United States Biden administration policies and actions - megathread

[Zyobot]

Quit being so stingy. They want 200 million.

Me watching the DNC go bankrupt, colorized:

Of course, I doubt they want them from Democrats specifically, no thanks to how they're Woke zealots that are willfully ignorant of how Progressive policies and Blue city bosses are what ran the modern black community into the ground in the first place. In time, black Americans with a good head on their shoulders will probably wake up to it, but at any rate, you can forget about these guys.

 

[Bear Ribs]

Me watching the DNC go bankrupt, colorized:

Of course, I doubt they want them from Democrats specifically, no thanks to how they're Woke zealots that are willfully ignorant of how Progressive policies and Blue city bosses are what ran the modern black community into the ground in the first place. In time, black Americans with a good head on their shoulders will probably wake up to it, but at any rate, you can forget about these guys.

It's worth noting, giving every black Californian 200 million dollars would require more wealth than the entire economic output of humankind. Note I didn't say this year, I mean more wealth than has been produced in all of human history.

 

[strunkenwhite]

Oh, hey, by the way. When I said 22% of US debt was held by the US government, that was true, but it was also before I found this graph:

I'm looking forward to seeing how much of Japan's debt on top of the 43% BoJ amount is held by other domestic Japanese sources, @History Learner , and whether it beats the American total.

 

[History Learner]

What do you classify as "overwhelming"? 43% wouldn't make the cut in most circumstances, after all, to merit that term.

I don't think anybody would classify something as less than half of a total as an overwhelming amount of the total.

And as I noted, Japan's higher proportion of domestically held debt merely balances out its higher overall debt compared to that of the US; it doesn't work out to superiority.

I think anybody comparing debt totals as % of GDP can see that it, in fact, does.

If you and I both owe $10,000 to a loan shark, but you also owe $10 million to yourself, that doesn't mean you're in less trouble than me!

Except it does when I've used that $10 Million to buy multiple properties and cars I can sell off to pay that $10,000 while you don't.

But what you did say was that the US has "also not been acquiring Gold like other central banks." To which I replied, and this is the only point I'm trying to make with respect to this particular topic, that you shouldn't mention this and only this fact about the gold reserves (i.e. without mentioning overall gold holdings) because it's misleading. It would be entirely correct to state that China and Japan both have much larger overall forex reserves than the US does.

It's pretty meaningless point when the original point you were responding to was all about total Forex reserves, whether the U.S. has a lot of Gold in comparison doesn't really matter when the point was about how Japan has like 10-15x their reserves to handle currency issues.

It would also be currently correct to say that they are both increasing their reserves faster than the US is increasing its own, though all three do appear to be increasing lately.

But we can say they aren't, actually:

 

[strunkenwhite]

I don't think anybody would classify something as less than half of a total as an overwhelming amount of the total.

In that case, let me be blunt: what the fuck are you talking about?!
You said, before, "But it does, because as you noted of Japan's larger debt total, it's overwhelmingly domestically held."
That was in response to me talking about how Japan holds 43% of its own debt in the Bank of Japan. So where did you get ME NOTING that "it's overwhelmingly domestically held" if you agree that 43% is not overwhelming?

I think anybody comparing debt totals as % of GDP can see that it, in fact, does.

Not really, since that is literally what I did in my post and I explained in detail how I used those numbers to disagree with you.

Except it does when I've used that $10 Million to buy multiple properties and cars I can sell off to pay that $10,000 while you don't.

If you want to craft an argument relying on US vs Japanese asset holdings, go ahead, but meanwhile we are talking about the relative burden of their respective debt.
Also, even taking the analogy on your own terms, I could take on new debt to gain the same advantage with added flexibility, while you are relatively constrained by the debt you've already taken on.

It's pretty meaningless point when the original point you were responding to was all about total Forex reserves, whether the U.S. has a lot of Gold in comparison doesn't really matter when the point was about how Japan has like 10-15x their reserves to handle currency issues.

It clearly wasn't "ALL" about total reserves, or you wouldn't have mentioned specifically the gold reserve increase in isolation (unless of course your intention was to be misleading, since the US is increasing its total forex reserves but not its gold reserves). If you want to drop this point as irrelevant to your overall point, please feel free; I believe I've implicitly invited you to do so multiple times.

But we can say they aren't, actually:

What is that chart supposed to prove? It appears to be talking about national stockpiles of actual gold vs bank/private ETFs ... or something? It doesn't seem really relevant to US vs Japan vs China national stockpiles of gold, let alone what I was actually talking about, forex reserve increases of those three nations.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

hmm, the cartels have started to infiltrate america thanks to the open border policy.

They've been doing this for decades.

 

[History Learner]

In that case, let me be blunt: what the fuck are you talking about?!
You said, before, "But it does, because as you noted of Japan's larger debt total, it's overwhelmingly domestically held."
That was in response to me talking about how Japan holds 43% of its own debt in the Bank of Japan. So where did you get ME NOTING that "it's overwhelmingly domestically held" if you agree that 43% is not overwhelming?

Because you randomly decided to focus on the Bank of Japan holdings instead of the broader fact that foreigners only hold about 8% of Japanese debt, the rest is held through other domestic holders.

Not really, since that is literally what I did in my post and I explained in detail how I used those numbers to disagree with you.

But they don't, as anybody looking at Japanese debt to GDP vs the United States sees.

If you want to craft an argument relying on US vs Japanese asset holdings, go ahead, but meanwhile we are talking about the relative burden of their respective debt.

...asset holdings was the original point you were responding to no less from my opening post, and you acknowledged that in your last reply?

Also, even taking the analogy on your own terms, I could take on new debt to gain the same advantage with added flexibility, while you are relatively constrained by the debt you've already taken on.

Except you've already established we have the same debt burden to external creditors. I have the same flexibility you do since that $10 Million is owed to myself; I'm not going to collect on it from myself, and what's stopping me from taking out more debt with myself since I know I won't collect it? Until you take out 10,000,001 from yourself, I'm still ahead.

It clearly wasn't "ALL" about total reserves, or you wouldn't have mentioned specifically the gold reserve increase in isolation (unless of course your intention was to be misleading, since the US is increasing its total forex reserves but not its gold reserves). If you want to drop this point as irrelevant to your overall point, please feel free; I believe I've implicitly invited you to do so multiple times.

If you felt that way, why bring it up in the first place? We both know you were trying to nitpick but I pretty quickly showed it wasn't a valid one.

What is that chart supposed to prove? It appears to be talking about national stockpiles of actual gold vs bank/private ETFs ... or something? It doesn't seem really relevant to US vs Japan vs China national stockpiles of gold, let alone what I was actually talking about, forex reserve increases of those three nations.

You said the U.S. was increasing Gold stocks, when that isn't the case.

 

[strunkenwhite]

Because you randomly decided to focus on the Bank of Japan holdings instead of the broader fact that foreigners only hold about 8% of Japanese debt, the rest is held through other domestic holders.

This is the first time that number has been put in this thread to my knowledge. BTW, I don't hold that subscription and don't see a way to see for free the number you cite.

If I take you at your word, then we do have a reason to say that less of Japan's debt is in foreign hands than the US's, though the proportion (to GDP) of debt held in national government hands seems to be similar.

If you felt that way, why bring it up in the first place?

"it would be misleading"

what's stopping me from taking out more debt with myself since I know I won't collect it?

The ability to take out domestic debt is not unlimited.

You said the U.S. was increasing Gold stocks, when that isn't the case.

No, no I did not. Please attempt to maintain at least a 3rd grade level of reading comprehension while you look for gotcha opportunities.

(To aid you, I will provide an example of reading comprehension. The original text reads, "But what you did say was that the US has "also not been acquiring Gold like other central banks." To which I replied, and this is the only point I'm trying to make with respect to this particular topic, that you shouldn't mention this and only this fact about the gold reserves (i.e. without mentioning overall gold holdings) because it's misleading. It would be entirely correct to state that China and Japan both have much larger overall forex reserves than the US does. It would also be currently correct to say that they are both increasing their reserves faster than the US is increasing its own, though all three do appear to be increasing lately."

(Sentence 1: restatement of your previous statement that the US gold stockpile is not increasing.
(Sentence 2: restatement of my previous statement that saying this in the wrong context may mislead people as to the relative strength of the US gold stockpile.
(Sentence 3: new statement that China and Japan have larger overall forex reserves (i.e., not just gold) than the US.
(Sentence 4: new statement that "they are both" (i.e., China and Japan are both) "increasing their reserves faster than the US is increasing its own, though all three do appear to be increasing lately". The proper interpretation of "its own" is "its own reserves", and in turn "reserves" is properly interpreted as "overall forex reserves" in deference to the previous sentence. Note also that nowhere in the paragraph do I breathe a word of disagreement about the opening sentence that reiterated the claim that the US gold stockpile is not increasing. Therefore it would be silly to read the last sentence as being a contrary claim of fact when the natural interpretation is that the US's "overall forex reserves" are increasing, which is perfectly consistent with the idea that its gold reserves remain static; in such a case the increase would be coming from non-gold sources.)

 

[strunkenwhite]

...asset holdings was the original point you were responding to no less from my opening post, and you acknowledged that in your last reply?

Relating to this, the only assets I notice you referring to is in the forex holdings section, which I didn't dispute except with respect to the gold thing. And the difference between Japan's debt to GDP ratio and its forex to GDP ratio is quite large; the US could easily build a bigger stockpile and have less debt than Japan.

 

[Zyobot]

 

[Tiamat]

Imagine the directions he's getting in his earpiece:

"No, look that way. Yes...no, don't walk that way! The other way. Now stop, shake hands...no....NOT THE HAIR!"

 

[mrttao]

 

[Tiamat]

Dude needs a damn collar and leash.

"Hello, lost a fella by the name of Joe Biden, have you seen him? $100 dollar reward...."


Thinks for a minute....


"Actually, no, you can keep him."

 

[Zyobot]

Yet another one, because Joe Potato’s the gift that never stops giving:

 

[mspence]

Biden bribery scheme uncovered:

Biden dismisses ‘malarkey’ FBI tip claiming he played a role in Burisma bribe scheme: ‘Where’s the money?’

Congressional Republicans who read a FBI informant file accusing President Biden of a role in a $5 million bribery scheme said Thursday that it involved the Ukrainian company Burisma.

nypost.com

 

[Zachowon]

Biden bribery scheme uncovered:

Biden dismisses ‘malarkey’ FBI tip claiming he played a role in Burisma bribe scheme: ‘Where’s the money?’

Congressional Republicans who read a FBI informant file accusing President Biden of a role in a $5 million bribery scheme said Thursday that it involved the Ukrainian company Burisma.

nypost.com

And Burisma owner is wanted by the Ukrainian government

 

[49ersfootball]

They did a news segment on this ? LOL.

 

[Bacle]

 

[Captain X]

On their face it's claiming "safety and security," but this is through a lawyer that's been working for an automotive industry group which claims wanting to fix your all stuff means you're an istaphobe. They effectively did an end run around the legal system as well.

There needs to be a serious campaign to get legislators to re-assert property rights, and to get rid of any legislators who don't support them. If someone is anti "right to repair" they are anti-property rights, and it doesn't matter what letter they have after their name.

 

[Zyobot]

"Istophobe", huh? That's a new one I haven't seen before, but given the times we live in, it probably fits.

Other than that: