Global warming mod

[soup567]

I am in favor immigration done the legal way. There are too many people in this country ilegaly as 1 out 3 our prisoners is an ilegal immigrant. These people are not in jail for being in the country ilegaly but for commiting rape, murder ect. The border also needs to be secured because of all the violence.

I'm surprised that they haven't been deported, since they are behind bars. And yes there is a lot of violence, but there is an easy way to end that, just legalize the drug trade, and heavily tax the drugs. In November, here in California we're going to have the option to legalize marijuana on the ballot. If it is legalized, and it probably will be, it will generate more than a billion dollars in revenue from taxes, and California desperately needs money.

 

[Afforess]

I am in favor immigration done the legal way. There are too many people in this country ilegaly as 1 out 3 our prisoners is an ilegal immigrant. These people are not in jail for being in the country ilegaly but for commiting rape, murder ect. The border also needs to be secured because of all the violence. The reason Obama wants to give the ilegals citizenship is so they can vote Obama and co. into power forever.

But that is the beauty of Open Immigration. If you can come in the legal way hassle free, without fear of being rejected (barring a transmittable illness), no one would come in illegally. They wouldn't be full US Citizens, but would be able to apply for citizenship. People in the US with Visas still get treated by hospitals (and can buy healthcare), pay taxes, and do most normal things. And honestly, if you are afraid of losing your job to an immigrant, you obviously have a terrible job, and are overpayed.

Oh, and that would make anti-terrorism a lot easier too, no one would be undocumented. Win-Win.

 

[NBAfan]

I'm surprised that they haven't been deported, since they are behind bars. And yes there is a lot of violence, but there is an easy way to end that, just legalize the drug trade, and heavily tax the drugs. In November, here in California we're going to have the option to legalize marijuana on the ballot. If it is legalized, and it probably will be, it will generate more than a billion dollars in revenue from taxes, and California desperately needs money.

It is not because of our laws. The drug gangs are from Mexico and are extermely dangerous.

But that is the beauty of Open Immigration. If you can come in the legal way hassle free, without fear of being rejected (barring a transmittable illness), no one would come in illegally. They wouldn't be full US Citizens, but would be able to apply for citizenship. People in the US with Visas still get treated by hospitals (and can buy healthcare), pay taxes, and do most normal things. And honestly, if you are afraid of losing your job to an immigrant, you obviously have a terrible job, and are overpayed.

Oh, and that would make anti-terrorism a lot easier too, no one would be undocumented. Win-Win.

How do you keep out some one who is sick? I am not afraid of losing a job to an immigrant. I am fine as long as they learn English.

 

[Afforess]

How do you keep out some one who is sick? I am not afraid of losing a job to an immigrant. I am fine as long as they learn English.

Stick them on Ellis Island?

Just tell them to come back when they are better. We can use thermal scanners to tell when people's bodies heat is above the norm, so it's not like they can hide.

 

[NBAfan]

Stick them on Ellis Island?

Just tell them to come back when they are better. We can use thermal scanners to tell when people's bodies heat is above the norm, so it's not like they can hide.

I just to keep out people with TB, Leprosy and other diseases like that.

 

[Afforess]

I just to keep out people with TB, Leprosy and other diseases like that.

Yeah, yeah, I don't mean just a cold, I mean a legitimate, hospital worthy illness.

 

[soup567]

It is not because of our laws. The drug gangs are from Mexico and are extermely dangerous.

I know that, but if we did legalize the drug trade it would put the Mexican drug cartels out of business. They wouldn't waste their time crossing the border if they couldn't make a profit.

 

[NBAfan]

I know that, but if we did legalize the drug trade it would put the Mexican drug cartels out of business. They wouldn't waste their time crossing the border if they couldn't make a profit.

I am not sure it is that simple because they have a lot of power in Mexico. They pretty much run the country. There is no way Cocaine will be legalized.

 

[civ_king]

Marijuana is most of the problem

 

[szemek77]

Credit Cards. The US went downhill when Americans discovered that you could live, if for a short time, with out a balanced budget. Ever since...

Credit cards (or easy credit in general) are doing more damage than one might think. Besides the debt issues, they create a very unbalanced state of economic health. For a short period of time CC give the consumers very high purchase ability, which has no solid economic grounds. To meet this demand corporations are enormously increasing production capability - more than the normal demand/supply balance point would be. After that their existance and prosperity is in constant danger, since it is depended on the money the consumers - de facto - do not have.

See what happened to car industry in US. When I was in your country, I was just stunned how aggressive and intensive the commercial campaign for cars was. Americans were simply told to get rid of their 2-3 year old cars to get a new one. Discounts, premiums, special assistance programs, payment postponements - every trick was used to drag people to dealers and sell zillions of cars waiting for their new owners.

It was no surprise for me that this not natural state of affairs must have collapsed one day. No surprise either that this happened to car industry in the first place.

Google has offered one to put 1GB/S fiber optic cable in one small American town, and let them compete. Our Mayor's did some amazing things to try to get Google to lay their fiber, from renaming Topeka, Kansas to Google, Kansas, from swimming with sharks and creating human chains visible from the air. We're desperate for better infrastructure. 45 Million Americans have no alternative to dial up. Millions more have only one cable company, so the company can charge what ever they want. Why is this the case? Because we initially set up telecoms as miniature monopolies, doling out areas for them to serve. If they could compete everywhere, we would have a lot more options, and a lot faster speeds. Competition is always good for the consumer.

I agree, and I believe you. The problem of your country is the land mass you have to cover with the infrastructure. While there is no problem for big cities like New York, I think it is a problem (in financial respect, not technical) to get small towns in Nevada connected.

Banks' fault for not owning enough of their own shares. "A fool and his money are soon parted"

I gave you this example to show, how fragile the whole system is. Banking system is based on trust and stability. Believe me - if all the customers of certain bank would rush to ATM machines and branches to get the money they deposited at one moment, NO bank would ever survive such a thing.

If the world had a leaderboard like the Civ one, America would be at the very top, and our strength would be a least 10x that of the next best country (China?).

China is not a second best. It is a second largest. And this is a huge difference, believe me. U.S. is still number one in all aspects: economy, technology and military. The fact is, that it could do better. I think China is a problem for the whole world, because it is a very strong and tough competitor. It is not only because of its size, but also due the fact that China DOES NOT comply to our rules of game. I mean they do business with fail states (most dangerous examples in short term: Iran, NK, long term: buying resources and land (!) for farming from African corrupted and criminal leaders), don't care about labour and environment regulations. But their strenght might become their weakness very easy. Chinese political system has limited capabilities and this, combined with demographics problems and polluted environment would stop them one day in a very, very brutal and bloody way. This is my prediction.

There are a lot of easy ways for America to increase earnings though, I'm personally in favor of open immigration, like back in the 1800's; where anyone can come to America and get a visa, and eventually be a naturalized citizen. More people = More tax revenue.

I agree 100 %. You shouldn't fear immigration, especially from European countries. People do not come to States for social benefits (as they do in regard of some European countries). They go there to work hard and pay the taxes. Besides, you can't really live without immigration If you kick out all illegals today, you won't get you favorite Quarter Pounder tommorow

 

[civ_king]

DOes anyone realize that meat prices would skyrocket if we kicked the illegals out?
Fruit Prices? most of that is illegal labor (imported by the US of A)

 

[Afforess]

Credit cards (or easy credit in general) are doing more damage than one might think. Besides the debt issues, they create a very unbalanced state of economic health. For a short period of time CC give the consumers very high purchase ability, which has no solid economic grounds. To meet this demand corporations are enormously increasing production capability - more than the normal demand/supply balance point would be. After that their existance and prosperity is in constant danger, since it is depended on the money the consumers - de facto - do not have.

See what happened to car industry in US. When I was in your country, I was just stunned how aggressive and intensive the commercial campaign for cars was. Americans were simply told to get rid of their 2-3 year old cars to get a new one. Discounts, premiums, special assistance programs, payment postponements - every trick was used to drag people to dealers and sell zillions of cars waiting for their new owners.

It was no surprise for me that this not natural state of affairs must have collapsed one day. No surprise either that this happened to car industry in the first place.

In Economics, this is called a "Bubble". Bubbles pop.

I agree, and I believe you. The problem of your country is the land mass you have to cover with the infrastructure. While there is no problem for big cities like New York, I think it is a problem (in financial respect, not technical) to get small towns in Nevada connected.

Our greatest advantage (Lots of Space) is also our greatest hindrance.

I gave you this example to show, how fragile the whole system is. Banking system is based on trust and stability. Believe me - if all the customers of certain bank would rush to ATM machines and branches to get the money they deposited at one moment, NO bank would ever survive such a thing.

Which is why we established the FDIC. All Bank Accounts are Federally Insured up to (IIRC) 130k. So if the bank folds, you will still get your money. This was part of the New Deal in the 30's.

China is not a second best. It is a second largest. And this is a huge difference, believe me. U.S. is still number one in all aspects: economy, technology and military. The fact is, that it could do better. I think China is a problem for the whole world, because it is a very strong and tough competitor. It is not only because of its size, but also due the fact that China DOES NOT comply to our rules of game. I mean they do business with fail states (most dangerous examples in short term: Iran, NK, long term: buying resources and land (!) for farming from African corrupted and criminal leaders), don't care about labour and environment regulations. But their strenght might become their weakness very easy. Chinese political system has limited capabilities and this, combined with demographics problems and polluted environment would stop them one day in a very, very brutal and bloody way. This is my prediction.

You would be surprised. Most people do not realize this, but the state of Chinese indoctrination is incredible. Most Chinese don't care that their government is totalitarian, since it doesn't directly affect them. This is the general attitude in a lot of other places too. America is unique because we were the first country established with freedoms; all other prior countries had to fight for what we were given. This is why Americans fight to protect freedom; Others would rather live in chains than die, we would rather die than live in chains.

I agree 100 %. You shouldn't fear immigration, especially from European countries. People do not come to States for social benefits (as they do in regard of some European countries). They go there to work hard and pay the taxes. Besides, you can't really live without immigration If you kick out all illegals today, you won't get you favorite Quarter Pounder tommorow

I know, and more people are realizing this anyway. The good news is that Businesses are always Pro-Immigration because it means cheaper workers, so Open Immigration may be a possibility in the future.

 

[civ_king]

In Economics, this is called a "Bubble". Bubbles pop.




Our greatest advantage (Lots of Space) is also our greatest hindrance.



Which is why we established the FDIC. All Bank Accounts are Federally Insured up to (IIRC) 130k. So if the bank folds, you will still get your money. This was part of the New Deal in the 30's.



You would be surprised. Most people do not realize this, but the state of Chinese indoctrination is incredible. Most Chinese don't care that their government is totalitarian, since it doesn't directly affect them. This is the general attitude in a lot of other places too. America is unique because we were the first country established with freedoms; all other prior countries had to fight for what we were given. This is why Americans fight to protect freedom; Others would rather live in chains than die, we would rather die than live in chains.



I know, and more people are realizing this anyway. The good news is that Businesses are always Pro-Immigration because it means cheaper workers, so Open Immigration may be a possibility in the future.

1) FDIC insures up to $250,000 (only rich people will lose money)
2) Lots of space is why we have so many resources in comparison to European countries, we are as big as Europe
3) The Chinese will not care until the economic progress slows, as long as the PRC delivers progress

 

[civhelp121]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/opinion/21krugman.html
Krugman does a good job explaining how the 2008 crisis was very much a bank run. He explains how in very general terms how shadow banking works. The idea is valid though, and a little research on the web will deal a lot more information about shadow banking. The point in the end is that our deregulation (can you say Reagan conservatism?) led to banks creating this shadow system that was not regulated in the least, and thus subject to a classic bankrun triggered by the popping of the mortgage bubble.

 

[konradcabral]

If the world had a leaderboard like the Civ one, America would be at the very top, and our strength would be a least 10x that of the next best country (China?).

Only to make my piece in such a joyful thread: and still, USA wouldn't win the game, because the Domination and Conquest boxes are unchecked. The only hope you had to win was a space one with NASA getting to Alpha Centauri. But now, Obama just gave up. Run, because Europe is getting close to a cultural victory!

 

[Afforess]

Only to make my piece in such a joyful thread: and still, USA wouldn't win the game, because the Domination and Conquest boxes are unchecked. The only hope you had to win was a space one with NASA getting to Alpha Centauri. But now, Obama just gave up. Run, because Europe is getting close to a cultural victory!

I get the feeling that all the victory boxes are unchecked sometimes.

 

[Talin2009]

*sigh*

America as world project is gone, it's now like ussr in 1990, counting last months. World power and financial groups who controlled it (they still do), started it and were handling it thru XIX and XX centuries, decided (when cold war was over and ussr went down and USA remained only superpower, that it's time to move on, discard it and move to New World Order, world currency, government and such). It didn't work quite well tho. The plan was that US won't need anymore super army, thousands of fighters and ICBMs, it will need only forces enough to deal with local countries like Iraq or Iran, keeping everyone in fear.

But we (Russia) still stand still, remaining the only country capable of totally destructing US in 30 minutes (you can do same to us as well) and there is new superpower - China.

Same aforementioned power groups brought american military to waste - im not propaganding anything, just putting some facts: since 1992 there is no armor production or development in US, modernized abramses number is around 200, remaining armor and mech vehicles numbers go down because ones in iraq and afghanistan go down or use their resource (dry dusty climate - bad for armor engines and transmissions), F-22 program is cut down because it was too expensive, F-35 program is delayed to 2016 with expected cost of single plane around ~$200 mln., there are no new ICBMs or warheads, no new space program with shuttle closing soon, ... i could go long here but it would be too much offtopic.

if US won't fall in pieces it will remain regional power, but most likely it will fall into cascade of civil unrests and conflicts between states and federal govt. Another option is another war (more likely a chain of local conflicts and wars trying to bring as many regions as possible into it thus expanding chaos and instability) and descending into dictature in process (patriotic act as beginning?).

Yes, i realize my opinion is highly biased, but still i try to stick to facts i see last several years. And no, i'm not happy seeing this happen, tho i admit i see US as our main enemy hiddenly keeping war against us for last 20 years. I was in US in 1990 in New York and i liked it. There is some spirit in America i like (not modern US, but things like old style american cars, rock'n'roll, metallica) and i really wish to see it back.

p.s. posting this moderately drunk so don't take my post too close

 

[Talin2009]

dbl post

 

[Afforess]

*sigh*

America as world project is gone, it's now like ussr in 1990, counting last months. World power and financial groups who controlled it (they still do), started it and were handling it thru XIX and XX centuries, decided (when cold war was over and ussr went down and USA remained only superpower, that it's time to move on, discard it and move to New World Order, world currency, government and such). It didn't work quite well tho. The plan was that US won't need anymore super army, thousands of fighters and ICBMs, it will need only forces enough to deal with local countries like Iraq or Iran, keeping everyone in fear.

But we (Russia) still stand still, remaining the only country capable of totally destructing US in 30 minutes (you can do same to us as well) and there is new superpower - China.

Same aforementioned power groups brought american military to waste - im not propaganding anything, just putting some facts: since 1992 there is no armor production or development in US, modernized abramses number is around 200, remaining armor and mech vehicles numbers go down because ones in iraq and afghanistan go down or use their resource (dry dusty climate - bad for armor engines and transmissions), F-22 program is cut down because it was too expensive, F-35 program is delayed to 2016 with expected cost of single plane around ~$200 mln., there are no new ICBMs or warheads, no new space program with shuttle closing soon, ... i could go long here but it would be too much offtopic.

if US won't fall in pieces it will remain regional power, but most likely it will fall into cascade of civil unrests and conflicts between states and federal govt. Another option is another war (more likely a chain of local conflicts and wars trying to bring as many regions as possible into it thus expanding chaos and instability) and descending into dictature in process (patriotic act as beginning?).

Yes, i realize my opinion is highly biased, but still i try to stick to facts i see last several years. And no, i'm not happy seeing this happen, tho i admit i see US as our main enemy hiddenly keeping war against us for last 20 years. I was in US in 1990 in New York and i liked it. There is some spirit in America i like (not modern US, but things like old style american cars, rock'n'roll, metallica) and i really wish to see it back.

Are you trolling us?

p.s. posting this moderately drunk so don't take my post too close

Unwittingly then...

I'll respond factually to your claims of a demilitiarized America. We have not been building tanks because the era of battlefield warfare is over. It ended with the Advent of the Nuclear Era. Why roll 2000 tanks into a battlefield to watch them be annihilated in a blink of an eye?

Our ICBM stock is being cut back because our leaders have realized that in a MAD situation, everyone loses. Rolling back from 6k nukes to 4k nukes seems to leave plenty of stock for deterrent.

What have we spent all the money on for the Iraq War then? Drones, new battle armor, and robots. We've increased our UAV count from 200 in 1990 to 2000. We have laser guided missiles that can hit the Lincoln memorial from the back of a penny. Our military is still light years ahead of everyone, just in different ways. Our Military Industrial Complex is not without it's benefits.

As for states breaking away; Ever since the Civil War, the Federal Gov't has exerted much more power over the states. If one state were to try to break away, I expect the state government would be forced out by a military force in less than a week, and replaced by a pro-Federal Gov't one in the next week.

There's no chance of the US vanishing in the near (or not-so-near) future. Find out for yourself, declare war on us, and see if we are in such a bad state as you think we are.

 

[Talin2009]

Aff, im not trolling ...

tanks (and field artillery, and ... damn i don't know how RSZO translates into english properly, well... those - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl1ktzby0IM) still hold their position in modern army configuration taking their roles, breaking defence lines with close infantry support, making breaches in defence etc ... ) of course it's not anywhere close to role it had in WWII, but still it's an important part of modern military.

Nuclear stocks ... I'll be repeating myself but i still *think* that core of that decision lies in assumption that you wouldn't need nukes anymore since USSR is dead (yes we both have enough to nuke whole world several times, but i speak about strategic possibilities here,as we did modernized our warheads (making it maneuvering and hypersonic on final stage, providing it with ECM and something else), our submarine-launched ICBMs, and our mobile ground complexes), while US heavily focused on stealth fighter program. We also hardly worked on our anti-air systems, S-300M being now replaced with S-400, 6 new systems beng put in mass production in 2015, some of those anti-satellite. We still, however, do suffer from 1990-2000 times when everything was in ruins, but we slowly getting out of it ...

Air-to-air missiles ... sorry, but no, X-55 and X-102 are best out there so far. If you really interested in it, tomorrow i will find you links with characteristics.

As about breaking away - my point was that since large countries like ussr or us meet problems with regions wanting to break away (revolutions !!! ) in any case of outcome it will severely hurt their capabilities and possibilities in outer world. And when civil unrest occurs certain degree of dictatorship is mandatory to come, regardless of country or regime present.

Well, anyway, i should be making my original point more clear. I am not seeing US (the country and the people) as enemy. The enemy (and US enemy too btw) are those power groups that now hold control of your country, your financial, your govt and your military. Ones who originate from Egyptian priests through medieval templar orders to bank houses of Europe and later US and FRS. (No im not lunatic ).

p.s. offtopic - some nice photos from latest tank maneuvers - http://chistoprudov.livejournal.com/33963.html?style=mine#cutid1
p.p.s. declare war on you ... you realize the only possible war between us is the one where we bring lots of warm and light to each other on tips of warheads? and vanishing of states ... i'm rather scared of such turn of events. I would rather see US getting rid of your parasites and taking care of your own country before it too late. I remember going into college in 1990 (ussr was healthy and alright), then all of a sudden in 1991 it fell apart, no revolution, no war, nothng, i mean nothing major happened. Some f****rs decided it among themselves and all common people could do is just accept it and accomodate.