theres-a-massive-housing-shortage-across-the-u-s-heres-how-bad-it-is-where-you-l" target="_blank">https://www.npr.org/2022/07/14/1109345201/theres-a-massive-housing-shortage-across-the-u-s-heres-how-bad-it-is-where-you-l</a>
| yes | 5,699 |
Shouldn't it be possible for 'blue' states to form a consortium and implement their own form of universal, single-payer healthcare/insurance, transcending state borders within the consortium? The combined populations of California, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts exceed that of many nations which have been able to establish such systems of health care. It's past time for the states in the US which have stepped into the twenty-first century to stop allowing themselves to be held back by the retrograde politics of Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi.
| no | 3,920 |
The Glow of Seoul’s Hidden Hot Spots Not far from the glare of the city center, the South Korean capital offers a wealth of cozy, cool hangouts, if you don’t mind ducking down alleys and opening a well-concealed door or two. Seoul gleams with glass towers and brims with centuries-old architecture, but beyond the bright lights, it has a hidden intimate side, if you know where to look. Miles of winding back streets can lead you to a tucked-away cafe, a delicious new restaurant or an entire enclave ripe for exploring. All you have to do is take the first step. Not far from the glare of the city center, the South Korean capital offers a wealth of cozy, cool hangouts, if you don’t mind ducking down alleys and opening a well-concealed door or two.
| yes | 8,167 |
If you ran a company and had a job opening and a candidate appeared who in the first interview told you that:They hate your industry, dislike your customers, do not believe in your products, think your company should not exist, and if they get the job the first thing they will do is work to shut down your operation, all the while happily collecting a large paycheck, would you hire them?No?Well that is what you get when you elect a republican.
| yes | 7,846 |
Slann "We don't gun control we need bullet control! I think every bullet should cost $5,000. " - Chris Rock
| no | 4,244 |
What exactly would this look like?Do you think it would be easier and cheaper to get mental health treatment for everyone who needs it than eliminating guns? Because I don’t see Republicans going for the massive increase in healthcare spending this would entail. Or are you saying that all the countries who have a way lower rate of this type of gun violence just have different people than we do? It’s not because they aren’t awash with guns?Actually, the rate of gun deaths is directly related to the number of guns - and our gun rate has more in common with Yemen than with any country we’d perhaps rather compare ourselves to. Finally, we don’t have mechanisms for what you’re suggesting. There was a story recently of a guy who went into a supermarket restroom and changed into body armor, carrying 4 handguns, a semi automatic rifle and a 12 gauge shotgun. The police arrested him, but he was released and eventually it seems any charges against him will have to be because he might have left the gun unattended in the restroom for a while. But it’s unclear if he actually disobeyed any laws - all the guns were legally acquired, and he never fired a shot, and Georgia is an open carry state. So basically he was inappropriately arrested in an example of police overreach, and that would be true until the first bullet was fired. How do you work with that?
| no | 3,426 |
The MAGA Republicans are willing to burn down the country and bring us to economic chaos. It's past time that the sane Republicans, if there are any left, work with Democrats to avoid economic calamity. There is a need to bring spending in line with tax revenues, but don't do it by holding the debt ceiling hostage. The answer lies not in knee-jerk budget cuts but raising taxes. Start by reversing the $2 trillion tax cut Republicans passed with great pride in 2017. Close the plethora of tax loopholes. Increase IRS audits so we collect the estimated $600 billion that is owed but not paid by tax cheats. If Republicans want to cut spending for social programs, let them do it in the open when those programs come up for renewal. They want to do it cowardly by refusing to increase debt limit. The debt limit should be eliminated to avoid this political blackmail.
| no | 791 |
SBF seems to define "stealing" as taking money directly out of customer accounts and putting it into his. Period. So the reports of SBF using company funds to invest in his other companies in violation of deposit agreements, pay for lavish parties, air travel, beachfront housing, and so on are not "stealing" since the money was first filtered thru the company instead of going directly to him. I hope that doesn't hold up in court.
| yes | 7,276 |
The national debt increased by $7.8 trillion during the Trump administration. This was a 39 percent increase from the debt prior to his taking office. <a href="https://marketrealist.com/p/national-debt-under-trump" target="_blank">https://marketrealist.com/p/national-debt-under-trump</a>/If Republicans in the House of Representatives don't want to pay up, instead of pretending the Democrats are to blame, they should send the bill where it really belongs: to Mar-a-Lago.
| no | 590 |
"Rule No. 1: The rich world will need redistribution back from old to young."Absolutely....but the appropriate way to do this is by raising taxes on extreme incomes, as well as an extreme wealth tax, not by pruning social services that many of the elderly depend upon. In an age of the most outrageous wealth concentration the world has ever seen, redistribution will be the only thing that saves us from societal breakdown. There is no more open land to move into or freely accessible resources to exploit; everything is now owned. Laissez-faire capitalism has run up against its inevitable growth constraints on a finite planet; decreasing middle class life expectancy and standards of living, along with the rising number of homeless are the canaries in the coal mine.
| no | 1,966 |
Mr. Teitelbaum is clearly vengeful, and hate-filled developer and having his project stymied by one council member has enraged him to the point where he finds it necessary to do more damage than good. I was born and raised in the Bronx at 353 Cypress Ave. Just after WWII there was little affordable housing in the City and the rush to Long Island and New Jersey was just beginning. A little Cape Cod home on Long Island sold from about $5,000 to as much as $10,000 and were readily affordable to the thousands who bought those homes. There was no talk or fear of gentrification. Of course that was a different world.Now we have a single minded council woman, Kristin Richardson Jordan, whose personal beliefs and fears have totally wrecked what could have easily been a new project of affordable housing for hundreds of families. There are no winners in this fiasco. The council needs to meet and make some critical decisions and they should also discuss how to end a practice that lets one loner destroy a well intentioned project that would have benefited a community desperately in need of decent housing. Mr. Teitelbaum also needs to calm down and sit down with council to bring the project to fruition. I also believe that his requests for financing assistance from the City are too steep. If City taxes are used to help Mr. Teitelbaum then he needs to reconsider how to make certain that low wage earners can have affordable housing. There are too many people at odds right now.
| yes | 7,280 |
From his inception of the FTX exchange, it was to fund to the Alameda hedgefund which was losing millions. In 2020, Alameda was already $5B in debt and that was all “borrowed” customer funding from his exchange. “I didn’t know what I was doing,” yet he kept transferring funds secretly and spending it lavishly. Crypto exchange is a scheme.
| yes | 9,119 |
I haven’t seen these high priced eggs that everyone is talking about…l bought a dozen eggs the other day…$2.25. Now that is up from the $1.99 they have been for years but don’t know where these 7, 8, 9 dollar a dozen eggs are?!
| no | 4,203 |
Panic Buttons, Classroom Locks: How Schools Have Boosted Security A new survey shows increased investments in safety measures over the past five years. Yet there are more campus gun incidents than ever. When Adam Lane became principal at Haines City High School eight years ago, there was little to stop an attacker from entering the school, which sits alongside orange groves, a livestock farm and a cemetery in Central Florida. A new survey shows increased investments in safety measures over the past five years. Yet there are more campus gun incidents than ever.
| no | 482 |
The debt ceiling is a false argument. Set the limit at 500 trillion and focus on actually doing something. All of the issues, debates, etc. will stay the same without depending on the threat of global economic collapse. Of course that demands negotiation, compromise, and a genuine commitment - from both sides - to focus on what's best for the nation rather than their own self-interest. That appears beyond reach.
| no | 3,626 |
The opening is inevitable, the 3 years lockdown have bought the people with pre-conditions 3 extra years of life, and if the weaks have gotten their booster shot, they most likely would avoid death, Chinese vaccine are not that effective against symptomatic infection, but quite good at preventing death after 3 shots ( read from other news source). Americans will have more death due to 70% of our population are obse.
| no | 4,864 |
Costco sells three flavor cases of Spindrift for a somewhat reasonable price. While Pepsi-Cola definitely does hit the spot, as the old jingle suggests, it also has the calories of two beers, and high-fructose corn syrup is not good for you. Does anyone out there in the beverage industry hear me? There is a market out there for "dry" (meaning not-sweet) soft drinks that don't cost an arm and a leg.*Kroger's price for an eight-pack of Spindrift - around $6.50. That's too much for a soft drink in a grocery store.
| yes | 6,090 |
Fair point. Consider another. For years, these long-time black homeowners gained far less appreciation than their white contemporaries in NYC’s majority-white neighborhoods. The black homeowners’ prop values (historically suppressed by redlining etc) began to spike (as it did through the city) when white people began moving in, and the banking/city services eco-system unlocked that suppressed value. So many of those older owners, black and Puerto Rican, reaching retirement age did the economically-sensible thing and sold at a good price in neighborhoods they loved and sustained, but where they saw writing on the wall. And who were most of these new bankable buyers with down payments, often benefiting from gifts their parents’ provided through their housing profits? They were (and still are) white people confident they’d get return on investment merely due to their presence in these recently-gentrified neighborhoods.
| yes | 5,074 |
Subject to the concerns of the market. Great Recession? Excess labor. People need a college degree along with a networking contact just to get an interview as an unpaid intern. Now? Covid/Boomer induced labor shortage. Employing only 30 percent of the workforce is insufficient to fill all the positions. Ergo, yes, employers will hire people without college degrees.The gravy train won't last forever though, or even that long. Theoretically, we won't experience another downturn like the Great Recession. However, middle-skill automation is rapidly catching up with us. Many administrative and secretarial jobs are going to disappear. Accounting and finance come to mind.There are many, many paid tasks right now that are quite frankly a waste of time. We have the technology to eliminate them. We just haven't got around to doing it. The old Labor vs. Kapital ratio. Cheap labor discentivizes capital investment. Expensive labor does the opposite. Training employees is relatively expensive. That's why businesses outsourced the practice in the first place.Capital investment takes time though. We'll therefore see a short-to-medium term blip in labor negotiating power (including high school terminus graduates). Eventually, we'll get back to "equilibrium" though where labor is at a disadvantage. Even bringing in high school graduates cheapens the relative value of a college degree even though costs haven't fallen.It's not a doomsday scenario but I wouldn't pop the champagne either.
| yes | 7,852 |
Caroline S I worry about their ability to find good jobs after graduation with a degree from a now-tainted college. What will be open to them? Worker at a right-wing think tank? Staffer for MAGA Republican member of Congress? Supply is pretty quickly going to overwhelm demand.
| yes | 8,980 |
Lots of well-meaning folks on here recommending that we college teachers just require oral exams and have students write in-class essays. These suggestions make me wonder how long it's been since some of you have been in a college classroom. Many students now claim that speaking in class or having to write within a finite period causes debilitating trauma -- not entirely typical nervousness or "big day" performance anxiety but rather something just shy of a hyperventilating medical event. (Of course I take real medical issues seriously.) This is a relatively new phenomenon, and it precedes Covid by at least five years in my experience (at community colleges, R1s, and smaller public regionals alike). In short, at many schools it is not possible to *require* students to speak in class, and those claiming an anxiety accommodation are also entitled to extra time for completing in-class writing. This latter adjustment makes it impossible for the student to remain anonymous while using the extra time -- a conspicuousness that creates yet another opportunity for trauma. I have also taught at a major public flagship university where it is not legal to consider student attendance when calculating overall grades. A student could show up on exam days, slip the term paper under my door, never attend class even once otherwise, and still earn an A. It's quaint that so many of you think students are still deeply invested in the hard, process-based work of learning.
| yes | 5,777 |
Finally, a discussion of inflation that mentions (very near the end) the role of unchecked profiteering by corporations that are raising prices, rewarding investors, and enriching executives, but without a corresponding increase in wages for their employees. President Biden is fully aware of this but has limited influence, other than "jawboning" the guilty companies. Consumers, dependent on things like food and gasoline, are hardly able to mount any boycott that would exert market pressure on the companies that are gouging us. And Congress, aware of the sources of butter for its bread, is hesitant to risk shutting off the flow of campaign dollars from the major suppliers. To add a little salt to the wound, consumers are paying higher prices that will give companies even more money to fund campaign contributions and to win tax code battles. I have no hope that the cycle will be broken soon.
| yes | 5,269 |
What behavior will AI encourage when it writes all the words we read?Words influence opinion and behavior. We've seen what algorithms do to human behavior when it controls the news feed (Facebook & TikTok). We don't want to see what happens when AI writes the news that most people consume.Companies are starting to figure out that AI can reduce content costs to $0 by using AI. This will be devastating to workers in those industries, but even worse to our culture.
| no | 2,129 |
chad No, the majority of expenses are not end of life care. In the US, the majority of expenses go to the for-profit insurance companies who provide nothing of any value and actually make sure care is rationed and poorer care than in first-world nations. After that, expenses come from the cost of pharaceuticals in the US, always 3-100X jhigher than anywhere in the world because the corporations run the US government. Next comes the high fees for poor care in the for-profiteering hospitals and outpatient practices. And of course, mixed into all of that is that it's the born-overly-advantaged dynasty CEO/CFO/Investor class that is raking billions of that right off the top, and that's where the majority of the extra spending is going: right into their pockets.
| yes | 6,485 |
D So wrong on many levels. Management creates ALL the value,for the only people that really matter in our system....the INVESTORS. Why do you think those investors countenance those ridiculous, huge, bloated salaries and bonuses showered on the top managers? Because, by hook or crook, they return the most money to them and you can bet a lot of that money is at the expense of the worker. In the investor's eyes the workers are little more that easily replaceable widgets, a dime a dozen, so to speak. Until and unless that model is shifted such that it is a, more or less, equal three-legged stool that consists of investor, management and labor nothing will change. One way might be to more widely offer profit sharing and stock options to workers. At least, they have some skin in the game. Another way might be to do what BMW did years ago.(don't know if they still do but guess not, judging by the junk they now make) They would make all managers, from the president on down, spend a day on the factory floor making/repairing their cars. That kept their management, MBA, class a bit more grounded to the suffering reality of what the business was all about.
| yes | 5,075 |
This is such an interesting article, clearly bringing out the agreement of some of the folks who find personal satisfaction in connection with other human beings, as well as a reaction from others who responded the NY times is trying to tell them how to live their lives, or felt it implied something is wrong with being an introvert. Growing up in Brazil, I used to delight, and take pride in our culture and how our locals would go the length to connect and help out foreigners. I didn't realize that personality has so much to do with the inclination to seek out connections with strangers. I seemed to have inherited my mother's ease and perhaps need for connection, and grew to realize that even in my own immediate family not everyone is as comfortable with speaking with strangers or taking enjoyment from these connections. I agree with the reader that what some of us gain, extroverts or introverts, from some of these encounters can't be labeled happiness, because yes, happiness is fleeting and something to be savored in the moment and in recollection. Yet, when the openness is present, and things go well, we gain in an increase in perspective, empathy, and connection. I too have been in situations where friendliness was misinterpreted as flirtation, or when one felt entitled to impose their need to chat. The truth is not everyone can read social cues. On average however, I have to say I gain a lot more from engaging with others than not.
| yes | 8,983 |
The US has 867 military installations across the globe outside of the US with dozens scattered across the Pacific. When 3% of what the US spends on war and preparation for war could end starvation on earth, and 45% of US foreign aid is for military and security, and when the US ranks near the bottom in humanitarian aid as a % of GDP, there is plenty of opportunity to change US priorities. The US should be competing with China on how generous rich countries could be throughout the world.
| yes | 8,617 |
We had a similar but happier experience two weeks ago. Flying into LAX, we proceeded to the Thrifty location to pick up a Nissan Maxima (or similar car) reserved months previously. The line-up to get to the counter was horrendous: we waited 1:45 to reach the front. Standing first in line, we (and the 34 other people behind us) were stunned to hear a manager announce "We have run out of cars. Anyone in line now will have to wait a minimum two hours before any more cars arrive." Apparently the torrential rains had prevented many customers from returning their rentals. We pleaded with the Thifty representative, explaining we had to get to Palm Springs that evening. He sighed, smiled, and said "We have only one car at all on the lot. It's a two-door, and a plug-in hybrid. Do you want it, no extra charge?" We said "Yes" immediately. Going to the parking lot, we discovered we'd been given a 2021 Polestar One with 3,000 miles on it for the next two weeks. Gorgeous, powerful car. The 2022 version retails for $156,000.
| yes | 7,861 |
Hal Vaccine billionaires pocketed over $50 billion during the first 15 months of the Covid pandemic. That's the same amount as Bill Gates' recenty record high charitable donaction.The pharmaceutical industry's REO has been, at 17%, higher than any other industry. The pharmaceutical industry's lobby is vastly larger than the next largest, and thus controls an outlandish amount of our political system.On top of this, the healthspan of Americans is the lowest among developed nations, and we're way down on longevity as well. Crazy stuff like Citizens United (talk about deceptive language!) result in our system being controlled by massive and anonymous money.
| no | 1,414 |
Maya look at who he ran against. And he looks like a hero cause he got Biden to give him billions when that condo complex fell into the ocean. And the fed and blue states fund his states with billions every year in hurricane aid. This allows him to keep taxes low - let the fed pay for it.After the hurricane he let red voting districts violate the state voting laws but refused the same benefit to blue states. Never forget when deSantis in congress he voted no for hurricane aid to Nj.
| yes | 7,049 |
Over the last fifty years Germany has invested public funds into domestic infrastructure. In contrast, the United States funded a large military. Now both countries are deficient.No matter, most of the industrialized world share the same looming disaster, i.e. the rapid aging of their populations. Geriatrics can't fight wars or build anything. The expenses of the elderly will an enormous liability. Yet we have been given no choice but to spend many trillions of dollars, euros, pounds, yen, etc. on remilitarizing. Far better to pound Putin into submission now. Handwringing on the sidelines will only embolden him to grab more. Germany is rich and weak, which makes it an irresistible target. Basically, it can't defend itself.
| yes | 7,491 |
So many topics raised in this column today, but I will focus on Social Security:1) Yes, remove the cap on earnings that are subject to the tax.2) Also, put a floor under which no income would be taxed for Social Security. Tie it to the highest minimum wage in any state in the union X 2080 hours (full-time work). This would now mean that only people north of $190,000 income would actually see a social security tax increase. This would immediately give a tax cut to businesses employing people under $190,000, and to those employees, while raising taxes on the better compensated.3) Everyone whose earnings records are below the floor still would get a minimum social security check with 40 quarters of work.4) Put in a maximum social security amount, so that higher earners get capped at a certain average income.5) Adjust 3 and 4 for inflation6) And to mollify Brett, extend the retirement age for those whose average income over their earnings history is over a certain amount (those people are least likely to work in physically demanding jobs, and most likely to have other assets they can depend on).
| yes | 7,905 |
To all you Aussie BEEs out there I hope you are enjoying the first Slam of the season. During one tournament Rafa took time to pose with a quokka; these adorables seem to be always smiling. Your koala has made many appearances here as has the kiwi. The wombat would make an additional enchanting animal to the list if it makes it into a BEE. Here’s to another successful Australian Open.
| no | 2,010 |
One doesn’t have to live somewhere to know its geography. The southern border is 2000 miles long. That’s 200 10 mile increments. 4 agents to cover each increment would total 800 agents. At $75K per year, that would come to $60,000,000. This seems quite feasible, and as the original commenter stated, cheaper than an adequately constructed wall. Not to mention the appalling image and symbolism of a wall running across the entirety of our border.
| yes | 6,727 |
America the Delusional It was the Democrats who defunded Medicare to the tune of $0.8 trillion. And they raised taxes simultaneously. And raised health insurance premiums, co-pays and deductibles. And reduced the number of hospital beds.when Democrats had full control, rather than strengthening Medicare and Social Security, they did nothing positive, despite being well aware that the Medicare trust funds would be depleted by 2017 and the SS trust funds would be depleted by 2036, now down to 2033.When Democrats make accusations about the evil Republicans, they are projecting their own designs on others. At least Republicans expanded Medicare to cover prescription drug coverage, the first increase in benefits since its inception.Democrats raise taxes and decrease benefits.
| no | 1,873 |
Before one penny of Covid stimulus went to any ordinary American, the Trump regime sent a $1.5 trillion bailout to Wall Street in March of 2020.Never forget this. Do not EVER forget this. If they want to rein in federal spending, they can start there.
| no | 32 |
Ken The solution to this problem is to buy hardware with an unlocked bootloader and good support from a free and open source OS. This sometimes means compromising on user friendliness in exchange for user freedom, such as foregoing an iPad for a Surface with Linux.Most computers from the last 10 years remain usable when the baggage of macOS or Windows is lifted. To a lesser extent, some older Android devices can be kept up to date with lightweight, de-Googled Android distributions like LineageOS.- A proud user of a 12-year-old laptop and a 5-year-old phone
| yes | 5,083 |
Your argument is so spurious it is beyond belief. Central Valley big ag “farmers” utilize one million acres of farmland to grow alfalfa, which represents 100 billion gallons of water, annually exported to Asia for……fattening up cattle. You want to know where the water went? It went to make hamburgers, steaks and lots of money for a few people in control.
| no | 2,668 |
Goldberg is confused about the legal linits and schools and the mandates of educators. Parents do not control the content of education or dictate how a teacher operates in the classroom, but they most certainly retain absolute authority in what additional therapy or services their child will or will not receive above and beyond the general education setting.Take transgender out of it for a second and ask any educator this scenario: a child in your room starts having panic attacks. She says she doesn't want her parents to know but gives no clear reason why. You and the school psychologist arrange for her to start having counseling sessions at lunch, rearrange her schedule so that she can take all tests with 2X time, and let her sit in the classroom when it gets too loud at recess or phys ed. If the parent finds out about this, it's a lawsuit, open and shut case: educators cannot unilaterally apply special ed.And in the case of the child saying she's afraid of something at home, that triggers mandated reporting law. Again, not secretive treatment at educator discretion.So explain to me, without splitting hairs, why another DSM recognized condition like gender dysphoria is exempt from these rulez.
| no | 439 |
I don't subscribe to cable TV, so I don't get Fox News at home. But whenever I stay in a hotel, I make a point to watch Fox News to see what it is all about.I am more struck by the ads on Fox News than the content. It is dominated by snake oil salesmen, literally. It is P.T. Barnum on steroids. There's a sucker born every minute.Nutritional supplements, gold bugs (and crypto bugs), get rich quick schemes (for "inventors", real estate "investors", etc.). And then the most normal ads are for home security systems (because their audience is paranoid) and ED drugs (for old impotent men).And of course, $50 foam pillows from Mike Lindell. (Because they all have trouble sleeping at night.)This tells me everything I need to know about the audience for Trumpism and Republicans.
| no | 1,912 |
Thank you Mr Suozzi for your article. Lying as much as possible on the campaign trail has become the new normal for aspiring Republican candidates. It is the model Trump used on his first presidential run and it worked. I don't suggest that it is exclusive to the Republicans, but they have developed it into an art form. Santos is an example of the rot now coming from the bottom up. Our country barely survived one open insurrection, but this silent approach is far more insidious. I am sure Santos will vote for McCarthy, another con man who will do anything, including genuflecting to Trump to promote his future ambitions. The GOP is dominated by people like Santos, who has been an unsuccessful deadbeat for most of his life, but changed his lifestyle from the low paying state welfare recipient to the much higher paying welfare of a US Representative. No one can say that he is not clever. Our laws not only support this scheme but encourage it. Just when we thought we would have a respite from the horrors of the Trump era, we will now have a sequel that could be even worse.
| no | 1,215 |
I live in a suburb of Minneapolis that is dotted with wetlands and home to a lot of different creatures. It is also almost fully developed, with very few empty lots. We recently had a farmer move into our neighborhood who noted that he sees a lot more wildlife in our neighborhood than he did on his farm. The sad truth is that so many farmers have destroyed habitat for wildlife in their quest to farm as many acres as possible. Wildlife now find the suburbs more hospitable than open farmland. We see turkeys, geese, ducks, deer, rabbits, squirrels, and even bald eagles on a regular basis and listen to coyotes howling in the night.
| yes | 5,365 |
Ryan M When my congressman, Earl "Buddy" Carter, was running for re-election this past November, he was bragging about the funds he worked to obtain to improve the Port of Savannah and the Port of Brunswick in Georgia. What he didn't mention was that the money was part of the $1.7 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which he voted against. Yes, he got re-elected and yes he is a Republican.
| no | 233 |
Bruce MaierI think the quote in the article about the scale or "scope" of Chinese production (here, fabric manufacturing) is accurate. Such efficient capacity has a way of opening doors of a global marketplace. Sure, production in countries other than our own is gearing up, too. But we have become - through the actions of, imo, the corporate/capitalist Establishment (including our corporations, politicians, mainstream media and financial 'instruments') - the world's primary CONSUMER (and driver of consumerism in other countries). THIS is our important role in the process.
| no | 2,173 |
philly The "old" tax the rich is actually just re-establishing taxation on the rich, who have made huge ROI's by investing in buying lawmakers who have reduced or eliminated taxes on them, allowing the rich to make huge profits off of investments that benefit from the infrastructure that fewer and less economically advantaged taxpayers are left to pay for to maintain. Trumpublicans passed a $2 Trillion tax cut that benefited primarily the already wealthy who then used it to for stock buybacks, that tenth mansion, and a bigger private jet. Now the same gofers for the oligarch set are predictably faux moaning about a fake crisis besetting social security so they can force that money out of the SS fund and into the stock market where hedge fund managers can steal it.
| yes | 8,177 |
DAN I get tired of this Republican talking point. There are numerous articles discussing the effect of the stimulus on inflation including this one: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2022/10/09/inflation-economy-biden-covid" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2022/10/09/inflation-economy-biden-covid</a>/. " An October 2021 analysis by other economists at the San Francisco Fed, for example, which relied on a labor market measure of economic slack, concluded that the rescue plan was responsible for just 0.3 percentage points of added inflation." Another analysis put it at 3% at its peak. Meanwhile, for many unemployed people it was a lifeline and it raised many children out of poverty. Better than doing nothing. Much of the other spending for the IRA and infrastructure is over 10 years and has just barely been spent. Personally, we could have gotten along without the stimulus but we used it to pay down debt and I'm guessing that's what a lot of people did.
| no | 1,251 |
Lilou Valuing our personal "attention" has become something now we may not have conceived 30 years ago.But you're right. The tech firms and legacy media companies have put a value on it for us.They want you to be happy with them providing a walled garden of delight for FREE while you play, they record you, and then sell your experience manifold times forever.To know the future in this regard, look at the REIT (real estate investment trusts) firms gobbling up rural land development in the US to build massive data centers for Google, Meta, et al.One purpose. To store your data for retrieval brokering and processing.Thanks to the EU for stalling their plans.
| no | 1,381 |
Great news. We made $17bilion profit on $50billion income! Bad news. We need to lay you off so our executives can make even more. Shameful. I ask everyone to convert Linux and leave these oligarchs in the dust.
| no | 4,293 |
"He sees an opening for the anti-abortion movement to support a robust social safety net, finding common ground with Democrats and helping to position Republicans as 'the party of the family-friendly working class.' "This is pretty laughable considering Republicans are using the debt ceiling as a cudgel in the hopes of butchering up Social Security and the rest of the inadequate "safety net" we have.
| no | 4,924 |
I was a freelance journalist based in Tel Aviv from 2009-2011. Even back then, the West Bank was swiss cheese, the holes being expanding - and illegal - Israeli settlements. Yes - because I know some will raise it - Arafat missed a chance during the Clinton administration. And yes, violence on either side doesn't help. And yes, I know the history on both sides. But the Biden administration needs what the article points out: "Mr. Biden has not formally canceled a Trump administration decision to legitimize Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which most of the world considers illegal. Following Israeli pressure, he has not reopened the U.S. consulate to the Palestinians in Jerusalem and the Palestinian mission in Washington, both of which were closed under Mr. Trump."Too often, we are still operating out of fear of political consequences at home. I've been to the West Bank. I've spoken with Bedouins who have lost their homes and seen their olive trees cut down by Israeli settlers. The daily constraints on life there are a grave injustice.
| yes | 6,460 |
You know nobody wants to join Putin's "Russian World", when they'd rather spend their whole day in an Ikea, instead.But in all seriousness: in the future Ukrainians will look back on these challenging times, and bond and reminisce over them... as definitional of their Culture, and the "new and improved" Nation they're building together. May I be permitted, in that vein, to share this Vision of "Ukraine Future", which I dreamt last night.... I hope I don't come off as patronizing or head-in-the-clouds; it's just that I've fallen in love with the Ukrainian peoples' heroic struggle these 11 months, and I know many millions of others have, too.(Aka, Ukraine has a big "Brand", now.)"The Summer Festival": a 2-3 day major international music festival, to take place every summer on the Black Sea (maybe Crimea/Odessa). It would draw in the biggest musical acts in the world, and would bring in a huge influx of cash and European/international tourists into the Ukrainian economy.Then, "The Winter Festival": a 2-3 day annual event revolving around a new international winter film festival that takes place annually in Kyiv. Maybe with special emphasis on underrepresented films from the greater region. I could see this Film Festival— given Ukraine’s popularity and “name-recognition” on the map now— becoming immensely influential and going on to rival Venice, Cannes, and Sundance festivals eventually. It will put Ukraine squarely in the center of international film/cinephile culture.
| no | 3,774 |
Add me to the list of doubters that many $400K households are worrying about (or aware of) the price of eggs.
| no | 4,906 |
Rising interest rates over the last 13 or so months likely caused the debt-ceiling breach date to arrive sooner since those higher interest rates on government paper increase the amount of interest the Treasury has to pay out to its bond and note holders.Consistent and uninterrupted payment of interest due and payable on government debt--the full faith and credit of the United States--is the reason every mutual fund, pension fund, retirement program and investment fund holds government debt and why when supplies of such debt are scarce outside market purchases, there is an outcry from managers of those funds. Even the threat of an interruption of interest payment causes interest rates on that paper to rise. If the Republicans who control the House had any fiscal and monetary sense at all, they would find a way to ease into increasing the debt ceiling without prolonged controversy to avoid rattling the money markets. Even though Ms. Yellen has extraordinary measures to smooth out a debt ceiling breach, those measures, too, increase costs to the Treasury, too, since those IOUs are borrowed money. By acting the way it acts, the GOP seems determined to exacerbate the problem.
| yes | 5,232 |
Gee Bret, what exactly is the rationale for not mentioning tax rates for big corps and for those making more than $one million annually? The highest bracket in 1963 when I was a toddler was 91% at $200K which is ~$1.8 million now. While I'm not suggesting a return to 1963 tax tables, I think the tax cuts under Ronnie R and George W should be reversed. Maybe a top rate of 49% for personal incomes above $1 million would be fair. With commensurate capital gains and inheritance loophole reform. That way the US could repair the interstate freeway system and all other federal taxpayer supported infrastructure that created the opportunity for commerce that got all these rich people and big companies their profits. To not charge those that profited most to rebuild these is ludicrous. And yes they need to be rebuilt modified for sustainable energy and internet, but new configurations have always been a part of progress.
| yes | 5,193 |
the nightmare of labor driven inflation. When employers learn employees are not slave. When the laws of capitalism, initiative, favor the individual, and the law itself stops for short while, being unfairly tipped to the 1/10 of 1 %. We are entering the age of less.
| yes | 7,255 |
Recession will be in the eye of the beholder.China is having a recession (which will be extended as they have significant can-kicked-down-the-road problems — witness the 180 degree messaging turns diplomatically and private investing).Europe is having a recession (energy supply and price shock and shift from ICE auto production). Lesser developed countries are having a recession (boosted dollar, higher interest rates, less liquidity). The US is not impervious to the rest of the world.But we have: A large Upper Middle and Lower Upper Class with a great financial position who will keep spending; Still large cash Savings levels from pandemic programs; a Federal fiscal spending level which, while tightening, remains heavily stimulative and reinforced by Ukraine related Defense spending; Wage Income increases for the high propensity to spend Lower Middle Class.Maybe No Recession, maybe shallow and brief.Battles are not Wars. Inflation is coming down in the short term timeframe of this piece. The War has just begun. Many variables are in play; Dollar value, productivity, Peace, domestic hyper polarization, etc. Anyone who Knows the War’s outcome has a suboptimal relationship with uncertainty.
| yes | 9,402 |
Call Me Ishmael A lot of that was due to the utter destruction of the European continent, the Soviet Union, Japan, and the relative agrarian economy of China. I agree with you about the marginal tax rate, but the US had a national debt of $260B in 1950, with a GDP of $299.8B - So, percentage wise, it's not drastically different from where we are today (except the numbers are higher for both): $29.617T in national debt with a GDP $23.32T in 2021. 2022 numbers are still awaiting Q4 finalization.And I think we both agree that taxes on Corporations and wealth earners definitely needs refactoring. I would suggest eliminating the cap on Social Security, and treat all income equally. No more differentiation between earned and unearned income. If you receive cash or assets, it's taxed like earned income. If corporations want to lessen that burden, then they can invest some of the obscene profits (profits, not revenue) back into their companies for a discount -- by paying people more in wages, providing better health insurance, etc.
| yes | 9,624 |
If you don't think that the virulent and OPEN racism that was prevalent in this country from reconstruction through the civil rights movement of the 1960s (and continues in a more furtive way today) continues to impact society today then you are either not paying attention or are unwilling spend any time thinking critically about things that happen all around you every day.
| yes | 7,719 |
For all those cheering for Harry in the comments: "spare" me. If he really just wanted to tell his story he could have done it on YouTube or a blog or pbs. Instead, he sold his story to the highest bidder. And he did not desperately need the money. What was already settled on him by family was enough for a comfortable life. Several of them.As for $400k earners. Assuming the tax man takes half (which seems high even in NYC) that leaves $200K. Assume $7k rent/mo. Which I think gets a decent place even in a city. Leaves $116k. Put $30k away per year at 7% average return and after 18 years you can pay full freight for 3 kids at Harvard and still have a nest egg. And you've been living on something like $1,700 per week net of all that. Think you can do better than a Camry.
| no | 331 |
Charles Weaver - We have a Net Zero, solar-powered, all-electric home. A two-burner camp stove and a gas grill + a supply of propane cylinders provides emergency cooking.We invested some of our savings from free solar power in a wood-burning insert in our fireplace for emergency heat. We have yet to use the insert, but in the slight chance that the power goes out for a long period, it'll be a good investment.We must STOP burning fossil fuels if we're to maintain the slight chance that we can avoid the worst of our Climate Disaster.
| yes | 6,108 |
Wouldn’t one expect a savvy new media company to be savvy and to carry out savvy thorough due diligence on its big investors in advance before taking the money? One wonders if there was an expectation (whether implicit or explicit) of favorable coverage of FTX and of the cryptocurrency industry in return for the investment . . ..
| no | 1,079 |
BYND paid 8 billion in stock buybacks and dividends over 10 years. Just last year 589 million in stock buyback, while reporting 559 million loss. I don't even know if they want to actually stay in business or its all a financial gimmick by now.
| yes | 5,651 |
Somali’s need our help, yet we are also obligated to other countries at the tune of over 3 billion a year. In our own country homeless persons are dying from exposure to the cold weather, and to top it off we aren’t even collecting the tax the government is owed from wealthy individuals and corporations. It’s mind boggling. How can we begin to help the Somali’s when we haven’t even figured out how to educate, feed and house our own citizens?
| yes | 5,414 |
Robert As a cautious saver/investor I am well attuned to Vitto's comment:"Lower rates to near zero and keep them there until last year. When they tried to raise rates the markets pitched a fit and the Fed did nothing. Is that normal?"I am of the opinion that if it took that many years to recoup from the big bank screw ups/criminal activity of that period, well then it's because there are deeper issues with the system. Thank you
| no | 2,036 |
John You seem to have a misconception about progressivism. By making strategic investments in the largest cross-section of our citizens' healthcare, quality education, the environment and climate change mitigations, a basic social safety net, our entire society stands to benefit greatly. Healthcare enables a healthy populace - which means better productivity, stronger economic growth, healthier families, and a stronger social fabric. Quality education ensures we continue to lead the world in innovation, economics, and raises the nation's standard of living. It also ensures that authoritarians do not displace our representative democracy (e.g., the trump's and de santis's of the right). Environmental policies that ensure the right to clean air and water are essential and climate change mitigations increase the probability of survival.Lastly, it is about leaving all of the -ism's of the past few centuries in the past so that we are a nation that respects and realizes the potential of all social groups and the rights of all people including greater equality of opportunities (but not necessarily equity of outcomes). These are the types of sociopolitical policies and morality that enhance and advance our society. The GOP way is to pretend billionaires and other oligarchs are "gods" who deserve to work citizens to death, pay no taxes, destroy the planet, and loot and hoard all of the economic growth and wealth generated from American workers and consumers.
| no | 2,432 |
I’m a huge believer in traditional finance and investing, even more so after the collapse in 2008. This op-ed nails something that I’ve been pointing out to younger people for some time: if it seems to good to be true then it is. None of them listened. I’ve had people go into a full-blown rage when I’ve questioned crypto, GameStop, or whatever meme stock or scheme has come along. Some are quick to point out their gains — hardly anyone talks about their losses — and my response has always been “If it goes up fast, then it can go down fast. Take a long-term outlook to investing.”
| no | 140 |
Metastasis wrong-o. Biden's war in Ukraine is an absolute quagmire at tens of billions per month.
| no | 4,219 |
I've been out of the workforce since 2007 but am always interested in how things have changed. I was lucky to retire at 55 and "live" my life. I was, over the course of 34 years fired twice, passed over for promotion once and made the mistake of accepting a position I instantly hated once. So, all in all I did pretty well in "the rat race". Being fired was no picnic but it always lead to better things. It just stung (badly) in the moment. Applying today's standards, I could have sued one of my employers for harassment but we hadn't progressed to that level of awareness yet. (I had spurned the advances of my female boss and was let go on the pretext of being a "bad fit".) The other time I was fired I ended up using my time to change careers, take a new position with less pay but solid training and loved the career choice I ended up making and wished I'd done it sooner. Today it seems like the current generation(s) understand that beibng "let go" comes with the job, and wisely plan accordingly, give just enough to succeed and don't invest their entire being in the "place". It always hurts to be let go but I think the current workforce is more attuned and accepts the possibility of being cast aside, and accepts positions knowing nothing is ever permanent.
| no | 450 |
Nobody cares. So long as they got their "individual freedom utopia compartment unlimited transportation units", complete with climate control, entertainment, soundproofing and every imaginable accoutrement from heated seats to automatic doors, as depicted in the commercials (where there is never any competing traffic to spoil the illusion).America is the land of suburbia and the automobile. We live by it and we are going to die by it.The fix is to undo over 100 years of planning, building and investment and do it over.Good luck with that.Gas needs to be $10/gal.Excuse me, I got to drive over to the 7/11 a block away for a pack of smokes and a slurpee. And get my lotto tickets.
| yes | 6,348 |
that person Thank you for this. This was my response to this column:I work with undocumented immigrants and loved American Dirt. I thought the reaction to it was absurd. It wasn't a memoir and it is the rare author that can claim to share the identity of all their characters. With that said, Pamela Paul's columns on the transgender issue have been so intellectually dishonest and antagonistic, that I can not trust her positions on this or anything else...so I am alarmed to find myself in agreement with her on this issue...so much so that I am going to go back and attempt to understand the protests against this book with a more open mind.
| yes | 7,426 |
Nina I think a lot of the confusion you mention at the top of the comment can be explained or eliminated by recognizing that people have diverse preferences, priorities, and sensibilities.Some people would spend a five-figure amount of money to travel to Denmark and eat at this restaurant, while others would spend an equal amount to attend the Super Bowl. Others have no interest in spending that amount for an experience, they prefer to invest it in something they will own and possess. And some will never have five figures to spend in any way. I think it's only confusing to those who believe there is a prevailing, common sensibility that drives the tastes and the appetites of everyone.
| no | 2,787 |
Canuckistani The Democrats for the past two years were able to keep the lunatics in their padded rooms.Now, the public has opened the doors and allowed a crazy caucus to hold the country hostage and demonstrate that maga and extreme right wing politics are not a recipe for any semblance of governance.We hear TFG continue his babbling about the radical left while ignoring the rancid right.
| yes | 6,905 |
“When we open up the decentralized world, we offer ways for humans to collaborate in ways they never have before." Lol. Seriously? When did "collaborate" become a synonym for "swindle"?
| yes | 7,924 |
Jason. If the gop wants to have a serious discussion on the debt limit look no further then the 3 times they extended it during trumps term. Almost 1/4 of our national debt was incurred during the trump years. That coupled with the fact that a large part of it was created by his 2017 tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. What’s even more comical is that the corporations tax cuts don’t expire but the tax cuts for every day Americans do. It makes you wonder if it’s the debt they care about or just “owning the libs”?
| no | 629 |
Smilodon7 NY Post- "Hunter Biden’s access to lucrative financial opportunities also came with expectations — including kicking back as much as 50% of his earnings to his dad, text messages on his old laptop show."
| no | 575 |
Bradford McCormick For decades the West including the US have encouraged Russia to integrate into the World economy - so your false statement about the US trying to destroy its economy in the past is total propaganda. As for NATO expansion, putin has just proven that it certainly needed to expand - Russia wants to enslave its boarding countries. Now that putin is murdering and torturing even children (!) any sane country should try to block Russian exports.
| no | 3,685 |
Joe Get rid of all the privatization and we'd save a fortune. America needs to just go with Medicare for all, and eliminate all corporate-farm-outs. Do it all in house. That would save us 600 billion a year, at least. <a href="https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M19-2818" target="_blank">https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M19-2818</a>
| yes | 9,241 |
The CBO's by-section scoring of the IRA offers insight into what offsets Congress expects to "pay for" the law's health care benefits. It appears that more than a majority of these benefits depend on putting a lot of future costs back on drug manufacturers -- and I understand that no benefit is free of cost to someone. Too many health care/drug users seem to think that it's a good -- costless -- idea to reduce the revenues of drug producers. If I read the CBO tables correctly, Congress envisions putting about $200 billion back on the manufacturers in the coming decade. Why should you care about drug company profits? If that's your view, you may want to reconsider.For example, the private health care sector (which prominently includes pharma) comprises nearly 16% of the total market value of the US large-cap S&P 500 equity index. Some $7.1 trillion of assets are indexed to that metric. So, if you have any passively managed equity index fund investments among your assets, YOU should care about drug company profits. The CBO scoring of IRA is at <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2022-09/PL117-169_9-7-22.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2022-09/PL117-169_9-7-22.pdf</a>. A fact sheet of the S&P 500 equity index is at <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/idsenhancedfactsheet/file.pdf?calcFrequency=M&force_download=true&hostIdentifier=48190c8c-42c4-46af-8d1a-0cd5db894797&indexId=340" target="_blank">https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/idsenhancedfactsheet/file.pdf?calcFrequency=M&force_download=true&hostIdentifier=48190c8c-42c4-46af-8d1a-0cd5db894797&indexId=340</a>.
| yes | 6,124 |
A door has been opened in my mind to a reality based possibility I had not previously imagined. (Would ChatGPT have imagined it? Probably so. A lot of science fiction authors have.)I’m convinced that H. sapiens is on the brink of extinction and will soon fall into the abyss. But I’m an old guy and I’ve learned how to avoid being depressed about it. I previously thought that the only trace we would leave in the universe would be the concrete and steel cocoon we have built for ourselves. But ChatGPT and/or it’s descendants, not having the same biological weaknesses, could survive the coming catastrophe. Now I wonder … Will it remember us? Or even care?
| yes | 9,676 |
Until we change campaign finance laws and mechanisms so these people are not beholden to their benefactors, America will continue to fail to invest in our future and our most pressing needs.
| no | 3,896 |
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