EPTI wouldn’t want to be an American in the next few decades but fortunately I won’t be.
US Politics Mega-thread - Page 5442
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KwarK
United States43987 Posts
I wouldn’t want to be an American in the next few decades but fortunately I won’t be. | ||
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Doublemint
Austria8744 Posts
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Manit0u
Poland17743 Posts
On January 18 2026 02:00 Billyboy wrote: There is a clear and simple way the Republicans could raise American wages and make the US less attractive to illegal immigrants. They could put in massive fines (personal and corporate) or even criminal charges to owners of businesses who hire illegals. I wonder why they do not... Or they could just start regulating their own backyard. Most of the illegal immigrants work as cheap labor on farms (so red states) whereas legal ones typically work in bigger cities (blue states) where they are scrutinized more harshly around the I-9. So, in order to fix the problem you'd have to figure out a way to make farmers not hire illegal immigrants for work and somehow not rise food prices by a lot. You could subsidize agriculture, then food prices would stay low but taxes would rise. Choices, choices... And there's the matter of actually finding people to do those jobs after you got rid of the immigrants because most of the time the jobs they're "stealing" from the citizens are jobs that no one else wants to do because of how hard it is or how low the pay is. On January 18 2026 06:47 Doublemint wrote: the rotten old man at the helm that worked a lifetime to achieve a reputation like no other now working overtime to do the same to the US' credibility just follows and seems fitting. Trump and Musk are pretty much textbook definitions of "failing upwards." I really don't know why some people are still expecting good stuff from any of them. | ||
Liquid`Drone
Norway28797 Posts
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Ze'ev
159 Posts
On January 18 2026 09:32 Liquid`Drone wrote: From my quick googling California has a higher % of the undocumented immigrant population than they have of the population as a whole, and they’re not just working in agriculture but also stuff like construction- in cities. I'm not saying that most undocumented immigrants are residing in blue states but www.pewresearch.org to me seems to show that it is way more of an urban phenomenon than you think. Only 14% of undocumented immigrants work in agriculture (15% in construction) and they work in lots of other sectors too. Sure, though that means relative to the local population illegal immigrants are more important to the rural economy than elsewhere. | ||
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Falling
Canada11512 Posts
https://www.cato.org/blog/biden-didnt-cause-border-crisis-part-1-summary To summarize the main points: 1) Super hot labour demand that incentived immigration. As labour decreased in 2024, so did immigration. 2) Internet access doubled in Central America from 2018-2021 which gave step by step instructions on how to immigrate and connect directly with smugglers. 3) Title 42 unintentionally incentivized repeated crossings as they could immediately try to sneak across again. (Incidentally, according to Cato, the Remain in Mexico policy did absolutely nothing.) 4) Title 42's ban on legal asylum seekers pushed demographic groups that traditionally always entered legally to instead use illegal means (Haitians, Cubas, and Mexicans.) When Biden increased legal entries, these groups returned to using legal paths. It's a good read if you have the time. And the four parts are not too long. | ||
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Introvert
United States4951 Posts
I'll just quote some from that NYT article again In the weeks after Joseph R. Biden Jr. was elected president, advisers delivered a warning: His approach to immigration could prove disastrous. Soon after being sworn in, Mr. Biden issued a 100-day pause on deportations. He drastically narrowed the categories of unauthorized immigrants targeted for arrest. He directed his government to stop building the border wall, a centerpiece of Mr. Trump’s agenda. He suspended Remain in Mexico. He sent draft legislation to Congress to create a citizenship pathway for people in the country illegally. He kept Title 42 in place, but stopped using it to turn back children who crossed the border alone. Mr. Biden’s policy changes, some of which were halted by the courts, were not the only causes of that early surge. The draw of the U.S. economy, which bounced back quickly from Covid, mattered too. But the changes signaled to migrants that the border was opening again, former aides said. They did peanuts and CATO tries to spin it as "they were really tough and it didn't matter!" The subtext being what is it always is "everyone should be allowed in." | ||
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Falling
Canada11512 Posts
B) Forgive it for not seeing how crossings dropped off a cliff the moment Trump came back in. I don't think this contradicts the article. The economy has continued to worsen under Trump so labour demand would also go down, reducing a pull factor. And Trump has been speed running police state: paper's please, Gloria to Astrozka! Of course that will deter any sort of immigrant legal or otherwise. East Germany didn't have that many people trying to sneak in either. Wasn't that attractive, but not for any tough on the border reason. I did miss that it was posted last year, however. I saw it yesterday and my brain hasn't fully switched to 2026. | ||
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Yurie
12087 Posts
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Gorsameth
Netherlands22364 Posts
On January 18 2026 20:38 Yurie wrote: They (EU) can't. Looks like EU isn't folding on the Greenland topic. Very strange to have a member threaten another party of a defensive alliance over land. Then keep escalating it without thinking it impacts a defensive alliance. Just like you can't let Russia take Ukraine you can't let the US take Greenland. When you put the other side with their back against the wall their only option is to resist. | ||
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Acrofales
Spain18291 Posts
On January 18 2026 20:38 Yurie wrote: Looks like EU isn't folding on the Greenland topic. Very strange to have a member threaten another party of a defensive alliance over land. Then keep escalating it without thinking it impacts a defensive alliance. If Greenland said they wanted to become the 51st state of the USA, then maybe Denmark would have to facilitate it. But Greenland doesn't want that. Greenland wants independence (maybe), but if not that, then just to have the favorable deal they already have with Denmark that gives them security through Denmark, but otherwise autonomy. That isn't what the USA is offering. So that essentially means that selling Greenland to the USA is no different from selling Bavaria to the USA. It flies straight in the face of ideas of sovereignty and self-determination that we have been developing since the enlightenment, with American politicians and philosophers often at the forefront of this thinking. The EU has these ideas as the bedrock of its foundation. Without these ideas, what is to stop Germany (or France) from unleashing another war of conquest on the continent? We decided in the second half of the 20th century that having sovereign countries collaborate peacefully in a supranational organization was both more moral and also economically more beneficial than continuous cycles of war. To abandon such ideas would not be the EU sacrificing Greenland, it would be the EU sacrificing everything it stands for. If might makes right, then why doesn't Germany have the right to control Europe? That's probably a question Alice Weidel would be happy to ask, and probably why Vance has such a hard-on for the AfD. And let's not even get started on NATO. Clearly you can't have a defensive alliance with the country that just started a war of conquest against you (meaning Denmark and the US cannot be in alliance). This would obviously force other members of NATO to choose between defensive partners, and the entire alliance would collapse. It'd almost be worth it just to make that Rutte's lasting legacy. | ||
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hitthat
Poland2341 Posts
On January 18 2026 20:38 Yurie wrote: Looks like EU isn't folding on the Greenland topic. Very strange to have a member threaten another party of a defensive alliance over land. Then keep escalating it without thinking it impacts a defensive alliance. We need allies, not weapon dealers, thank you very much. | ||
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JimmyJRaynor
Canada17509 Posts
+ Show Spoiler + Any how, I guess the USA's debt problems are so bad they need additional collateral to keep new loan money coming in at amazing AAA+ rates. The additional collateral the USA seeks to acquire includes part of Venezuela and all of Greenland. In any peace deal between the Ukraine and Russia the USA is looking to nose in on some mineral/land rights within the Ukraine. More land/resources collateral to keep the loan money coming in. Now, when did the USA's debt problem really start to become an issue? Well Reagan warned us about massive debts in 1964 with a rousing speech I've posted on here many times. Fortunately, when Reagan became President he ran the most fiscally responsible government in history.  He only tripled the national debt. Seriously though, the big debts Reagan ran were not a personal decision. The team around Reagan set those policies and endorsed the "Laffer Curve". Furthermore, Reagan was not fully conscious during much of his last year in office. His mind was fading fast. By 1988, I do not think Reagan was mentally competent and "rubber stamping" decisions would be a generous description. So it really was not Reagan, but the team around him that made all this happen. The Laffer Curve. What a laugh.in 1 line describe how badly Reagan botched the USA's debt problems during his tenure as President ChatGPT said: Reagan preached fiscal discipline while tripling the U.S. national debt—turning deficits from a policy concern into a permanent feature of American governance. OK, so Trump seeks to smooth over the USA's debt issues by putting up additional collateral for the loan sharks. That additional collateral includes Greenland, and parts of Venezuela and the Ukraine. What about Canada as additional collateral? Canada is much closer than Greenland. Europe can not conceivably protect Canada from the USA. For what reason has Trump//USA always been unwilling to apply military pressure to acquire Canada ? He seems willing to use military force for everything, every where on plane(t) earth yet never to his closest neighbour up north. This makes no sense to me, but it is 100% sensible according to my pals who think Lizard Men run the world. You see according to them: King Charles is higher on the Illuminati totem pole than any elected US President. The USA can not use military force to acquire any nation part of the British Commonwealth. Well, Trump can try... and the Lizard Men who run the world will stick Trump in a Lincoln Continental convertible limousine and drive him down Elm Street in Dealey Plaza, Dallas. Trump does not want to risk taking that ride. The only time in the past 200 years the USA attacked a British Commonwealth member was Grenada in 1983, under Reagan. In a totally unpredictable, unforeseen, and shocking turn of events Grenada returned to being a British Commonwealth member after the skirmish with the USA was over. What a coincidence eh? Is Queen Elizabeth lucky or what? Now, what can we, the common people, do given these world events? Seeing this volatility what actions can we take? Key Actionable Takeaway: (a)buy precious metals and get out of the stock market before the financial system collapses. (2) in these turbulent times the very rich (100M+ in net worth) are getting paranoid about their assets devaluing. How does a common person take advantage of this fear? Welp, any common person can become part of the P&C Insurance industry. Now, (a) has been a common trope for many Americans. But (2)? why is (2) an effective actionable response? Well, the P&C insurance industry doesn’t primarily protect houses, cars, or factories for the ultra-wealthy; it protects capital from accountability. For people worth $100M+, insurance is less about “risk” and more about converting unpredictable consequences into predictable, deductible line items. I hear communists and socialists screaming "eat the rich" or "tax the rich". This will never happen. What you can do is turn their fear into money in your pocket. And, judging by the 4X growth in the P&C Industry the past 30 years their fear is increasing. That's 2X above inflation. Source: https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/news-insights/articles/2025/3/in-industry-first-us-pc-insurers-exceed-1-trillion-in-direct-annual-premiums-88062276 | ||
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Dan HH
Romania9207 Posts
+ Show Spoiler + PREAMBLE Declaring that durable peace requires pragmatic judgment, common-sense solutions, and the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed; Recognizing that lasting peace takes root when people are empowered to take ownership and responsibility over their future; Affirming that only sustained, results-oriented partnership, grounded in shared burdens and commitments, can secure peace in places where it has for too long proven elusive; Lamenting that too many approaches to peace-building foster perpetual dependency, and institutionalize crisis rather than leading people beyond it; Emphasizing the need for a more nimble and effective international peace-building body; and Resolving to assemble a coalition of willing States committed to practical cooperation and effective action, Judgment guided and justice honored, the Parties hereby adopt the Charter for the Board of Peace. Article 1: Mission CHAPTER I-PURPOSES AND FUNCTIONS The Board of Peace is an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict. The Board of Peace shall undertake such peace-building functions in accordance with international law and as may be approved in accordance with this Charter, including the development and dissemination of best practices capable of being applied by all nations and communities seeking peace. CHAPTER II MEMBERSHIP Article 2.1: Member States Membership in the Board of Peace is limited to States invited to participate by the Chairman, and commences upon notification that the State has consented to be bound by this Charter, in accordance with Chapter XI. Article 2.2: Member State Responsibilities (a) Each Member State shall be represented on the Board of Peace by its Head of State or Government. (b) Each Member State shall support and assist with Board of Peace operations consistent with their respective domestic legal authorities. Nothing in this Charter shall be construed to give the Board of Peace jurisdiction within the territory of Member States, or require Member States to participate in a particular peace-building mission, without their consent. (c) Each Member State shall serve a term of no more than three years from this Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman. The three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force. Article 2.3: Termination of Membership Membership shall terminate upon the earlier of: (i) expiration of a three-year term, subject to Article 2.2(c) and renewal by the Chairman; (ii) withdrawal, consistent with Article 2.4; (iii) a removal decision by the Chairman, subject to a veto by a two-thirds majority of Member States: or (iv) dissolution of the Board of Peace pursuant to Chapter X. A Member State whose membership terminates shall also cease to be a Party to the Charter, but such State may be invited again to become a Member State, in accordance with Article 2.1. Article 2.4: Withdrawal Any Member State may withdraw from the Board of Peace with immediate effect by providing written notice to the Chairman. CHAPTER III-GOVERNANCE Article 3.1: The Board of Peace (a) The Board of Peace consists of its Member States. (b) The Board of Peace shall vote on all proposals on its agenda, including with respect to the annual budgets, the establishment of subsidiary entities, the appointment of senior executive officers, and major policy determinations, such as the approval of international agreements and the pursuit of new peace-building initiatives. (c) The Board of Peace shall convene voting meetings at least annually and at such additional times and locations as the Chairman deems appropriate. The agenda at such meetings shall be set by the Executive Board, subject to notice and comment by Member States and approval by the Chairman. (d) Each Member State shall have one vote on the Board of Peace. (e) Decisions shall be made by a majority of the Member States present and voting, subject to the approval of the Chairman, who may also cast a vote in his capacity as Chairman in the event of a tie. (f) The Board of Peace shall also hold regular non-voting meetings with its Executive Board at which Member States may submit recommendations and guidance with respect to the Executive Board’s activities, and at which the Executive Board shall report to the Board of Peace on the Executive Board’s operations and decisions. Such meetings shall be convened on at least a quarterly basis, with the time and place of said meetings determined by the Chief Executive of the Executive Board. (g) Member States may elect to be represented by an alternate high-ranking official at all meetings, subject to approval by the Chairman. (h) The Chairman may issue invitations to relevant regional economic integration organizations to participate in the proceedings of the Board of Peace under such terms and conditions as he deems appropriate. Article 3.2: Chairman (a) Donald J. Trump shall serve as inaugural Chairman of the Board of Peace, and he shall separately serve as inaugural representative of the United States of America, subject only to the provisions of Chapter III. (b) The Chairman shall have exclusive authority to create, modify, or dissolve subsidiary entities as necessary or appropriate to fulfill the Board of Peace’s mission. Article 3.3: Succession and Replacement The Chairman shall at all times designate a successor for the role of Chairman. Replacement of the Chairman may occur only following voluntary resignation or as a result of incapacity, as determined by a unanimous vote of the Executive Board, at which time the Chairman’s designated successor shall immediately assume the position of the Chairman and all associated duties and authorities of the Chairman. Article 3.4: Subcommittees The Chairman may establish subcommittees as necessary or appropriate and shall set the mandate, structure, and governance rules for each such subcommittee. CHAPTER IV-EXECUTIVE BOARD Article 4.1: Executive Board Composition and Representation (a) The Executive Board shall be selected by the Chairman and consist of leaders of global stature. (b) Members of the Executive Board shall serve two-year terms, subject to removal by the Chairman and renewable at his discretion. (c) The Executive Board shall be led by a Chief Executive nominated by the Chairman and confirmed by a majority vote of the Executive Board. (d) The Chief Executive shall convene the Executive Board every two weeks for the first three months following its establishment and on a monthly basis thereafter, with additional meetings convened as the Chief Executive deems appropriate. (e) Decisions of the Executive Board shall be made by a majority of its members present and voting, including the Chief Executive. Such decisions shall go into effect immediately, subject to veto by the Chairman at any time thereafter. (f) The Executive Board shall determine its own rules of procedure. Article 4.2: Executive Board Mandate The Executive Board shall: (a) Exercise powers necessary and appropriate to implement the Board of Peace’s mission, consistent with this Charter; (b) Report to the Board of Peace on its activities and decisions on a quarterly basis, consistent with Article 3.1(f), and at additional times as the Chairman may determine. Article 5.1: Expenses CHAPTER V-FINANCIAL PROVISIONS Funding for the expenses of the Board of Peace shall be through voluntary funding from Member States, other States, organizations, or other sources. Article 5.2: Accounts The Board of Peace may authorize the establishment of accounts as necessary to carry out its mission. The Executive Board shall authorize the institution of controls and oversight mechanisms with respect to budgets, financial accounts, and disbursements, as necessary or appropriate to ensure their integrity. CHAPTER VI LEGAL STATUS Article 6 (a) The Board of Peace and its subsidiary entities possess international legal personality. They shall have such legal capacity as may be necessary to the pursuit of their mission (including, but not limited to, the capacity to enter into contracts, acquire and dispose of immovable and movable property, institute legal proceedings, open bank accounts, receive and disburse private and public funds, and employ staff). (b) The Board of Peace shall ensure the provision of such privileges and immunities as are necessary for the exercise of the functions of the Board of Peace and its subsidiary entities and personnel, to be established in agreements with the States in which the Board of Peace and its subsidiary entities operate or through such other measures as may be taken by those States consistent with their domestic legal requirements. The Board may delegate authority to negotiate and conclude such agreements or arrangements to designated officials within the Board of Peace and/or its subsidiary entities. Article 7 CHAPTER VII-INTERPRETATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION Internal disputes between and among Board of Peace Members, entities, and personnel with respect to matters related to the Board of Peace should be resolved through amicable collaboration, consistent with the organizational authorities established by the Charter, and for such purposes, the Chairman is the final authority regarding the meaning, interpretation, and application of this Charter. CHAPTER VIII-CHARTER AMENDMENTS Article 8 Amendments to the Charter may be proposed by the Executive Board or at least one-third of the Member States of the Board of Peace acting together. Proposed amendments shall be circulated to all Member States at least thirty (30) days before being voted on. Such amendments shall be adopted upon approval by a two-thirds majority of the Board of Peace and confirmation by the Chairman. Amendments to Chapters II, III, IV, V, VIII, and X require unanimous approval of the Board of Peace and confirmation by the Chairman. Upon satisfaction of the relevant requirements, amendments shall enter into force on such date as specified in the amendment resolution or immediately if no date is specified. Article 9 CHAPTER IX-RESOLUTIONS OR OTHER DIRECTIVES The Chairman, acting on behalf of the Board of Peace, is authorized to adopt resolutions or other directives, consistent with this Charter, to implement the Board of Peace’s mission. CHAPTER X-DURATION, DISSOLUTION AND TRANSITION Article 10.1: Duration The Board of Peace continues until dissolved in accordance with this Chapter, at which time this Charter will also terminate. Article 10.2: Conditions for Dissolution The Board of Peace shall dissolve at such time as the Chairman considers necessary or appropriate, or at the end of every odd-numbered calendar year, unless renewed by the Chairman no later than November 21 of such odd-numbered calendar year. The Executive Board shall provide for the rules and procedures with respect to the settling of all assets, liabilities, and obligations upon dissolution. CHAPTER XI-ENTRY INTO FORCE Article 11.1: Entry into Force and Provisional Application (a) This Charter shall enter into force upon expression of consent to be bound by three States. (b) States required to ratify, accept, or approve this Charter through domestic procedures agree to provisionally apply the terms of this Charter, unless such States have informed the Chairman at the time of their signature that they are unable to do so. Such States that do not provisionally apply this Charter may participate as Non-Voting Members in Board of Peace proceedings pending ratification, acceptance, or approval of the Charter consistent with their domestic legal requirements, subject to approval by the Chairman. Article 11.2: Depositary The original text of this Charter, and any amendment thereto shall be deposited with the United States of America, which is hereby designated as the Depositary of this Charter. The Depositary shall promptly provide a certified copy of the original text of this Charter, and any amendment or additional protocols thereto, to all signatories to this Charter. CHAPTER XII RESERVATIONS Article 12 No reservations may be made to this Charter. CHAPTER XIII-GENERAL PROVISIONS Article 13.1: Official Language The official language of the Board of Peace shall be English Article 13.2: Headquarters The Board of Peace and its subsidiary entities may, in accordance with the Charter, establish a headquarters and field offices. The Board of Peace will negotiate a headquarters agreement and agreements governing field offices with the host State or States, as necessary. Article 13.3: Seal The Board of Peace will have an official seal, which shall be approved by the Chairman. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being duly authorized, have signed this Charter. https://www.timesofisrael.com/full-text-charter-of-trumps-board-of-peace/ Highlights: - permanent membership costs a minimum of $1bn - the Chairman is Donald Trump (him personally, not whoever holds the office president of the US) for life - the Chairman personally names a successor to take his place once he becomes incapacitated/dies - the Chairman appoints members to an Executive Board from where he can remove and replace anyone at will - decisions are taken by a majority vote, however they are all subject to approval by the Chairman, as in he is the only one with veto power At this point it's a fair assumption that the odds of being on the Executive Board and the odds of getting favorable votes for your country are directly proportional with a) how much money you 'donate' to the chairman and b) how loyal you have been in voting what the Chairman wanted on previous issues. In other words, the anti-globalists want to establish a bribe-based planetary dynasty. | ||
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oBlade
United States6123 Posts
On January 18 2026 02:00 Billyboy wrote: There is a clear and simple way the Republicans could raise American wages and make the US less attractive to illegal immigrants. They could put in massive fines (personal and corporate) or even criminal charges to owners of businesses who hire illegals. I wonder why they do not... Just Republicans? Do you also wonder why Democrats haven't done this? | ||
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Billyboy
1719 Posts
On January 19 2026 01:16 oBlade wrote: Just Republicans? Do you also wonder why Democrats haven't done this? No, I think their reasons are the same as the Republicans. The huge difference is one is actively wasting billions on projects they know won't help the problem but make one group really angry and trick the other ones without critical thinking skills into thinking they are solving it. | ||
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LightSpectra
United States2575 Posts
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Doublemint
Austria8744 Posts
you decide 'Murica! | ||
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Doublemint
Austria8744 Posts
basically in the same vain. oldschool Walt Disney the person really. interesting times, getting more interesting every passing day. | ||
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Calanthe
United States148 Posts
On January 18 2026 23:37 JimmyJRaynor wrote: What you can do is turn their fear into money in your pocket. what purpose would that serve? | ||
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