Funny events in anti-woke world

[Agema]

Of course, it's exploitative, but Musk and Vivek want to reform it too and I am guessing what they mean is to make it less exploitive

Of course they don't want to make it less exploitative. They want to make it serve their convenience even more by giving them more freedom to control their workers without the government or workers sticking their noses in. I suppose there are ways this could end up somehow less exploitative, but it would be incidental to what benefitted bosses more rather than an intrinsic design choice.

Invading countries like this is generally a bad thing, but if everyone is doing it, you would be a sucker not to as a state/country/governmental entity with land. Also, Russia should be a long-term goal of the EU if they are rational actors, and I have asked for Russia to join the EU in the past.

In theory, sure, Russia can join the EU, in the long term.

The problem is that Russia is a wildly different state with very different ideas about the world and its place in it, plus is very large to throw its weight around. It wouldn't work smoothly as part of the EU - would very likely bring the EU to a shuddering halt. It's already been a challenge bringing in the ex-Communist Eastern European states; some have adapted well but others less so.

Russia still sees itself a great power whose natural role is dominating states all around it - and with crude brutality. It's just not compatible with the EU project and mindset. From the leaders down to the people, it functions too differently, thinks too differently. Perhaps if it had taken a different path in the 2000s and moved towards rule of law, amity and democracy, I might be optimistic. It takes generations - literally, generations - to get a nation's people accustomed to democracy, but Putin has reset it to autocracy, militarism, totalitarianism akin to the Soviet Union.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Oh they're satisfied - they gain it from being openly racist and sharing it with their followers. That's what it's been about for the last 5 years now.

 

[Hades]

theory, sure, Russia can join the EU, in the long term.

The problem is that Russia is a wildly different state with very different ideas about the world and its place in it, plus is very large to throw its weight around. It wouldn't work smoothly as part of the EU - would very likely bring the EU to a shuddering halt. It's already been a challenge bringing in the ex-Communist Eastern European states; some have adapted well but others less so.

Russia still sees itself a great power whose natural role is dominating states all around it - and with crude brutality. It's just not compatible with the EU project and mindset. From the leaders down to the people, it functions too differently, thinks too differently. Perhaps if it had taken a different path in the 2000s and moved towards rule of law, amity and democracy, I might be optimistic. It takes generations - literally, generations - to get a nation's people accustomed to democracy, but Putin has reset it to autocracy, militarism, totalitarianism akin to the Soviet Union.

The symptoms are much more severe and bloody, but I think Russia is akin to Great Britain. As nations who’s status as world power is still in living memory they suffer from post empire anxiety. Their discomfort at no longer being a great power, and their desperation to still be one makes their governments and to some extend their citizens restless, erratic and with an overly inflated sense of self importance.

 

[Agema]

The symptoms are much more severe and bloody, but I think Russia is akin to Great Britain. As nations who’s status as world power is still in living memory they suffer from post empire anxiety. Their discomfort at no longer being a great power, and their desperation to still be one makes their governments and to some extend their citizens restless, erratic and with an overly inflated sense of self importance.

I agree entirely. A lot of Brexit was the pathetic delusions of the older generation that grew up in a UK apart from and (in their minds) above continental Europe, squatting in the borrowed glories of the wars. This is much of what helped feed the non-stop rampage of much of the British press against the EU, which kept skepticism levels high.

It was almost certainly austerity that tipped the UK over; voters not intrinsically opposed to the EU but so desperate for change that they were prepared to hack a hole in the hull of their own ship just to make a point. But really, it should never have been so close that this sort of transient fluctuation in public opinion could make that difference.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Trump has apparently appointed John Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone as special envoys in Hollywood to bring the industry back bigger and better.

I'm sure these old has-beens will succeed.

 

[BrawlMan]

Unsatisfied bitches be unsatisfied bitches who are never happy. Sucks to be them. If this game does well expect them to be bitching again or making excuses on how the game got lucky.

 

[Schadrach]

Unsatisfied bitches be unsatisfied bitches who are never happy. Sucks to be them. If this game does well expect them to be bitching again or making excuses on how the game got lucky.

None of them appear to be upset there are Japanese people though, or even outrage baiting about that. Mostly cracking jokes about the one kid that's front and center, while the main cast are smaller, further back and/or off to the side. Like Yasuke is there, but he's positioned on the image more like a recurring character than the lead.

Imagine if TLOU cover had Bill front and center with Joel and Ellie farther back, smaller, and off to the side if you need an example of what this would look like but with only white people.

 

[BrawlMan]

None of them appear to be upset there are Japanese people though, or even outrage baiting about that. Mostly cracking jokes about the one kid that's front and center, while the main cast are smaller, further back and/or off to the side. Like Yasuke is there, but he's positioned on the image more like a recurring character than the lead.

Yeah, I don't buy that give who that is and what they're saying. Let's not make excuses for the racis and sexist fucker nor his fucker echo chamber.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Trump has apparently appointed John Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone as special envoys in Hollywood to bring the industry back bigger and better.

I'm sure these old has-beens will succeed.

Does Stallone seem oddly less evil for such a position?

That's their position. And I am guessing that's an intention of theirs,

That would be a big change from their past behaviour, and against what they've shown to be their interests.

 

[Schadrach]

Yeah, I don't buy that give who that is and what they're saying. Let's not make excuses for the racis and sexist fucker nor his fucker echo chamber.

They weren't at all coy about it with Yasuke, why would they suddenly change?

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

Trump has apparently appointed John Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone as special envoys in Hollywood to bring the industry back bigger and better.

I'm sure these old has-beens will succeed.

Great. The American government desperately needs more control over the film industry so we can get more movies about how great the american military, the american police, the american intelligence agencies and capitalism are and how everyone who dares criticize them is an evil extremist. It's not like we haven't had enough of that yet.

 

[BrawlMan]

They weren't at all coy about it with Yasuke, why would they suddenly change?

Speak for yourself. It's grifters doing the usual grift. It is pointless to hear otherwise. The douche bag is just another racist and seist grifter; end the story. You do have a habit of making excuses or making light of their actions. So piss off of that nonsense. If you can't figure that out then we have nothing to discuss.

 

[Cicada 5]

Does Stallone seem oddly less evil for such a position?

Stallone's been accused of rape and sexual assault a few times, one of them being by a 16-year-old girl.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Does Stallone seem oddly less evil for such a position?

He referred to Trump as the next George Washington, so no, not anymore.

Stallone's been accused of rape and sexual assault a few times, one of them being by a 16-year-old girl.

Also this if true, which I did not know. Yikes!

Great. The American government desperately needs more control over the film industry so we can get more movies about how great the american military, the american police, the american intelligence agencies and capitalism are and how everyone who dares criticize them is an evil extremist. It's not like we haven't had enough of that yet.

Then there's what's left of cable TV which has an even bigger hard-on for anything cop, FBI, or CIA.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Stallone's been accused of rape and sexual assault a few times, one of them being by a 16-year-old girl.

He referred to Trump as the next George Washington, so no, not anymore.

Ah. That explains that then.

 

[BrawlMan]

​

 

[Agema]

Does Stallone seem oddly less evil for such a position?

One can say that Stallone has at various points intelligently and/or sensitively reflected on himself, society, and the world around him.

I've not generally seen that level of accomplishment from Voight and Gibson, although whether that's just an issue with my not encountering it is another matter.

 

[Phoenixmgs]

The MLR applies to income from premiums, but doesn't apply to rebate.

Meaning the chunk they get back from rebate is free from that profit limit. They do want rebate. It effectively frees a chunk of their cash from spending obligations.

I don't think that's how that works. If they got $1 million from premiums, $800,000 of it would have to go toward medical expenses. So if they got back $100 every time for Drug_X, that would still be part of their pool of money to spend on medical expenses. And if they were doing this, their profit margins would be freaking ridiculous. Also, why play the PBM game if they can just do that?

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

I love how people are these days

 

[Schadrach]

I don't think that's how that works. If they got $1 million from premiums, $800,000 of it would have to go toward medical expenses. So if they got back $100 every time for Drug_X, that would still be part of their pool of money to spend on medical expenses. And if they were doing this, their profit margins would be freaking ridiculous. Also, why play the PBM game if they can just do that?

No, because they still spent the $800k on care. The rebates are a separate stream of revenue, not subject to 80/20. Like how if the same umbrella owns the insurer and PBM there's an incentive for the insurer to use that PBM and for the PBM to overcharge the insurer because the PBM isn't subject to 80/20.

The whole point in both cases is to have money that's actually profit but isn't on the 20 side of the 80/20 rule.