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Re: Current Events Thread
Smoking Guns wrote:China makes shit cheap and people like cheap shit and to a degree they have kept our suppliers honest from fvcking us even harder.
I am all for cutting ties with China, but our costs will go up across the board I would imagine.
Distancing ourselves in any meaningful fashion isn’t possible. They have the precious minerals needed to make microchips and circuitry. Ours were all shut down. They make our electronics. This isn’t something that can be done at the drop of the hat. Mass processor output manufactured in the US would take years and subsidies to manifest. Trade laws and our inability to ever legislate properly something like this just makes it impractical. We design the damn things, but they’re manufactured in China.
We need China more than they need us day by day. The real threat is if China bans US exports, not if we reduce our imports.
The Chinese have been playing a very LONG term game for years now. They aren't constrained with thinking and planning only about 4 years ahead (the length of a typical political parties term), they continue to work towards a very uninterrupted long term vision.
Western countries in general need to reduce their reliance on China. I know here in Oz the Chinese government hasn't thought twice about killing certain industries here in Oz in retaliation for our Government daring to request an investigation into the source of the Carona Virus. They have put sanctions or tariffs on our Barley, Beef & Lamb, Wine, Cotton, Lobsters, Timber and Coal. All as punishment for daring to have an opinion that doesn't fit with the CCP's narrative. So far they haven't been able to really hurt us with the biggest export - Iron Ore, but they would and will if/when they can.
Our country has no manufacturing to speak of and aside from exporting resources no other really signifcant industries (aside from tourism) We need to diversify who our exports go to and open up new markets to reduce reliance on China, but also start to think much longer term about other industries we can start to bring back home, even if the cost is higher. China doesn't think and act like a traditional Western free trade partner so anything critical relied on from them needs to be addressed, as they will eventually use their position for leverage!!! Their monopoly on rare earths is a huge issue and I know governments are looking at that and trying to locate and develop alternatives (there are rare earth deposits here in Western Australia that I know our government and the US is closely following to try and get commercialised). The Chinese have been trying to get ownership of ports here as well as buying up large amounts of pastoral land and other primary industries. All of these type of issues need to be addressed by our government and other Western countries as part of a very long strategic vision for the next 10-30 years that needs to be worked towards irrespective of which political party is in power over the duration.
- Randall Flagg
- Rep: 139
Re: Current Events Thread
Biden's most recent counteroffer seems very promising. Gonna be very hard for the GOP to not support it. I don't agree with raising the corporate tax rate (we're still higher than a lot of Europe), but I do agree with implementing a minimum of 15% and closing loopholes. Biden's plan, if implemented correctly, would bring in much more revenue forcing a minimum of 15% rather than letting Amazon and every other behemoth avoid paying any taxes through loopholes and deductions and raising it to 28%.
Here's hoping the nuts on both sides don't sink it. We're the wealthiest nation in the world, our bridges shouldn't look like shit.
- Randall Flagg
- Rep: 139
Re: Current Events Thread
What's everyone's stance on the infrastructure package if Republicans refuse to vote for it no matter what compromises are made? What's the right way to do it? If no Republicans vote for it, why should the Dems negotiate at all?
Both sides are compromising. The original plan Biden and progressives proposed isn’t even supported by all Democrats. Nor were the GOP’s plan supported by all Republicans. You should genuinely look at the content of each bill, and opine your feelings on what should be cut and added. Then evaluate if your position is supported by even 50 senators before blaming one side or the other.
Our country needs this bill, and I don’t think it should address anything that isn’t infrastructure, especially very contentious items like paid daycare. Democrats rammed the unpopular ACA in 2010 and what happened? They lost power. Republicans rammed through The Tax revision, and what happened? They lost power.
Maybe pushing partisan ideas through without bipartisan input isn’t politically prudent if you want to retain power.
Re: Current Events Thread
mitchejw wrote:What's everyone's stance on the infrastructure package if Republicans refuse to vote for it no matter what compromises are made? What's the right way to do it? If no Republicans vote for it, why should the Dems negotiate at all?
Both sides are compromising. The original plan Biden and progressives proposed isn’t even supported by all Democrats. Nor were the GOP’s plan supported by all Republicans. You should genuinely look at the content of each bill, and opine your feelings on what should be cut and added. Then evaluate if your position is supported by even 50 senators before blaming one side or the other.
Our country needs this bill, and I don’t think it should address anything that isn’t infrastructure, especially very contentious items like paid daycare. Democrats rammed the unpopular ACA in 2010 and what happened? They lost power. Republicans rammed through The Tax revision, and what happened? They lost power.
Maybe pushing partisan ideas through without bipartisan input isn’t politically prudent if you want to retain power.
Agreed...but that’s not the question.
What’s the point of negotiating if at the end of the day Republicans have zero intention of voting in favor of this....
If this still passes 51-50...then go with the partisan option.
About 20% of the Republican side of the senate opposed certifying the election results.
- Randall Flagg
- Rep: 139
Re: Current Events Thread
Manchin just came out against the new Voting Rights Act and affirmed he won’t allow his party to remove the filibuster. This man may be the bravest Senator in the Senate. And is a true patriot
Re: Current Events Thread
I wanted to post something but doesn't really need its own thread....
Remember that obscure actress I used to rave about on the old site, Rona De Ricci?
Found out last night that she killed herself last year.
It really threw me for a loop. Took me a few hours to get to sleep.
Out of the blue, she wrote her memoirs last year right before she killed herself. I bought it. Since watching The Pit and the Pendulum on HBO when I was 16, always wondered what happened to her. This book tells you.... apparently she was up for the female role in Steven Seagal's Under Siege, he wanted to fuck her, she refused, didn't get the role, was essentially blacklisted, and she became so jaded she walked away from the industry and spent her life in a shitty, dysfunctional marriage, dealt with severe depression (obviously), and her kids even turned on her.
She posted her suicide note on Instagram. Only had 37 followers.
The fact no news outlets picked up on this story really shows how obscure she really is.
I'm no longer putting off reading it.
She was only in two films.
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Penitent...an obscure 1988 film out of print and no trailer on YouTube. I saw it back in 97. Not very good but she was great in her small role.
RIP Rona
You obviously had talent and it's unfortunate how what should've been an exciting time when your career was just starting to blossom had to be ruined like that.
- Smoking Guns
- Rep: 330
Re: Current Events Thread
I wanted to post something but doesn't really need its own thread....
Remember that obscure actress I used to rave about on the old site, Rona De Ricci?
Found out last night that she killed herself last year.
It really threw me for a loop. Took me a few hours to get to sleep.
Out of the blue, she wrote her memoirs last year right before she killed herself. I bought it. Since watching The Pit and the Pendulum on HBO when I was 16, always wondered what happened to her. This book tells you.... apparently she was up for the female role in Steven Seagal's Under Siege, he wanted to fuck her, she refused, didn't get the role, was essentially blacklisted, and she became so jaded she walked away from the industry and spent her life in a shitty, dysfunctional marriage, dealt with severe depression (obviously), and her kids even turned on her.
She posted her suicide note on Instagram. Only had 37 followers.
The fact no news outlets picked up on this story really shows how obscure she really is.
I'm no longer putting off reading it.
She was only in two films.
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Peninent...an obscure 1988 film out of print and no trailer on YouTube. I saw it back in 97. Not very good but she was great in her small role.
RIP Rona
You obviously had talent and it's unfortunate how what should've been an exciting time when your career was just starting to blossom had to be ruined like that.
Crazy, I just read her note on Instagram. Very very sad to see. How old was she?
Re: Current Events Thread
Manchin just came out against the new Voting Rights Act and affirmed he won’t allow his party to remove the filibuster. This man may be the bravest Senator in the Senate. And is a true patriot
It truly is brave to allow voter suppression tactics ramped up another level across the country on the state level and do nothing about it.
