The brazilification of America continues

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The stories of the brazilification of California has been around for a long time. The state does seem to be cleaving into rich versus poor with a dwindling middle class more comparable to what you find in countries like Brazil. And it's a staunchly blue state.

People like to mock the red states but they tend to have less income inequalities than the coastal blue states. Rather interesting when you think about it.

All states have poor people, and blue states tend to have higher-earning workers than red states. How is that interesting?

Uh, because Dems have a fetish for equity?

[Anonymous]

The U.S. is huge, and varied. Stereotyping is silly; different locales have very different attributes and characteristics.

As far as fleeing to Switzerland or NZ, Switzerland strictly limits immigrants, more successfully than historically has the U.S. It's neither easy nor simple to obtain residence privileges there, let alone citizenship. Switzerland is also fairly xenophobic - foreigners are not generally welcomed except as tourists or as investors and sometimes as employees with specialized skills. NZ's middle class is fleeing in droves, due to a lackluster economy driven by generally Socialist-leaning liberal politics. Immigration is also limited, but is possible for people with either significant wealth and a willingness to invest it in NZ, or specific jobs skills NZ requires due to the hollowing out of their middle class due to departures for Australia and other more attractive environs. NZ has high levels of taxation, people who can afford it obtain private medical care in preference to what is offered by the government for "free", and standards of living are not especially high.

[Anonymous]

As long as those frumpy, unshaven protesters in California don’t start wearing skimpy Brazilian bikinis, I’m ok with it.

[Anonymous]

California isn’t as liberal as you think it is. Their tax schemes are very regressive. If they got rid of Prop 13 you’d see lower real estate prices, as people wouldn’t be tempted to hoard property they no longer live in so their heirs can inherit at a lower tax rate. We also wouldn’t be expecting young people and families to shoulder the burden of financing the entire state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://twitter.com/spiroagnewghost/status/1481372834987274240?s=21

Local politicians in shootouts after road raging themselves

https://twitter.com/johnschreiber/status/1481770722271760384?s=21

Train robbers

The 🇺🇸 is so cringe. I have a genuine question for wealthy people who post here — why do you live here and haven’t just bought something in New Zealand or Switzerland or Austria yet?

New zealand is very white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The U.S. is huge, and varied. Stereotyping is silly; different locales have very different attributes and characteristics.

As far as fleeing to Switzerland or NZ, Switzerland strictly limits immigrants, more successfully than historically has the U.S. It's neither easy nor simple to obtain residence privileges there, let alone citizenship. Switzerland is also fairly xenophobic - foreigners are not generally welcomed except as tourists or as investors and sometimes as employees with specialized skills. NZ's middle class is fleeing in droves, due to a lackluster economy driven by generally Socialist-leaning liberal politics. Immigration is also limited, but is possible for people with either significant wealth and a willingness to invest it in NZ, or specific jobs skills NZ requires due to the hollowing out of their middle class due to departures for Australia and other more attractive environs. NZ has high levels of taxation, people who can afford it obtain private medical care in preference to what is offered by the government for "free", and standards of living are not especially high.

27% of Switzerland’s population is foreign so clearly they do welcome foreigners. Although most are European.

Not sure I would blame New Zealand’s economic problems on liberal economic policies. It has structural problems – reliance on primary industries like agriculture and tourism - plus a small population and geographic isolation. there is also the lure of Australia which enjoyed positive economic growth for 30 years and is only a short flight away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://twitter.com/spiroagnewghost/status/1481372834987274240?s=21

Local politicians in shootouts after road raging themselves

https://twitter.com/johnschreiber/status/1481770722271760384?s=21

Train robbers

The 🇺🇸 is so cringe. I have a genuine question for wealthy people who post here — why do you live here and haven’t just bought something in New Zealand or Switzerland or Austria yet?

New zealand is very white.

Is it? 20% of the population identifies as Māori, 10% Pacific Islander and 15% Asian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The U.S. is huge, and varied. Stereotyping is silly; different locales have very different attributes and characteristics.

As far as fleeing to Switzerland or NZ, Switzerland strictly limits immigrants, more successfully than historically has the U.S. It's neither easy nor simple to obtain residence privileges there, let alone citizenship. Switzerland is also fairly xenophobic - foreigners are not generally welcomed except as tourists or as investors and sometimes as employees with specialized skills. NZ's middle class is fleeing in droves, due to a lackluster economy driven by generally Socialist-leaning liberal politics. Immigration is also limited, but is possible for people with either significant wealth and a willingness to invest it in NZ, or specific jobs skills NZ requires due to the hollowing out of their middle class due to departures for Australia and other more attractive environs. NZ has high levels of taxation, people who can afford it obtain private medical care in preference to what is offered by the government for "free", and standards of living are not especially high.

27% of Switzerland’s population is foreign so clearly they do welcome foreigners. Although most are European.

Not sure I would blame New Zealand’s economic problems on liberal economic policies. It has structural problems – reliance on primary industries like agriculture and tourism - plus a small population and geographic isolation. there is also the lure of Australia which enjoyed positive economic growth for 30 years and is only a short flight away.

Foreigners in Switzerland passed the bar for residence, which typically means as employees doing jobs Swiss either cannot or don't want to do. Some are there throughmarriage to Swiss citizens. It's hardly open to all comers.

NZ's problems are related to leftist government policies which have resulted in high inflation and a restrictive monetary policy. The migration of younger, skilled workers has not helped. Those workers are leaving for better economic opportunities and lower taxes, so that they can aspire to better lifestyles. There are structural problems associated with being a remote island, but leftist government policies have resulted in high government debt and low labor productivity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The U.S. is huge, and varied. Stereotyping is silly; different locales have very different attributes and characteristics.

As far as fleeing to Switzerland or NZ, Switzerland strictly limits immigrants, more successfully than historically has the U.S. It's neither easy nor simple to obtain residence privileges there, let alone citizenship. Switzerland is also fairly xenophobic - foreigners are not generally welcomed except as tourists or as investors and sometimes as employees with specialized skills. NZ's middle class is fleeing in droves, due to a lackluster economy driven by generally Socialist-leaning liberal politics. Immigration is also limited, but is possible for people with either significant wealth and a willingness to invest it in NZ, or specific jobs skills NZ requires due to the hollowing out of their middle class due to departures for Australia and other more attractive environs. NZ has high levels of taxation, people who can afford it obtain private medical care in preference to what is offered by the government for "free", and standards of living are not especially high.

27% of Switzerland’s population is foreign so clearly they do welcome foreigners. Although most are European.

Not sure I would blame New Zealand’s economic problems on liberal economic policies. It has structural problems – reliance on primary industries like agriculture and tourism - plus a small population and geographic isolation. there is also the lure of Australia which enjoyed positive economic growth for 30 years and is only a short flight away.

Foreigners in Switzerland passed the bar for residence, which typically means as employees doing jobs Swiss either cannot or don't want to do. Some are there throughmarriage to Swiss citizens. It's hardly open to all comers.

NZ's problems are related to leftist government policies which have resulted in high inflation and a restrictive monetary policy. The migration of younger, skilled workers has not helped. Those workers are leaving for better economic opportunities and lower taxes, so that they can aspire to better lifestyles. There are structural problems associated with being a remote island, but leftist government policies have resulted in high government debt and low labor productivity.

You implied to a very few foreigners working in Switzerland. I simply pointed out that more than a quarter of the population is foreign.

We can agree to disagree on the economic stuff regarding NZ. It’s always harder for a small undiversified country to compete with a bigger richer country next door especially when there are no immigration restrictions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The first link is to a story in Florida. Check with Homer Simpson on what Florida is. Florida politicians are universally shady. You can’t judge America based on Florida! It’s like judging Brazil on the favellas.


Crimes is bad in the US because of the growing inequity in our society. The rich are getting super rich and the poor are getting desperate.

The other link is about California.

I’m a dem — I’m sorry, California is a DUMP!

I will never ever ever ever understand why liberals have such a hard on for California and never talk about Massachusetts, which is the superior model for liberal living and governance.

I mean I have my theories but I won’t get into them.

NP. Massachusetts systematically killed its high-income industries. California elevated them. That’s why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://twitter.com/spiroagnewghost/status/1481372834987274240?s=21

Local politicians in shootouts after road raging themselves

https://twitter.com/johnschreiber/status/1481770722271760384?s=21

Train robbers

The 🇺🇸 is so cringe. I have a genuine question for wealthy people who post here — why do you live here and haven’t just bought something in New Zealand or Switzerland or Austria yet?

Seriously? A former state level political staffer does something stupid and that is supposed to be newsworthy?

The train thing is interesting, but that is in LA, which is basically a third world country at this point.

I mean, the first but did get himself shot and killed - by a Prius driver. That's at least interesting, and I'd argue newsworthy.

[Anonymous]

Op here - fyi I am a democrat who is involved in my state committee.

The bad bunny half time show was disappointing.

We will never have a high functioning, high social trust, high public goods and quality public service model with becoming Latin America.

Democrats who reflexively support the latinification / Brazilification of the country are dooming the country to caudillo populism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here - fyi I am a democrat who is involved in my state committee.

The bad bunny half time show was disappointing.

We will never have a high functioning, high social trust, high public goods and quality public service model with becoming Latin America.

Democrats who reflexively support the latinification / Brazilification of the country are dooming the country to caudillo populism.

Sorry, foreign policy specialist who has got to call BS here.

First of all, your takeaway from Bad Bunny's half time show is that more latinos in our country is a problem? Because what I saw was a Latin many creating a vision for a better America. Unity in love. All that. But you do you.

Secondly, if you're going to look at why Latin American governments have been dysfunctional, first, lets look at how many dictatorships, strongman governments, and yes, caudillo governments were created after the US shot (or otherwise disposed of) the elected, leftist official and then put a caudillo in their place.

Allende --> Pinochet
Sandino-->Somoza
Guatemalan President Arbenz ->. Carlos Castillo Armas

To name a few.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here - fyi I am a democrat who is involved in my state committee.

The bad bunny half time show was disappointing.

We will never have a high functioning, high social trust, high public goods and quality public service model with becoming Latin America.

Democrats who reflexively support the latinification / Brazilification of the country are dooming the country to caudillo populism.

Sorry, foreign policy specialist who has got to call BS here.

First of all, your takeaway from Bad Bunny's half time show is that more latinos in our country is a problem? Because what I saw was a Latin many creating a vision for a better America. Unity in love. All that. But you do you.

Secondly, if you're going to look at why Latin American governments have been dysfunctional, first, lets look at how many dictatorships, strongman governments, and yes, caudillo governments were created after the US shot (or otherwise disposed of) the elected, leftist official and then put a caudillo in their place.

Allende --> Pinochet
Sandino-->Somoza
Guatemalan President Arbenz ->. Carlos Castillo Armas

To name a few.

USA citizens don’t want to admit that this country has been destabilizing its neighbors to the south for more than 150 years with its “banana wars” and so forth. The Monroe Doctrine was real. As long as the USA could keep Latin America chaotic, depressed, and impoverished, the USA could control those countries economic and political dependence on the USA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here - fyi I am a democrat who is involved in my state committee.

The bad bunny half time show was disappointing.

We will never have a high functioning, high social trust, high public goods and quality public service model with becoming Latin America.

Democrats who reflexively support the latinification / Brazilification of the country are dooming the country to caudillo populism.

Sorry, foreign policy specialist who has got to call BS here.

First of all, your takeaway from Bad Bunny's half time show is that more latinos in our country is a problem? Because what I saw was a Latin many creating a vision for a better America. Unity in love. All that. But you do you.

Secondly, if you're going to look at why Latin American governments have been dysfunctional, first, lets look at how many dictatorships, strongman governments, and yes, caudillo governments were created after the US shot (or otherwise disposed of) the elected, leftist official and then put a caudillo in their place.

Allende --> Pinochet
Sandino-->Somoza
Guatemalan President Arbenz ->. Carlos Castillo Armas

To name a few.

The blob has been wrong on almost every foreign policy action since the fall of the wall so pardon me if I don’t take your views seriously.

From Sam power/anne Marie slaughter/madeline Albright/tori nuland

(take your pick of higher power female foreign policy dem movers shakers in this town — the men are even worse)

down to the hordes of gs11s ona desk at state or cia, as a whole the blob has been mired in error after error.

Latin America has been a basket case from day one.

Broad based Industrial social democracy has never propospered there like you see in Western Europe or Japan/korea. Korea was much more poor than Latin American countries not too many decades ago - what changed? On almost every metric outside of birth rates, South Korea started off worse than Latin America and now is much better.

The Super Bowl should do an Asian American half time show next time. I’d have more confidence in the country’s future then