Our global market capitalist system is wholly compatible with "We all benefit when we all succeed." In fact, one might argue that's the foundation of an efficient market economy. The problem is that it also incentivizes decision-makers to maximize firm benefit at the cost of general society, and the past 40+ years of neoliberalism brainrot have unleashed an investor-class with very few restraints on their decision-making.
They'll never vote for Biden, or anyone who wants to do something other than actively harm the country, but they won't necessarily vote for Shithead Supreme. Their fanclub is just that - a fanclub. As long as they have a drum to beat, like a toddler, they're happy, and will continue to joyfully beat it long after everyone else has a headache. But when that drum is no longer novel, or people stop paying attention to it, they, like their favorite rapist, will dodder off to find other entertainment. Only constant engagement can secure their votes - not because they'll lose their opinion of Trump, but because they'll find something else to distract themselves with and not bother with voting if they aren't kept constantly stimulated.
Braindead MAGA morons care and will point to the Annoying Orange meeting with Teamsters as proof that He Cares(tm) and that Joe the Plumber the WORKING CLASS is with their rapist messiah.
Unfortunately, you can defeat an organization like Hamas purely through violence. It's just that the only level of violence capable of doing so demands a total genocide. Which Israel looks likely to attempt to complete while the world wrings its hands.
The lack of interest in even an unequal peace on Israel's part in favor of genociding Palestinians would, in an ideal world, open a great number of eyes. But I'm not particularly hopeful. People have short memories and little interest in foreign affairs.
Obama wasn't pro-China. You see, that's the problem - NOT being a frothing-at-the-mouth loon is actually bad for China, because China looks like a pretty unappealing alternative to aligning with the US in South-East Asia right now. If America looks racist, moronic, and on the brink of collapse, China looks more appealing to SEA nations by comparison.
"Trump is easily manipulated, but Biden isn't an insane manchild who will start economic turmoil because he shat his diaper that morning. Who will be better for extending anti-democratic ideology and Chinese imperialism in our 'sphere of influence'?"
If you only paid $100,000 and you made $1,000,000; you’d have $900,000 profit; of which you’d probably only see 60% to 40% of, if Capital Gains taxes are anything near what I think they are. If we assume a “worst case”, where the Federal Government takes 40% and the State takes about 20% more, that means your tidy profit is only about $390,000. That means you’ve probably got to secure another $140,000 in financing on average to pick up a more modest $500,000 home (in today’s market) to retire in.
Capital gains taxes range from 0-20% Federally, depending on your income. In Cali, the addition is up to 13%
Which means that worst case scenario, you sell a property in Cali, you would pay 33% of the profiit above the original price of the house and the 500,000 exemption. So on a house you bought for 100,000 and sold for 1,000,000, you'd pay the awful, awful price of... 133,000, leaving you with a paltry $867,000.
You know, one thing I think about a lot is that Rome got real weird and uppity about citizens vs non-citizens close to the fall of the republic.
It was always weird and uppity about citizens vs. non-citizens. The Late Republic, in fact, saw citizenship open up to a much wider selection of people in Italy, and fall of the Republic actually opened up possibilities for citizenship to the provinces.
Condos generally aren't much cheaper than houses. They would have the same issue if their region's real estate was half as expensive. They would have had this problem 10, 20, 30 years ago if they were retiring. If you sell a house in an expensive area and want money left over, you either have to choose a shittier house/apartment to live, or a cheaper area.
Most homeowners don’t have to pay capital gains on their home when they sell. Thanks to tax legislation from the ’90s, a gain of up to $250,000 for a single tax filer or $500,000 for a couple filing jointly is exempt from tax. That’s providing the sale is of the homeowner’s primary residence and that they meet other requirements such as living in the property for two of the past five years.
That means if a couple bought a median priced home in 1987 for $100,000 and they’ve lived there as their primary residence and are selling it today for $550,000, the $450,000 gain from that investment is not taxed because it falls under the $500,000 exclusion to capital gains taxes.
However, if those same $100,000 homebuyers lived for 37 years in an area that has seen enormous growth in home values — as is the case for many parts of California — and their home now sells for $2 million dollars, that’s nearly $1.9 million in profit, of which only $500,000 is excluded from taxes.
Sorry, is “shares some concerns about the border” the same as “wanting to shut everything down and stop anyone from coming in?”
And if shutting down the border is not what is being proposed, maybe Biden shouldn’t be pledging to shut down the border.
The agreement is expected to give the executive branch a new legal authority to effectively suspend asylum in between official ports of entry when migrant crossings surpass certain thresholds. That would affect remote areas in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas where migrants regularly cross into the U.S. illegally to surrender themselves to overtaxed federal immigration officials who often release them because they don't have the resources to screen everyone for asylum.
The power, which Mr. Biden referred to as an authority to "shut down the border" on Friday, would be mandated after average daily migrant crossings hit 5,000 over seven days, or 8,500 in a single day. It could also be activated on a discretionary basis after average daily crossings surpass 4,000 in a week. There would also be a limit on the number of days each year the president could invoke the authority.
When the authority is invoked, migrants who cross into the U.S. illegally would not be allowed to ask for asylum, and would face swift deportation to Mexico or their home country. Exceptions would be made for those who pass screenings for other, more difficult-to-obtain forms of humanitarian refuge, including protection under the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
The use of strong rhetoric can sway people who are vulnerable to emotional appeals on issues they understand little about. Like the majority of America on the border.
We’re a country whose most famous symbol has a poem welcoming people seeking asylum at its base. The irony seems lost.
I don't disagree. I actually mentioned that earlier today, in fact. But sanity and virtue are not always winning issues in a democracy - or in politics in general. We work with what we have, not what we want.
Giving them what they want does increase their power.
93% of Americans share some concern about border. Do your really think holding out on behalf of principles and us 7% of sane individuals strengthens the non-fascists, in a democratic system?
Do you think they’re going to allow the border to be opened again and asylum seekers allowed in again one of these days because they love immigrants so much?
... do you think that's what the current compromise bill being proposed does? And do you think that any policy enacted will be unable to be repealed under a non-fascist government?
There's a reason that's it's 14 points, and not 2 points. I can name any number of things that fit individual points or small combinations of points, yet are very distinctly not fascism or a step towards fascism. Fascism is a movement, an ideology, a worldview, not a single policy.
Someone help me develop a drinking problem. I'm gonna need it to get through the next year.