@alexproe@mastodon.uno
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

alexproe

@alexproe@mastodon.uno

Resident in #Italy for years - am behind @newsfromitaly on X/Twitter and on Mastodon. Toot in English about #democracy, society and more. And I write short scifi stories, some of which appear on Thoughts from Italy on #Medium. Am interested in #politics and #geopolitics plus #technology and a few other things as well. I teach English, hold the odd webinar and do translations from time to time.

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ChrisMayLA6, to money
@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar

Forced cashless society.

Our nearby small market town used to have 3 banks; they're all closed (taking their cash machines with them), and this week one of the two remaining cash machines was removed from the supermarket where it was located.

So, we're down to a single cash machine in an area with a radius (I'm guessing) of around 20 miles.

The cashless society doesn't represent consumer choice, its pace is being forced by financial institutions keen to charge fees on transactions!

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@ChrisMayLA6 In theory, cashless payments already save banks quite a bit of, er, cash, so fees should be coming down or, at the very least, staying the same. Cashless payments enable banks to save a fortune on physical cash management which is expensive - I know having been given figures by people who work in banks.

GottaLaff, to random
@GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

Via Kyle Griffin:

President #Biden is traveling to Racine County, Wisconsin today to unveil a $3.3 billion investment by Microsoft to build an AI data center in the state.

This is the same location where, seven years ago, #Trump touted a $10 billion Foxconn facility as the "eighth wonder of the world."
That facility never fully materialized.

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@GottaLaff Yet you've got idiots like Dan Bongino yelling that Biden is the worst president in US history, and, even worse, more idiots who believe him! Talk about dumb and dumber!

alexproe, to spain
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

is a lovely city. Lots to see, do, eat and drink. Am here for a few days while touring My first time in mainland and I like it a lot so far.

ChrisMayLA6, to Economics
@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar

If you've heard/read analysis that tips its hat to Karl Polanyi & his idea of the 'double movement' but have not been sure what is being alluded to, here (marking 80 years since his death) is a concise introduction to his life & thought.

Its only an introduction (there's a lot more to Polanyi that discussed here) but if you're interested in finding out more about this staple of critical political economy, this is a good a place to start as any.


https://www.socialeurope.eu/karl-polanyi-against-the-free-market-dystopia

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@ChrisMayLA6 Ah ha, from the article: "Polanyi already associated markets with chaos and suffering" - seems to be what neoliberalism policies cause (Something I've recently concluded myself) - will read on.

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@ChrisMayLA6 Thanks for the tip. Found it on Amazon (ironically). Sounds as if it should be on the reading list of anyone thinking of entering politics. I wonder how many of today's politicos have read it. Maybe you could come up with a reading list for aspiring politicans? One toot at a time, maybe 🙂

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@ChrisMayLA6 Your expert input would no doubt enable the levelling up of legions of knowledge thirsty Mastadonians 🙂 Might even make the world a slightly better place too.

Teri_Kanefield, to random
@Teri_Kanefield@mastodon.social avatar

I am going to answer this question for everyone:

https://mastodon.social/@timothyjohnson@mastodon.sdf.org/112349635246409685

My answer is here:

https://mastodon.social/

Remember:

There were possible crimes, but tax and reporting crimes are not election interference.

There is also a circular thing with Cohen and Pecker telling the court that they expected Trump to pay back the hush money payments.

If they expected to get paid back, it was a loan to Trump and not a contribution. Right?

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@Teri_Kanefield I read your article. Objective analysis as ever, but I came away wondering if Trump was right in claiming the case should never have been brought against him. You appeared to establish, from the facts so far available, that no laws had actually been broken.

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@joeinwynnewood Provided it can be proved that there was intent, the falsification of records could result in a guilty finding. We'll have to wait a bit longer for that to become clear. Same goes for the predicate crime aspect...we need to wait and see. But it could go either way. Before reading Kanefield's piece, I thought it was more clear cut. It ain't!

GottaLaff, to random
@GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

The EPA will require coal-fired power plants in the U.S. to virtually eliminate planet-warming pollution or shut down -NYT

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@GottaLaff This is great...but what about the people who earn a living from mining coal? Will they receive funding or retraining? This could be bad news for certain areas of the US and could cause people to vote for old smelly.

GottaLaff, to random
@GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

Whoever would have guessed?🤦🏻‍♀️

Conservative justices appear skeptical federal law requires emergency care

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/24/supreme-court-arguments-abortions-emergency-emtala/

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@GottaLaff Odd how "pro-life" doesn't apply to the lives of mothers, isn't it?

GottaLaff, to Ukraine
@GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

🥳The US House has passed $95 billion in aid to , and , ending a political impasse. The Senate is expected to pass the package, which was negotiated with the White House, next week -Bloomberg

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@GottaLaff Big stinky windy bottom won't be happy.

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@mastodonmigration @Eka_FOOF_A @GottaLaff Will never cease to amaze me how such an irksome excuse for humanity ended up as president of the USA.

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@mastodonmigration @Eka_FOOF_A @Isaac234 @GottaLaff Seconded. Trump is such a revolting individual. Some people are just born messed up.

ChrisMayLA6, to ArtificialIntelligence
@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar

Katherine Maher (ex Wikimedia) sums up the problem with AI (at the other place):

“AI that benefits all humanity” without a single woman or person of color on the OpenAI board. Where have I heard this story before?

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@ChrisMayLA6 Take a look at the AI hallucination phenomenon. Wikipedia entry here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucination_(artificial_intelligence) If you have a moment, let me know what you think about it.

ChrisMayLA6, to Futurology
@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar

On privatisation, three decades ago, the water companies were passed to private investors debt free. Since then:

£78bn has been paid out in dividends

£64bn in debt has been taken o across the sector, and

£190bn has been spent on water infrastructure.... which given the current sewage & related crisis has been clearly inadequate!

Water firms across England want increases in bill of up to 70% in the next five years.

Like the railways, (re)nationalisation looks like the rational answer

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@ChrisMayLA6 Wasn't privatisation supposed to have saved us all lots of money?

alexproe, to Christianity
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

Assuming he has no dark side, this late priest appears to be a very example of : Frans van der Hoff obituary | | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/apr/15/father-frans-van-der-hoff-obituary

GottaLaff, to random
@GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

Via Kyle Cheney:

JUST IN: The Secret Service, NYPD and NY courts say they're ready for #Trump's trial and are confident it will be secure

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@GottaLaff This is the paying of the porn star hush money trial, isn't it?

GottaLaff, to random
@GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

Via @aaron.rupar:

Who says Republicans can’t pass meaningful legislation

Liz Elkind:

Scoop: A group of House Republicans are pushing to have Washington Dulles, DC’s main international airport, renamed — after Donald

The bill’s being led by House GOP chief deputy whip Guy Reschenthaler & is co-sponsored by 6 other lawmakers

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@GottaLaff @aaron.rupar How much are these people paid?!

AbandonedAmerica, to random
@AbandonedAmerica@mastodon.social avatar

The abandoned Lee Plaza Hotel in Detroit. Built to be a fashionable residential hotel for wealthy younger clientele, it was doomed nearly from the moment construction ended. Here's the story: https://www.abandonedamerica.us/lee-plaza-hotel

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@AbandonedAmerica @lauren Yup, fascinating. And it seems the Lee Plaza might be saved after all: https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2022/01/21/detroits-lee-plaza-gets-new-lease-on-life-will-be-renovated-for-senior-affordable-housing/

GottaLaff, to random
@GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

🏆 Oh suh-NAP! (He should have said, “Mr. President…SIR, with tears in his eyes…” for bonus mockage)

Via Kyle Griffin:

President , speaking at a Texas fundraiser: "Just the other day, this defeated looking man came up to me and said: 'Mr. President I need your help. I'm in crushing debt. I'm completely wiped out.' I had to say, 'Donald, I can't help you'."

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@GottaLaff Oh that comment with generate a lot of ketchup throwing from ole stinky! Go Joe!

GottaLaff, to random
@GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

🎻💸
" is facing 2 major fundraising problems: a shortage of big $ interest & a drop in small-dollar donor support.

The decline in small-dollar contributors could be a significant obstacle, as Trump seeks to cobble together a 2024 war chest.

Small-dollar donors are critical to Trump’s ability to raise enough money to fund his presidential campaign"

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/18/trump-campaign-cash-crunch-small-dollar-donor-fatigue-major-donor-nerves.html

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@GottaLaff Could it be that has finally managed to his contributors?!

ChrisMayLA6, to homebrewing
@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar

Another day, another story to economic disruption from Brexit... this time its the importation of wine.

Possible remarks:

'I didn't see making wine more expensive, on a big red bus'...

Once again Project Fear = prescient prediction

'We can all now enjoy more British wine'!

At last the wine-drinking Brexiters are feeling our pain...

Who cares, I drink beer....

Who cares, we've taken back control.

take your pick... one, some, all!

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/mar/17/complex-post-brexit-tax-rules-means-price-rises-for-wine-drinkers-in-britain

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@ChrisMayLA6 A friend from the UK added this to a WhatsApp message. Seems the message might be getting through, finally!

ChrisMayLA6, to Economics
@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar

Q. how much economic advantage does UK get by speaking english.

Other countries gain economic developmental advantage from the range of people with english proficiency.

So turning that around: does the UK's 'natural' speaking of English mask or reduce (some) economic deficiencies that would otherwise be problems?.

Thought experiment: if the UK did no speak the globe's second language what would be the implication for its economic development?


https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/Images/539681-perspectives-english-for-development.pdf

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@christineburns @econads @Wen @afewbugs @sallyjeffery @ChrisMayLA6 Wasn't, comes from French.

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@LaChasseuse @TonyJWells @christineburns @econads @ChrisMayLA6 @Wen I see you'll never be a proponent of pure, original, untainted English - the stuff of our ancestors that we must cherish and nourish 😉

alexproe,
@alexproe@mastodon.uno avatar

@econads @HereToChewGum @christineburns @ChrisMayLA6 @Wen English pronunciation can be nasty for us locals! I used to live near a place called Finchale Abbey. Until I was told, I didn't know the pronunciation of Finchale was fingkle! I suspect this is because one word in English may mix sounds from various languages.

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