A lot of people think that BRICS can create an alternative currency to the US dollar, but I don't think that's going to be the case. I think what's going to be the case is if the US dollar collapses as a reserve currency then currency will no longer be a reserve. Neighboring countries or blocs might come to bilateral or multilateral agreements to use certain forms of local currency, but you'll probably have to have something of value for big truly international transactions.
When something that big fills that catastrophically, it doesn't tend to be a similar thing that rises up in its place.
When something that big fills that catastrophically, it doesn't tend to be a similar thing that rises up in its place.
Technically this isn't really true. By creating the content you retain the copyright to it even if you make it available. That's why in the TOs of the big tech companies they either assign themselves the copyright to your work or assign themselves and unlimited license to use your work.
All that being said, you are still absolutely correct. If I were to for example post the full PDF of the graysonian ethic, and people are going to download it and it is in fact if not in law me saying it's okay to take, and that thing that I downloaded for free I'm going to treat as if I can just hand it to whoever even though technically that's not really the case.
I seem to recall there were a few game companies that released copies of old games for free and said that those free copies of the games were not being released is freeware and they were still under copyright and yada yada yada, but come on -- if you downloaded a copy of GTA and GTA 2 off of the Rockstar website, you're not going to shed any tears giving a few copies to your buddies for some multiplayer.
All that being said, you are still absolutely correct. If I were to for example post the full PDF of the graysonian ethic, and people are going to download it and it is in fact if not in law me saying it's okay to take, and that thing that I downloaded for free I'm going to treat as if I can just hand it to whoever even though technically that's not really the case.
I seem to recall there were a few game companies that released copies of old games for free and said that those free copies of the games were not being released is freeware and they were still under copyright and yada yada yada, but come on -- if you downloaded a copy of GTA and GTA 2 off of the Rockstar website, you're not going to shed any tears giving a few copies to your buddies for some multiplayer.
One of the discussions that I've had with people online that we did eventually come to an agreement about is that although there is a lot of criticism of neoliberalism, the real problem is that neoliberalism is just used as a tablecloth to hide what is actually increasing strangleholds on everyone and everything.
Just consider the amount of income tax that someone was playing prior to world war I compared to today. The answer was zero in most countries prior to world war I and today someone can be working a fairly mundane blue collar job and lose half of their income before it even lands in their bank account.
Then there's the amount of regulation that we live under. If you want to partake in any endeavor, you essentially need a full-time lawyer or team of lawyers to help you navigate the almost unlimited amount of hidden regulations in this world.
Now you can definitely make an argument that those rules are there for a reason and they are good ones, but what you can't argue legitimately is that those rules somehow represent a loosening of regulations compared to previous generations. Neoliberalism suggests effectively economic libertarianism, getting out of the way and letting the world get on with their business. You aren't doing that when 60% of a country's GDP is just government.
Just consider the amount of income tax that someone was playing prior to world war I compared to today. The answer was zero in most countries prior to world war I and today someone can be working a fairly mundane blue collar job and lose half of their income before it even lands in their bank account.
Then there's the amount of regulation that we live under. If you want to partake in any endeavor, you essentially need a full-time lawyer or team of lawyers to help you navigate the almost unlimited amount of hidden regulations in this world.
Now you can definitely make an argument that those rules are there for a reason and they are good ones, but what you can't argue legitimately is that those rules somehow represent a loosening of regulations compared to previous generations. Neoliberalism suggests effectively economic libertarianism, getting out of the way and letting the world get on with their business. You aren't doing that when 60% of a country's GDP is just government.
There's two sides to that argument. On one hand you're correct and the data is more accessible to anyone who wants to pull it. On the other hand, you don't need to sign a ToS agreement with stackexchange to use it and therefore it's still yours and not theirs because you never clicked anything giving it to them.
I fired up my iPod touch 2nd gen MC model (real OGs know why that matters and why it sucked back then) and it was really sad. Entire app store full of apps, and none of them installable.
Here's one from an establishment media source, but I first saw it on post millennial, and there was just a post a few minutes ago from gateway pundit
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/new-york-governor-regrets-black-kids-bronx-computer-109992992
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/new-york-governor-regrets-black-kids-bronx-computer-109992992
When I see an ad for Opera GX on youtube.... I'm seeing a company whose revenue comes from getting paid by google... paying someone.... on google.... to shill a browser that makes money by..... getting people to use Google?
We live in a strange world.
We live in a strange world.
Even if taxes don't change, the inflation tax goes up every year for 2 reasons.
First, your wage loses X% of its buying power every year so if you don't get a wage increase you just lost X% of your earnings forevermore.
Second, higher wages are taxed at higher rates due to progressive taxation, so despite having the same buying power on your new wage you're taxed more.
Third, inflation causes nominal capital gains that aren't real. Let's say that you bought enough stock to buy a basket of goods in 1980. If you sell the stock, assuming it kept up with inflation it should buy the same basket of goods. The problem is that the number of dollars it takes to buy the same basket of goods doubled (even if you believe the "inflation has been 2% lie) so the stock doubled, and so now you owe taxes on a 100% gain, even though it didn't actually gain value. In that sense, inflation *is* a wealth tax because the government gets a cut despite your wealth not increasing.
First, your wage loses X% of its buying power every year so if you don't get a wage increase you just lost X% of your earnings forevermore.
Second, higher wages are taxed at higher rates due to progressive taxation, so despite having the same buying power on your new wage you're taxed more.
Third, inflation causes nominal capital gains that aren't real. Let's say that you bought enough stock to buy a basket of goods in 1980. If you sell the stock, assuming it kept up with inflation it should buy the same basket of goods. The problem is that the number of dollars it takes to buy the same basket of goods doubled (even if you believe the "inflation has been 2% lie) so the stock doubled, and so now you owe taxes on a 100% gain, even though it didn't actually gain value. In that sense, inflation *is* a wealth tax because the government gets a cut despite your wealth not increasing.
I can't wrap my mind around the idea that the sort of people who wouldn't be caught dead at a formula one race would be upset that the sort of people who would pay to go aren't like them.
Self check-out in Walmart has gone very poorly, with high levels of theft (or sometimes just incompetence as people mess things up). So in some locations, in order to have the privilege of doing a cashier's job for them, you have to pay for a 100USD/yr Walmart+ membership.
That's an impressive level of audacity. "We want you do do this thing that was previously an employees job, and we want you to pay for the privilege"
That's an impressive level of audacity. "We want you do do this thing that was previously an employees job, and we want you to pay for the privilege"
The governor of New York is on the record as saying: “Right now we have, you know, young black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word ‘computer’ is.”
The idea of Ms. Progressive who is in charge of one of the two states most likely to look down its nose at you for not being progressive enough being more racist than internet racists is hilarious on its face, obviously.
But then consider -- what exactly does she think this looks like? Like, a black kid sees a PC and they're like "Do I eat it? Do I smoke it?" -- Or do they just worship it like the monolith in 2001 a space odyssey?
Sometimes the universe just gives you things to brighten your day.
And of course, she did correct herself afterwards: "I misspoke and I regret it. Of course, Black children in the Bronx know what computers are" but the laugh track has already played, can't put the laughter back in the bottle.
The idea of Ms. Progressive who is in charge of one of the two states most likely to look down its nose at you for not being progressive enough being more racist than internet racists is hilarious on its face, obviously.
But then consider -- what exactly does she think this looks like? Like, a black kid sees a PC and they're like "Do I eat it? Do I smoke it?" -- Or do they just worship it like the monolith in 2001 a space odyssey?
Sometimes the universe just gives you things to brighten your day.
And of course, she did correct herself afterwards: "I misspoke and I regret it. Of course, Black children in the Bronx know what computers are" but the laugh track has already played, can't put the laughter back in the bottle.
I don't know what you mean! Jerome Powell just said the other day he doesn't see any stag and he doesn't see any flation!
Why would he lie?
Why would he lie?
Sounds like a laugh a minute! Your sides will be splitting! (possibly due to all the murder and tortue and demons?)
There's a lot that needs to be revisited. How many military leaders bragged in books or interviews about lying to the commander in chief to get their way?