Politics Thread!

[PFVA]

Any opinions on Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist leading the polls for NYC mayor's election tomorrow?

Are we seeing the start of a change in the voting in the US?

[KlaxonCow]

Are we seeing the start of a change in the voting in the US?

Nah, it's New York.

Not only are they are a left-leaning constituency, as are L.A., but New Yorkers tend to collectively hate Donald Trump anyway on a personal level for the real estate bullshit he's previously pulled in their city.

They don't vote Republican, and they definitely aren't voting for Trump or his appointees because they've always fucking personally hated him, long before he even got into politics.

[PFVA]

Yeah, New Yorkers seem to hate Trump.
Mamdani won with more than 50% of the votes in spite of all Trump's threats, or may be the threats helped.
And the Democrats seem to have had a good night.

[F-ZeroOne]

Don't Mess With The Zohran?

Presumably New York will be next on the invasion list, after (checks notes) Venezuela, Mexico and Nigeria?

[SuperMappy]

As most of you probably already know Mamdani won the New York mayoral race. Now virtually all the millionaires and billionaires will abandon New York and most of the corporations will, very likely, do the same. Now I want to see how he will pay for all the programs and free stuff he proposed. I'm just waiting for the massive implosion. At nearly 61, I have lost all confidence in the human race.

[tufty]

Y'know all those [mb]illionaires that promise to leave if they get taxed, or if this or that person gets elected?

They almost never do. And even if they do, they end up coming back.

[Little stoned kiwi]

Today: Free public transport.

Tomorrow: Communism as people rise up to seize the means of production while abolishing government, private property rights, police that suppress the people to enforce the state, and the concept of money. And Hamas will be blowing up the free public transport.

The illegal immigrants are destroying traditional Western Values!!!!1!

[tufty]

I think you missed the bit about forced transitioning for all non-islamic New Yorkers above the age of 5. Any non-islamic /trans/ New Yorkers above the age of 5 will be forced to retransition back.

[KlaxonCow]

Now virtually all the millionaires and billionaires will abandon New York and most of the corporations will, very likely, do the same.

They'll abandon their holdings in some of the most valuable real estate on the planet?

Because when we say that the rich and corporations are "in" New York, that's essentially what we mean. That they have a "base of operations" in one of the most populous city markets on the entire planet - that is, they have very valuable real estate and commercial assets in one of the biggest and most lucrative real estate markets there is (and if we're talking Manhattan then it is THE most lucrative real estate on the planet, because the island can't get any bigger or more packed, so its "per square inch" value is the most expensive there is and can only go upwards).

Especially not for a few percentage points of tax, for a 4 year mayoral term - up to a max of 8 years, if New Yorkers vote him in twice, which is, like the President, the longest term anyone's allowed to serve. You'd have to really, really, really hate the mayor on a fundamental point of principle to do that, because it fundamentally makes no economic sense whatsoever to just throw your money away like that. To dis-invent in what's essentially the most important stock market there is?

This is why, as tufty rightly notes, whenever the rich threaten to "abandon" a city or country or whatever, should so-and-so get elected, this almost never transpires. Because so much of their wealth and assets are tied up in that city / country, and they don't really want to abandon their stake in all that valuable real estate.

To carry out their threats, they'd have to make themselves seriously un-rich by abandoning some of the most lucrative assets that exist on this planet, for the sake of 4 years - max 8 years - of slightly more unfavourable taxes, compared to what they're largely not paying already?

And even if they did, money is a circular resource. They're not selling up at a significant loss under market value - as they want to minimise their own personal losses from this silly political "point of principle" - in which case, we're swapping one set of billionaires for another. It only becomes a significant loss for the city itself, if they sell up at below market value to drag down real estate and tax revenues.

The threats are usually complete bullshit, as the actual value lies in their real estate holdings - that's what being "in" New York amounts to for rich folks whose assets are multinational - not in this one rich arsehole being intrinsically better than some other rich arsehole, owning those same assets.

There is, indeed, an inherent weakness to threats. If you're serious than you don't threaten, you just do it. But if you're making a big song and dance of the fact that "I'm leaving. I'm leaving now. Any second now, I'll be leaving. This is your last chance. Or I'm leaving. Do you see me standing by the door? I'm going to leave you. Any second now. This is your last chance to stop me leaving..." then, nah, you're not going fucking anywhere. Cheap psychological tricks. If you were deadly serious, then you'd already be out of that door and gone by now.

The weak threaten. The strong don't have to - because, fucking hell, have you seen the size on that hulk of a dude? I ain't saying shit to piss him off, as he'll clearly crush me with just his little finger. Indeed, it's the tiny little pipsqueaks who're all threats - "I'll kick your arse" - but it's the gentle giants who say and threaten absolutely nothing that you should actually be afraid of.

And there's a degree to which, with the state of the world today, let them fucking leave. They're a horrid economic weight on the entire system. So, please, sell up your assets in this city / country and fuck off. All these assets still physically exist, of course, so sell them off to someone who's more agreeable and less of an arsehole than you are. Losing the scams of a handful of twats? Excellent. Please, leave and, as you leave, let us kick the door so it hits you on the arse as you go.

In the end, the land / the assets all still physically exist within city limits. It's really hard for "the churn" of losing some rich individuals replaced by some other rich individuals to make any actual economic impact on the city itself. They're really not that important. And that's another reason why these threats so rarely materialise, as they'd only be helping to prove that point - storming off in a huff and the New York economy registers nothing whatsoever on the "temper tantrum" Richter scale.

[F-ZeroOne]

I note that despite the forthcoming Islamocommieradicalsocialistantifa take-over of New York, I haven’t yet heard the King of All Gold-sprayed Cosmos declare he’s abandoning Trump Tower to its fate….

[KlaxonCow]

I note that despite the forthcoming Islamocommieradicalsocialistantifa take-over of New York, I haven’t yet heard the King of All Gold-sprayed Cosmos declare he’s abandoning Trump Tower to its fate….

Exactly. He's not going to sell up and move out. As ugly as that fucking tower is, it's insane real estate.

And if Trump did sell it and move out, then the tower's still there and it's just owned by some other billionaire or corporation instead. Trump's not going to sell it at under its market value - as he's vastly too greedy for that and will try to maximise his own personal profit and, therefore, New York real estate prices remain intact.

If the tower is still there and it's still worth roughly the same amount and there's some other billionaire to be taxed in Trump's place, then what difference does that make to the city's finances? Nothing whatsoever, really.

These are empty threats. The value of these people is not the billionaire themselves, but all the assets and dealings they have in your city / country. Those aren't going anywhere. If they intend to remain rich, they're not going to abandon their cash cows. And if they do sell up, then they're just handing it over to some other billionaire arsehole to milk the cash cow in their place - doesn't really affect the city / country itself, as the physical assets ain't going anywhere.

These are empty threats. Call their bluff. If you want to leave, then leave.

Indeed, it could even be advantageous to "renew" and refresh your current set of arsehole billionaires for a new set, every once in a while, simply because it takes a while to gradually forge all those corrupt relationships with officials, and rig the game in their favour. Let's swap them out every 4 years, just as we do with politicians, exactly to stop them forming their corrupt little scams. Flush the shit out of the system.

What kind of a world do we live in when some demented Orange King gets all the press? This town needs an enema.

[F-ZeroOne]

If you thought the zero on Number Tens door being an "O" was a bit embarrassing for the most visible symbol of a nations seat of power:

https://www.wonkette.com/p/white-house- ... -helpfully

[PFVA]

Cristiano Ronaldo declared he is an admirer of Donald Trump and would like to meet him in person.

No comment. I'm speechless.

[KlaxonCow]

There was a medical emergency during an Oval Office presentation, and while everyone else went to help, Trump just sort of stood there.

Creating an image that, I don't know, has a kind of surreal "renaissance composition" feel to it:



It's like that painting where everyone's looking at Christ's wound in his side, but with Trump sort of wilfully ignoring it on the other third. It's an unintentional work of art. Someone needs to measure it out and see if there are any Golden Ratios or pentagons involved.

[tufty]

Trump just sort of stood there.

What could he do? The guy had just met Vance, he was clearly doomed.

If you watch the actual video, it's not like Trump just resolutely stood there. It is an instant taken somewhat out of context. Still funny, though.