MetalCaveman Posted May 21, 2018 Report Share Posted May 21, 2018 (edited) Second debate tonight... This is going to be a thing... All of the candidates insist on the fact that they will create more jobs, except that none of them have said how, and the few times they have made any real proposals, they've been related to the kind of jobs that many agree will soon(ish) disappear due to automation. Edit: Now one of the candidates is using the same rhetoric we've seen before, about how immigrants are a threat because of their association with gangs, organised crime, etc. Edited May 21, 2018 by MetalCaveman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted May 21, 2018 Report Share Posted May 21, 2018 2 hours ago, MetalCaveman said: about how immigrants are a threat because of their association with gangs, organised crime, etc. Pfft. Kind of funny hearing that in Mexican politics. Anyhow, to an American, it sounds to me like they're protecting homegrown organized crime from those from Central America. Also, kind of funny but sad thing... those gangs in Central America (MS13 and the like) got there from being deported from the United States. The United States is such a great neighbor to Mexico. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalCaveman Posted May 21, 2018 Report Share Posted May 21, 2018 The thing is, that's been the prevailing mindset of many for a long time, however, people prefer to sweep it under the rug because they feel it will undermine our posture in regards to the US treatment of Mexican immigrants. Mexico deports way more people than the US and the abuses immigrants have to deal with are well documented but few times is it brought up in such a way. The other candidates had better postures including a couple that promised to set the example, by improving treatment of immigrants coming to Mexico while also supporting those going from Mexico to the US and other countries. This election is going to be a thing, I'm not looking forward to it. The first election I voted in saw the return of PRI to power, can't wait to see what happens this time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalCaveman Posted June 30, 2018 Report Share Posted June 30, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalCaveman Posted July 2, 2018 Report Share Posted July 2, 2018 Welp, AMLO has won, so that's going to be a thing. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst and be excellent to each other. That is all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalCaveman Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 What's your take on UBI/other similar programs? A couple of candidates have proposed something like that and the responses have been... A thing, a depressing, sometimes outright disturbing thing, with many wanting those who do not work/go to school/have money to receive "assisted suicide" from the government instead. When the topic of automation and what it means for the economy was brought up, many simply ignored it, with others arguing that it would never be a thing because their job cannot be automated. So yeah, interesting reactions... I'm all for it, and I do not buy the whole idea that it will turn everyone into lazy bums or whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 The way I see UBI, it would supplant social security and most other form of welfare (e.g., food stamps). Healthcare would remain untouched since it's such a different beast. With UBI you'll have a roof over your head and you'll be fed but you won't have much else. Any extra things you want will require you to work for it. That is incentive numero uno for wanting to work. To further encourage upward mobility, I think you can opt out of UBI for tax savings. The idea is that after a certain income level you will start losing money compared to the UBI you get but if you opt out, you start to be in the black and can start making more than what you can if you stayed on UBI. Some sort of pressure/incentive has to be in place for those who work to get out of UBI. Not having an incentive to get off welfare can and do make welfare queens and kings. At worst it can encourage a constant state of near poverty within a family or community. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted October 29, 2018 Report Share Posted October 29, 2018 Ha... Brazil is gonna be fun. inb4 they gut the Amazon for good. Shit man, all the climate predictions assume we maintain course or do better, not get worse! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalCaveman Posted June 7, 2019 Report Share Posted June 7, 2019 Economists/international financial institutions/other experts: The Mexican economy is, for lack of a better word, fucked, and it'll get worse. Our president: They are wrong, they're wrong because they use techniques meant for the neoliberal world of 3 decades ago, that does not apply to us anymore, we're doing well and we'll do better! I know, I have the numbers! Journalists: Where the numbers at? President: Silence member of the journalist mafia, your lies cannot change or stop our progress! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted June 9, 2019 Report Share Posted June 9, 2019 That's like how our president keeps saying that when we impose tariffs on imports it's the other countries who pay them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalCaveman Posted July 12, 2019 Report Share Posted July 12, 2019 The National Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (that's a name ) is trying to pass a law that would ban movies and potentially tv shows from being dubbed into Spanish. Their argument is that they want to prevent the "Americanisation" of the Mexican people caused by consumption of media in its original language. They did this in the 70's for some time and then in 2000 they tried something similar, except back then it was deemed unconstitutional. Who knows how it'll go this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Jack Posted July 13, 2019 Report Share Posted July 13, 2019 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted July 13, 2019 Report Share Posted July 13, 2019 lol, who is that referring to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Jack Posted July 13, 2019 Report Share Posted July 13, 2019 Directly above Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted July 13, 2019 Report Share Posted July 13, 2019 Ah, aha, I'm tracking now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted July 19, 2019 Report Share Posted July 19, 2019 @MetalCaveman You mentioned Chapo's trial in the anime thread, and I didn't want to derail that one, but I do wonder what the perception of that is in Mexico. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalCaveman Posted July 19, 2019 Report Share Posted July 19, 2019 Complicated. Some are happy he's in jail, in a place where it's unlikely he'll escape or get the same leniency he'd have found here, others wanted him to face trial in Mexico (though we all know how that would end ) and consider extradition to be a failure of our government. The president complained that the sentence was inhumane and was criticised for caring more about him than his victims. Some people agree that it was too much, while others want even harsher punishments and the guarantee that he will not be able to appeal his sentence. Still for others, dude exists as some kind of folk hero, with a clothing line being released by his family and already becoming quite popular (something I personally find disgusting but to each their own I guess). I don't know how secure the place he's been sent to is, but I would like to think it's tunnel proof and that the people working there are properly paid and/or their identities kept hidden in order to keep them safe. The government is exploring the options they have to seize all assets though if I understand correctly the US government has dibs on all that stuff? There's also the concern that his sentencing may worsen the current territorial wars, though security officials say that this is unlikely as the current factions have been going at it since before the official sentence was dictated and they do not think anyone else will join the fray all of a sudden or that conflict will escalate further. Some officials have actually argued that things will improve but I think it's more likely that aliens will pop up and say they visit earth to buy pizza. Personally, while it won't change much about how things are going, I would have liked a harsher sentence (or at least, several life sentences in case they manage to appeal or something), I also disagree with anyone who thinks that he should have faced trial and prison in Mexico, there's no way that would have worked, he'd have escaped already, our system is too fucked up and useless to handle something like this. So yeah, kinda all over the place but that's how it is over here with stuff like this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted July 19, 2019 Report Share Posted July 19, 2019 2 hours ago, MetalCaveman said: The president complained that the sentence was inhumane Inhumane? He was convicted of murder, among other things, and he got a life sentence. That seems well within the bounds of reason. Also, here's some info about the prison he's expected to be sent to, a federal supermax prison in Colorado: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADX_Florence#Prison_facility 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalCaveman Posted July 20, 2019 Report Share Posted July 20, 2019 Yeah, like I said, people called him out on that line. Yeah that prison seems pretty hard to escape from, also, quite the company he's going to be in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted July 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2019 https://www.quora.com/How-is-China-able-to-provide-enough-food-to-feed-its-population-of-over-1-billion-people-Do-they-import-food-or-are-they-self-sustainable This is pretty fascinating look at Chinese food production. And and interesting tone too that is both in awe of the food output and scale of the human rights issues. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted July 27, 2019 Report Share Posted July 27, 2019 (edited) I only ever saw a small glimpse of all that food production but my view seems to be from a more rural area. Even when condensed into towns, urbanized by putting people into apartments (true single family homes isn't a thing for rural folks it seems), a lot of people were or are children of farmers. Subsidence even. Any good spare usable space will probably be used for farming for your family. It can literally be right off the road, by a park or behind some trees or bushes. I have no idea how they determine who gets what but it all somehow works. No one seems to fuck with their gardens/plots. People just roll up on scooters and just go to work. It's really is bizarre but it's some good use of land. And can explain the lack of grocery stores that sells vegetables. I've seen meat, fish and fruit markets but not really in the way of vegetables. It was weird. Edit: And yeah, if you go there with American or really Western salaries, you can eat like kings. Edited July 27, 2019 by Mal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalCaveman Posted July 29, 2019 Report Share Posted July 29, 2019 IMF (International Monetary Fund, not the Mission Impossible one ) has said that economic growth is expected the be lower than 1%, independent analysts and other international organisations agree and pretty much all believe a recession is inevitable. Our president: "Don't believe their neoliberal lies! It's all part of neoliberal propaganda to question our transformation because we reject neoliberal policies because neoliberal policies are neoporfirist policies and we're against them!" Looking at it, it's like if you took all of Trump's stupidity but none of the racism, and you get our president, kinda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted July 29, 2019 Report Share Posted July 29, 2019 9 hours ago, MetalCaveman said: it's like if you took all of Trump's stupidity but none of the racism I mean, I guess that's an improvement... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalCaveman Posted July 29, 2019 Report Share Posted July 29, 2019 Yeah, I guess so, gotta take them small victories I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted August 13, 2019 Report Share Posted August 13, 2019 Hong Kong is not going to end nicely. At all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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