You don’t have the highest immigration rates, and sometimes not even in absolute numbers.

The US has about 50 million total immigrants, or about 14 % of the population, that’s behind both Germany (19 %) and Saudi Arabia (89 %).

Considering why most of those people are fleeing their homes, the US might want to sit this argument out…

They buy one election, and suddenly they have “too much power”…

Politicians of today are spoiled rotten

Then perhaps we are starting from different points, my model is basically that an economy is a closed system until either a) resources, innovation or performed work inputs more value or b) these are removed from circulation.

Under that model inflation, services, taxes, are all value neutral for a certain scope of economy. Your private finances are of course going to be affected by taxes and inflation, but total world or even national economy not so much.

To put it in simpler terms, all goods and services exchanged for money don’t change the economy as long as that money gets spent again.

It’s a simplified model ofc, it doesn’t take into account for example moving value between countries/markets (how do we account for stuff sent into space? Or sent to other countries?).

To help with understanding your perspective, could you kindly explain how high net worth individuals come to their situation within your model?

Everything you buy from a company he owns takes a cut to give to him.

Not necessarily, as not all companies give dividents or buybacks. But let’s say they all do.

Very few companies run at a loss for long. All profit is on the back of the workers, and if that isn’t returned to them, it is parasitism. Regardless if the owner takes dividends, or borrows against the increased value of their stocks, or any other enrichment of them, is at the expense of the laborer.

I’ll mention that I’m not necessarily against it, but it is the central tenet of capitalism.

The same argument applies to employees: they get a cut of a companies income? I think a fair deal: as long as they make something I want or need at a price I agree to I’ll buy it. Otherwise I won’t.

Issue is, the labourer is doing the work, why aren’t they entitled to the value of that work? How come someone gets to just grab 20% to pay off those who don’t produce the same value?

manipulate both your salary and cost of goods

Not really, I’m self-employed. As to the price of goods, see the above. We manipulate it just as well. Other large manipulators are monetary policy and taxes.

You don’t have any economic muscle against the big players in your market. Are you really pricing according to the cost of production? More probably you’re pricing close to market value, which you aren’t deciding on your own. The bigger fish have more say in that then you do, on both the demand and supply side.

Monetary policy is a tool to affect the distribution of money, it does not itself extract or inject value.

Taxes only extract value with corruption. All taxed money put into the commons, no matter how inefficiently, are for the public good and stimulation of the economy. The extraction comes with parasitism and hoarding which happens when individuals are enriched at the expense of others. This happens through corruption ofc, both in embezzlement, underdelivered value and exploitative cash flows.

Amazon workers not being able to pee at work for a salary they can’t really live on seems another example.

How’s that related to individual’s net worth? Customers will always want goods cheap, even if a company’s ownership is diluted to the point that each shareholder isn’t a billionair.

Oh, it’s not about net worth. It’s meant to be an example where the owner class is extracting inhumane amounts of value from the employees. Making Bezos rich at the expense of both the employees and the rest of us having to bear the loss of years of quality life with the following reduced production, increased need of social and medical support, and extracted value.

To summarise: Any money taken away from the people doing the work, directly or indirectly, is exploitation.

I happen to think exploitation is unethical.

Everything you buy from a company he owns takes a cut to give to him. That is value you don’t get for your hard earned money.

On top of that, Mr Buffet himself, as well as magnates in general, manipulate both your salary and cost of goods so that you get even less for your hard work.

Amazon workers not being able to pee at work for a salary they can’t really live on seems another example.

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Is it though?

We have tons of workers in hospitality on work visas (hotels, tourism, restaurants), we have care staff, doctors, IT professionals, project managers, process managers, engineers, management, PhD students (which is an employment here), finance bros, even life coaches on work visa.

In my specific country they also take no extra risk other than having to culturally and institutionally train you.

It’s definitely harder than doing things at home, and scarier, but it’s entirely doable. In four years we’ll see if there’s gonna be another US election, regardless you’re gonna be 4 years older. Either you stay and hope to weather the US, or you go try building something you’ve chosen for yourself.

It’s not for everyone, and it’s a lot more comfortable being with devil you know. But don’t pretend it’s because the process is impossible.

Such an underrated comment

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I’m not sure what you mean is hard? Besides uprooting and establishing a new life in a different culture ofc.

To my country a travel visa of three months is automatic/not needed from the US.

A work visa requires proof of employment at a more than minimum wage job, something like a skilled chef, contractor or entry level college grad job qualifies. After two years you can job hop, four years you get a permanent visa, after five you can apply for citizenship.

Requirements at each of these steps is that you can show you have a valid passport, the means to support yourself (and family) financially, are following laws and regulations, and remember to file the paperwork. No tests, no language requirements, just bureaucracy, patience and making a new life.

If you’re in a high demand profession, a work visa takes 90 days to get and is valid for at least two years.

This is for my country, you can typically check with the consulate for whatever country you’re interested in and they will happily inform you.

Source on median income pls?

US Census seems to put it at ~42k/year

Apparently privileged (cis, white, educated middle class or equivalent) men apply when fulfilling 60% of the requirements. Women and minorities 100%.

Maybe that’s why they have the ridiculous reqs?

So happy for you! The world is better off for your empathy and care <3

Thank you for letting me help, and hope you both have a better life from your encounter!

I’ve also done the 'sup head jerk with cats around the neighborhood, they start in surprise the first few times, then do it back.

It’s apparently an acknowledgement/greeting between cats.

And yes, heed the advice to “ignore” cats until they approach. Sit calmly, do your thing, let eachother know you’re there, and then wait. Often doesn’t take more than 15 minutes.

Getting a cat to come to you is easy, you give it food and pets, and then stay calm when it’s eating/enjoying.

Repeat until you’ve built trust, a sick or hurt cat will typically take longer to trust. Count on several days of repeating this without hitches (no sudden loud noise while you’re doing it, etc).

Sometimes cats are desperate and everything turns up in a magical, calm way without bloodshed. But more commonly the next part is trickier, the cat will resist you picking it up (especially if hurt) or shutting it in.

Trick here is to be decisive and clear in your body language. Prepare a cat carry box with hard sides, feel free to prepare it with some textile smelling of you, be mindful that it will almost certainly be pissed on. Also bring a towel.

You will have to, in a calm manner, put the folded towel over the cat, and with it lift the cat into the carry. The towel is to trap legs so you won’t be scratched, and if you manage to have it snugly around the cat, there’s also a way to calm cats by gently pressing them down.

If you are unsure, slow, nervous, or hesitate in your movement, the cat will bolt. If you’re too fast, loud, or big in movements, it will as well. Relax and do it in a deliberate motion.

If you release the cat from the carry, it will take considerable time to rebuild trust. Consider either going with it to the vet at once, or let it out in a quiet spare room with food, water, and litter box, and giving it a day or three to get accustomed to the room before letting it explore the rest of the place.

Don’t get scratched by the cat, they can have some pretty nasty stuff on the paws, and some transmittable pathogens if anything draws blood or gets in your face/eyes.

Good luck!

I’ve used Spotify with subscription on android for years and never had any issue with it. The Web and desktop apps have also worked well for the last decade or so.

Deezer, Newpipe, YouTube have all had their places, but Spotify does it’s thing the best.

What is this thread but people yelling at clouds?