Is There a New Dotcom Bubble?

[Damocles]

A relatively poor American could live like a king in Cuba, comparatively speaking. They wouldn't be able to go out and buy Ferraris and stuff - because there aren't any - but in comparison to the other Cubans, they'd be doing a lot more with the money they have.

They'd be robbed blind within ten minutes of their arrival into the country, and every other day for the rest of their stay there, because: wealthy foreigner.

So yeah, I suppose this was the lived experience of some Kings... ¯\_(◔ヘ◔)_/¯

 

[dan]

@PeteJ, I think you'd be so happy in the Soviet Union... compared to your lifestyle now...

 

[Ed209]

They'd be robbed blind within ten minutes of their arrival into the country, and every other day for the rest of their stay there, because: wealthy foreigner.

So yeah, I suppose this was the lived experience of some Kings... ¯\_(◔ヘ◔)_/¯

Who's to say that the American wouldn't go around robbing the Cubans?

My cousin had her honeymoon in Cuba and had no problems, and a student of mine has been there many times over the years and has never been robbed (and he goes off the complex). You're probably just as likely to get pick pocketed in parts of London as you are in Cuba, buddy. He said the locals are nice people and that you get a lot of people busking with guitars whilst playing percussion with their feet. There's also a lot of people crafting to make money. He recently bought a chess set that cost next to nothing, and it's beautiful, all hand carved and in a box. He gave the guy £20 for it and told him to keep the change because he wanted next to nothing for it.

They are extremely poor because communism doesn't work.

 

[Damocles]

Who's to say that the American wouldn't go around robbing the Cubans?

?

Really?

And what are they going to rob them for exactly? £20 chess sets?

My cousin had her honeymoon in Cuba and had no problems, and a student of mine has been there many times over the years and has never been robbed (and he goes off the complex).

Oh, well case closed then. Cuba is evidently crime free because of these two unverifiable accounts from both your cousin and student having experienced "no problems".

You're probably just as likely to get pick pocketed in parts of London as you are in Cuba, buddy.

I mean, I can only assume you're being deliberately obtuse here, or you just really want to play devil's advocate...

Because by equating crime in parts of London to Cuba, you've completely contradicted your original point (which was correct, by the way) that "poor" in (practically) any part of Western Europe or North America = "comfortable" in (practically) any part of South Asia, South America or Central America etc.

Yes, London has the highest crime rate in the UK, but as you rightly highlighted, it has focal points, and those are mostly nowhere near the "touristy" areas of the capital. Also it's just not comparable. The majority of Londoners are, even in worst case scenario, still above the UK poverty line, because no one can afford to be here if they're not; thus there's not much incentive to rob tourists, or each other for that matter.

Cuba on the other hand is an inexplicably impoverished nation, and the people there are desperate; not for material wealth, but just to survive. Now check the introductory chapter in your copy of Human Psychology 101, which circumstance does it tell you makes a person more dangerous and likely to exhibit no moral code:

a) Having adequate wealth but wanting more?

or

b) Having nothing and facing death if you leave it that way?

He said the locals are nice people

Yeah, everybody's "nice", until they're not.

Sex attack victims usually know attacker, says new study - BBC News

Japanese tourist says drugged, raped by guide in India (yahoo.com)

Raped at Breezes by a staff member! - Varadero Forum - Tripadvisor

Foreign tourist raped and robbed in Havana

They are extremely poor because communism doesn't work.

So, I'm not going to pretend to understand the reasons behind Cuba's poverty (I'll leave that to the economists), but I am confident in the fact that it cannot be summed up by such a simplistic statement as this.

Despite being so poor, it doesn't even break into the top 10 poorest countries in the Caribbean:

Top 10 poorest Caribbean countries 2021 - Victor Mochere (victor-mochere.com)

None of which operate under a "communist" government.

So there is definitely more to the story than just an evil soviet dictatorship controlled by the undead Che Guevara.

 

[Ed209]

I think you took what I said a bit too seriously, @Damocles. It seems a bit over the top to write such a big response to such a simple analogy, in my opinion.

If you like the idea of communism, then good for you, I'm not here to talk you out of it as everyone is entitled to their opinion. You're right that my final comment was simplistic; Cuba's economic problems go much deeper. The US embargo that lasted over 50 years is one such problem they suffered. That being said, name one communist country that has flourished or hasn't ended up being ruled as a dictatorship?

I don't think humans can make it work by our very nature. It always leads to totalitarianism with a dictator moulding the society in their image. Free speech, free markets, religion, freedom of thought, expression, etc, all get abolished. The oppressive nature of some of these regimes has been abhorrent. Look at the atrocities that China have committed, for example.

 

[Juan]

Biden has renewed Powell (that disgrace) as FED chair.

Another Biden promise that never came to reality: the global corporate tax. 2030 you said, Joe? Ridiculous!

It seems Joe, Powell, Lagarde & Co. expect us to pay taxes on behalf of Jeff Bezos, that sinister Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel... and of course the fake philanthropist Bill Gates & Ex-Wife. Why dividing their wealth after divorce, held at those philantropic foundations? I thought that money was aimed at helping others... and not themselves (not paying any tax).

 

[Exit]

While we're still on the Cuba concept

1. I would be immensely proud if someone bought a $16 shirt with my stupid mug on!

2. It's extremely safe for tourists in Cuba. It's a police state with nothing better to do than watch people

I walked around lost every night in all sorts of dark alleys

(Not drunk, I couldn't find my building )

 

[Damocles]

If you like the idea of communism, then good for you, I'm not here to talk you out of it as everyone is entitled to their opinion. That being said, name one communist country that has flourished or hasn't ended up being ruled as a dictatorship?

I don't know what gave you the impression I "like the idea of communism".

If it was because of me agreeing with this post of @dan's:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/posts/624928/

then I would like to clarify that my concurrence was merely with his statement regarding the "vaccine mandates", and how they would represent the reduction of freedom, in any political climate they found themselves instated in.

If you really want my take on "communism", it's that it doesn't exist. It's a facade. A dictatorship or an oligarchy, dressed to look like something else. Same as "capitalism". All the same people maintaining a monopoly on wealth and resource via minutely differing means.

You're right that my final comment was simplistic; Cuba's economic problems go much deeper. The US embargo that lasted over 50 years is one such problem they suffered.

Yeah, like I said, it's not really my area. The culture of the Caribbean Islands doesn't interest me enough to want to investigate it's political history. As far as Cuba is concerned, I know Che Guevara was it's greatest imported export, and that he's revered by people who identify as "liberal", despite having been a "racist, homophobic, psychopath" by today's standards.

That being said, name one communist country that has flourished or hasn't ended up being ruled as a dictatorship?

I guess it depends on how you choose to define "flourished" and/or "dictatorship". Both countries that have been described as "capitalist" or "communist" at one time or another have embarrassments to their name.

China is recognised as a "communist" country and is set to take over the world over the course of this decade. It's also creating millionaires and billionaires at a higher rate than the US now, so I guess that could be seen as "flourishing"(?)

China created a record number of billionaires despite Covid-19 — Quartz (qz.com)

China overtakes US in rankings of world's richest people | Rich lists | The Guardian

(That doesn't make me happy, btw. But it's a fact.)

As far as dictatorships are concerned, I'd say a lot of so called "capitalist" countries are beginning to resemble something as bad as, if not worse than, "communist dictatorships".

As Austria makes vaccines mandatory, a GP who has worked through the pandemic argues the case | Daily Mail Online

Derek Chauvin's Trial: Countdown to a Kangaroo Court - The American Spectator | USA News and Politics

Students at University of Kent must take 'white privilege' course | News | The Times

 

[PeteJ]

One of the advantages of communism over the West are the women rights. You can see it in the East and West Germany.

In the West women were fairly oppressed and expected to be housewives, perhaps mainly under the church rule. You saw this a lot in Holland, Western Germany etc.

In the East, it was normal that women were chief engineers in factories, and everyone was encouraged to work. There was more equality in that regard.

Both were not sovereign. There was no freedom on either side. They were occupied and Germany still is. Geez, you people are so oblivious and clueless. It's really sad.

 

[PeteJ]

Star Trek gives a pretty good prediction at what humanity has to go thru before achieving Utopia.

WW3 and the Eugenics wars (The Wrath of Khan)... But the end result will be Paradise on Earth and Space exploration. However, billions of lives will be lost - didn't that Karl dude say the global population cannot sustain itself, it has to be reduced...

That would explain a lot if you get all your info from Star Trek.

Many people here obviously use CNN. Others use Star Trek.

Didn't know there was another class of capitalism - "Crony Capitalism" lol.

This is just the end result of "healthy capitalism". This is what happens when big business gets so greedy that it turns on its own people (trying to make money at the expense of our health and now even our lives), so the result reverts back to "Crony Communism" LOL.

I ain't clueless, on the contrary I am well aware of what's happening in our Capitalist world today.

Think about that when the Capitalist forces you to take a medicine against your will and you die from it.

I don't think you understand at all.

There is no "healthy capitalism." Pure capitalism doesn't exist. The government interferes everywhere. They are in bed with government and with politicians. In the form of bailouts, cushy tax deals and corp. friendly loans. More than ever, corporations cater to leftists and market to the left, politically. Why would that be?

If the "capitalist forces" are forcing you to take something against your will, how is that capitalist? Capitalism is about freedom, free markets and choice. We don't have any of that in our society. I know I sound like a "capitalist fan" but I know the faults and flaws in it. But, you don't seem to comprehend the concepts and essence of it and can't distinguish it from other systems.

@PeteJ, I think you'd be so happy in the Soviet Union... compared to your lifestyle now...

Did they allow euthanasia or assisted suicide?

I'm pretty sure they didn't invent any tinnitus cures.

 

[Johan001]

Both were not sovereign. There was no freedom on either side. They were occupied and Germany still is. Geez, you people are so oblivious and clueless. It's really sad.

Not sure oblivious to what?

I know both parts of Germany fairly well and make my judgement based on my first hand observations, my interactions with people.

 

[Juan]

then I would like to clarify that my concurrence was merely with his statement regarding the "vaccine mandates", and how they would represent the reduction of freedom, in any political climate they found themselves instated in.

I never thought Austria would be capable of FORCING people to get vaccinated. Such a shame...

Why aren't all those top athletes, tennis players, runners, surfers, vaccinated?

 

[PeteJ]

I never thought Austria would be capable of FORCING people to get vaccinated. Such a shame...

Why aren't all those top athletes, tennis players, runners, surfers, vaccinated?

Yeah, Austria is a police state. In the Netherlands, the police shoot you.

These aren't free, democratic states.

It's funny how ALL the people here forget that the EU was founded on communist, totalitarian ideals. They value such principles and it's been a con job on people from the start. Russia and the EU, ironically, aren't that different.

 

[Ed209]

China is recognised as a "communist" country and is set to take over the world over the course of this decade. It's also creating millionaires and billionaires at a higher rate than the US now, so I guess that could be seen as "flourishing"(?)

I would probably go by GDP per capita.

I knew you would say China, but that's still a pretty poor country, relatively speaking. Just look how they take advantage of their people with slave labour, and then other countries around the world exploit it.

Here's how the world stacks up in this regard:

I think this excerpt pretty much sums it up:

Most economists therefore care more about China's per capita GDP, or income per person, than the aggregate measure. And the key takeaway here is that China remains a poor country, despite its phenomenal headline GDP growth over the past four decades.

China's per capita GDP in 2019 was US$8,240, placing the country between Montenegro (US$8,590) and Botswana (US$8,090). Its per capita GDP in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms – with income adjusted to take account of the cost of living – was US$16,800.

This is below the global average of US$17,810 and puts China 86th in the world, between Suriname (US$17,260) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (US$16,290).

They have had a massive period of growth over the last few decades as they are going through their industrial revolution. But, they are still an authoritative state that controls their people.

 

[Juan]

I would probably go by GDP per capita.

I knew you would say China, but that's still a pretty poor country. Just look how they take advantage of their people with slave labour, and then other countries around the world exploit it.

Here's how the world stacks up in this regard:

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View attachment 47878

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I think this excerpt pretty much sums it up:

Most economists therefore care more about China's per capita GDP, or income per person, than the aggregate measure. And the key takeaway here is that China remains a poor country, despite its phenomenal headline GDP growth over the past four decades.

China's per capita GDP in 2019 was US$8,240, placing the country between Montenegro (US$8,590) and Botswana (US$8,090). Its per capita GDP in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms – with income adjusted to take account of the cost of living – was US$16,800.

This is below the global average of US$17,810 and puts China 86th in the world, between Suriname (US$17,260) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (US$16,290).

I think those are old numbers. By now the Czech Republic and Taiwan should have higher per capita incomes than Spain.

 

[Ed209]

I think those are old numbers. By now the Czech Republic and Taiwan should have higher per capita incomes than Spain.

These figures are from last month:

https://www.statisticstimes.com/economy/projected-world-gdp-capita-ranking.php

 

[Juan]

These figures are from last month:

https://www.statisticstimes.com/economy/projected-world-gdp-capita-ranking.php

Did you watch the "Peppa Pig Moment"? The UK has its own clown running the show!:

Boris Johnson went to Peppa Pig World – but it's Britain that's being taken for a ride

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/23/boris-johnson-peppa-pig-world-ant-dec

Boris was mumbling in despair and fumbling through papers... the guy lost the written script for his speech! and then started talking about Peppa Pig... and I thought Jay Powell was incompetent !

 

[dan]

Did they allow euthanasia or assisted suicide?

No, but heavy duty marine rope cost $0.05/ft

 

[dan]

I don't know what gave you the impression I "like the idea of communism".

If it was because of me agreeing with this post of @dan's:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/posts/624928/

then I would like to clarify that my concurrence was merely with his statement regarding the "vaccine mandates", and how they would represent the reduction of freedom, in any political climate they found themselves instated in.

If you really want my take on "communism", it's that it doesn't exist. It's a facade. A dictatorship or an oligarchy, dressed to look like something else. Same as "capitalism". All the same people maintaining a monopoly on wealth and resource via minutely differing means.

Yeah, like I said, it's not really my area. The culture of the Caribbean Islands doesn't interest me enough to want to investigate it's political history. As far as Cuba is concerned, I know Che Guevara was it's greatest imported export, and that he's revered by people who identify as "liberal", despite having been a "racist, homophobic, psychopath" by today's standards.

I guess it depends on how you choose to define "flourished" and/or "dictatorship". Both countries that have been described as "capitalist" or "communist" at one time or another have embarrassments to their name.

China is recognised as a "communist" country and is set to take over the world over the course of this decade. It's also creating millionaires and billionaires at a higher rate than the US now, so I guess that could be seen as "flourishing"(?)

China created a record number of billionaires despite Covid-19 — Quartz (qz.com)

China overtakes US in rankings of world's richest people | Rich lists | The Guardian

(That doesn't make me happy, btw. But it's a fact.)

As far as dictatorships are concerned, I'd say a lot of so called "capitalist" countries are beginning to resemble something as bad as, if not worse than, "communist dictatorships".

As Austria makes vaccines mandatory, a GP who has worked through the pandemic argues the case | Daily Mail Online

Derek Chauvin's Trial: Countdown to a Kangaroo Court - The American Spectator | USA News and Politics

Students at University of Kent must take 'white privilege' course | News | The Times

You said it better than me brother...

 

[dan]

I don't think you understand at all.

There is no "healthy capitalism." Pure capitalism doesn't exist.

Thats exactly what I was saying dude lol sheesh

I was saying I would not mind the idea Ideal Communism (Utopia), it does not exist as well.

The best thing we had was USA in the 60's and 70's, when everybody had a well paid job, living the American dream, rock n' roll, no GMO food, clean oceans, no bullshit etc.

 

[Juan]

Most economists therefore care more about China's per capita GDP, or income per person, than the aggregate measure. And the key takeaway here is that China remains a poor country, despite its phenomenal headline GDP growth over the past four decades.

I think it would be interesting to look at the data for both Chinese cities and rural areas. I am sure the per capita income in Shanghai, Beijing or Shenzhen looks a lot better.

And Shanghai for instance has a population of 25 million. It is larger than some European countries.

 

[dan]

These aren't free, democratic states.

The only free states left are Florida and Texas... for now...

 

[Ed209]

I think it would be interesting to look at the data for both Chinese cities and rural areas. I am sure the per capita income in Shanghai, Beijing or Shenzhen looks a lot better.

And Shanghai for instance has a population of 25 million. It is larger than some European countries.

There is a big difference, Juan. This is my wife's field of expertise and she could talk you to death about it. Considering they're supposedly a communist country, there isn't much equality going on.

 

[Ed209]

Did you watch the "Peppa Pig Moment"? The UK has its own clown running the show!:

Yea, he's a bumbling idiot.

 

[Juan]

There is a big difference, Juan. This is my wife's field of expertise and she could talk you to death about it. Considering they're supposedly a communist country, there isn't much equality going on.

There's "convergence" European-style

 

[Juan]

Yea, he's a bumbling idiot.

I still wonder how Boris could turn from journalist to PM... well, apparently people voted for him.

 

[Damocles]

Yea, he's a bumbling idiot.

You prefer the alternative @Ed209?

Labour votes to abolish private schools at party conference | The Independent | The Independent

Considering your thoughts on "communism", you might want to think about moving country next time we have a Labour government.

 

[Ed209]

Considering your thoughts on "communism", you might want to think about moving country next time we have a Labour government.

I'm not a labour voter.

 

[PeteJ]

Well even though they had a policeman on every second corner they certainly didn't have enough control to stop taxi drivers from taking what they wanted from tourists. You had to make a deal before you got in, otherwise you would be really hustled

Communism would only work if you had 1 person employed to look after another one

They do really try that but yeah what can they do

When I was there 10 years ago, a normal salary was $25-35 a month.

A maid in a hotel would receive salary plus whatever she would get in tips...

If they banned tourism then maybe easier to maintain a fair system...

Some of the taxi drivers told me they used to work as doctors

Not so much fun was the intense prostitution...

Some of you have probably heard about the riots this summer in Cuba. 2 years without tourist money and problems getting imported goods have really made a bad situation worse.

The good about Cuba is free healthcare, good education system and low crime rates due to the big police state system. That's why we chose a holiday in Cuba instead of Rio Janeiro.

If Cuba is so great, why are Cubans still trying to emigrate to the States? Or did that inflow stop?

 

[Damocles]

I'm not a labour voter.

Well are you going to elaborate on that, or shall I just assume you're a member of the Monster Raving Loony Party?

In fact, leave it to my imagination and as far as I'm concerned, I'm replying to Lord Buckethead's alter ego here.