Political Posts

[Blake Hampton]

2 hours ago, dealraker said:

Our loves: Hike a bit, do culture, history, and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors.  Then hit the pub late afternoon and chat it up with locals.  It’s an obsession now, we can't seem to find any small place in Europe that doesn't fascinate us to no end.

I’ve never been to Europe, but it would definitely be interesting.

 

You ever bring up politics and the sort with them? If you do, what do they have to say about America currently?

[NnnnotSoSmart]

Does anyone in their right think the Parisians are going to stop drinking?  

 

Good luck with that.

 

Paris restricts alcohol consumption and sales as Europe's heatwave shifts east

 

French authorities have announced public alcohol consumption and sales bans in Paris, in a bid to ease pressure on the capital's hospitals during the heatwave.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy0pdq89zno

 

 

 

[dealraker]

3 hours ago, Blake Hampton said:

I’ve never been to Europe, but it would definitely be interesting.

 

You ever bring up politics and the sort with them? If you do, what do they have to say about America currently?

 

3 hours ago, Blake Hampton said:

I’ve never been to Europe, but it would definitely be interesting.

 

You ever bring up politics and the sort with them? If you do, what do they have to say about America currently?

We've only discussed politics In detail with one man and then his family as we've formed a friendship.  He has spent time in the US, he's an OBE designation rear admiral in the British military who deals in high level nuclear issues.  Our bond was concerns about DJT and it went from there.  We met him on a train in Switzerland.  For whatever reason he found us to be interesting and it was his motivation that's energized the friendship, but we completely enjoy the connection.  

[patterson]

Newsom is proposing that “every American owns a stake in the future being built by AI through a national public equity fund that takes a major stake in the new economy.” https://gavinnewsom.substack.com/p/its-time-for-a-national-billionaires. Sanders suggests a much more aggressive plan that's unlikely to gain traction. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/opinion/artificial-intelligence-bernie-sanders.html.

 

As we know, over the past decade or so, the Republicans have moved away from supporting relatively free markets and have embraced protectionism, pushing the Fed to lower rates, and taking equity stakes in companies that the administration deems vital to the national interest. At the same time, the Democrats, far from a free-market party to begin with, have moved further to the left on economic issues (see the recent NY primary winners).

 

I don’t think proposals like Newsom’s will play well with primary voters who don’t want the government picking winners and losers or subsidizing AI, and I hope other Democratic candidates don’t pick up on this. On the other hand, I am concerned that (in my view) bad economic ideas will proliferate in times like these, particularly once primary season gets underway and if the AI mania is still in full swing by then.

[LC]

1 hour ago, patterson said:

I am concerned that (in my view) bad economic ideas will proliferate in times like these, particularly once primary season gets underway and if the AI mania is still in full swing by then.

 

AI infrastructure as a resource could be compared to oil - do you think Norway's wealth fund is a similarly bad economic idea? 

[Spekulatius]

6 hours ago, LC said:

 

AI infrastructure as a resource could be compared to oil - do you think Norway's wealth fund is a similarly bad economic idea? 

It’s a bad analogy, because the oil in Norway was already there. There is no AI sitting somewhere above or below the ground waiting to be unlocked -it’s has to be build first. If you don’t build it, there will be nothing.

Edited 5 hours ago by Spekulatius

[John Hjorth]

9 hours ago, patterson said:

... On the other hand, I am concerned that (in my view) bad economic ideas will proliferate in times like these, particularly once primary season gets underway and if the AI mania is still in full swing by then.

 

8 hours ago, LC said:

AI infrastructure as a resource could be compared to oil - do you think Norway's wealth fund is a similarly bad economic idea? 

 

1 hour ago, Spekulatius said:

It’s a bad analogy, because the oil in Norway was already there. There is no AI sitting somewhere above or below the ground waiting to be unlocked -it’s has to be build first. If you don’t build it, there will be nothing.

 

I'm not totally sure how to read your above post @Spekulatius, but Norwegian O&G exploration was in the early Norwegian O&G days almost also a merely a concept, which took a lot of O&G engineering, R&D and CAPEX to bring it to reality, production.

 

The practice of what I would call Norwegian successful state capitalism in the Norwegian O&G venture is an interesting study, that we perhaps should descuss in a topic outside this topic.

[Spekulatius]

1 hour ago, John Hjorth said:

 

 

 

I'm not totally sure how to read your above post @Spekulatius, but Norwegian O&G exploration was in the early Norwegian O&G days almost also a merely a concept, which took a lot of O&G engineering, R&D and CAPEX to bring it to reality, production.

 

The practice of what I would call Norwegian successful state capitalism in the Norwegian O&G venture is an interesting study, that we perhaps should descuss in a topic outside this topic.

Because the oil is a valuable resource. That doesn’t mean it easy to get out, but it does mean the state can charge 80% taxes in Norway and the exploration and production is still profitable for Equifor.

But there is no AI resource lying in the ground to be explored and produced. It‘s IP and needs to be created by entrepreneurs or there won’t be AI. Thats why it is entirely different.

Edited 2 hours ago by Spekulatius

[cubsfan]

3 hours ago, Spekulatius said:

It’s a bad analogy, because the oil in Norway was already there. There is no AI sitting somewhere above or below the ground waiting to be unlocked -it’s has to be build first. If you don’t build it, there will be nothing.

 

THAT makes all the difference.

[Spekulatius]

I talked with my mom and the temperatures in the city she lives reached 40 DegC. It’s unbearable for some especially older people. not great but sooner or later German homes and apartment will need air conditioning. I lived in Germany recall the hot summers in 1976, 1983 and 2003 occurred after I left.

The currently one beats them all by quite some margin and the official summer has barely begun.

 

Climate change looks pretty real to me and countries e8ll have to adapt. I think air conditioning units and heat pumps  (which can heat and cool) should sell fairly well.

 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by Spekulatius

[patterson]

9 hours ago, LC said:

 

AI infrastructure as a resource could be compared to oil - do you think Norway's wealth fund is a similarly bad economic idea? 

I don't know too much about Norway's sovereign wealth fund, but I understand that it is a vehicle to invest surplus tax revenue coming from oil. The fund does not act as a political or strategic owner (if you look at its holdings, it may as well be an index), is not permitted to own more than 10% voting shares, and is mandated to invest only in assets outside of Norway.

[John Hjorth]

On 6/27/2026 at 12:10 AM, Spekulatius said:

A gas station masquerading as a county runs out of gas:

 

 

The Moscow Times [June 28^th 2026] : Putin Vows to Ensure Russia’s Security Amid Ukraine Retaliatory Strikes

 

 

- - - o 0 o - - -

 

Naturally, everybody can count on that and take it as a given, despite other puclicly available facts. [*shrugg*   }

[boilermaker75]

On 6/27/2026 at 7:10 AM, dealraker said:

In September Angela and I will stay three weeks in Conwy then most of the time in Betws-y-Coed - both Wales.  I think Betws-y-Coed population is 476.  LOL!

 

And 6 weeks ago we spent two weeks in Okehampton UK then one week in Falmouth.

 

@dealraker Next week my wife and I are going to Llandudno, which is in Conwy County, for 8 days, then by train up to the Aigas Field Centre in the Highlands for 10 days, followed by flying to London for two days. We also like being in small places and interacting with the locals.

 

The whole point of going to London was so that I could visit the Royal Institution and I just found out the Ri will be closed when we are there , which it wasn't when we booked the trip. I'll call them tomorrow to see if there is anyway I can get a special tour.