Prices of the electricity we use to charge

[Ghost1951]

I don't think a few F16's are going to start WW3. Putin thinks the West is so corrupt that it won't dare poking the Russian bear when he sent his troops over the border. Still, if Ukraine can control more of their skies and should down all the flying bombs that Putin lobs into their country everyday, Ukraine will get stronger every month.

I hope this is right and believe there is a very good chance that this will work.

 

[Woosh]

That's the impasse, we may never be able to reach a better society without autocracy to force our way there.

But a better society is now desperately needed worldwide, since our current democratic systems are failing miserably, leaving everyone increasingly unhappy. Much of that is due to our dishonesty with ourselves, such as calling our system democracy when it isn't anything like one.

In truth much of what we called democracy for over five decades was in fact just the consumer society, giving everyone the goodies they wanted, simulating satisfactory continuous life advancement, but of course that can't work indefinitely. Either we run out of things to gain or we become unable to afford everyone having everything, either way bringing that satisfaction to an abrupt end.

That is where we are now, large proportions of democratic societies becoming the have-nots with life increasingly becoming existence rather than enjoyment, and even those little affected yet fearful of the future.
.

I think the problem with our western democracies is too many voters want their cake and eating it at the same time. If we do like some nordic countries make tax returns public documents, half of the problems will disappear. When rich people have to pay their fair shares of taxes, they won't need to buy up politicians.

 

[Ghost1951]

I think the problem with our western democracies is too many voters want their cake and eating it at the same time. If we do like some nordic countries make tax returns public documents, half of the problems will disappear. When rich people have to pay their fair shares of taxes, they won't need to buy up politicians.

Who buys politicians? If you mean political contributions, all parties are funded that way. I heard (I think) that Labour got 2.5 million handed in this week. The Cons got about 100k.

As for proper bribes - well I have not seen any evidence of that.

The tax code is ENTIRELY in the hands of governments - and governments of all colours have made rules which are there for people to follow. They range from establishing tax rates at different income levels, setting the level of tax on companies and dividends and setting VAT, or fuel duty and everything else including whether foreign residents pay tax on foreign income (non dom).

If business men and companies act fraudulently, by hiding income - then they break the law. If a small trader puts a lot of cash in his back pocket and doesn't put it through the books, he commits a crime. Prosecute them and make them pay massive penalties.

As for people who correctly use the tax allowances they are allowed BY LAW in the tax code. There is nothing wrong with that. The rules were made by a succession chancellors to encourage and facilitate business and wealth production.

Some of us are old enough to have been adults when Denis Healey a Labour chancellor was boasting about squeezing the rich until the pips squeaked. The rich just left the country and the tax take fell. When Thatcher (who did some good things and some bad things) cut the top rate of tax from about 95% to 40%, the tax take rose considerably. I think it is quite likely, that abolishing the non-dom rules will simply cause super wealthy people, like Mrs Sunac to leave. All the VAT they paid on their frequent expensive purchases, will go with them. So what will be gained? Likely - nothing.

 

[Woosh]

The tax code is ENTIRELY in the hands of governments

I don't mean the tax codes. Follow Norway example.
If it's public knowledge that we how much the billionaires who live here pay actually in taxes, governments can go after them for any shortfall.

 

[saneagle]

I don't think a few F16's are going to start WW3. Putin thinks the West is so corrupt that it won't dare poking the Russian bear when he sent his troops over the border. Still, if Ukraine can control more of their skies and should down all the flying bombs that Putin lobs into their country everyday, Ukraine will get stronger every month.

Wishful thinking!

 

[saneagle]

Who buys politicians? If you mean political contributions, all parties are funded that way. I heard (I think) that Labour got 2.5 million handed in this week. The Cons got about 100k.

As for proper bribes - well I have not seen any evidence of that.

The tax code is ENTIRELY in the hands of governments - and governments of all colours have made rules which are there for people to follow. They range from establishing tax rates at different income levels, setting the level of tax on companies and dividends and setting VAT, or fuel duty and everything else including whether foreign residents pay tax on foreign income (non dom).

If business men and companies act fraudulently, by hiding income - then they break the law. If a small trader puts a lot of cash in his back pocket and doesn't put it through the books, he commits a crime. Prosecute them and make them pay massive penalties.

As for people who correctly use the tax allowances they are allowed BY LAW in the tax code. There is nothing wrong with that. The rules were made by a succession chancellors to encourage and facilitate business and wealth production.

Some of us are old enough to have been adults when Denis Healey a Labour chancellor was boasting about squeezing the rich until the pips squeaked. The rich just left the country and the tax take fell. When Thatcher (who did some good things and some bad things) cut the top rate of tax from about 95% to 40%, the tax take rose considerably. I think it is quite likely, that abolishing the non-dom rules will simply cause super wealthy people, like Mrs Sunac to leave. All the VAT they paid on their frequent expensive purchases, will go with them. So what will be gained? Likely - nothing.

They don't need to buy politicians. They do the bidding gladly for nothing. Think about Epstein Island, which was one of many.

 

[Peter.Bridge]

Populism is nothing to get concerned about - at least, not if, you are interested in politicians doing what 'the people' want

Yes, I do think parliament should represent the people. In one way it would be quite funny if Reform polls 15 % and gets no seats (my political views probably align quite closely with Mick Lynch ) but it's not democratic. Their percentage of MPs should represent their percentage of voters and they should be held to account as their record as MPs at the election after next.

 

[Woosh]

Wishful thinking!

not so. At the moment, Ukraine suffers greatly from daily bombardments by Russian flying bombs. Each carries between half a ton of explosive to 1.5 tons. If your building is hit by one of them, the whole building will be reduced instantly to rubbles. Ukranians can try to shoot them down but because they fly at supersonic speed, the only way they can deal with those flying bombs is by attacking the planes that carry them. They use American air to air or air to ground missiles for that. The trouble is the Russians can see those rockets coming so they switch off their radar signal that those rockets use to aim at the target. Results: Russians have the upper hand. When the F16s arrive, the American, British and French rockets will be carried by F16s which can talk to the rockets mid flight, they will hit Russian targets even if the Russians switch everything off and try to flee.

 

[lenny]

"No way is Britain’s general election a done deal. Polls disguise huge uncertainty

Up to 20% of voters taking part in these polls say they have yet to make their minds up or are uncertain how to vote"

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jun/22/britain-general-election-polls-uncertainty-tories-outcome-vote

 

[lenny]

"This impossibly thin fabric could cool you down by 16-plus degrees

The new textile was designed to combat the urban heat island effect, reflecting both the sun’s heat and the heat that bounces off of buildings and streets."

https://www.fastcompany.com/91142992/this-impossibly-thin-fabric-could-cool-you-down-by-16-degrees

US Olympic and other teams will bring their own AC units to Paris, undercutting environmental plan

The U.S. Olympic team is one of a handful that will supply air conditioners for their athletes at the Paris Games in a move that undercuts organizers’ plans to cut carbon emissions.

apnews.com

 

[saneagle]

not so. At the moment, Ukraine suffers greatly from daily bombardments by Russian flying bombs. Each carries between half a ton of explosive to 1.5 tons. If your building is hit by one of them, the whole building will be reduced instantly to rubbles. Ukranians can try to shoot them down but because they fly at supersonic speed, the only way they can deal with those flying bombs is by attacking the planes that carry them. They use American air to air or air to ground missiles for that. The trouble is the Russians can see those rockets coming so they switch off their radar signal that those rockets use to aim at the target. Results: Russians have the upper hand. When the F16s arrive, the American, British and French rockets will be carried by F16s which can talk to the rockets mid flight, they will hit Russian targets even if the Russians switch everything off and try to flee.

You're not understanding. The Russians see the operation of F16s as direct NATO involvement. They will retaliate against NATO. That's what starts WW3.

 

[lenny]

"For EVs, Semi-Solid-State Batteries Offer a Step Forward

Chinese automakers are rolling out batteries with gel electrolytes"

For EVs, Semi-Solid-State Batteries Offer a Step Forward

Chinese automakers are rolling out batteries with gel electrolytes

spectrum.ieee.org

Nio rolls out first mass-produced 150 kWh semi-solid battery pack

Nio 150 kWh semi-solid battery pack will go live in a few months, offering over 1,000 km of range on a single charge.

carnewschina.com

 

[lenny]

How underwater drones could shape a potential Taiwan-China conflict

A new war-gaming experiment set out how cutting-edge technologies could prove critical.

www.technologyreview.com

 

[lenny]

What the 'Warming Stripes' Tell Us About Climate Change

#ShowYourStripes Day is an event to turn the climate conversation into action by sharing Ed Hawkins' famous "warming stripes" visualization.

earth.org

 

[Woosh]

You're not understanding. The Russians see the operation of F16s as direct NATO involvement. They will retaliate against NATO. That's what starts WW3.

At least a dozen NATO countries are involved. But you know that already. We have to stop Putin. There is no way around it.

 

[saneagle]

At least a dozen NATO countries are involved. But you know that already. We have to stop Putin. There is no way around it.

Nobody is going to stop him. All they can do is escalate the war. Russia has never lost a war in their entire history, and they're not losing now.

 

[Ghost1951]

Yes, I do think parliament should represent the people. In one way it would be quite funny if Reform polls 15 % and gets no seats (my political views probably align quite closely with Mick Lynch ) but it's not democratic. Their percentage of MPs should represent their percentage of voters and they should be held to account as their record as MPs at the election after next.

Yes - on the one hand PR seems attractive and fair, then you look at what has happened in Israel where a government led by Netanyahu, who is pretty unpopular with the mass of voters and certainly could not have polled a majority, is kept in power by a clique of absolute nutters from the settlers party. They are absolute loons - out and out extremists and not only do they keep a far from pleasant character in power, but they dictate hard line policies.

PR gives power to nutters and extremists because they become king makers unless the largest party has a big majority. It is THE KEY feature of the system to give power to small, unrepresentative groups. Chat GPT will give you other examples of how PR has put small, radical parties in the driving seat in several parliaments. I asked it about this and it gave me a whole lot of them. I won't waste the bandwidth by quoting them all.

As someone far more clever than me once said - well he said it on Nov 11th 1947 -

"Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…"

 

[saneagle]

not so. At the moment, Ukraine suffers greatly from daily bombardments by Russian flying bombs. Each carries between half a ton of explosive to 1.5 tons. If your building is hit by one of them, the whole building will be reduced instantly to rubbles. Ukranians can try to shoot them down but because they fly at supersonic speed, the only way they can deal with those flying bombs is by attacking the planes that carry them. They use American air to air or air to ground missiles for that. The trouble is the Russians can see those rockets coming so they switch off their radar signal that those rockets use to aim at the target. Results: Russians have the upper hand. When the F16s arrive, the American, British and French rockets will be carried by F16s which can talk to the rockets mid flight, they will hit Russian targets even if the Russians switch everything off and try to flee.

This is what the Russians are up against:

Xoaquin FIores - New Resistance

This is the panel of experts of the "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment" from June 13th, 2024, by non other than the Institute for the Study of War. Pay attention, orcs: they have a St. Petersburg-educated ballerina... Surrender we must... All is lost... There's no hope fighting against...

t.me

 

[Ghost1951]

I don't mean the tax codes. Follow Norway example.
If it's public knowledge that we how much the billionaires who live here pay actually in taxes, governments can go after them for any shortfall.

Since the governments already know how much they make (they fill in tax returns) making tax information public will not help government get a penny more. Why should everyone in the world have access to my financial information?

Bonkers! And OBNOXIOUS. Maybe they should know how often I have sex too. Perhaps we should enter such information onto a database? An extreme example maybe, but I think we have a right to privacy over such matters.

 

[Ghost1951]

You're not understanding. The Russians see the operation of F16s as direct NATO involvement. They will retaliate against NATO. That's what starts WW3.

That's bullsh it old chap. They SAY that that is what they think, but it is bluster and mind games. Americans sending arms is no different to The Iranians and NK nutters sending arms to Russia.

The red line is American pilots attacking RUSSIAN territory and possibly American programmed missiles attacking Russian cities. Since Putin has put his people and war material into harms way in a foreign country defined and signed off as free from Russia in 1990 when Ukraine handed over its share of the Soviet Union's nuclear arsenal to Russia in return for a non aggression treaty and recognition of its independence, they thereby are fair game for any weapons whatsoever that the Ukrainians can lob at them.

HIMARS missiles have already been used to devastate Russian assets on Russian soil. American weapons - no reaction.

Putin does not get to define reality in his own mad way. He does not get to say which countries are real and which are not. It is amazing to me that anyone would even suggest that he should, and that we ought to believe the sick in the head claptrap he comes out with. He lies constantly. It is a long term Russian war strategy to lie. They call it 'maskirovca'. It mezns sowing confusion.