Mekong Posted November 22, 2018 Report Share Posted November 22, 2018 Bu Bi I am a pre-Brexiteer i.e. I got the hell out many many years before what is happening now I like the greenback, I trust the US Dollar, I have used it for over 25 years without an issue. OK My Head Office is Stuttgart maybe Euro, but I work in Vietnam so Dong, my bank is offshore UK so GDP, simple for me USD, that is how I have always negotiated my contracts and renumeration and I would not have it any other way. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted November 22, 2018 Report Share Posted November 22, 2018 Cav, Whether you or anyone likes it or not, I think this generation are at least going to try it. It may not work as you imply. But I think its going to be an experiment. I have a German friend (more than one actually but he is my closest) and this is what I get the impression of why Germans (as well as Swedes, etc) don't get upset over a higher tax rate than Americans. They get way more bang for their tax buck than we do. In return for high taxes, they get cradle to grave health insurance and its very good, they get low cost universities. They have a lower work week than us in terms of hours and longer vacation time. They have far better pensions than we do. For them its a no brainer. He thinks that Americans are nuts for not adopting more of what they have. When I used to watch English soccer at the bars in Los Angeles, we got a mixture of different people. Mostly Brits but also Dutch, Germans, South Africans, etc. because everyone is interestedin English football, they also showed games from other parts of Europe as well as rugby and cricket, so all kinds were in there. Some were retireees and some were on a work visa. Compuer engineers, etc. Some students, all kinds. Most of them, having seen both systems up close and personal, were glad to go back after their stint is done. There is a reason the huge wave of European immigration ended. They didn't see America as a better option. Pre WW2 it was. Post WW2, it wasn't. Immigration opened up big n mid '60s due to legislation. The only Europeans who have come in numbers since then were the Irish for a time (and their economy had a boom period and they went back), people from the former soviet republics who couldn't or wouldn't go to western Europe. There are thousands of millennials in Europe now. Most of fhem have high student loans and can't find a good job so they go to Europe, often Holland, Germany, Belgium. Do any type of work to get a work visa or even attend school and end up living over there never to return to the US to live, only to visit. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qbx7dm/talking-to-american-debt-dodgers-who-moved-to-europe-to-avoid-paying-off-their-student-loans-111 So many in fact, just forgetting about their student loans, sometimes crushing credit card/ pesonal debt and enjoying (in their minds) a better lifestyle than they would have had in the US (safer generally, more free time, better health care, longer vacations to very exciting places nearby, etc) that the US goverment has been alarmed at how many are leaving and may take some sort of action. And they work to get an EU passport and many have no problem renouncing their citizenship. We can debate about the morals and ethics of this but I don't want to get into that. I want to discuss WHY they are motivated to do so? Canada and Mexico are secondary destinations but Europe is where most wish to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted November 22, 2018 Report Share Posted November 22, 2018 3 hours ago, cavanami said: As far as paying for all the socialist programs, I only see increasing taxes, check the tax rates in Europe very high and vast decreases in the military industrial complex spending. The other countries that have social benefits spend a fraction of what the USA spends. Now with the 30-ish folks put up with higher taxes? It will take some years of decreased military industrial complex spending before the real results can be seen. Results like much higher unemployment because the military industrial complex employs a vast work force. Congress is suppose to have oversight over the Fed but they have done nothing, The Pauls have been vying for action to audit the Fed but nothing has been done. Typical bipartisan BS in the congress and it will only be worse with the Dems controlling the congress. We will have two years of obstruction, bickering all supported by the lame stream media... The Fed chair must report to Congress regularly (I think its annually, not sure) but oversight doesn't mean they can tell the Federal Reserve what to do. All they can do is consent or deny whomever the President chooses to be Fed Chair. The only option of removing the person is not renewing them for a 2nd 6 year term. The Federal Reserve can raise rates to 20% if it wants to and there isn't a damn thing the President or Congress can do about it. I guess in theory if he or she did a criminal act, took bribes, etc, they can be removed before the end of their term but not for reasons relating their monetary policy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted November 22, 2018 Report Share Posted November 22, 2018 1 hour ago, Coss said: How refreshing! There's a facsimile of a reasoned argument in there "As far as paying for all the socialist programs, I only see increasing taxes, check the tax rates in Europe very high and vast decreases in the military industrial complexspending." And I ask this following question of your quote, in all seriousness: Do you see the dominance of the military industrial complex and it's inevitable use of such military and weapons etc, leading to death and injury, wars and disruption, as preferable to - a peaceful world, wherein education and health care are funded for all, not just the rich? The military industrial complex consists of a vast interlinking web. It comprises politicians, businesses, lobbyists and workers. There is no single kill switch to turn it off. If there was a peaceful world to be had, I think there needs to be a large scaling down of the military industrial complex. What part of the network would be willing to give up their big paydays? No one. I see it taking several generations to dismantle the military industrial complex with a measure of pain to all involved. I can say, I will never see it happen in my lifetime. Should we stop efforts to dismantle it? No. The last president of the USA fueled the military industrial complex...how many bombs did his administration buy to restock all the bombs that were dropped? Millions and millions of dollars so I can say, Obama did nothing to dismantle the military industrial complex. How many bombs has President Trump dropped? far, far less then Obama, so maybe a start.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted November 22, 2018 Report Share Posted November 22, 2018 1 hour ago, Mekong said: Bu Bi I am a pre-Brexiteer i.e. I got the hell out many many years before what is happening now I like the greenback, I trust the US Dollar, I have used it for over 25 years without an issue. OK My Head Office is Stuttgart maybe Euro, but I work in Vietnam so Dong, my bank is offshore UK so GDP, simple for me USD, that is how I have always negotiated my contracts and renumeration and I would not have it any other way. I'm locked in to the US dollar with my pensions and what not so I would like to see it continue. I have been favorable to the Euro since it came out but never invested much in the Euro. I was in Frankfurt, Germany for the New Year (1999?) when they were handing out free 1 Euro coins, which at the time was equal to $0.88 (approx) to the US dollar. That would have been a great time to load up on Euros! Coulda, woulda, shoulda....555 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Posted November 22, 2018 Report Share Posted November 22, 2018 Did you know that he 10 Baht coin is th same size and weight of a Euro Coin. The Ciggareete machines in Madrid must have hated me haha Also worked in the. Madrid Metro, purchased a 1 EUR ticket for 30 Cents haha Mr Bad Man 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted November 22, 2018 Report Share Posted November 22, 2018 I knew people who loaded up with sacks of 10 baht coins before going to Europe. Apparently, it caused plenty of problems, since so many were doing it. ... According to local daily Het Parool many people who vacationed in Thailand return to Amsterdam with lots of Thai 10 baht coins, which are worth about 24 euro cents. “We estimate that lately at least ten thousand of these coins are circulating in the Netherlands, says Sander van Golberdinge, Deputy Director for Detailhandel Nederland — the umbrella organisation for all retail trade in the Netherlands. But the damage is multiplied because the coins are spent multiple times, costing retail businesses millions of euros.” ... http://www.dutchamsterdam.nl/2375-amsterdam-flooded-with-thai-currency Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted November 22, 2018 Report Share Posted November 22, 2018 Meanwhile ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Posted November 22, 2018 Report Share Posted November 22, 2018 42 minutes ago, Flashermac said: I knew people who loaded up with sacks of 10 baht coins before going to Europe. Apparently, it caused plenty of problems, since so many were doing it. ... According to local daily Het Parool many people who vacationed in Thailand return to Amsterdam with lots of Thai 10 baht coins, which are worth about 24 euro cents. “We estimate that lately at least ten thousand of these coins are circulating in the Netherlands, says Sander van Golberdinge, Deputy Director for Detailhandel Nederland — the umbrella organisation for all retail trade in the Netherlands. But the damage is multiplied because the coins are spent multiple times, costing retail businesses millions of euros.” ... http://www.dutchamsterdam.nl/2375-amsterdam-flooded-with-thai-currency See it wasn’t just me then haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coss Posted November 22, 2018 Report Share Posted November 22, 2018 10 hours ago, Flashermac said: Meanwhile ... 55555 well he probably pardoned the wrong turkey... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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