Precision

Yes, they are by definition an authoritarian government but if you want to throw them out fine. Give me examples or terrorist attacks from any of the rest. Please provide examples, maybe an instance of citizens from the US flying a commercial airliner into a building or suicide bombings targeting civilians.

Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, North Korea, Belarus and Russia are generally considered authoritarian. How many terrorists have come from those countries? Another question I would ask is how many terrorist attacks in the last 20 years have been committed in the name of Christianity/Hinduism/Buddhism/any other religion. I'm not saying other religions don't have blood on their hands from the past, but that there is a single religion most responsible for the current terrorist attacks around the world.

Would love to hear how ceding Gaza, the West Bank or all of Israel would have changed the outcome for the over 10,000 people killed in terrorist attacks worldwide since the 80's (linked below). Middle Eastern Islam is an intolerant religion that condones killing anyone who does not practice Islam. No specific piece or amount of land will change this belief. Incomplete list of Islamist terrorist attacks since the 1980's (does not include Israel). Incomplete list of Islamist terrorist attacks since the 1980's List of terrorist attacks in Israel since 1993. Comprehensive Listing of Terrorism Victims in Israel Since 1993

I would recommend to not spend too much time in one place or too much time doing a single activity. I post on message boards for; tractors, automobiles, investing, health/wellness and here. The personalities that make posting unenjoyable are found everywhere so that's life. When I was working, I would spend most of my day in front of the computer. After doing it for almost 35 years I believe that a lifestyle focused on a screen is killing you. Get out and do something, anything but get out of the chair and away from the screen.

It was almost funny how incredulous they were that Hamas had feminine products for the hostages. I guess it didn't dawn on the ladies at CNN that Hamas planned on killing the men and keeping the women because they didn't see them as a threat.

I have watched the segment, CNN neglected the horror that these people have been through. Many witnessed the killing of friends/neighbors/family members. They more than anyone have firsthand experience with the brutally of Hamas. As such, they are in constant fear for their lives as well as the possibility of rape/torture. I suspect many of the hostages will never emotionally recover from what they've been through. A psychologist discussing the mental state of the hostages would have been more appropriate than "there's shampoo below ground but none above ground".

Eventually, years from now, the details of just how bad Biden was will likely come out through a FOIA request. When that happens and the "shocking" emails/memos/etc. are revealed, the people involved in covering up Biden's mental state need to be exposed and ostracized. They need this hung around their neck for the rest of their lives.

A lot of the green energy projects are capital intensive, especially offshore wind. The high interest rates have added to the cost of the projects (due to higher financing costs), so they are no longer price competitive.

I wish more of the very affluent would stop giving to Colleges/Universities. My wife and I used to give every year to our alma matter's but realized we were funding institutions that no longer reflected our values. Additionally, what "greater good" would our donation go toward, a new jumbotron, maybe renovations to the offices of a pompous do-nothing professor or some other nonsense? All you get in return is a form thank you letter with membership in the "gold" club. Now we donate to small charitable organizations, food pantries, public libraries, etc. The heartfelt responses we have received from many of these places really choke you up. Wish we would have gone in this direction for our charitable donations years ago.

Wow, really? Maybe that's the point I was trying to make. Not all Republicans are Maga's and not all Democrats are Dylan's. You finally got it Oppenheimer, you win!

Not sure I would believe a lot from Egypt as this conflict may work to their advantage. They have been having issues in the Sinai for years. I suspect if the details of the attack were conveyed to the Israeli leadership, someone in the know who lost a friend/family member/etc. will make this communication public.

Everyone thought 9/11 and Pearl Harbor were impossible too. That doesn't imply that the US knew about it beforehand.

Below is a good article regarding how a third candidate impacts presidential elections. The Clinton/Bush, Bush/Gore and Clinton/Trump elections would have likely turned out differently without the third candidate. Here’s How Third-Party Candidates Have Changed Elections

RFK to announce candidacy today, it's over for the D's in 2024 as the ticket will be split. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expected to announce independent run for president. "Robert F. Kennedy Jr, an environmental lawyer, anti-vaccine activist and son of the former senator, is expected to announce Monday in Philadelphia that he is dropping his Democratic Party bid for president and will run as an independent."

When an "expert" says soft landing, hang on tight..... “The most likely outcome is that the economy will move forward toward a soft landing.” - San Francisco Fed President Janet Yellen in October 2007

Investors continue to pull money from ESG funds. Money managers are shifting their attitude to ESG as ‘realism’ sets in "In the second quarter of this year, investors have pulled $635 million from U.S. sustainable funds, according to funds research firm Morningstar. That racks up a total outflow of $11.4 billion from these sustainable funds in the past year." BlackRock Dissolves ESG Funds as Firm Steps Back From Label "BlackRock announced the closure of two ESG-focused mutual funds on Sept. 15, while other firms such as State Street Corp., Janus Henderson Group and Columbia Threadneedle Investments have dissolved ESG funds so far in 2023, according to Bloomberg. More sustainable funds in the U.S. have closed this year than in the past three years combined."

In the past the federal government has acted as a mediator when strikes occur and the parties can't come to an agreement. So maybe the companies and union never come to an agreement, and everyone loses their job. '

I understand that the president wants to be seen as an everyday "Joe" and support workers. If this becomes an extended strike, I'm not sure how the government could come in and be considered an objective and fair arbiter in negotiations.

I'm not sure if it's the UAW or if Ford just does not have the ability to produce a competitive EV product. Either way, Ford is losing money on the sale of every EV it makes. I would think they would be looking hard at minimizing the cost of the batteries in order to mitigate the losses. If it was me the battery factory would already be in Mexico!

I think Nvidia looks high, I personally don't have a position in them but likely some of the mutual funds I invest in do. Today, I believe the Fed has raised/held rates for too long and the US will be in a recession soon (Q2-2024). I expect the market will be in a correction at this time as well. Because of this I have transferred some of my holdings in the market into index annuities which track the S&P500 index but do not depreciate in a downturn. Also, I have moved positions from volatile high risk/reward stock sectors (like technology) to boring sectors that make smaller but predictable gains (like consumer staples). Also, I tend to invest in ETF's more than individual stocks as it offers protection against the problems in individual companies. I see real estate as a good investment toward the end of next year as the Fed begins to lower rates. As such in the near future I will start to purchase some real estate ETF's in preparation of their rise next year.

Ford Pauses Construction on $3.5 Billion EV Battery Plant. Could be related to the strike (and the projected higher labor costs), Ford's unique difficulties in the EV market or the slow penetration/sales of EV's in the US.

I feel like inflation is largely beat with the shelter index being the largest contributor and a lagging indicator. I saw a video last week where an analyst estimated inflation is under 2% with shelter omitted. If the fed keeps raising rates (or holds) I'm thinking they overshot with a recession by spring and in a bear market. I'm not sure I buy the "soft landing" narrative. We're always in the market, few bonds, some commodities (through ETF's) and do own some rental properties. The real estate is some work so rather than purchase more I have been focusing on an index annuities game which is working well. I do trade some individual stocks, did well during the pandemic but of late have barely beat the S&P500 index. We have a lot of index annuities since each is only insured up to around $150K (based on the state of issuance). Since I'm retired the capital preservation that the annuity offers works well and we're at a point in our life where we don't need big returns.

It bothers me that the local/state/federal government are always increasing in size. Worker productivity gains never seem to translate to the number of government workers or budget. In my small town the budget increases consistently exceed inflation. Even so, life is too short to get aggravated over the political tide in the US. I find that I'm more productive if I can accept the present and analyze how I should invest.

The unrest will occur in the inner cities where riots and high crime are already common. These will be the people who will be most impacted by the influx of immigrants as those are the areas in which the migrants will eventually settle. If you're willing to burn down cities for George Floyd, you're likely going to burn down cities when you are negatively impacted by reduced jobs, housing and social services.

Winning is knowing your wealth will continue to increase regardless of the choice of the uneducated masses.