Yeah but it’s not like it’s physically impossible to build an alternative. If the one monopolizing the network effect is gone, alternatives will pop up ~immediately.

Look at china or Russia (ironically), who blocked google. They have a real alternative by now (baidu, yandex).

We could do the same thing easily in the EU.

It gets easier, there are a lot of knowledge and actual checkpoints

Friendly reminder that Spain is one of the few countries with a wealth tax. That’s why they are economically prospering right now.

Taxing the rich works!

Surprisingly cheap. That’s just the equivalent of 1-2 houses to buy the entire country.

It’s oversimplified on purpose. The message needs to be crystal clear, and it needs to be repeated so often that no politician can go into a Talkshow without having to explain themselves why they are not taxing the rich.

This is the only way to make progress here as a society. You need broad support here.

Having said that, I actually, earnestly believe that taxing the rich is a prerequisite to

• solving climate change
• having a working government
• reestablishing the social fabric of our society
• etc.

If you are curious to learn more how this is backed up by data, you can eg. read „toxisch reich“ by Sebastian Klein (unfortunately only available in German I think)

The reason is simple: Neither the center left nor the center right are delivering for the broad human populace. They both protect the ultra rich by not taxing them, which in turn creates a redistribution of wealth from the poor, the middle class AND the state to the ultra rich.

On a basal level, everyone understands that the economic status quo can not continue. Living standards continue to fall regardless of who is in power, and so it is inevitable that people will demand some sort of drastic change.

The loudest voice promising change is the alt right.

The second loudest voice is us, taxing the rich. It must be done, and we need to do all we can to become the loudest voice. We have several more years until the elections in eg. UK and Germany. Let’s do it. Let’s tax the rich.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pUKaB4P5Qns&pp=0gcJCa0JAYcqIYzv

There are two types of right wingers; the ones that are too stupid or too lazy to understand what they are doing; And the ones that know EXACTLY what they are doing.

The latter ones are the kinds of Weidel, Spahn, Thiel, etc.

Tax wealth, not work.

Our super rich elite is coasting off of their hoarded assets; taxing high income is fine but will also serve to build their moat higher.

You gotta get the super rich to sell their assets. Tax their wealth.

About 95% of the money spent by the public health insurance company is „Leistungsausgaben“, I.e., paying out people for health related costs.

You can’t optimize that away, even when combining the companies. The remaining 5% is overhead. Having worked in a big company, I can tell you that big companies are not that much more efficient than small companies. In fact, the overhead is often even larger since there is lots more cross-communication involved between departments. In the end, everyone that is now a CEO would be an SVP instead, and barely anything would change.

Unpopular opinion, but I actually like the competitive landscape in public health care in Germany. IMHO this is the best example for capitalism: you define exactly what each company has to deliver, and they can compete on:

1. pricing

2. service

3. additional benefits

The nature of the strong regulation here makes them compete on actual relevant things, and they can’t externalize the costs (mostly).

I actually believe having just one public health care company would result in a worse service.

I would rather focus on the ridiculous increase in wealth inequality, in Germany, and around the globe. That’s the root of all evil.

That sounds … genius

Capital can’t flee. The money is all bound in assets. How you gonna move the houses out of Europe?

China doesn’t allow me to own 100M USD worth of assets and live abroad without paying any tax. Why do we?

Im with you on that, but as you I’m not exactly sure what to do.

Everyone knows it’s Russia, but we can’t officially admit it - because if we did, it would demand consequences. But either the consequences we propose would be toothless, and a capitulation before Russia. Or, the consequences would be so drastic that war would escalate. And Russia is the one with the nukes.

So, that leaves us in an awkward position where the only thing we can do is … counterintelligence?

What would you propose?

The public discourse shifted (/was engineered to shift) so far right in the last 10-20 years, that you have to assume:

Right = extremist

Center = right

Left = center

Radical left = left

Left-leaning media is usually written based on facts. Which, somehow, in these times is accused to be „biased“.

Important update: the right wing / conservative migration plan lost its vote in the parliament.

Gotta admit this is some great popcorn stuff. If it wasn’t so serious.

You misunderstand, that’s exactly the point. Giving you something to talk about, while rights are eroded elsewhere.

I get the sentiment, who doesn’t want to dunk on Google?

But the headline is needlessly inflammatory. There is no law yet; and google essentially is saying please please don’t implement it, it totally doesn’t make sense.

Don’t get me wrong, the EU should still implement it. And once it is law; Google will also comply.

From the paper:

The very high concentrations of PFHxA readily extractable from the surfaces of fluoroelastomer watch bands, together with the current limited knowledge on the dermal absorption of PFHxA, demonstrate the need for more comprehensive exposure studies of PFHxA.

So it sounds more like it’s unclear for now. But probably best to about these bands either way.