The Economic Situation Where You Are

[fathertime]

FT, I see bad habits don't change. It is thAn, not thEn.


I've been retired for 6 years and I make more now thAn when I was working. 

Hehe, old boy...I'll never get that right. 

Fathertime! 

[fathertime]

That's just the way it is. Somethings will never change. (on this list)


I'd love to see the massive deportation of all those "illegal" immigrants, specifically here in the US, and then watch the economy take a downward spiral. Actually, see the crops rot on the fields. Hotels close due to lack of staffing. Even the horse races come to an abrupt close. And on and on.


Why don't enforce the law? Or is it because big business has too much invested in cheap labor and they deploy their armies of lobbyists to stem the tide of "illegal" immigration?


Be careful what you wish. You might get it.

No chance of deporting any chunk of illegals.  The country would go down the old crapper.   Leaving millions in limbo has been the US solution and seems to keep most satisfied enough.   

Fathertime! 

[Jumper1]

That's just the way it is. Somethings will never change. (on this list)


I'd love to see the massive deportation of all those "illegal" immigrants, specifically here in the US, and then watch the economy take a downward spiral. Actually, see the crops rot on the fields. Hotels close due to lack of staffing. Even the horse races come to an abrupt close. And on and on.


Why don't enforce the law? Or is it because big business has too much invested in cheap labor and they deploy their armies of lobbyists to stem the tide of "illegal" immigration?


Be careful what you wish. You might get it.

Not saying you are not correct overall, nor am I taking the position all illegals should be deported.

I would say if you are unaware ,that there has been a widely used  and massive migrant worker program in place for decades ,and more than a fair share of fram product planting,care and harvesting you are referring in part  to is done by legal migrant workers.

To think a head of lettuce would suddenly double in cost if california deported illegals just isn’t the reality.

Now the hit of deporting millions certainly would be felt somewhere.


A lot of Hotels have piles of rooms not in use for lack.of staffing now ,lots at play there.
🤷‍♂️

[Trenchcoat]

Sheer utter panic gripping in Ukraine now! Airlines are already cutting flights to & from Ukraine and some are grounding their aircraft that are there:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10508237/Airlines-begin-suspending-flights-Ukraine-amid-fears-invasion.html

That's going to make it all the harder to get out of Ukraine. It's reckoned the Russians could invade any minute but Wednesday onwards appears to be on the cards. No doubt now the roads and railways are getting clogged with all desperate to get out and a lot of queuing and tailbacks making progress to get out of Ukraine worse.

Personally if I were in Ukraine now my guess would be that the safer place would be to head to the region southwest of Lviv. It's the most remote part from Russia's army being the farthest distance they would have to travel from where they are currently surrounding Ukraine. There also doesn't seem to be a lot of much value over there, no cities bigger than Lviv and probably not of immediate strategic importance, some fields and mountains. From there it would be easy to head to the border once hostilities start and claim asylum.

My guess would be that Russia would pummel the Ukrainian Army into oblivion with missiles before moving forward and surrounding the big cities of Ukraine. From there they will probably wait and starve the city into submission. With large populations that probably won't take long a few days to a week or so at best. That way Putin will take the cities largely intact and deal with any insurgency as and when.

In any case it looks like those in Ukraine at the moment care largely stuck there as it's not going to be easy to leave in a hurry unless already in western Ukraine. 

[Jumper1]

The flights are far more likely canceled because the  airlines insurance carries decided to stop insuring those flights.

The insurance companies decisions were likely based on political pressures versus risk assessment.

[Chelseaboy]

Sheer utter panic gripping in Ukraine now! Airlines are already cutting flights to & from Ukraine and some are grounding their aircraft that are there:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10508237/Airlines-begin-suspending-flights-Ukraine-amid-fears-invasion.html

That's going to make it all the harder to get out of Ukraine. It's reckoned the Russians could invade any minute but Wednesday onwards appears to be on the cards. No doubt now the roads and railways are getting clogged with all desperate to get out and a lot of queuing and tailbacks making progress to get out of Ukraine worse.

Personally if I were in Ukraine now my guess would be that the safer place would be to head to the region southwest of Lviv. It's the most remote part from Russia's army being the farthest distance they would have to travel from where they are currently surrounding Ukraine. There also doesn't seem to be a lot of much value over there, no cities bigger than Lviv and probably not of immediate strategic importance, some fields and mountains. From there it would be easy to head to the border once hostilities start and claim asylum.

My guess would be that Russia would pummel the Ukrainian Army into oblivion with missiles before moving forward and surrounding the big cities of Ukraine. From there they will probably wait and starve the city into submission. With large populations that probably won't take long a few days to a week or so at best. That way Putin will take the cities largely intact and deal with any insurgency as and when.

In any case it looks like those in Ukraine at the moment care largely stuck there as it's not going to be easy to leave in a hurry unless already in western Ukraine.

No signs of sheer utter panic gripping Ukrainians in the news reports from Ukraine i've just watched on Sky News and the BBC.


People walking about in Kiev,some praying in a Church in Mariupol,whilst others in Mariupol.including a 78 year-old grandmother, were training in the use of AK47's to kill Russian troops with.


No sign of anyone running and screaming in fear....no sign of cars blocking the roads in their haste to flee in panic,nor people clinging to the undercarriage of aircraft in their desperation to get away.


Everyone looking very calm and determined..nope no panicking.


This is Ukraine..not Afghanistan.


These are Ukrainians we're talking about...they're a tough and mentally strong people..not like the LBGT obsessed Brits, with 25 % of adults and 10% of children  suffering from mental illness ,who need little excuse to flail about in blind panic,such as panic-buying toilet rolls because of a Pandemic,and/or queue up for hours at a petrol station to put in a £1's worth of petrol because they heard on the news a couple of  petrol stations throughout the country were running low 


There's probably more panicking over here than in Ukraine.For instance i received a phone call early evening telling me the Germans have been supplying Russia with weapons,and later someone else told me that Biden announced tonight that USA troops were going to the Ukraine/Russia border with World War 111 imminent.


So i get home tonight and switch on the news to see what's going on and nope nothing...it's just Brits panicking again.

[Chelseaboy]

Sky reporter live from Dnipro,Ukraine....nope no signs of any panic today among Ukrainians as confirmed by her.


Everyone just going about their daily lives as normal she said.



Looks like Trench has caught the panicking Brits bug.


Don't know what happened to us Brits..we used to be stiff upper lip tough guys..now we're a bunch of quivering wimps.


Even the Ukrainian President has asked the West to stop panicking and inflaming the situation..he doesn't want his own people infected by our hysteria.

[Trenchcoat]

Sky reporter live from Dnipro,Ukraine....nope no signs of any panic today among Ukrainians as confirmed by her.


Everyone just going about their daily lives as normal she said.



Looks like Trench has caught the panicking Brits bug.


Don't know what happened to us Brits..we used to be stiff upper lip tough guys..now we're a bunch of quivering wimps.


Even the Ukrainian President has asked the West to stop panicking and inflaming the situation..he doesn't want his own people infected by our hysteria.

Panicking is fun Ukrainians should really give it a try. Game is for everyone to rush around frantically trying to beat each other to the present commodity in demand. The ones who are cunning enough to get the commodity wins the ones that are too slow off the mark to get the commodity lose

Ok, now rules of the game explained are all Ukrainians out there ready to start panic buying, panic driving, panic rail commuting?

On your marks, get set, and go!!!

Last ones unable to get bum paper get pooey bums

[Muzh]

No signs of sheer utter panic gripping Ukrainians in the news reports from Ukraine i've just watched on Sky News and the BBC.

Reports of General Gerasimov devising plans to counteract the half million babushkas in eastern UA wielding pots and pans. "Very serious threat", he said.

[2tallbill]

Reports of General Gerasimov devising plans to counteract the half million babushkas in eastern UA wielding pots and pans. "Very serious threat", he said.

[krimster2]

The Soviet anti-plague system Protivochumnaya sistema, allows you to use unrestricted biowarfare by enforcing stricter protocol on your own protected populace vrs your opponent's un-protected populace

[Trenchcoat]

Well central bank base rate is now 5.25 percent in both the US and the UK. Looking like a recession may be on the cards in both the US, the UK and elsewhere. Possibly the UK housing market may suffer a sharp downturn in trade possibly as soon as this Autumn. House prices here are said to have fallen around 10 percent in the last few months though that maybe more in London where house prices are way high.

Here discount chain Wilko have gone into administration with 12,000 jobs likely to go as I doubt a buyer will come forth as their stores are next to deserted. Not the biggest retail group around but a lot of jobs all the same. Odds are there could be other big job losses to come if the economy goes in a downward trend. These higher interest rates look like they are going to quese many consumers. Fortunately my house is all paid up for and my job reasonably steady. I want to move on from my job at some point but at the moment I'm staying put until my finances are sound.

How's things looking in the US?

[krimster2]

here in Texas, post-Covid inflation has tapered off...
real estate prices in my area are slightly HIGHER than before Covid
I planned for this economy years ago...
bought income producing real estate, rents rise with inflation
and tax free
I can rent a foreclosed home, purchased in 2012 for $170,000 for $3000/month now

just spoke to relatives in Crimea
their situation is TERRIBLE because of the war
so besides Covid "inflatzie"
they got the war inflation as well

one of my relatives is a elementary school teacher with an education degree
her salary is 170,000 rubles per month = $180 US
she has to supplement her income doing various side-gigs
barely survives...
the longer the war goes on the worse the russian economy gets
a lotta people in Russia are near the "threshold" of being flat broke living a day-to-day existence...

these people are not "bumzhee"
they are educated hard working people

the Russian oligarchy depends on a supply of cheap Russian labor to prop up their position in the economy
the poorer the russians are, the more obediant, according to Russian political theory
and the poorer the people are, the richer the oligarchs
their fortunes are inversely proportioned

but who are poor Russians fighting for?
other poor Russians?
nyet
nyet

they all poor malchiky fightin for rich men "north of Moscva"
Karl Marx, he's either laughin or cryin right now
maybe both...

[Trenchcoat]

here in Texas, post-Covid inflation has tapered off...
real estate prices in my area are slightly HIGHER than before Covid
I planned for this economy years ago...
bought income producing real estate, rents rise with inflation
and tax free
I can rent a foreclosed home, purchased in 2012 for $170,000 for $3000/month now

just spoke to relatives in Crimea
their situation is TERRIBLE because of the war
so besides Covid "inflatzie"
they got the war inflation as well

one of my relatives is a elementary school teacher with an education degree
her salary is 170,000 rubles per month = $180 US
she has to supplement her income doing various side-gigs
barely survives...
the longer the war goes on the worse the russian economy gets
a lotta people in Russia are near the "threshold" of being flat broke living a day-to-day existence...

these people are not "bumzhee"
they are educated hard working people

the Russian oligarchy depends on a supply of cheap Russian labor to prop up their position in the economy
the poorer the russians are, the more obediant, according to Russian political theory
and the poorer the people are, the richer the oligarchs
their fortunes are inversely proportioned

but who are poor Russians fighting for?
other poor Russians?
nyet
nyet

they all poor malchiky fightin for rich men "north of Moscva"
Karl Marx, he's either laughin or cryin right now
maybe both...

Interesting stuff Krim. I saw online that inflation in Russia went up to 20 percent! At the start of the war but apparently now according to Google is just 3.3 percent although I guess  the damage has already been done. I see that it looks like Russia is using high interest rates to control inflation this year put up to 8.5 percent. Inflation high in Ukraine in June at 12.8 percent from a previous 15.3 percent in May so must be pretty hard going living there. Like you say if the hard working middle classes are only just getting by those right at the bottom must be suffering badly. Kind of glad I'm in merry ol' England and not in Russia or Ukraine.

Even still possibly a time to batten down the hatches in the west to weather an upcoming economic storm. I will likely hold of on expanding to any further development at the moment since any further development won't bring in money till complete and only sap my money and expose me to debt (mortgage) risk. For me the time is likely better spent saving up my money, getting money in from Lodgers as well as earnings and enjoying money coming in that way for a while. If I'm doing work on a place and seeing only negative figures flowing my way I'm not going to be a happy chappy.

With the economy so poor in Ukraine & Russia and can probably add Moldova to that list my best bet would probably be to get out there soon as women are likely to be more open minded to a stable guy from abroad. Not that I am looking on the basis of a woman that wants saving or her wanting me for economic reasons alone I get Daveman's point in this. More that I think women will be more open to breaking out of the mentality of focusing on guys closer to home so more opportunity.

I can set out the long term vision to the right woman and so long as I'm pretty sound economically one nicely presented small town house that is unmortgaged should be enough to convince many FSW in a country of economic disaster that I have what it takes to fulfill my dream at some point in the future.

[2tallbill]

How about you other guys, is your nation likely to be economically well off enough in the next
few years so as to not be off concern moving there for FSW?

I have a new business pursuit, I am developing a reality television show of flat earthers racing
to find the edge of the world and all the various highjinx that are sure to ensue. The first team
to the edge wins a million dollars and every woman who goes topless gets an extra hundred
(limited to 5 per episode).

No overweight men or women (or people over 35) are allowed to compete.

[krimster2]

I sold Russian platinum in dubai after I lost my covid travel fear

I used to laugh at Russians when I came back from the west
contrasting a western city vrs a russian one

until I went to Dubai
OMG! I was in shock
good thing I'm retired
or this would be my new HQ
also good that I learned basic arabic in Israel
that allowed me to meet "interesting people"
and pass myself off as Russian to them
good times...

you westerners need to see Dubai and then look at the downtown in an American city...
all the money for dubai came from here
why the massive, massive disparity
was it "zero sum" transfer, their gain is our loss, no, it wasn't
it's public wealth, vrs private wealth
this is another idea, whose time is coming, but still aways down the road
demographics say the "southern strategy" is gonna run out of steam soon
every year a couple of million young people turn 18 and vote
most of em ain't votin for oligarchs
oligarchs will do everything in their power to reduce democracy
for their own self-preservation

[Boethius]

On principle, I would never live in a country which enforces Muslim laws.

[krimster2]

no problem being a "religious minority" in the emirates or the USA

for me, the emirate rules aren't much worse than living in a "dry county" in Texas that doesn't allow alchohol and enduring Christian rule (and harassment)
i'm not a drinker, but foreigners are allowed to drink in special bars that I didn't enter

the Emirates are more liberal than the saudis in all respects
attire rules don't apply unless you go to a mosque, etc
women wear shorts and uncovered heads in public with no problem there
and we coexisted with burquas

a lot more liberal and tolerant than any place i've been to in the USA, including california
I never saw a single piece of garbage in public
everything is the inverse of an American city
if MAGA republicans saw Dubai, they'd realize how stoopid their claim is of "Making Amerika Great"
while they're "Making It Poor" through their own greed
Russia and USA privitize profits, and transfer costs to the poor
Emirates puts a big portion of their wealth into the public space instead of ONLY privitzing it for the rich
it makes for an incredibly dramatic contrast

[Boethius]

I think it’s only surface tolerant. Unmarried couples can’t cohabitate. Gay sex is forbidden. It’s illegal to drink, eat, or smoke in public during Ramadan (this includes non Muslims).  The secret police have detained and tortured both citizens and foreigners. Human trafficking is tolerated by authorities, as its victims are foreigners. Abortion is illegal, punishable by up to five years in prison and 100 lashes. Flogging is a common punishment.

In my view, these are fine if that’s what the society wants. But it’s not comparable to the US, even evangelical areas.

[krimster2]

if I were going to live in the emirates, I'd get a "patron" like I did in Russia...
don't have to learn how to "cheat on your taxes" in the emirates
cuz there is no personal income tax there!!!

i'm used to all the "wacky" religious BS
I grew up with it, and learned how to deflect it
I understand the rules and when to ignore them and when not
never had any personal social problems other than minor annoyances whether from muslims, joos or christians while livin in "their" societies
i'm a chameleon who knows how to change color to reflect my environment

but this is not the lens you use to look at Dubai

there's no crime
there's no homeless
there's no rubbish stacked on the street
none of the stores or residences have steel bars over the windows
gummit doesn't try to take half the money you sweated for
and the opportunities are sky high there
if I wasn't retired, I'd move there in a second
only bad thing is the climate
but then again, it was 110 degrees in Kansas this week

global warming isn't real
cuz Trump won the election

and if you believe in Jesus, you will be protected from Covid
and so ya don't have to drink bleach

if I can live in THIS culture
everywhere else is a "piece of cake"

[Boethius]

Even with “protection”, you’re not necessarily safe.

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uae-arrests-crown-princes-adviser-sparking-fears-safety

The threat of lashing or severing the offending limb (which isn’t carried out in the UAE, but is on the books) is why crime is so low.

The other side-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2859734/The-Dubai-DON-T-want-tourists-Photos-desperate-conditions-endured-migrant-labourers-forced-work-50C-heat-pittance.html

[2tallbill]

My new boomer business pursuit(s) 

I am using my Hollywood money to corner the pay phone market in Austin.
I can run the whole thing out of my VCR repair shop. I spend most of what
I take in on advertising (to grow my business) currently the Yellow pages 
advertisements have the best bang for the buck.

[krimster2]

police misconduct
sub-standard housing for poor "gasterbeiters"
that describes where I live in the USA a lot better than the emirates

in the USA a professional corporation is taxed at 35%
in UAE, it's ZERO
in Russia, if I file as an IT entrepreneur it's 10%
my Russian tax form took me 10 minutes to complete cuz I didn't understand some slovos

BO, I am just a simple country boy
who can only give ya a simple viewpoint
visually, the place is overwhelming
but I already got an apartment in Tel Aviv on AirBnB now that my kid's left
and don't need another place in the ME
it'd only be for "bizness" and I ain't got none now

i'm just an old geezer who works on his hobbies
who doesn't attract any attention whatsoever
eta pravda!
no siree! no need for the gummit to look at my harmless activities