War in Ukraine

[Paper_Towel]

Tankers lead the way

 

[Burhead]

They updated that to the 488th Motor Rifle Regiment being wiped out.

 

[Paper_Towel]

 

[Paper_Towel]

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

Our minimum wage is way out of line with a lot of the world. For all our advancements, we're uncompetitive. Maybe it has to do with monetary valuation and that currency is no longer tied to anything fixed - as an engineer any measure that isn't tied to some standard is an abomination. Without some kind of reset (probably painful), we are screwed in the long term.

Infinite money in a finite world...

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

And the reset will come. It will hurt everyone that isn't super rich, and even some of those will fall. This won't just just hurt us and China, it will crush the entire globe. There is no money left for bailouts anymore. No money left for rewarding failure and bad decisions.

Either this can happen by accident, where some event bursts the bubble (war, sanctions) or we have another Bretton Woods/debt jubilee that resets everything. Neither will be fun.

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

They want an ignorant and dependent populous and they are getting it.

I've been saying this for years. The people that have destroyed the American family, made govt the husband of choice, removed trades and skills from high schools, destroyed our morals and destroyed the purchasing power of the dollar are home grown threats and more of a danger than any foreign enemy you can imagine. That is why I have been saying that the fight for freedom is right here at home and not in the sands of the Middle East, Eastern Europe or in Asia.

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

Automation is great to the extent that it doesn't put people out of work because machines don't buy manufactured goods and services. I think we often put too much emphasis into the production side and neglect the impact of the employed consumer. If the industrial revolution taught us anything it that it's all a symbiotic relationship, and without the paid worker there is no consumer for the goods.

That requires long term thinking, not people that are thinking looking no further than their quarterly reports. Also requires people that don't see the people as sheep to be fleeced.

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

I'm not sure where you and AM think the people are going to come from to onshore all this work. We are over a decade away from even sniffing being able to pull that kind of work back. Believe me, we look to hire skilled people every single day, they aren't there.

Which is what I think about when I heard Trump and now Biden when they talk about infrastructure projects or bringing back jobs. All of those things need to be done immediately, but it won't happen overnight.

 

[Paper_Towel]

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

It takes skilled people to run that automation and capital to purchase it. Automation doesn’t bring jobs back but it does make up somewhat for lack of skilled workers. And yes, we are basically saying the same thing, I just think you can't change things until the playing field is leveled somewhat. Build the infrastructure to attract CEOs and stop taxing corps into oblivion and the work and capital will be there.

Not sure what you mean by this. I think most CEOs are useless and have a hive mind revolving around the type of short term planning and rapacious practices that we are here complaining about.

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

That's the quandary - do you have automation and fewer more technical jobs that pay better or do you accept the need for more labor intensive minimum wage jobs? People have to have income to consume. You can tax and redistribute and have the unmotivated class of people you mentioned, or have more workers across the board. Our problem now is that we displaced workers and there is little motivation for many to work if they can get by without. Seems like that was lack of stewardship both on the part of industry and government, and it put us in a bad spot.

One problem with this consumption philosophy... we just don't need to focus on engineered obsolescence to drive an economy... we've become a throw away society in a finite resource world. Build quality products that last and then have another segment of the economy that does repairs and modifications on equipment. Part of this throw away/disposable philosophy has for years been encouraged by bean counters and accountants because they discourage spending on maintenance and prefer capital expenditures instead.

 

[CagleMtnVol]

Go on git! Git on outa here!

 

[Paper_Towel]

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Wow so you stop an attack to let civilians evacuate? Hmmm…

Russia reports cease-fire in 2 Ukraine areas for evacuations

 

[0nelilreb]

I often wonder if several of the PF posters eat mushrooms around 9 p.m.

Any actual updates?

Not me doc . I learned a long time ago it’s better if I keep the monsters locked up behind the door in my head .

 

[MontyPython]

6 planes, 18 tanks KIA yesterday purportedly.

 

[MontyPython]

Polish response to Putin's request not to impose further sanctions

"

 

[Paper_Towel]

Another destroyed T-90A near Sumy

 

[IluvdoubleD's]

Wow so you stop an attack to let civilians evacuate? Hmmm…

Russia reports cease-fire in 2 Ukraine areas for evacuations

Lies are Putin's "special operation."

 

[norrislakevol]

One problem with this consumption philosophy... we just don't need to focus on engineered obsolescence to drive an economy... we've become a throw away society in a finite resource world. Build quality products that last and then have another segment of the economy that does repairs and modifications on equipment. Part of this throw away/disposable philosophy has for years been encouraged by bean counters and accountants because they discourage spending on maintenance and prefer capital expenditures instead.

And without China and other countries supplying cheap throw-aways that is what we would have done. Generally speaking, US, European, Canadian, and Japanese made products are of high quality and actually last. My US made hand tools don't break. My Japanese made fishing reels (Shimano) will last 15 years with heavy use. My US made Gibson Les Paul will still be top of the line when I am on my death bed, and will actually continue to increase in value. My US and European made sunglasses will provide me with great outdoor protection for years. A Chinese Throw-away pair will only last me 1 summer before deteriorating. Most have chosen quantity over quality.

 

[WBO]

You have anything to back that up? I would bet America has more substantial number of folk who want communism.

More than a third of millennials polled approve of communism

That's one of those things that comes up periodically in polling of the Russians.

It's that cultural sense on insecurity the Russians have. As I noted in an earlier post, you're talking about your homeland being the super-highway to/from Europe for invasions going back 2000 years. Some people would rather be "safe" with minimum change than anything else.

I prefer the line from Operation Petticoat: "In chaos there is profit."

 

[Orangeburst]

Fear porn to get budgets increased.

Gotta disagree. Just like EMP, cyber security has been talked about for decades. Just the Colonial Pipeline attack that almost shut down the Eastern US last year.

 

[WBO]

Well yes....sort of. I spend a lot of time thinking up ways for lower skilled employees to run that automation without breaking things. It does help. Some automation is cheaper than a lot of people think. It really depends on how far you want to go with it.

Yup!! We are already one of the highest corporate taxed countries in the developed world.

You guys clearly have not paid attention to the 2017 Tax Act. Massive corporate tax cuts while increasing the taxes on your retirement plans when they pay out. That doesn't make sense to me. But if you're ok with paying more so GM pays less, ok.

My favorite is Cawthorn . This week he proposed immediately terminating social security so older people would have to go back to work.

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

Coming to America soon. Australia is already a dystopian state, but this is going to become normalized here.