Okay so now you've given Putin an extra 14 countries worth of resources for free you think it's going to be an easier fight?Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
Okay so now you've given Putin an extra 14 countries worth of resources for free you think it's going to be an easier fight?Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
The climate change comparison is a good one because you know how people say they really want clean energy but nobody has actually gone and spent ten grand on a heat pump, imagine the question was 'You know how you support Ukraine... Would you like to see drone footage of your son dying in the unpronounceable village Mahow went to that time?'Quote:
Originally Posted by phonics
But my entire point is that by doing what we're doing we're hurting the enemy and risking almost nothing and instead you'd like to give up 1/3rd of europe and worry about it when they hit the Rhine and then send way way way more sons because they know how to spell Sudetenland.
Was that even a War? In any case, that wasn’t a draw on points with GDP as an away goals style separator.Quote:
Originally Posted by phonics
I believe those casualty figures about as much as I believe the official Ukrainian ones. 46000 I think he said yesterday, which makes you wonder what the massive, untouched Ukrainian Army is doing all day when the Russians sound like they are down to five men and a Lada.Quote:
Originally Posted by phonics
The Office for Budget Responsibility priced the 2022/23 energy bailout plus emergency cost of living payments at £51.1 billion. This is a direct cost of the war, and then you have the knock-on costs of extra borrowing brought about by the non-existent growth this has all caused.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJNK4VKeoBMQuote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
No, I meant Poland as in West of Ukraine. As I said above, if he fucks with a(ny) NATO country in the region we go in. Beyond that, it’s really not our business. We can’t solve all of the World’s ills, so a line has to be drawn somewhere and that seems a sensible one.Quote:
Originally Posted by phonics
At least give me a link.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lewis
But my entire point is look how successfully we've made them spend in population and resource capital without having to go in. And we're the good guys for once! We spent my entire adult life in Iraq and Afghanistan and achieved nothing. We're actually doing something here.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
We didn’t realise quite how bad either of those were until we’d left, so I’d reserve the bunting until we’re at the same stage with this one.
That said, I’ve no idea at the moment how fucked Ukraine is on the ground. The coverage of any of it seemed to dry up months ago.
So I've found this stuff and it seems the most brilliant ripping off of the British people subsidised by the government so that we could continue to be ripped off.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lewis
Energy purchase price was up 20% from February 2022 to January 2023 with spikes but basically 20%. Prices for us increased 50% and the government gave the people 200 quid and businesses 345 quid.
So was that 51 billion quid caused by Russia or privatised greed?
Please don't make me post the jingling keys again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
I like the way Deal King Trump has blamed Ukraine for starting the war.
I like the debate around Ukraine and NATO as if the former has no agency. I suppose we feel the same way about Taiwan.
On the other hand we've got the UAE supplying arms to militias in Sudan who have massacred potentially hundreds of thousands, and the NATO lot are staying very quiet about that because they don't want to fuck up their relationship with their rich Arab mates. We (the West) aren't automatically Ukraine's beacon of hope in this. We will chuck them under the bus as soon as it's convenient too.
Good read from Cory Doctorow (the enshittification guy): https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/18/p...nomics-revenge
US wages are not 'plummeting.' We can be very convincing if we can just make shit up.
If you believe in the power of capital, invest in stocks. You too can be a capitalist. Suggesting that only the wealthy own capital is very misleading.
The fun will begin when AI turns the value of labor to zero.
My personal current theory on AI/labour is that the impact won't be anything like as much as envisaged, primarily because what CEOs actually value as much as profit is the control of people's time. Look at our friend Musk dancing joyfully across twitter because WFH is ceasing. This doesn't make him money, or if it does, it makes him a tiny amount of money. He just likes the idea of all those people being in hoc to him.
All I want is my $300k per year UBI. Is that too much to ask?
UBI signals the beginning of the end for capitalism. I'm here for it.
Can one of you anti-capitalism lads explain to me what you mean by the end of capitalism? What do you want to not exist? Do you want people to not be allowed to own companies? Should profit be illegal? Something else?
Main issue is that it's essentially a pyramid scheme that left to its own devices devours the poor. That said, it's the best system we have, so it is what it is.
Everything is finite. All pyramid schemes fail eventually.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pepe
So 'capitalism' will 'fail'. That doesn't mean anything to me, unfortunately. I'm not smart enough.
I think Billionaires want to be the new kings, and if there is a way to cream off money using AI which also could result in the labour market essentially making everyone serfs who can't afford to anything outside what the market wants, that would be a good thing as far as they're concerned.
I don't think any of us know enough to know what will replace it. It'll probably kick off with massive unrest, maybe in 10 years when AI and Elon are Emperors of the World. Maybe in 500 years.
Regardless, it's still nice to think of a world where billions of people aren't being exploited to line the pockets of few. Capitalism needs a lot of restraint to stop this but it looks like shackles are only being removed at this point. There's plenty of theory out there about "late stage" capitalism where it's completely let loose to the point it eats itself. Maybe that theory won't end up being complete fantasy.
Nothing will or can replace capitalism. It's like asking what will come after gravity.
Capitalism is the natural order of things and other system are attempts to circumvent it, unfortunately those events only last for so long before magnetic pull overtakes them. Look at China. Things like a social safety net and the welfare state are just minor modifications.
When people rail against capitalism, what they mean to do is rail against the current winners of capitalism.
You guys are insane if you think AI is replacing anything lol.
Biggest fucking grift/con ever. Quote me.
Remember how excited he was at the beginning? Bet he got himself an AI girlfriend and she dumped him.
I know I was like omg I don't have ADHD anymore lol this saved my life and after about 2 weeks realised it was absolutely pointless. In fact I'd say that original AI or AI-lite was actually miles better than the utter shit that's out there now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pepe
Can't you use it for whatever you were using it for originally anymore?
I was using it for note searching and creating templates and in the end I dropped it because it was useless and just created barriers for the way my mind works.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pepe
Maybe it's useful if you're a complete NPC devoid of creativity.
This is absolutely what they want and they aren't even hiding it, yet you've still got mongs like Yevrah and Quincy standing on the sidelines cheering them on.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lofty
I’m not cheering anyone on, I’m just not getting hysterical over an administration that’s a matter of weeks old.
They've done more in that period than anyone else ever.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
This. It can do some good stuff but it’s overhyped. Plus if it takes over everyone’s jobs who is going to buy Apple/Google/Amazon’s wares?Quote:
Originally Posted by Magic
What does it matter how "old" it is? All that matters is what they've done.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
Which isn’t as bad as how you portray it. It might well turn out to be, but it isn’t yet.
It is as bad though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
Liberal democracy of the West 1900-today is hugely atypical in the sweep of history. Most of human history is powerful strongmen ruthlessly seizing power and then exploiting the populations under their control.
Worth remembering from all sides.
Worth remembering, I agree, but so far the power size was via winning an election and no one has been exploited yet. Still, I've bought a shotgun for when they come get me.
No, the power seize is things they've been doing since winning an election. Despite what you seem to believe, winning an election in the US doesn't give the government carte blanche to do literally anything they like.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pepe
Ah yes, THE DATABASE (!)
I'll lol if he gets impeached though. I assume the attempt will come at some point.
"Impeach him for a third time. That'll work."
The Government's of the west have been doing what businesses have told them to for decades at this point. Usually flying in the face of what voters vote for. Mass-Imigration being the obvious example. The people hate it. They vote for reducing it every time. And yet...
Let's stop pretending democracy is still a thing. If it ever really was.
Yeah, along with all the other stuff.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pepe
Like cutting the agencies tasked with investigating and preventing election interfence. You'd think Trump would be wanting to bolster such agencies given his concerns about the election he lost? Can't think of any reason he'd want to do the opposite?
https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Politics/...ning-118872391
https://www.whitehouse.gov/president...-all-agencies/
Trump's just signed this. Let's see what the courts do and what happens when Trump ignores them.
No seizure of power, indeed.
Certainly not in the age of controlled media.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spikey M