73 Reds

The irony is, eventually he will probably be proven right. The problem is, there is also a steep price to be paid so who wants to be "right"?

All charities and non-profits have "administrative expenses". As a donor, it is important to try and ascertain how much of every donated dollar actually benefits the charitable cause vs. how much winds up lost in administration. Personally, I think one of the most important changes that should be made to the US tax code (if not repealing it entirely) is to take out many of the deductions that currently exist and replace them with more tax-benefit to all taxpayers for charitable donations. However, the definition of what qualifies as a 501c organization must also change to require that a substantially large percentage of all donations winds up benefiting the underlying charity or cause. Ideally, all politics would also be removed from what qualifies as a charity but unfortunately, certain divisive causes still qualify, so it is, and always should be up to each charitable donor what causes they wish to support. Critics of large donors sometimes argue that billionaire donors often disproportionately influence their pet causes through their large donations. I find this argument specious - where else would the money come from? I also find people who criticize giving as opposed to doing shallow-minded; not everyone is cut out to be a "doer". Likewise the argument that small donations don't matter makes little sense - does less money provide more benefit to help support a cause? The real issue is how charities are managed and whether the primary benefit inures to the charitable cause as it should, or to the administrators. More scrutiny should be placed on the latter.

Blake, consider the folks here, the amount of time they've been investing and the advice they are giving you. They've seen a lot more in the way of disruption than you have and their conclusions are to invest in great, durable businesses and largely ignore most macro events. It doesn't get any more direct and simple than that. You can accept their advice or ignore it. Many of them are in financial/net worth brackets that you undoubtedly hope to be. BTW, like many young investors, I had to retrain my mind and rid it of many investing preconceptions early on, among them worrying about macro stuff.

Accurate. They were obliterated. And will be again. And again, if necessary. Is it that hard to understand that nothing is ever permanent but that doesn't mean you ignore the problem altogether and don't make it right?

When Israel has had enough they will destroy Iran's oil facilities and the remaining regime members will scatter like cockroaches. The Iranian regime is done. It's only a question of when, not if. Ain't no surviving this time.

@Viking perfect example with Covid as an analogy to Iran; we saw it coming from a mile (and a decade) away yet only the US and Israel finally did anything about it.

Regarding Israel and The Middle East? Directly from the source.

Not his proudest moment, for sure.

Please don't confuse outspokenness with prejudice or bigotry. People need to speak up on morality yet rarely do. That is one reason why the US is in the position it is in now.

Right; when I owned it AMZN was not really a tech company at all. If anything, it was a future tech company that sold books. You were buying prospects that were not yet evident other than to those on the inside and those with a lot of faith. But I disagree that AMZN today is like a bond. Yes, its current business is fairly predictable but there is certainly a degree of optionality, similar to MSFT and AAPL. You're buying brainpower. Same with this Board's namesakes; if anyone believed they were done acquiring new businesses who would own them?

I meant as to me - you deemed me culpable. But yes, I have strong opinions on morality.

Yep. That's the bottom line; the World is not always pretty and nice. You don't play nice with mean people and regimes. You take a moral stand. We did just that.

Please be specific.

LOL, I'm not even smart enough to understand the term "value investor". Most investors (as opposed to traders) use value principles to evaluate an investment, i.e., buying a dollar for less than a dollar. As for AMZN? You could say I was smart and dumb. I bought the stock in 1997. And am perhaps one of the only multi-year shareholders who didn't make any money. But the education was worth a lot more. And the idea that patience is far more important than price.

If anything, this Board shows it is 100% doable. What is the point in holding cash you don't need for day to day expenses? There is a distinction to be made in holding cash for future investment and having access to cash for the same purpose. To me, one is much wiser than the other.

Blake, I was in Gaza since it became a hell hole. Where do you get your information?

But value investors don't buy, or care about the market. Value investors for the most part avoided internet stocks. The point is, there is always something better than cash.

Wake up, Blake. Gaza was already a "hellscape". Hamas turned it into one. You're smarter than that.

Any minority will immediately recognize prejudice when it is couched in language most others find acceptable. I only see that from one poster here. If you see it, why don't you call it out? Perpetrators of such prejudice are pure cowards. They would lose or run away in any fair fight.

Agree with all that. But two years is a long time and a lot of opportunity cost, no?

No, Sanveev, and from what I have read, no one on this board is "blatant antimuslim". But only one poster (who posts) is a blatant antisemite, which demonstrates ignorance of a magnitude way beyond the pale.

Nah, just cryptic messaging. And don't all fiat currencies lose value? Which begs the question, why cash?

Sorry, Sanjeev there is no place in my world for blatant antisemites.

I think we all see the fallacy of fiat currencies and particularly the US dollar. One of the many reasons we are here and invest in productive assets.

Yep; misread it. Still wonder about cash the last couple years - there always seems to be something more worthwhile. As a Canadian and member of COBF, what would he have against Fairfax?