Lacessit

I am predicting Trump will lift the sanctions in any peace deal. Which is stupid, because American exporters of oil and gas are making a motza in Europe presently. But then, kissing Putin's butt seems to be a priority with Trump. Don't you ever wonder why?

Dear me, the leftist label. Trite and boring. Have you considered putting your responses on life support?

Food inflation at 10%, bank interest rate 21% = 26% to any borrowers. Ruble down 50%, passenger aircraft fleet 400. Before the invasion, over 700. Export income from oil and gas halved. No functioning pipelines from east to west. Oil exports by small, uninsured tankers. Yeah, the Russian economy is terrific, unless you are an ordinary Russian.

Why would I want to take a job from Trump? I get thrown under a bus, or dudded like thousands of former contractors. Probably both. You really can't think outside the square of ad hominem posts, can you?

That's right, attack the messenger in true Trumpian fashion. Most Australians are sick of spending our blood and treasure to support a country that gets into wars, then cuts and runs when the American public changes like a weathercock. You could take lessons from us, ask the East Timorese if we finished the job there. You'll be dying in your own country soon enough. Fact: 70% of you are fat slugs. Fact: Your new health czar is an anti-vaxxing lunatic. Americans now are not the Americans of yesterday. Everybody knows it except you.

There was a time when America would pay any price or bear any burden in the name of freedom. No more. Americans have become xenophobic, racist, isolationist, and fearful. Your leader has played on your basest instincts. The path to betraying Ukraine is already set. Peace talks without Ukraine, with concessions already made. No ally will trust you. Cower behind your tariff walls, and watch your standard of living decline. You have become a nation of gutless cowards. The rest of the democratic world has nothing but contempt for you. You will become slaves. You just don't realize it yet.

Done already.

Who wants to have a discussion with someone who is fact-free, and link-free? Any brain you may have once had is subsumed into Trump worship.

The US is declining because it has not invested in public infrastructure for a long time. Bridges are rusting, roads are cracking. It only has 80 km of high speed rail. Some of its manufacturing plants have equipment going back to the early 1900's. It can't compete with modern plants, equipped with robotics. Trump has set it on a retrograde path of the internal combustion engine and fossil fuels, when everyone else is ramping up in renewable energy and EV's. Time was, American goods were regarded as quality, and Japanese stuff was thought to be rubbish. The wheel has turned 180 degrees. Time was, America produced half of the world's steel. Now, it produces one-tenth of what China does. Somewhat ironic the country that trumpeted the virtues of free trade is now squealing about tariffs, which will do nothing but drive up the cost of living for Americans, and hurt its competitiveness when the retaliatory tariffs kick in.

Well now, looky here. A whining MAGA.

IIRC during the Biden administration Trump was wanting the economy to go into recession.

I'll leave the Chicken Little act to you.

Take a number for tomorrow.

You like the nanny state, and BOHICA? Each to his own.

Not true. Labradors and poodles are both dogs. Labradors are not poodles. Poodles are not Labradors. Bye now, I am full up on dumb@sses for today.

I won a scholarship to the private college I went to. Easy to see what you have on your mind, if that's not stretching the expression too far.

Figure of speech. When we had a dog in Thailand, it lived quite happily on cooked chicken carcasses,rice, and table scraps. Cost very little to feed.

Your super fund will be taxed at anywhere between 15% and 30% when you die, depending on the nature of contributions you have made in the past. It's why I closed my SMSF, every cent is outside the reach of the taxman.

I look forward to the OP's threads, because I don't think he has reached the apogee of narcissism yet.

I consider I live quite well, on less than 65K/month. OTOH, I don't drink or smoke. My only luxury is golf. I tried the income method for one year, found it to be a major PITA. Not worth the aggravation for the sake of not keeping 800 K on deposit.

It's pretty obvious what the real problem is - wealth inequity, and a cockeyed tax system. In 2016 and 2017, Trump paid $750 in taxes. Someone earning $50,000 pa paid tax of $5914. The people getting the really big bucks obviously have too many loopholes. When you have 3 multi-billionaires sitting on more money than the bottom 150 million Americans, IMO the tax system is broken.

Trump revising history. I would suggest he should bar Ukrainians from visiting America. They have plenty of experience with drones and sniper rifles.

Oh dear, YT is projecting his lifeless minuscule willy again.

I am on a part pension from Australia. I have investment assets as well, which generate income. In Australia, living costs are so high my capital in those investments erodes. In Thailand, my capital increases. I am making money in retirement. In old age, I would have to settle for eating dog food in Oz. Aged care there is a licence to print money for Singapore based corporations. Here, I live well, and have a GF 23 years younger than me, who will take care of me until I draw my last breath. It's a no-brainer.

I have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes during my working life. Under the Australian system, I am eligible for an age pension provided I meet the income and assets test criteria. Who the hell are you, to tell me where I should spend it?