The most interesting development in my opinion is the full-throated embracing of the "it's not wealth redistribution if we're doing it" philosophy. Every day some new announcement of $X billion to be given to group Y... it was $12B to farmers over the weekend.
Except it wasn't $12B to farmers. Farmers have been squeezed by monopolies on both the supplier (seed, equipment, etc) side AND the buyer side (there is often only a single buyer of grain in an area, for example) to the point that most large scale American farms are struggling to make any profit, and service their sizeable debts. The $12B will immediately be transferred to these monopolies, it will not go to farmers.
you probably don't go all in, but try to find real assets that are not _too_ strongly correlated and are likely to have durable long term value. The most compelling answers I've heard are things like desirable real estate, commodities, or futures/contracts like water rights. Even then its not no equities, just a much lower allocation to minimize down side while still capturing some of the exuberant growth
I was sort of hoping this would touch upon the other big experiment. The government is now buying shares in American businesses. It's telling businesses what they can and can't do about things like DEI, and wielding an enormous stick against those who don't obey. Trump's declaring that he'll be involved with deciding who WB-Discovery-HBO can be sold to.
I think, from an economic standpoint, there’s plenty of non-democratic countries that do this all the time and some of them do quite well. It’s more the end of an Experiment than the start of one.
This is straight-up self-destruction and tearing down of global economic systems. As to why; think about who would benefit most from US' demise as global top-dog.
Political freedom is usually prized by "brainy immigrants" - especially those who were likely to travel to the USA.
The problem isn't just the $100,000 fee (not insignificant) but the risks associated with being an immigrant with restricted political freedom in an increasingly authoritarian nation[1].
I'm not through the article but reached that point - I believe the author may be alluding to ICE and fear of persecution rather than changes to H1B or other visas.
I may be incorrect but that was my impression in part because no one, in my experience, takes seriously the premise that H1B is a "brainy immigrant" visa
The US became less attractive for becoming an authoritarian state that is a threat to its own people because of people like RFK Jr. or ICE raids based on racial profiles.
The US has deported millions of people, including in ICE raids, over the past 20 years, under both parties. Notably, the Obama administration built 'cages' (AP coined the term) for children of illegals.
The notion that this is new, or that it is a single side, is of course an attempt to paper over historical data which is readily accessible.
Authoritarian regimes tend to have no checks and balances, whereas the other two branches of government have both repeatedly restrained the executive this year, through both law and judicial rulings. They also tend to clamp down on free speech, which isn't happening (but is in Europe), or disarm the population (try owning a firearm in China or North Korea).
Depending on the day, Obama/Biden either supposedly let in tens of millions with completely open borders, or else they were the party that innovated cruelty against prospective immigrants. Depending on which narrative is convenient.
You seriously want to tell me the Obama and Trump are no different in their treatment of illegal and legal immigrants?
How often did Obama call them drug traffickers and rapists.
How often did the Obama administration deport people to some of the worst prisons in foreign countries.
Or answer me this. If Trump doesn’t do anything different what is a bragging about?
And how could Obama do the sane with less money and people?
Something isn’t adding up, don’t you think?
>How often did Obama call them drug traffickers and rapists.
Probably less often then he drone striked the middle east while getting the Nobel Peace Prize.
Yes, forget about illegals breaking laws, focus on the hurtful words Trump is using to call those breaking laws.
Obama isn't president anymore, and a lot dem policies of 2008 era are now the same ones republicans are pushing but being called fascist for it. Crazy.
This is why libs are so cooked, because it's all about performative actions and optics for you. You worship Obama but bash Trump for doing what Obama was doing or campaigning on.
If Trump would have build those child detainment cage camps, you guys would have been frothing at the mouth, but since Nobel peace prize Obama built them, then it's OK, only Trump is the evil one for also using them as well.
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