cwericb Posted April 14, 2025 Posted April 14, 2025 Long ago Hans Christian Andersen wrote a story in 1837 that contain many parallels to the present situation in the USA today. Hopefully there is an innocent child in the country that will speak up. Most here are probably familiar with the story behind the expression..."The Emperor Has No Clothes". But for those who are not... "The Emperor's New Clothes" Credit to "Bookey" The story takes place in a fictional kingdom ruled by an arrogant and vain emperor. The emperor is overly concerned with his appearance and spends most of his time and resources on his luxurious robes and garments. He is easily fooled by flattery and seeks constant validation from his advisors and subjects. [Does this remind us of anyone?] Word of the emperor's obsession with clothes reaches the ears of two cunning weavers who see an opportunity to exploit his vanity. They claim to be master weavers who possess a special fabric that is so exquisite and unique that it is invisible to anyone who is unfit for their position or "hopelessly stupid." They assure the emperor that only the wise and worthy can see the fabric, appealing to his ego and desire to be seen as intelligent and superior. The emperor, eager to acquire this extraordinary fabric, hires the weavers and provides them with all the materials and resources they need. As the weavers pretend to work diligently, the emperor's ministers, advisors, and even the emperor himself fail to see any progress on the fabric. However, driven by their fear of being labeled "unfit for their positions," they all pretend to see the fabric to avoid being perceived as foolish. The emperor, eager to acquire this extraordinary fabric, hires the weavers and provides them with all the materials and resources they need. As the weavers pretend to work diligently, the emperor's ministers, advisors, and even the emperor himself fail to see any progress on the fabric. However, driven by their fear of being labeled "unfit for their positions," they all pretend to see the fabric to avoid being perceived as foolish. The townspeople, who have also been swept up in the deception, enthusiastically cheer for the emperor's new clothes, despite seeing nothing at all. It is only when an innocent child speaks the truth, exclaiming that the emperor is naked, that everyone begins to realize the extent of their collective delusion. Slowly, the truth spreads throughout the city, and the emperor's foolishness becomes apparent to all. The Emperor's New Clothes is a timeless tale that explores themes of vanity, hypocrisy, and the power of truth. It serves as a cautionary reminder of the dangers of deceit and the importance of staying true to oneself, no matter how appealing falsehoods may be. The story's enduring appeal lies in its ability to entertain, amuse, and impart valuable lessons that remain relevant today. 5 Key Lessons From The Emperor's New Clothes 1. The power of collective delusion: The main lesson of "The Emperor's New Clothes" is that people are often swayed by social pressure and are afraid to speak their truth, even when the truth is obvious. In the story, everyone pretends to see the emperor's new clothes because they fear being perceived as stupid or unfit for their position. This highlights how fear of judgment and desire for social acceptance can cloud people's judgment and lead to collective delusion. 2. The danger of vanity and self-importance: The Emperor in the story is portrayed as vain and arrogant, which ultimately leads him to become the victim of a conniving tailor. The tale warns against excessive pride and self-importance and shows that such qualities can blind individuals to reality and make them vulnerable to manipulation. 3. The importance of critical thinking: The story emphasizes the significance of critical thinking and questioning authority. In the narrative, it is only a young child who speaks the truth, unaffected by societal expectations and outside pressures. This teaches readers the importance of thinking independently and objectively, rather than blindly following the crowd. 4. The value of honesty and transparency: "The Emperor's New Clothes" underscores the importance of honesty and transparency in leadership. The emperor's dishonesty about the non-existent clothes he believed he was wearing demonstrates the harmful consequences of leaders who lack honesty and transparency, as it can lead to the creation of false narratives and the erosion of trust. 5. The liberation of embracing authenticity: One of the key takeaways from the book is that embracing one's true self and speaking the truth can be empowering and liberating. The young child who points out that the emperor is naked demonstrates the courage to be authentic and the freedom that comes from not conforming to societal expectations. This encourages readers to value authenticity and to be brave enough to speak their truth, even if it goes against popular opinion.
Blake Hampton Posted April 14, 2025 Posted April 14, 2025 If I remember correctly, Ukraine gave up its missiles during the Budapest Memorandum in exchange for security assurances from the United States. Seems like that turned out to be a bunch of baloney. After 2008, I remember listening to Jamie Dimon once say he’d be pretty skeptical about making deals with the government, because a deal with one administration can mean jack-shit to another. If I were a country—especially after watching this whole mess—I would never give up my nukes. Never.
Blake Hampton Posted April 14, 2025 Posted April 14, 2025 "When you start a war..." Why did we vote for this orange idiot.
Viking Posted April 14, 2025 Posted April 14, 2025 1 hour ago, Ulti said: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-memo-by-howard-marks/id1521551570?i=1000702912353 don’t know if this is a repost… I’ve always enjoyed reading Marks thoughts I just finished listening to it... good overview of the current situation. Great title: 'Nobody knows. (Yet again.)'
Ulti Posted April 14, 2025 Posted April 14, 2025 21 minutes ago, Viking said: I just finished listening to it... good overview of the current situation. Great title: 'Nobody knows. (Yet again.)' Viking …. As a Canadian , maybe you can help… after reading this , a variety of other sources and thinking ( which is a dangerous thing for an old man) ; …..I can’t help but believe no matter who is elected that the Canadian economy is going to do well over the next 3 years….money is going to flow back into Canadian pensions etc from the US…. And the government is going to buildout to achieve some type of independence from the USA…If so , how does one invest accordingly? VCE? I’m long Suncor and that’s it..( I’m also looking at Latin America and Brazil for different reasons)… Curious mind wants to know ( and I could totally be wrong)
Viking Posted April 14, 2025 Posted April 14, 2025 (edited) One of the big reasons communist governments fail (eventually) is because central planning usually does not work for advanced economies (we'll see in the next decade is China is able to pull it off). (Yes, central planning can work great in the early stages of economic development). Why doesn't it work? Resources are not allocated optimally/efficiently. And corruption becomes endemic. What we are seeing play out in the US in recent weeks is mind blowing. Yes, that sounds like hyperbole but I don't think it is in this case. Who is allocating resources? 'Donald Zedong.' Think about that long and hard. Corruption is ramping massively in size and scale - in plain sight of everyone - and is becoming normalized/institutionalized. Think about that long and hard. With these two developments is the US better off today than it was 2 months ago? The US is devolving into a banana republic (politically and economically). And there is nothing people can do about it. Because most people don't want to do anything about it. And the people who do are largely powerless. (The House/Senate/Courts are largely powerless/not equipped to deal with these developments.) Two months ago, the narrative was 'American exceptionalism.' I was drinking that Kool-Aid. Today? I feel like I am watching a slow moving train wreck - that will be playing out in the coming years (it is likely just getting started). That is simply amazing. PS: I have no doubt the US will get through this period. But it will likely be a poorer country with less influence on the global stage - the opposite of 'American exceptionalism.' (And all countries will likely be worse off.) Edited April 14, 2025 by Viking
John Hjorth Posted April 14, 2025 Posted April 14, 2025 (edited) 4 hours ago, cwericb said: Long ago Hans Christian Andersen wrote a story in 1837 that contain many parallels to the present situation in the USA today. Hopefully there is an innocent child in the country that will speak up. Most here are probably familiar with the story behind the expression..."The Emperor Has No Clothes". But for those who are not... "The Emperor's New Clothes" Credit to "Bookey" The story takes place in a fictional kingdom ruled by an arrogant and vain emperor. The emperor is overly concerned with his appearance and spends most of his time and resources on his luxurious robes and garments. He is easily fooled by flattery and seeks constant validation from his advisors and subjects. [Does this remind us of anyone?] Word of the emperor's obsession with clothes reaches the ears of two cunning weavers who see an opportunity to exploit his vanity. They claim to be master weavers who possess a special fabric that is so exquisite and unique that it is invisible to anyone who is unfit for their position or "hopelessly stupid." They assure the emperor that only the wise and worthy can see the fabric, appealing to his ego and desire to be seen as intelligent and superior. The emperor, eager to acquire this extraordinary fabric, hires the weavers and provides them with all the materials and resources they need. As the weavers pretend to work diligently, the emperor's ministers, advisors, and even the emperor himself fail to see any progress on the fabric. However, driven by their fear of being labeled "unfit for their positions," they all pretend to see the fabric to avoid being perceived as foolish. The emperor, eager to acquire this extraordinary fabric, hires the weavers and provides them with all the materials and resources they need. As the weavers pretend to work diligently, the emperor's ministers, advisors, and even the emperor himself fail to see any progress on the fabric. However, driven by their fear of being labeled "unfit for their positions," they all pretend to see the fabric to avoid being perceived as foolish. The townspeople, who have also been swept up in the deception, enthusiastically cheer for the emperor's new clothes, despite seeing nothing at all. It is only when an innocent child speaks the truth, exclaiming that the emperor is naked, that everyone begins to realize the extent of their collective delusion. Slowly, the truth spreads throughout the city, and the emperor's foolishness becomes apparent to all. The Emperor's New Clothes is a timeless tale that explores themes of vanity, hypocrisy, and the power of truth. It serves as a cautionary reminder of the dangers of deceit and the importance of staying true to oneself, no matter how appealing falsehoods may be. The story's enduring appeal lies in its ability to entertain, amuse, and impart valuable lessons that remain relevant today. 5 Key Lessons From The Emperor's New Clothes 1. The power of collective delusion: The main lesson of "The Emperor's New Clothes" is that people are often swayed by social pressure and are afraid to speak their truth, even when the truth is obvious. In the story, everyone pretends to see the emperor's new clothes because they fear being perceived as stupid or unfit for their position. This highlights how fear of judgment and desire for social acceptance can cloud people's judgment and lead to collective delusion. 2. The danger of vanity and self-importance: The Emperor in the story is portrayed as vain and arrogant, which ultimately leads him to become the victim of a conniving tailor. The tale warns against excessive pride and self-importance and shows that such qualities can blind individuals to reality and make them vulnerable to manipulation. 3. The importance of critical thinking: The story emphasizes the significance of critical thinking and questioning authority. In the narrative, it is only a young child who speaks the truth, unaffected by societal expectations and outside pressures. This teaches readers the importance of thinking independently and objectively, rather than blindly following the crowd. 4. The value of honesty and transparency: "The Emperor's New Clothes" underscores the importance of honesty and transparency in leadership. The emperor's dishonesty about the non-existent clothes he believed he was wearing demonstrates the harmful consequences of leaders who lack honesty and transparency, as it can lead to the creation of false narratives and the erosion of trust. 5. The liberation of embracing authenticity: One of the key takeaways from the book is that embracing one's true self and speaking the truth can be empowering and liberating. The young child who points out that the emperor is naked demonstrates the courage to be authentic and the freedom that comes from not conforming to societal expectations. This encourages readers to value authenticity and to be brave enough to speak their truth, even if it goes against popular opinion. This is an awesome analogy to 'The Emperors New Clothes', Eric [ @cwericb ], I'm living in Odense, the Danish city, where Hans Christian Andersen was born. In the summer months, the favorite café of the Lady of The House and I is located in down town Odense just beside a group of three figures in molded brass on a not so dominant or flamboyant piedestal / plateau, created by tiles. In front of it is a plate, in the tiles, also in brass, with the inscription : 'Donated by Bendix Nova Gruppen 1988' Here is a photo of it : More photos here. By then, I was the group audit manager of a private group with 32 subsidiaries of the parent, two of the 33 companies listed, one of them Bendix Nova Gruppen, the other a bank operating locally, and subsidiary of Bendix Nova Gruppen, called Bendix Bank. The owner of the group was a then 39 years old man, who had moved back home around late 1970s after a carrier as stockbroker in Copenhagen, with some money in the pockets [nice guy, but basically an empty suit]. In 1988, he locally had status of city tycoon, but it was basically all borrowed feathers, he adorned himself with. Two cars : A Jaguar XJ 4.2 and Porche 928 S, enormous villa at the most expensive street and address in town at that time. All provided as free from his personal holding company, so according to Danish tax code he was taxed the crap out of him because of that. Things weren't exactly going too well, to say it mildly. At the annual meeting in May 1988 in Bendix Nova Gruppen, there was a proposal from the board of a zero dividend. A shareholder took the podium and asked it really could be right, that the company had donated the above monument to the City of Odense in March, and there was no dividend to him in the same year, then, 'this' year. He also mentioned that he had read in the local newspaper, that the artist Kjeld Mosehome Jørgensen had got DKK 800,000 for it. He was so appalled. [ ]. Even 'better' in the end of May same, an inspection of the bank by the Danish FSA took place, and concluded material further provisions for loan losses was required. In June, the bank financing the whole thing levered to the sky, panicked, and pulled the plug on all financing of the group over a weekend, after which the whole group collapsed as a house of cards. - - - o 0 o - - - Every time, I see a kid start climbing the Emperor, I get protective, and approch the kid and ask to get down, so no harm is done. Some times I get the answer,: 'Is that really necessary' [he indeed seems quite solid] or even better 'naturally I'll mind not to break the stick', which I then have correct, say 'It's not a stick, it's the emperors scepter!'. [ ] - - - o 0 o - - - Basically, everything is about appearances and perceptions. Edited April 14, 2025 by John Hjorth
dealraker Posted April 14, 2025 Posted April 14, 2025 A little chat from Richard Bernstein who I have followed for some years:
Parsad Posted April 14, 2025 Posted April 14, 2025 This guy is the new Dan Quayle! Cheers! https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/article/jd-vance-drops-piece-of-ohio-states-cfp-championship-trophy-during-white-house-visit-after-it-splits-in-his-hands-211433400.html
Viking Posted April 14, 2025 Posted April 14, 2025 (edited) 45 minutes ago, Ulti said: Viking …. As a Canadian , maybe you can help… after reading this , a variety of other sources and thinking ( which is a dangerous thing for an old man) ; …..I can’t help but believe no matter who is elected that the Canadian economy is going to do well over the next 3 years….money is going to flow back into Canadian pensions etc from the US…. And the government is going to buildout to achieve some type of independence from the USA…If so , how does one invest accordingly? VCE? I’m long Suncor and that’s it..( I’m also looking at Latin America and Brazil for different reasons)… Curious mind wants to know ( and I could totally be wrong) @Ulti , I am not as optimistic as you. GDP per capita in Canada is flat over the past 10 years? Why? I see 2 reasons: Housing bubble - not a productive use of resources Liberal government taking the government hard left - the federal Liberal government has become the NDP (in terms of its policies). Canada's economy is broken (capitalism is the devil and government is the solution). Its fiscal situation is terrible. The Liberals are likely going to win the election. Carney is Trudeau light. Nothing substantial is going to change with Carney at the helm (in terms of direction/policy). He is running a great campaign... He reversed some obviously unpopular things (like the carbon tax on consumers) but not because he thinks it is bad policy but because it is not popular. He says we need to build pipelines - but he will not repeal bill C69, which effectively makes it impossible to build a pipeline. Carney's solutions ALL have a similar logic: 'government is the answer.' Remember, this is the same government who created many of the problems (remember - GDP per capita in Canada has been flat for the past 10 years). I think we are going to get financial repression in Canada in the coming years - highish inflation (3%) and very low interest rates. Terrible for savers (like my 93 year old mother-in-law) and great for highly leveraged borrowers (like the federal government). In terms of what to invest in, everyone needs to figure this out for themself. There is no right thing to do... it depends. I started raising cash two months ago. I have deployed a little recently (in XEQT, a global ETF) but I am in no hurry. I continue to really like Fairfax (it looks like a great defensive holding in the current environment, which sounds a little bizarre given this is Fairfax). Best of luck Edited April 14, 2025 by Viking
Ulti Posted April 14, 2025 Posted April 14, 2025 1 minute ago, Viking said: In terms of what to invest in, everyone needs to figure this out for themself. There I’m good with that and have a high cash position…. I thought Carney was going to be better than that…. He sounds like our governor from California… a )@)& progressive trying to rebrand himself to run in 28. But I guess a leopard can’t change his spots
Viking Posted April 14, 2025 Posted April 14, 2025 (edited) 5 minutes ago, Ulti said: I’m good with that and have a high cash position…. I thought Carney was going to be better than that…. He sounds like our governor from California… a )@)& progressive trying to rebrand himself to run in 28. But I guess a leopard can’t change his spots +1 The interesting thing is older people (boomers) in Canada do not want anything to change... they have it very good today. The economic malaise (to put it politely) is not affecting them - so I get why they will vote Liberal (giving them another 4 years). Edited April 14, 2025 by Viking
Ulti Posted April 14, 2025 Posted April 14, 2025 1 minute ago, Viking said: e interesting thing is older people (boomers) in Canada do not want anything to change. But don’t these “golden oldies“ realize that changes are getting ready to hit them in the ass? I know all my old friends down. Here are realizing that changes rapidly happening and they’re gonna have to adapt… It’s just not the way it was. And this is irregardless of whatever political persuasion you are.
Ulti Posted April 14, 2025 Posted April 14, 2025 30 minutes ago, Viking said: continue to really like Fairfax (it looks like a great defensive holding in the current environment, which sounds a little bizarre given this is Fairfax And it sounds like I need to read up on the Fairfax thread
Spekulatius Posted April 14, 2025 Posted April 14, 2025 @John Hjorth One of the guys indeed looks like Trump
Spekulatius Posted April 15, 2025 Posted April 15, 2025 (edited) 12 hours ago, Xerxes said: Global economies got pulled out of the Great Depression thanks to the onset of the world war …. with Germany leading the way through its massive rearmament. it is sad to think that we needed a world war to get humanity out of first gear into higher gear The economies would have recovered without WW2. In fact the Nazi cam to power at a great time was great time, when the economy had bottomed anyways in 1933, as other countries In Europe showed. The Nazis turbocharged it with infrastructure spent (the Autobahn network was build and doubled up as a logistics networks for the German army within Germany) and later defense spending. However, even without this stimulus, I think the German economy would ah e recovers albeit slowly. Edited April 15, 2025 by Spekulatius
Jaygo Posted April 15, 2025 Posted April 15, 2025 34 minutes ago, Spekulatius said: Global economies got pulled out of the Great Depression thanks to the onset of the world war …. with Germany leading the way through its massive rearmament. it is sad to think that we needed a world war to get humanity out of first gear into higher gear 34 minutes ago, Spekulatius said: The economies would have recovered without WW2. In fact the Nazi cam to power at a great time was great time, when the economy had bottomed anyways in 1933, as other countries In Europe showed. The Nazis turbocharged it with infrastructure spent (the Autobahn network was build and doubled up as a logistics networks for the German army within Germany) and later defense spending. However, even without this stimulus, I think the German economy would ah e recovers albeit slowly. That kind of thinking always irks me. It somehow shines light on what was a disgusting and heart wrenching human experience. WW2 could have been replaced by Aliens or an asteroid, or anything else that focuses the attention of the world to allow the economy to reach its full productive capacity. Rarely if ever has an economy reached productive capacity. No offence to myself or my peers here but none of us produce anything while we sit and type and read and bicker. If we had a real guiding light to focus on we wouldn't spend our day on a chat room. Multiply an increase in output by 8 billion people and we could all be living with far greater prosperity. I think a big reason I am so against income taxes is because they are inherently anti-productive. They cause people to work a little less hard and the effect is hundreds of millions of the most potentially productive people working less by taking potential capital from the people who will deploy it the fastest. I think we need a JFK style man on the moon in this decade type of thinking but for a wide range of things to get us out of this funk, the problem is so many of the best and brightest think money is the object and waste an incredible amount of resources on it. Lets say all these dipshit PE guys ( I befriend many so i'm allowed to speak that truth) spent less time focusing on their frequent flyer miles, rolling up HVAC companies and youth sports leagues and spent their many talents on bringing safe drinking water to Canada's north or crushing child exploitation etc. I can rattle off good causes all day and we dont have to kill 80 million people and send millions of tons of steel to the bottom of the Ocean to jumpstart the economy. The problem is nobody really cares. If our "NEW Deal" was the administration spent 1% of GDP eradicating every individual who was even remotely involved in child trafficking I would be damn happy to increase the deficit. Get me 36 more great causes at 1% of GDP and you would equal the USA's portion of GDP that went into WW2. What WW2 and its the effect on the economy shows is that much of our restrictions are self imposed. Money wasn't much of a hindrance when the specter of total annihilation was present. Deep down we all kind of know money does not exist, money is simply the mechanism we use to get others to help us therefor money is not the limiting factor, it is our willingness to help each other towards a common goal. War is "GDP" positive but capital negative in that is steals capital from the future and destroys it today. Building a house is "GDP" positive and capital positive as it increases the capital stock of the location the house is in. The Amish teaming up and building a house is "GDP" neutral but capital positive. Once you realize what the economy is you will realized that WW2 didn't get the world out of the great depression just like Hurricane Sandy didn't help East Coast's Economy. If someone said lets figure out cancer! money be damned and we spent 3 trillion dollars on it. Everyone would say that's a worthy cause but we cant afford it. Well it's equivalent would be the entire working population of France working towards that goal for one year. Crazy right, but we have 3.6 Billion working people globally so for the global population to support the French on this incredible endeavour would require every 120 people globally to pool together and help out 1 French hero. That sounds more reasonable to irradicate a disease that has a negative affect on almost every human. This kind of thinking is what is needed globally to make human beings more cohesive and boost productivity.
backtothebeach Posted April 15, 2025 Posted April 15, 2025 9 hours ago, dwy000 said: Start a war?????? The man is a moron. In context, it is clear Trump thinks that Biden and Zelensky let the war happen, obviously not that Zelensky actively started it. A few minutes before he said: “That’s a war that never should’ve been allowed to happen, and Biden could’ve stopped it, and Zelensky could’ve stopped it, and Putin never should’ve started it.”
backtothebeach Posted April 15, 2025 Posted April 15, 2025 2 minutes ago, Spekulatius said: No comment: “Working in manufacturing” sounds much better than “working in a factory”. The tendency would probably still hold if they asked the same question, but why the fuck does everything has to be biased?
Parsad Posted April 15, 2025 Posted April 15, 2025 30 minutes ago, Spekulatius said: No comment: Yes, and let's bring back millions of manufacturing jobs when technology and robotics will replace many of those millions of jobs in the name of efficiency and cost savings. What are we doing here? Breaking apart the advantages the U.S. actually has...META, GOOGL, AAPL, MSFT...and bringing back jobs that left for a very specific reason! Is the U.S and the world better because Standard Oil was broken apart? Nope! Cheers!
Hsmpanl Posted April 15, 2025 Posted April 15, 2025 53 minutes ago, Jaygo said: That kind of thinking always irks me. It somehow shines light on what was a disgusting and heart wrenching human experience. WW2 could have been replaced by Aliens or an asteroid, or anything else that focuses the attention of the world to allow the economy to reach its full productive capacity. Rarely if ever has an economy reached productive capacity. No offence to myself or my peers here but none of us produce anything while we sit and type and read and bicker. If we had a real guiding light to focus on we wouldn't spend our day on a chat room. Multiply an increase in output by 8 billion people and we could all be living with far greater prosperity. I think a big reason I am so against income taxes is because they are inherently anti-productive. They cause people to work a little less hard and the effect is hundreds of millions of the most potentially productive people working less by taking potential capital from the people who will deploy it the fastest. I think we need a JFK style man on the moon in this decade type of thinking but for a wide range of things to get us out of this funk, the problem is so many of the best and brightest think money is the object and waste an incredible amount of resources on it. Lets say all these dipshit PE guys ( I befriend many so i'm allowed to speak that truth) spent less time focusing on their frequent flyer miles, rolling up HVAC companies and youth sports leagues and spent their many talents on bringing safe drinking water to Canada's north or crushing child exploitation etc. I can rattle off good causes all day and we dont have to kill 80 million people and send millions of tons of steel to the bottom of the Ocean to jumpstart the economy. The problem is nobody really cares. If our "NEW Deal" was the administration spent 1% of GDP eradicating every individual who was even remotely involved in child trafficking I would be damn happy to increase the deficit. Get me 36 more great causes at 1% of GDP and you would equal the USA's portion of GDP that went into WW2. What WW2 and its the effect on the economy shows is that much of our restrictions are self imposed. Money wasn't much of a hindrance when the specter of total annihilation was present. Deep down we all kind of know money does not exist, money is simply the mechanism we use to get others to help us therefor money is not the limiting factor, it is our willingness to help each other towards a common goal. War is "GDP" positive but capital negative in that is steals capital from the future and destroys it today. Building a house is "GDP" positive and capital positive as it increases the capital stock of the location the house is in. The Amish teaming up and building a house is "GDP" neutral but capital positive. Once you realize what the economy is you will realized that WW2 didn't get the world out of the great depression just like Hurricane Sandy didn't help East Coast's Economy. If someone said lets figure out cancer! money be damned and we spent 3 trillion dollars on it. Everyone would say that's a worthy cause but we cant afford it. Well it's equivalent would be the entire working population of France working towards that goal for one year. Crazy right, but we have 3.6 Billion working people globally so for the global population to support the French on this incredible endeavour would require every 120 people globally to pool together and help out 1 French hero. That sounds more reasonable to irradicate a disease that has a negative affect on almost every human. This kind of thinking is what is needed globally to make human beings more cohesive and boost productivity. I really like this, and it makes perfect sense to me. Here’s to hoping
Spekulatius Posted April 15, 2025 Posted April 15, 2025 (edited) 35 minutes ago, backtothebeach said: “Working in manufacturing” sounds much better than “working in a factory”. The tendency would probably still hold if they asked the same question, but why the fuck does everything has to be biased? Because people actually have to work on factory floors. Some jobs in manufacturing are more like service jobs. These are the supply chain guys, admins, HR etc. They never see the factory. But many jobs are actually factory floors jobs. This includes engineers too. Ever worked 8 hours straight in a clean room? I have. Can’t wear make up or have long fingernails (those will punch through gloves) which already kills the job for 1/3 of the women at least from the get go. I run equipment myself (to troubleshoot processes and issues. You need to walk the floor because not all the date gets to your Remote Desktop.Some work is off shift too, because factories run 2 shifts and sometimes 3 so you get off hour issues. Nit that many people want these jobs because manufacturing jobs actually don’t pay that well, Even for factory operators/ workers with some skills can often find easier strive jobs for the same money because the gap between manufacturing jobs and service jobs has closed significantly the last few years. Heck out what a manufacturing associate makes- quick google search ~$20/ h give or take. My son made more than that jobbing at restaurant in his last year in high school. He made almost as much jobbing in our local supermarket. These jobs are also much easier. I have seen quite a few manufacturing tech leave for service jobs for the same or more money, sometimes times working at restaurants, retail, state jobs (much better benefits) and what not. This is not the fifties or 60’s anymore where manufacturing jobs paid much better then service jobs. That story was over 25 years ago and even more so since COVID-19 which lead to a huge bump in lay for service jobs but not for manufacturing jobs. people really don’t want these jobs any more and companies have trouble filling them, Maybe if they pay much more than they do now, but I do not see this happening. Edited April 15, 2025 by Spekulatius
backtothebeach Posted April 15, 2025 Posted April 15, 2025 5 minutes ago, Spekulatius said: Because people actually have to work on factory floors. Some jobs in manufacturing are more like service jobs. These are the supply chain guys, admins, HR etc. They never see the factory. But many jobs are actually factory floors jobs. This includes engineers too. Ever worked 8 hours straight in a clean room? I have. Can’t wear make up or have long fingernails (those will punch through gloves) which already kills the job for 1/3 of the women at least from the get go. I run equipment myself (to troubleshoot processes and issues. You need to walk the floor because not all the date gets to your Remote Desktop.Some work is off shift too, because factories run 2 shifts and sometimes 3 so you get off hour issues. Nit that many people want these jobs because manufacturing jobs actually don’t pay that well, Even for factory operators/ workers with some skills can often find easier strive jobs for the same money because the gap between manufacturing jobs and service jobs has closed significantly the last few years. Heck out what a manufacturing associate makes- quick google search ~$20/ h give or take. My son made more than that jobbing at restaurant in his last year in high school. He made almost as much jobbing in our local supermarket. These jobs are also much easier. I have seen quite a few manufacturing tech leave for service jobs for the same or more money, sometimes times working at restaurants, retail, state jobs (much better benefits) and what not. This is not the fifties or 60’s anymore where manufacturing jobs paid much better then service jobs. That story was over 25 years ago and even more so since COVID-19 which lead to a huge bump in lay for service jobs but not for manufacturing jobs. people really don’t want these jobs any more and companies have trouble filling them, Maybe if they pay much more than they do now, but I do not see this happening. Thank you for the inside view. Didn’t realize these jobs paid so poorly. (Financial Times still should have worded the questions identically IMO).
alpha Posted April 15, 2025 Posted April 15, 2025 There could be some significant tax changes coming for Canadian investors, it's hard to believe this is getting any traction from Republicans. Quote But under the proposed draft legislation – known as H.R. 591 – Canadian investors could be now be denied the reduction and required to pay the higher 30-per-cent rate. Investors would also be subject to the additional 20-percentage-point rate hike, bringing their withholding tax rate to 50 per cent. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-proposed-republican-tax-change-would-lead-to-spike-in-costs-for/
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