cwericb

Cubs we don't often agree but I am with you 100% on this. Those in charge of Japan at the time were completely ruthless and life was relatively worthless. Death and torture by the Japanese was commonplace and quite acceptable. To end the war with an invasion would have taken as many as 1,000,000 lives. On the other hand the two A bombs killed approximately 200,000 people and ended the war. Further, and what many tend to forget, the nightly B-29 raids in 1945 were fire bombing Japanese cities and were burning to death as many as 100,000 Japanese people per NIGHT. Personally, I would much rather be vaporized than burned to death. But those critical of dropping the bombs seem to overlook the hard truths of the situation. I knew a guy who was in the Canadian army and posted in Singapore when the Japanese took the city in early 1942. He was captured and spent the balance of the war in prison camps. People today have no concept of the situation in 1940's Japan. And those who who like to apply present day morals to decisions made 80 years ago do a great disservice to those who fought and died for our present day lives and society. Here is a small example for those who don't know. The Sandakan Death Marches (1945) The Sandakan Death Marches directly involved Allied prisoners of war (POWs) who were captured during the fall of Singapore in 1942. The Background: Thousands of Australian and British POWs captured at Singapore were shipped to labor camps in Sandakan, North Borneo (now Malaysia). The Marches: As the war neared its end in 1945, Japanese forces, fearing an Allied rescue, forced emaciated and sick POWs to march hundreds of kilometers through the dense Bornean jungle into the interior. The Outcome: Of the roughly 2,500 Allied prisoners (1,787 Australians and 641 British) forced to march, only six Australians survived by escaping into the jungle. The rest died from starvation, disease, exhaustion, or execution The number of prisoners who died in Japanese POW camps was 7-8 times higher than those who failed to survive German POW camps in WWII.

Trump only believes in retaliation when he is doing the retaliation and if you mentioned Machiavelli to Trump, he would want to know where he was so he could call DHS to have him deported.

I can't see any way Trump would agree to anything even resembling that as it would be a total loss for the US.

The "great deal maker" couldn't properly order a taco at Taco Bell. I bet he couldn't tell you if a taco was $5.00 or $500. No concept of the real world the rest of us live in.

When will the US ever learn that you can have the biggest navy, the fastest air force and the most well equipped army in the world and still not be able to win a war? It truly takes a special group of media star idiots to start a war with a third world country and arrogantly believe they can win it in days and yet months later be in a worse position then before they started. The middle east has been sucked in to a conflict they didn't want, the price of oil, LNG, fertilizer, etc has pushed the inflation rate past 4% - and counting - all because these brainless twits started a war that they are now desperately trying to convince the world they won.

That is a great question, I just wish I had a great answer. I am now probably one of the oldest guys on this board now. As such, I have to factor that in. But short answer, I have faith in Fairfax and it's management. Fairfax is still a long term hold for me and over the last 20 years I have been rewarded for patiently holding. The company seems to be in a far better place than it was, say ten years ago and I also think the company is much more widely known and followed now than previously, which is a plus.

Had the exact conversation with my better half Saturday morning and she asked the exact same question. I also had no real answer other than to say these things tend to happen to Fairfax from time to time for no real reason. Kinda felt like a moron because I could not explain the situation, and yeah, there is the net worth roller coaster. I told her that I have every confidence that share price will get back on track, my only concern is when as I am not getting any younger. With Fairfax at around 50% of my portfolio I have not been adding, but I have no intention of selling either. There have been days that tend to make me reach for the Rolaids though. By the way Crip, I'm the guy that stumbled onto this board 20 years ago and paid close attention to every one of your posts at the time because you always seemed to ask or answer ask the same questions that I had and you were one of the posters that influenced me jump into Fairfax. I thank you for that. There has been a lot of ups and downs with Fairfax over those 20 years but I'm still here.

Right on! And you can see examples of their cultists on this board. The one thing those leaders all have in common is their ability to influence their followers to believe the hate and lies spewed by those leaders. And, their followers will attempt to justify those distorted ideas and 'facts' by quoting information indirectly provided by those same leaders. It is mind boggling how so many reasonably intelligent people can be susceptible to the propaganda spewed by these divisive leaders. Are they cultists? Well look at how some posters here will emulate Trump's arrogance in attacking dissenters personally when they have no facts to present. So they attack the poster when they have no facts to which to defer. Look at how some of those same posters will emulate Trump's habit by referring to others by childish names. "Pocahontas", "Crooked Joe", "Governor Carney", etc etc. Then look at how the cult tries to sell that Trump is winning his personal war with Iran. But.... 1) No regime change. 2) No recovery of enriched uranium. 3) No agreement on giving up nuclear ambitions. 4) No "obliteration" of nuclear Iran's nuclear facilities. 5) No reduction of Iran's thousands of missiles and drones and the ability to produce thousands more. 6) One success? Trump succeeded in raising the price of petroleum and all things affected by that increase.

The Cult has been pretty lately given the fiasco in the Middle East and with Comrade Trump kissing Xi's ass. Funny how the Trumpers were so critical of Biden's deal with Iran. Looking pretty good now. And what ever happened to that "No more foreign wars" from the cult. And now we have inflation and shortages - mostly due to Trumps disastrous war with Iran pushing up prices of......... Petroleum, price increases hitting everything from your car to jet fuel Fertilizer, pricing farmers out of business Aluminium, used in everything from aeroplanes to beer cans. Helium, critical for the medical field and in the manufacturing of semiconductors, fiber optics, pressurizing rockets, welding, specialized breathing, etc, etc. Who is a major exporter of Petroleum, Fertilizer, Aluminium and Helium?? Oh Canada! And the major customer as prices increase? God Bless America!

Thanks. I was aware you are a doctor WB and was wondering if you might comment (thanks). Surprised to find we have both had prostrate cancer and have recovered. I am an old guy, but when you say your PSA was only 6 and mine was in the mid 80's it kind of puts things in perspective, not much wonder my docs were surprised that it had not spread. Since my experience I have been fairly vocal on the subject with people I know. I guess I really dodged a bullet and urge everyone to get checked. It is so simple. Have a doc, nurse, whoever draw a little blood, it gets sent to a lab, checked for PSA level, and if the level is zero or just a bit higher, you're probably good, if it is elevated you may have a problem that you can probably fix easily and save your life. This test is so SIMPLE, PAINLESS and it can SAVE YOUR LIFE. Here are some stats: on Prostate Cancer........ Lifetime Risk: 1 in 8 men (US/Canada). Incidence: It accounts for roughly 20-23% of all new cancer cases in men. Age Factor: About 6 in 10 cases are diagnosed in men aged 65 or older.** Mortality: Roughly 1 in 44 men will die from the disease. Survival: When caught early, the 5-year survival rate is nearly 100 ** NOTE: That also means that 4 in 10 are younger than 65!

Glad to hear that Lazarus. You know, doctors are just like the rest of us. Some graduated top of their class and some just scraped through - not that either can't produce great doctors.. You kind have to just go with you gut and have the balls to be assertive even though it may not be easy. Congrats on that and being cancer free. I gave thought to starting this discussion as a separate topic, probably should have, but I will leave that up to Sanjeev as to see if he wants to transfer the discussion so to a new topic heading. As a separate discussion topic it could make a valuable contribution to the board. Since the board is more or less anonymous and there are some doctors on here there could be some interesting and informative discussions.

Thanks Cubs. I hesitated to post this, but then thought it might actually do some good. Look after yourself bud and please heed my advice. Even if you don't have any symptoms, a simple blood test will give you peace of mind or perhaps save your life.

Yup. But don't overlook the health industry which grossly overcharges Americans and does everything in its power to prevent any sort of government health plan. GUYS PLEASE READ THIS, IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE. I am a guy that has always done everything possible to avoid doctors, hospitals, etc. However, I was finding that, as they politely say, I had an increasingly "weak stream" when peeing in the toilet and, of course I kept putting off doing anything about it for several months. But, about a year and a half ago I finally went to a doctor told her the problem. She took blood and sent it for a blood test to check my PSA. I was told a PSA of 6-7 was high (?). Mine was 86. Cancer for sure. Since I am in reasonably good shape, my doctors (at least seven have been involved) decided to give me the full treatment including a biopsy, various scans and I forget what all else. With such a high PSA The urologist said he expected to have seen cancer in various organs but was very surprised to find no evidence of the cancer having spread. This happened right before Christmas so treatment was a bit delayed but it began about 3 weeks after the biopsy. Treatment involved twenty-five low dose radiation treatments sandwiched between two high dose radiation (Brachytherapy) treatments administered by a specialist in another province. The total cost to me was Zero. I also have been prescribed shots every three months for two years, 8 shots in total. In the US I believe those shots run $3,000 to $6,000 each. With our health care in Canada including the expense for the nurse who administers these shots cost me $15.94 each which is tax deductible. Bottom line 1) They tell me I now have no cancer and no measurable PSA. 2) Thank heaven Canada has free health care. 3) I believe that The US is the only G7 country without some sort of free health care. 4) Guys, HAVE YOUR PSA CHECKED REGULARLY!!

Interesting how this board has gone nearly silent as Trump starts to show his true colours and tells his cult he really doesn't give a damn about them as he boards his billion dollar plane to fly to meet his great friend Xi in China. The question now is, will he soon be gone with a pardon in his pocket and a bulging bank account at the expense of the American tax payer? Leaving his cult and others with a half billion dollar reno to the white house, a multi million dollar paint job to the Reflecting Pool and a golden arch shrine to himself? Not to mention leaving a horrific and expensive mess in the Middle East that he hopes to repopulate with elegant hotels and probably the occasional Motel 6. And also leaving an America that has snuggled up to Xi, Putin and Kim Jong Un, his "very good friends" - at the expense of virtually all of America's long time friends, trading partners and last but not least, the American tax payer.

Cubans in general are good, friendly and well educated people. I am sure you would have made some Cuban friends while you were staying with some local families. Most of our time has been spend in the Guardalavaca area in Holguin province. Changes over the past 20 years have been substantial. In the early years something like airbnb's, private tours, roadside stands, etc would have been unthinkable as there was no such thing as private businesses. Then, about ten years ago the government began to encouraged people to start their own business as a move away from socialism.

If that was directed at me I can assure you that I am not a "rich guy". As far as ulterior motives are concerned these are friends we have had for 15-20 years - long enough to know well who our true friends are. Yes, we used to take gifts for the children when they were small. Several of those children now are now adults holding management positions in some of the resorts and during our last couple of visits they couldn't do enough for us. I could explain further but it would end up being a small book. Also, I have been very open with my Cuban friends as far as the need for regime change. Their economy is a mess and no one knows it better than the Cuban people. It has gotten to the point that many Cubans want regime change but they are not sure that they want the US to come in and make them another Puerto Rico. You know that Puetro Rico where after being devastated by a hurricane a totally tone deaf Trump tossed out paper towels to the victims.

You appear to know a lot about Cuba and the Cuban people so I assume you must have toured the island quite extensively to have such knowledge of the country. I have only been there around 20 times over the past few decades, so what parts of the Island have given you such a negative view of the Island? I find the Cubans very, very friendly and in general well educated. You would probably agree with me that it is quite odd that some have a lot to say about Cuba having no first hand experience and only reflect opinions of others. I keep telling my Cuban friends that to advance their country they MUST change their government for the country to advance, but their answer is always, 'How do we do that, the government has all the control'. Do you run into the same sentiments from your Cuban friends?

We have been to Cuba about 18-19 times in the last 25 years. We spend very little time at resorts but have made many Cuban friends over the years. In fact, we skipped a few years because we would get so many invites for lunch, dinner, etc that it became a little overwhelming. A lot of our Cuban friends are considered family. Like with any other vacation, if you don't get away from the resorts and meet people on your own, you really don't get to know much about a country. Also, Cuba is a large country - it is close to 800 miles long. One shouldn't judge a country by one resort and one tour.

That is a very simplistic view. You overlook the financial restrictions placed on Cuba. Cuba is broke primarily because their trade has been severly restricted by the US for 65 years. However, their government must be changed for Cuba to progress.

I said no such thing. Don't try to twist my words. In the original post you said.................................... "Do you know any country that succeeded under communism? I replied: "Of course not. Communism takes away incentive." Now you say: Despite the fact that communism failed every time that is has been tried, over thirty times, you still believe that it can work. Good luck to you. Unfortunately my point went right over your head. I was trying to explain that it is the US blockade that has ruined the Cuban economy, not Communism. Any small country that is prevented from buying and selling goods with other countries, that country will likely fail, no mater if the government is communist or democratic. There is more to life than the economy. Perhaps you might like to educate yourself on the real situation in Cuba... Cuba is often cited as leading or outperforming the United States in several specific areas, primarily focused on social welfare and health: Infant Mortality Rates: Cuba often reports lower infant mortality rates than the United States. Literacy Rates: Cuba boasts a very high literacy rate, reported at 99.8%. Doctor-to-Patient Ratio: Cuba has one of the highest numbers of doctors per capita in the world, often exceeding that of the U.S.. Medical Internationalism: Cuba provides more medical personnel to developing nations than all G8 countries combined. Preventive Healthcare Focus: The healthcare system in Cuba is heavily focused on prevention and accessibility for all citizens. Elimination of Mother-to-Child Disease Transmission: In 2015, Cuba became the first country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of both HIV and syphilis. Homelessness: Cuba has reported virtually zero homelessness. Infant Mortality Rates: Cuba often reports lower infant mortality rates than the United States. Literacy Rates: Cuba boasts a very high literacy rate, reported at 99.8%. Doctor-to-Patient Ratio: Cuba has one of the highest numbers of doctors per capita in the world, often exceeding that of the U.S.. Medical Internationalism: Cuba provides more medical personnel to developing nations than all G8 countries combined. Preventive Healthcare Focus: The healthcare system in Cuba is heavily focused on prevention and accessibility for all citizens. Elimination of Mother-to-Child Disease Transmission: In 2015, Cuba became the first country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of both HIV and syphilis. Homelessness: Cuba has reported virtually zero homelessness.

Yeah. You have to really wonder what the motive is behind this. It is pretty obvious that Russia, North Korea and China are the big benefactors of U.S. destroying all its relations with it allies. Years ago, before Trump showed any great interest in politics, I read of his supposed connections to the Russian mob in New York. But who knows?

Oh believe me, I have seen empty shelves in Cuba and I have seen full shelves in Cuba - depending on the state of the American embargo. But the shelves were empty because Cuba is prevented from importing supplies due to the American embargo on imports. And the shelves are empty because of a lack of money because Cuba is prevented from exporting their products again, because of the American embargo. Now it may well be that the Cuban economy is in the toilet because of communism, but how do you know that, because if any small country is prevented from importing and exporting goods it is going to have a sick economy.

Well... Neither China nor Russia routinely and openly threatens to take over Canada. Neither China nor Russia has ever tried to punish the Canada's economy. Neither China nor Russia constantly and openly lies and insults Canada. Neither China nor Russia has had Canada's military support in it's numerous wars. One could could go on ... The United States Government under Trump has done, and is still doing everything they can to destroy the Canadian - American relationship. It will eventually improve, but it will never return to what it was. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. And who gains from this? Trumps best friends in China, Russia and North Korea. Sad.

Of course not. communism takes away incentive. But do you know of any country that was under a trade embargo for over 60 years and succeeded? How many countries do you know of that were under a trade embargo for over 60 years and even survived? It is irresponsibly cruel for a country to punish a people who have no control over their government simply because your country doesn't agree with their form of government. Why is the US so scared of Cuba?