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More than 200,000 Danes have signed a petition that Denmark should attempt to buy California.

The petition states, among other things, that since Trump doesn’t like California, they can probably get a good deal.

After WWII, lots of lines were drawn. Many were arbitrary. And we have no useful mechanisms for addressing territorial disputes. Trump is just exploiting the issue, it's too bad the UN is so fucking useless. But, maybe instead of their pet projects, the UN should focus on "uniting" nations.

Also, I can see Trump's blustering eventually leading to a "North American Union", similar to the EU.

Tciso wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2025 7:35 pm Also, I can see Trump's blustering eventually leading to a "North American Union", similar to the EU.

How so? The EU has open borders and free trade. In North America we have partially free trade in the form of the USMCA, but open borders?

5thhorseman wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2025 8:28 pm

Tciso wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2025 7:35 pm Also, I can see Trump's blustering eventually leading to a "North American Union", similar to the EU.

How so? The EU has open borders and free trade. In North America we have partially free trade in the form of the USMCA, but open borders?

Open borders with Mexico will never happen. Even I wouldn’t want that.

Canada just closed its open border policy with Mexico. Several years ago Trudeau dropped the visa requirement for Mexicans coming to Canada and only just reinstated it.

5thhorseman wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2025 8:28 pm

Tciso wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2025 7:35 pm Also, I can see Trump's blustering eventually leading to a "North American Union", similar to the EU.

How so? The EU has open borders and free trade. In North America we have partially free trade in the form of the USMCA, but open borders?

My guess is based on Trump never saying what he wants. He uses misdirection and red hearings all the time. But, an EU style arrangement, with open and fully controlled boarders would benefit the US. Open borders doesn't mean no controls. If done right, it has full controls.

Or, he could just be cornering the market on cracker Jack's and froot loops. Hard to say.

Tciso wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2025 5:53 am

5thhorseman wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2025 8:28 pm

Tciso wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2025 7:35 pm Also, I can see Trump's blustering eventually leading to a "North American Union", similar to the EU.

How so? The EU has open borders and free trade. In North America we have partially free trade in the form of the USMCA, but open borders?

My guess is based on Trump never saying what he wants. He uses misdirection and red hearings all the time. But, an EU style arrangement, with open and fully controlled boarders would benefit the US. Open borders doesn't mean no controls. If done right, it has full controls.

Or, he could just be cornering the market on cracker Jack's and froot loops. Hard to say.

An EU style arrangement means you can drive across borders without a passport check. The only controls are when you enter the EU (actually Schengen, but whatevs). So, open internal borders but fully controlled external borders. I can't see Trump wanting that with Mexico. Ever. His base doesn't want that.

I still see all the tariffs as grandstanding to please his base. He doesn't really understand them (or is willfully ignorant), and as soon as they create inflation or impact the stock market, as we are starting to see the last couple of days, he will backtrack.

He won't want it with Canada either given the lax immigration policies and screening Canada has around foreign students/workers and refugees.

Per wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2025 2:38 pm More than 200,000 Danes have signed a petition that Denmark should attempt to buy California.

The petition states, among other things, that since Trump doesn’t like California, they can probably get a good deal.

Maybe with that Novo Nordisk drugs they can get the money to do it! Of course, California isn't an imperialist vestige (except to the degree all land is). But for an analogy, the Danes should offer to buy Puerto Rico. Tell you what, Denmark, we can ask the Greelanders whether they want independence and American protection (at the price of allowing military bases and some resource exploitation) and we can ask the Puerto Ricans whether they want independence and Danish protection and see where this goes. Let the people decide!

And Trump doesn't like California? What's the evidence for that? I guess the petition signers must think the people who love California are the democratic politicians that have brought its decline with the decriminalization of theft, defunding of police, sanctuary cities, incompetent operation of core government functions, high taxation, and intensive bureaucratization and regulation.

I *love* California. I think it is uncommonly beautiful. The weather is outstanding. Its farmlands are bountiful. Its history is one of freedom and entrepreneurialism, so many stories of rags to riches. Its history is one of creativity, the expressions of American popular culture that (movies, tv, music) was one of this country greatest and most well received exports. But that creativity expressed itself well beyond the arts, and is evidenced in its tech entrepreneurism. Lots of big brain stuff, but manufacturing, too. Silicon valley is what it is because of "tech," but "tech" started in manufacturing chips (physical tech is where it all started).

I think of California today as sort of in a third generation of wealth. Grandpa made tens of millions from nothing but a western spirit, vision, and willingness to do something new. His sons and daughters managed those fortunes and scaled the creations and made millions billions. And the grandchildren? Never knowing poverty (or even what honest and straightforward life is like in middle America), self-absorbed with mommy and daddy issues since they were always at work "getting rich." They are the snot-nosed spoiled brats, far removed from the ethics that made the wealth in the first place, so far removed that they don't understand what it was. More than that, they think their luxury beliefs are *better* that what gave them the privilege to have them. They rebel at everything that allows their rebellion. To be sure, some of these grandkids are still doing remarkable things--there are lots of grandkids--but more and more are doing them in Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, etc.

Californians born between 1970 and 2000 or so may very well have had the best hand humanity's ever been dealt -- and they are screwing it up bigly.

I'm intrigued by the side interest in Fort Knox that Trump and Elon have.

Warning - conspiracy theories ahead

1 - The check out the gold and inventory the number of ounces. Multiply that by a trailing average of the current price (no, they'll use the current spot rate) and find there isn't enough there to 100% back the US$. the folks who believe the currency is 100% backed by the gold in Fort Knox panic, run on the banks, devaluing the US$ and sky rocketing the price of gold. While folks are fleeing the US$ they are told crypto is the place to be. Who has plenty of crypto to benefit from a sudden demand?

2 - There is more than enough gold in Fort Knox to back the US$ at today's high gold prices. Time to sell off the excess and put into that private equity slush fund for Presidential projects. Note: this happened throughout the world in the 1990's.

Topper wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2025 10:09 am 1 - The check out the gold and inventory the number of ounces. Multiply that by a trailing average of the current price (no, they'll use the current spot rate) and find there isn't enough there to 100% back the US$. t

SHouldn't be a problem - "Prior to 1971, the US dollar was backed by gold. Today, the dollar is backed by 2 things: the government's ability to generate revenues (via debt or taxes), and its authority to compel economic participants to transact in dollars."

Cornuck wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2025 10:30 am

Topper wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2025 10:09 am 1 - The check out the gold and inventory the number of ounces. Multiply that by a trailing average of the current price (no, they'll use the current spot rate) and find there isn't enough there to 100% back the US$. t

SHouldn't be a problem - "Prior to 1971, the US dollar was backed by gold. Today, the dollar is backed by 2 things: the government's ability to generate revenues (via debt or taxes), and its authority to compel economic participants to transact in dollars."

But how many folks understand the "basket of currencies" idea and still believe in the gold standard.

Several years ago a fly by night outfit I did some consulting for flew me to a small investment conference in the burbs of Chicago. Some broker and his kid (partner in crime) gathered all the fly by night companies they promoted to meet and greet for a couple of days with the broker's clients. There was an odd midwest bible belt thing going on with an open mic dominated by soapbox preachers and for whatever reason there were a lot of preppers.

I had one fellow come to me and ask how deep he needed to bury his gold in his yard so the black helicopter couldn't detect it

Topper wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2025 10:46 am I had one fellow come to me and ask how deep he needed to bury his gold in his yard so the black helicopter couldn't detect it

I hope you offered to personally secure it for him.

Topper wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2025 10:09 am While folks are fleeing the US$ they are told crypto is the place to be. Who has plenty of crypto to benefit from a sudden demand?

Donald and Melania have already had one rug pull each. Is there room for more? What are the limits of human gullibility?