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#1

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Josquius - Today at 10:27:20 AM

If you disagree actually disagree instead of just flinging insults.

After 245 pages I have said everything I am going to say. Besides, what is to argue with statements like there's no need to talk about the hostages because too much have been talked about them as opposed to the Gazans?

I never said that.
I disagreed with the idea that there needs to be a special effort to attract attention to their plight.
We, and more importantly those who can actually do something about it, are well aware. The current course of action is (on the surface at least) all about that at the expense of all else.

Or that consider the motivations of those calling for hostages to be freed?

Exactly. Its not just the surface message that matters. Its the motivations of those using it.

Or that that hostage kid was killed by Israel anyways so who cares?

Convenient that a death doesn't matter if its at the hands of the Israeli military.

#2

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Tamas - Today at 09:48:21 AM

If you disagree actually disagree instead of just flinging insults.

After 245 pages I have said everything I am going to say. Besides, what is to argue with statements like there's no need to talk about the hostages because too much have been talked about them as opposed to the Gazans? (I wonder if you made a comparison of, say, number of Guardian articles on each, how much that'd stand up)

Or that consider the motivations of those calling for hostages to be freed? Or that that hostage kid was killed by Israel anyways so who cares?

This is some incredibly low-sunk stuff.

#3

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Josquius - Today at 09:38:52 AM

Seems lots of people aren't convinced that Hamas is bad.  You know, like the lady who tore down the poster.

Yes. Thats the only possible reason for disagreeing with pro-IDF propaganda. You actually think Hamas are great.

The plight of Palestinians has been on the news 24/7 for six months.

It depends on your source.

I expect Al Jazeira don't really mention the hostages much at all and speak a lot about the Palestinian suffering.

With the BBC you get a fairly equal weighting in terms of time and attention, slight slant towards the Palestinian situation but then there's a lot more news to be had there. That Hamas attacked and took hostages who are still unaccoutned for however is never unmentioned for long.

I expect with Fox News and its worse analogues the fact that civilians are dying in Gaza doesn't really get a mention. The hostages are all that matter. This seems to be the dominant attitude with way too many.

Sounds like "The Palestinians deserve human rights" is another "appeal to the heart".  Who could disagree with that? 

Not really.
A comparable tactic from the other side would be those stories about individual kids subjected to horrors kids should never have to experience at the hands of the IDF. These stories do exist. But more generally its the shittiness of the whole situation and the numbers at risk that you see.

We have to eradicate the Zionists entity, to preserve those rights.   Anyone who disagrees is a racist.

Switch one word there and thats your stance, not mine.

Wow Josq you keep going you are going to make Viper sound closer to Raz than you.

If you disagree actually disagree instead of just flinging insults.

#4

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Razgovory - Today at 09:16:27 AM

Yeah, so what are the conspiracy dog-whistles here.  I must have missed them.

"Look at this poor baby kidnapped by those villainous Gazans. They deserve everything coming their way. If you speak up in defence of Palestinians then you want this baby to be raped!" (very skilful typesetting the way they subtly put that word in a key position there) "Only by supporting Israel whatever they do can we bring the hostages home!"

Okay, so how would you draw attention to the plight of the kidnapped and the horrible crimes of Hamas?

I'd question whether this even needs doing. This message has been ran on a loop in the news and in the government for the past 6 months.
Hamas are bad.
Wow.
You think?

The plight of the Palestinian civilians now.... Not only is it getting less attention overall from many circles but if you try and adjust for the numbers of people suffering it's insanely underreported.

Seems lots of people aren't convinced that Hamas is bad.  You know, like the lady who tore down the poster.  The plight of Palestinians has been on the news 24/7 for six months.

Sounds like "The Palestinians deserve human rights" is another "appeal to the heart".  Who could disagree with that?  We have to eradicate the Zionists entity, to preserve those rights.  Anyone who disagrees is a racist.

#5

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 09:09:55 AM

I need to read more about that.

they are raising the exemption threshold so that is good.
They are taxing more the sale of rentals and secondary homes, so that is good.

The rest, I'm not sure of what I'm reading.

This reminds me of the discussion in the UK thread.  The government has stated that they wish to create incentives for the creation of rental properties.  They cut the GST and increased amortization rates for those purposes.  Now taxing properties built for rental when sold seems to run contrary to the policy objective of getting people to invest in the creation of more rental properties.  Why would I do that when I am going to be hit with a larger capital gains tax?  And again, realize that this is mainly corporations doing the building and now the inclusion rate just went up for them on the very first dollar of capital gain.

Corporations weren't building the units we need.

They weren't investing more when the exemption went from 75% to 50% under Chrétien and Martin (I had to double check, I thought it was under the Mulroney Conservatives).  Investments remained the same and productivity remained stable in some sectors, dipped in other.

What affect our productivity the most is our Canadian $.  It sucks, but we don't produce technology.  It's imported and mainly sold in US$, even when made in Asia.

I still have not read through the finer prints, so I am unsure if it affects everything like a business reselling a particular piece of equipment (or a building) after some years for more than its amortized value.  Medias only concentrate on secondary homes and business resale. 

Imho, going from 50% to 66% is not going to hurt productivity or investments a lot, most entrepreneurs do not go in it with the idea "I'm going to resell my business in 50 years and make a fuckton of cash at 50% tax rate".  Only in the tech sector would that mentality exists.

There is an increase for the exemption and that is a good thing, but it could be increased further, particularly for agriculturists who face high land value.

There are a number of stories in The Globe and Mail about how it is preventing a number of deals from going through And especially for an investor now getting cold feet because they returned, they thought they were going to get on their Canadian investments will now be taxed more heavily.

I run out of gift links and so you're going to have to subscribe to get the full story.

Now guess what, it is now deemed a bare trust, and we get to the pay the taxes on the account at my marginal tax rate!!!!

I would oppose that decision if I were you.  Having a joint account and power of attorney for someone who has trouble making his own financial payments is not the same has having a bare trust.  It is something I should know...  Granted, common law is different than our civil code.  Still...

You'll obviously need an accountant to help you sort this out, but the CRA is totally wrong on this.

Yeah, it didn't seem correct to me either and so we did get an opinion about what was happening. Unfortunately, it is all true.

Your understanding of what a bear trust should be is correct but the government has changed the definition.

It's almost like the government doesn't understand it's own tax policy 

#6

Gaming HQ / Re: The Miscellaneous PC & vid...

Last post by FunkMonk - Today at 08:57:05 AM

I love democracy

#7

Gaming HQ / Re: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Last post by Caliga - Today at 08:57:02 AM

Did you beat the first one, Tim?  I own it and was very excited to play it when it first came out, but around 10 hours in I found myself bored out of my mind and moved on.

#8

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Tamas - Today at 08:45:13 AM

Wow Josq you keep going you are going to make Viper sound closer to Raz than you.

#9

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Josquius - Today at 08:43:11 AM

Yeah, so what are the conspiracy dog-whistles here.  I must have missed them.

"Look at this poor baby kidnapped by those villainous Gazans. They deserve everything coming their way. If you speak up in defence of Palestinians then you want this baby to be raped!" (very skilful typesetting the way they subtly put that word in a key position there) "Only by supporting Israel whatever they do can we bring the hostages home!"

Okay, so how would you draw attention to the plight of the kidnapped and the horrible crimes of Hamas?

I'd question whether this even needs doing. This message has been ran on a loop in the news and in the government for the past 6 months.
Hamas are bad.
Wow.
You think?

The plight of the Palestinian civilians now.... Not only is it getting less attention overall from many circles but if you try and adjust for the numbers of people suffering it's insanely underreported.

#10

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Razgovory - Today at 08:38:19 AM

Yeah, so what are the conspiracy dog-whistles here.  I must have missed them.

"Look at this poor baby kidnapped by those villainous Gazans. They deserve everything coming their way. If you speak up in defence of Palestinians then you want this baby to be raped!" (very skilful typesetting the way they subtly put that word in a key position there) "Only by supporting Israel whatever they do can we bring the hostages home!"

Okay, so how would you draw attention to the plight of the kidnapped and the horrible crimes of Hamas?