CptBluebear's recent activity
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Comment on Swiss reject millionaire inheritance tax in ~society
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Comment on Swiss reject millionaire inheritance tax in ~society
CptBluebear Link ParentNo I'm aware, it's why I referenced the Laffer curve rather than pin my argument on it, but to flat out state that Switzerland would be poorer is also ignoring that the curve exists. Chances are...No I'm aware, it's why I referenced the Laffer curve rather than pin my argument on it, but to flat out state that Switzerland would be poorer is also ignoring that the curve exists. Chances are they wouldn't be. Decent odds too I'd wager.
the citizens of Switzerland clearly disagree
That they do.
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Comment on Swiss reject millionaire inheritance tax in ~society
CptBluebear Link ParentThat's just a 100 people though? It's unlikely this will affect tax revenue. I don't see how such a small amount of people leaving should be cause for worry if it's for the betterment of millions.That's just a 100 people though? It's unlikely this will affect tax revenue. I don't see how such a small amount of people leaving should be cause for worry if it's for the betterment of millions.
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Comment on Swiss reject millionaire inheritance tax in ~society
CptBluebear Link ParentI can't respond if I don't know why you were forced out of your country. If it was to reduce your billions to millions so we can all have a little more then no, I don't particularly feel bad about...I can't respond if I don't know why you were forced out of your country. If it was to reduce your billions to millions so we can all have a little more then no, I don't particularly feel bad about it.
And on the contrary, I'm not advocating for these people to leave. I'm advocating for people paying their dues and giving back to the community they live in. Reminder, this is about 2-3000 people in a country of 9 million+. They can do with a little less and give a little more.
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Comment on Netflix kills casting from phones in ~tech
CptBluebear (edited )Link ParentEven with Docker I felt like I was constantly taking containers offline to update them. Automating updates using things like watchtower helped, but then it'd update the wrong container and I'd...Even with Docker I felt like I was constantly taking containers offline to update them. Automating updates using things like watchtower helped, but then it'd update the wrong container and I'd have to fix that and reconfigure watchtower to stop updating everything all the time.
With that fixed, watchtower occasionally threw out the db or mounted folder of the container causing me to lose my setup on a couple of them until I rebuilt it.
Then this connection failed, that image was deprecated, these changed names, I messed up some configuration and needed to redo it all, Plex no longer remotely worked, my NAS needs updates, the NAS update broke functionality, certs expired, Plex did a thing and transcoding no longer worked for remote streams, Plex updating this broke that, and so on and so forth.
I had fun doing it for a couple of years but at this point I'm no longer interested in tinkering with it too much and I can imagine others may not want to have the tech burden at all. Services like Stremio takes that entire management out of my hands.
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Comment on Netflix kills casting from phones in ~tech
CptBluebear (edited )Link ParentUnless you're purposefully looking to save and host the media files yourself I'd recommend something like a Stremio setup instead. Saves you the money of buying a NAS capable of doing transcoding...Unless you're purposefully looking to save and host the media files yourself I'd recommend something like a Stremio setup instead. Saves you the money of buying a NAS capable of doing transcoding and having to buy large storage disks.
I've moved away from managing my Plex NAS because you're always fixing something that doesn't quite work. Stremio just streams stuff everywhere and the setup is easy, not quite turnkey-easy but close.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentA little bit of a mildly controversial hot take: Housemarque peaked with Dead Nation and Resogun. I liked Alienation too but for different reasons and definitely not as much as Dead Nation. It...A little bit of a mildly controversial hot take: Housemarque peaked with Dead Nation and Resogun. I liked Alienation too but for different reasons and definitely not as much as Dead Nation. It missed the special sauce that made Dead Nation so infinitely replayable.
Sektori looks like that dev learnt a lot from their time at Housemarque and though the opposite of the slower and methodical Dead Nation, it's definitely intriguing. I like games that use intense music to suck me into losing track of time, but the gameplay also looks incredibly busy and hectic. Maybe a bit too busy perhaps? But even so, thanks for bringing this to attention.. I may just pick it up at some point if I feel like I need some overstimulation as it does look like he got the twinstick elements down pat.
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Comment on Swiss reject millionaire inheritance tax in ~society
CptBluebear (edited )Link ParentI think it's irrelevant to my argument what the Swiss eventually ended up with. In fact, I flat out think they're voting against their own interests. Now this isn't an income tax (I would also...I think it's irrelevant to my argument what the Swiss eventually ended up with. In fact, I flat out think they're voting against their own interests.
Now this isn't an income tax (I would also call that bluff since it likely won't decrease tax revenue overall even if they leave), this is supposed to be for an inheritance tax for the ultra wealthy. Literally just the children of the 0,03% of the wealthiest people that now have to make do with a couple of fewer millions on their pile of billions. This tax only kicks in when you're inheriting above 50 million francs. This is one of the few methods to decrease institutional wealth disparity, not an incentive to make them leave. That's buying into their narrative that they actually would upend their lives and that it impacts overall tax revenue enough to make a difference. Ultimately it'll reduce wealth disparity one way or the other, which I think is a common good. Reducing tax revenue by wealth flight is likely untrue if I take a peek at the Laffer curve. I don't think we're at the tail end.. in probably every country on earth?
I think you're misunderstanding me, I don't hate the billionaires for having money, I hate how some of them throw a hissy fit like a petulant child and try to skew the results in their favour by manipulating the people when it looks like they may have to pitch in a little for the common good.
I don't really know how billionaires think, but on general principle, if you wanted to get them to leave without actually forcing them, It's hard to think of a better way to tell them that they're unwelcome than a huge tax increase.
Clearly they want to hoard their money and scare people into letting them keep it.
Wealthy people aren't unwelcome. If you look at the tax rate of 70-100 ago you see tax rates up to 90%. It was understood that having higher tax rates helps the country by allowing it to invest in the middle class. A strong middle class is a strong economy.
Before the globalization of wealth you'd see rich people reinvest in their local neighbourhood, community or city and give back that way. Because they understood it was a common good to have a thriving community. I pay taxes not just because I have to, but because I understand my government uses it to provide for the people and I think a rising tide raises all boats (unless, y'know, they don't blow half of it on failed IT projects, but hey you get my point!). Threatening to flee makes you a leech on the society you've used to build your fortunes on.Just look at some articles on this.
Rich people are threatening to leave New York after Mamdani win but the data says otherwise.
Rich people threaten to leave Switzerland after an inheritance tax vote. Cheekily relinking above article.
Millionaire exodus if the UK Labour party doesn't weaken tax reforms.. This one has an interesting quote I'll link below.*
When they say they will leave they almost never do.
The Myth of the Mobile Millionaire.
France's tax proposal has the ultra rich threaten the government.
The Netherlands had companies and people threaten to leave.
It just doesn't happen. Where would they even go if you're all introducing tax increases?
Conversely, the rich in India seem to be leaving and not to dodge taxes but to find a better quality of living for their families. Precisely the reason these rich won't leave their cushy Switzerland.I don't know, maybe the method of taxing these 2500 out of 9 million could be done differently.. but maybe it's not such a bad idea in general.
*Henley’s estimates, when put into perspective, reveal a picture that is at complete odds with the report’s narrative and media coverage: millionaires are highly immobile, and nearly 100% of millionaires have not relocated to a new country since 2013, if Henley’s estimates are to be taken at face value.
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Comment on Swiss reject millionaire inheritance tax in ~society
CptBluebear Link ParentThat's sensible as an argument and in broad strokes I agree.. but how fair do you think those people play? I'd wager most of them wouldn't actually leave. They're just threatening for the sake of...That's sensible as an argument and in broad strokes I agree.. but how fair do you think those people play? I'd wager most of them wouldn't actually leave. They're just threatening for the sake of trying to wiggle out of paying extra. I'm not sure you can accurately assess cost based on emotional bargaining by people that don't care about you. Or they would leave but I couldn't materially assess whether or not it's true so I have nothing to go on to estimate that cost and they're counting on me to blink first. I personally wouldn't.
I don’t see a way around speculating how billionaires would react.
Neither do I to be fair. I also don't think that racing to the bottom when it comes to tax burden is the way to go for the long term health of the country so perhaps it's moot. We've seen plenty of countries lower tax rates to stimulate corporations settling there (Ireland and the Netherlands are two big examples) and by and large it means they are now forever burdened by the cost of doing business -think environmental pollution and other negatives- without meaningful returns. At an individual level I'd rather say "fuck you and fuck your private jet, please leave" and go from there, we'll make do with people that actually want to live here and want to contribute to make it a better place because if you don't contribute and just jet around polluting the place without paying back I don't need you.
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Comment on Pluribus S01E01 - “We is Us” in ~tv
CptBluebear Link ParentThe person you responded to has seen two episodes, make sure you don't spoil too much about their abilities like lying. Otherwise keep on, I'm reading along and it's interesting.The person you responded to has seen two episodes, make sure you don't spoil too much about their abilities like lying.
Otherwise keep on, I'm reading along and it's interesting.
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Comment on French farm has €90,000 worth of snails stolen in ~food
CptBluebear Link ParentI can't say. This guy specifically worked with them a couple of decades ago. He's 80 right now. Mafia and the underground criminal organisations change. Plenty of them diversified into legal work,...I can't say. This guy specifically worked with them a couple of decades ago. He's 80 right now.
Mafia and the underground criminal organisations change. Plenty of them diversified into legal work, and different crews moved in. For example Moroccan crews run western Europe.
I don't know the current day mafia influence.
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Comment on French farm has €90,000 worth of snails stolen in ~food
CptBluebear Link ParentThe person running that scheme, Terry Ball, worked for and with Napolitan mafia groups in the past. He's literally doing this to fuck over the authorities because he can.The person running that scheme, Terry Ball, worked for and with Napolitan mafia groups in the past. He's literally doing this to fuck over the authorities because he can.
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Comment on Swiss reject millionaire inheritance tax in ~society
CptBluebear (edited )Link ParentIt's not the act of leaving, please do. They clearly do not have any interest in improving the country they live in, what rubs me is the underlying arrogance of finding yourself so important that...It's not the act of leaving, please do. They clearly do not have any interest in improving the country they live in, what rubs me is the underlying arrogance of finding yourself so important that you threatening to leave is enough grounds to sink a tax law and make it worse for the rest of your fellow citizens. It indicates they feel absolutely zero loyalty or obligation towards the people and country they used to build their dragon's hoard.
"Vote against or else" and keeping progressive law taxes hostage is villainous and should be ridiculed. -
Comment on Swiss reject millionaire inheritance tax in ~society
CptBluebear Link ParentThey already are! That's why this is a thing. Inheritance taxes are supposed to get them to pay in and prevent generational wealth from accumulating at the top 0,03% of people. The absolute gall...Otherwise, rich people could sidestep the whole thing so easily.
They already are! That's why this is a thing. Inheritance taxes are supposed to get them to pay in and prevent generational wealth from accumulating at the top 0,03% of people.
The absolute gall of them to threaten to leave the country is infuriating.
I'll give you the point on the implementation shortfall, I don't know enough about the plans to say if it would be good enough or not. And I'll admit that my response is kneejerk without knowing the full picture. It genuinely does make or break it.
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Comment on Swiss reject millionaire inheritance tax in ~society
CptBluebear LinkWell done voting against the interests of literally everyone except 0.03% of the people. Incredible. What people won't do to go to bat for the folks that would wipe their feet on them.That would have hit some 2,500 people in Switzerland — the top 0.03% of the population.
Well done voting against the interests of literally everyone except 0.03% of the people.
Incredible.
What people won't do to go to bat for the folks that would wipe their feet on them.
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Comment on US shoppers, drawn by steep discounts, power through Black Friday in ~finance
CptBluebear LinkThis data is absolutely useless without the corollary sales data of the rest of the year. If YOY sales are down overall but only up on Black Friday it means people hold their wallets closed until...This data is absolutely useless without the corollary sales data of the rest of the year. If YOY sales are down overall but only up on Black Friday it means people hold their wallets closed until they can guarantee steep discounts.
This has no indication whatsoever on the robustness of the economy. At most it shows that A. People are still easily swayed by price cuts, perceived or otherwise and B. People wait to buy big ticket items until price cuts happen.
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Comment on Pluribus S01E01 - “We is Us” in ~tv
CptBluebear Link ParentYes exactly, one per episode with a bonus episode. They talk only about what's already been on TV up until that point. The idea of the "companion" podcast is that they accompany the weekly episode.Yes exactly, one per episode with a bonus episode. They talk only about what's already been on TV up until that point.
The idea of the "companion" podcast is that they accompany the weekly episode.
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Comment on Japan unveils human washing machine, now you can get washed like laundry in ~tech
CptBluebear LinkIt's almost like the joke wrote itself when the company name is "Science"! Pretty cool stuff though. I can see the application for people having difficulties doing this themselves. Or just me...It's almost like the joke wrote itself when the company name is "Science"!
Pretty cool stuff though. I can see the application for people having difficulties doing this themselves.
Or just me cause I'm lazy and lying down while getting showered sounds p good.
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Comment on Ex-Barack Obama aide says Holocaust education is ‘confusing’ young people into sympathizing with ‘weak, skinny’ Palestinians in ~society
CptBluebear Link ParentThat genuinely isn't seen as a slur by plenty of Europeans. It's casual because there's no feeling behind it. Doesn't help that they've been referred to as such for decades if not longer, so the...The man in charge of my case at the immigration office a few years back casually dropped a slur against Romani
That genuinely isn't seen as a slur by plenty of Europeans. It's casual because there's no feeling behind it. Doesn't help that they've been referred to as such for decades if not longer, so the general European attitude is either outright discriminatory or like your example, casually dismissive without knowing they are.
You also have certain groups of 'travelers' refer to themselves as gitanos or gypsy's making the entire endeavour trying to inform people rather futile.
There's a long road ahead for Roma acceptance. Plenty of Europeans can be actively advocating against racism only to flip a switch the moment you mention Roma. It's weird.
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Comment on Pluribus S01E01 - “We is Us” in ~tv
CptBluebear (edited )Link ParentI'm not sure her people skills are as bad as you make them out to be. She clearly has a rapport with her readers and the signing is a very positive affair. Her relationship with her wife is also...I'm not sure her people skills are as bad as you make them out to be. She clearly has a rapport with her readers and the signing is a very positive affair. Her relationship with her wife is also very strong and they have a mutual understanding of their love language. Carol's cynicism isn't actually an indicator whether or not she likes things such as the ice hotel, she explicitly mentions that as an important memory in episode 3.
These emotional outbursts happen within days of her wife's death while the perceived perpetrator is helping Carol bury her. During this she's in the middle of an apocalypse and extinction event, desperate for a real human connection.
If anything, the other Old Schoolers have an incredible lack of insight or willfully put their heads in the sand. The latter not so subtly implied by the existence of their family members that will happily play the part, while Carol has no one. At that point it's been about 3 or 4 days that society stopped existing as it did. How it seems to not affect the others whatsoever is beyond me. Carol seems to be the only one understanding the gravity of the situation.
While I would probably find myself more inclined to make use of the excessive generosity of the Others, I do sympathize with Carol's stance. That doesn't mean I think any of them are dealing with it well, but who would?
I'm most assuredly not proposing such a rule. I think you're misunderstanding marginal tax and tax brackets if you think a 90% tax would be on all income. In my own country our tax brackets are as follows: 17,8% on 39k, 37,5% on everything earned between 39k and 79k, and 49,5% on everything above 79k. None of these brackets are taxed twice.
Let's say we introduced a 90% marginal tax bracket, you would only be taxed 90% only on the money earned above (let's say) 200k. In 1944 in the US this translated to 94% on everything above 200k.
And that's just income tax. If you don't have an income but have everything in equity, these rules would still allow you to boast that you didn't pay any income tax whatsoever despite owning billions.
I can't really tell what your reason was, and I don't need to know since it's clearly personal, but in the context of the conversation I don't think your life would be actively worse if you had to spend a couple of million when you own billions. Even more concretely related to the conversation: It wouldn't even affect you directly since the tax in the article is about gifts and inheritance.