proxy comments

This seems to be a worldwide trend. Even "liberal" countries like Canada are considering deporting foreign nationals who express support for Hamas and chant things like "from the river to the sea."

@UChosePoorly

Excellent topic. The citizens of Russia are far richer, far wealthier, have far more opportunities, have far more access to food, housing and comfort and have far better prospects than at any time in history.

Number of battery powered buses in Berlin 475.

Number of battery powered buses in Moscow 1000.

Estimated EU GDP growth this year is 0.6%.

Estimated Russian GDP growth this year is 2.2%.

We were told our "clever" sanctions would bankrupt Russia. However, it looks like the EU is losing.

The demand for tallow, as used in this flight, will provide a nice revenue stream for the beef industry and support ranchers around in many countries.

Okay disbelievers I will provide you with a link from 2022 on the lower quality electronics specifically manufactured for US retailers for Black Friday sales: https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/personal-finance/articles/the-one-reason-you-shouldnt-buy-electronics-on-black-friday/

It is the same for other items across the board; mostly.

Who owns your money? Governments need funding to provide needed services to society but all after tax income should be the owned free and clear by the holder without additional government confiscation.

Intergenerational wealth transfer is an important way for the middle class to accumulate wealth and more importantly offers an incentive to build wealth. The gift tax and inheritance tax rates in Japan are punitive on the middle class who do not have the expertise to dodge their family wealth being taxed a second time by the government. The basic tax exemption of ¥30 million on inheritance is not a lot of money and has resulted in many people refusing their inheritance and abandoned fields, land and buildings across the country.

With the rapidly aging population in Japan and the very soon rapidly dying population, the Japanese government must take its hands out of the pockets of the middle class and at the minimum increase the tax exempt amount to ¥500 million indexed to inflation to allow the middle class to accumulate wealth. Cut taxes, cut punitive wealth confiscation and cut government spending if the government really wants to help its own citizens.

Big international brands operate factories around the globe and shift production for Black Friday into lower cost lower quality locations so US stores can offer cheap products at cheap prices. A product such as jeans or electronics may be branded with the same model number but check where it was made.

What is a "volunteer bus?" Who rides that bus? Is that the bus that transports the pregnant conscripts to the front line?

Trump was right.

Allowing people to keep more of the money that they earn and to let them decide how to spend their own money sounds like some kind of "far right" MAGA conspiracy to downtown liberals.

The commodity price of both corn and malted barley have come down significantly since last year.

Corn was $343/mt a year ago but is only $221 now. The yen hasn't dropped that much to justify the increase based on the US corn price.

Perhaps more time spent in school, more time memorizing facts and more exam pressure would help?

Students in Canada get 2 months off in summer, a couple of weeks off in winter, a spring vacation, and score just below Japan in PISA rankings. The few extra points Japan gets, just for bragging rights is not worth the price the country pays in suicide, hikidomori, unmotivated students and the lack of opportunity young people have to make mistakes and change course.

Every "mom and pop" business in Japan fudges their income, that's why they like cash. And they need to, to be able to afford to live.

Good luck to Milei. Socialism has failed Argentina, just like everywhere else. (except the elite)

Milei is much more than a "television pundit." I believe he holds 2 masters degrees; micro and macro economics and has a long resume of high level economic positions.

The downtown lefties in North America seem upset that another "model socialist" society has smartened up.

At least one more Ukrainian wasn't willing to die for NATO, he defected with his Su-27 fighter today.

Baby boomers in Japan who didn't save any money had better get used to living on a very small budget, there are just not anywhere near enough taxpayers to fund their retirement and healthcare.

There is political violence happening right now in the US, by far left leaning Hamas supporters.

Russia is just playing with the Ukrainian mouse now. The country will be permanently sliced and diced.

Hopefully NATO will not collapse as well when the Ukraine does.

Auto companies don't make any money selling cars. All the profits are in the financing.

It is madness to abuse children like this and should be criminal.

Very surprising to see this in Japan. Unsurprising to see all of the Jewish owned businesses and Jewish schools shot at in Justin Trudeau's Canada. Japan needs to do everything possible to avoid going down the same road as Canada.

Absolute rubbish report to not include nuclear power. Garbage.

@Asiaman7 Probably the same people. I have met more than a few remote workers from Taiwan who travel around Japan working on their laptops until their visa expires.

It would be interesting to know how different areas of the country are performing. The entire Tokyo area seems stale,stagnant, stuck in terminal decline and people generally lack energy but Kyushu seems energetic and people optimistic.

Japan is still 5 years behind in ag tech and it tech, that is a long, long distance. These AI assisted robots for tomato greenhouses are not new.

Japan is not anywhere close to being at the front of innovation and efficiency in agriculture. There is 1 greenhouse in Kentucky that is bigger than 50 American sized football fields that has been using robot pickers for a few years. Japan needs to go big; eliminate JA, bring the efficiencies of the free market to the entire agri-food industry in Japan.

NHK is punishing the victims.

I met an Italian man in Kanazawa last week who was envious of the "high" salaries in Japan. I thought to myself, wow, salaries must be pretty low in Italy.

Wages and salaries are high in the US. The Bureau of Labour Statistics reports that the medium weekly earnings for wage and salary workers in the third quarter were $1,118.

These kinds of things are mostly done by global criminal networks demanding payment, not governments.

@UChosePoorly It is another Afghanistan. Any sort of victory is far out of reach for Ukraine and the US will bail and pin it all on Zelensky for the proxy war loss.