cyd

joined 2 years ago
[–] cyd 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

No, if it was just a matter of having a well developed economy whose fruits are distributed poorly, then their GDP per capita (literally economic output divided by people) would be high.

But it's not. It's among the middle-income countries, just below Malaysia. Which seems about right in terms of the quality of life of the average citizen.

[–] cyd 1 points 7 months ago

Yes. That means Chinese households actually consume less than this graph indicates. In other words, because China's economy is more manufacturing heavy, this graph makes it look more "developed" than it actually is.

[–] cyd 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

Their economy is literally less developed. Country size has nothing to do with it; India is on track to surpass Japan's GDP but no one would dispute that it is much less developed than Japan or any other OECD country.

[–] cyd 6 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (6 children)

Because they're still a developing country with a relatively low baseline power supply per capita (half that of the US).

[–] cyd 13 points 7 months ago (4 children)

His trips to Europe were two weeks before the debate...

Anyway, I thought they were blaming a cold and/or being over-prepared...

[–] cyd 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

why kick that beehive before it's ACTUALLY necessary?

Because by the time it's actually necessary, you're fucked. Case in point, if Sotomayor had resigned last year, her replacement would have sailed through, and there could be a 40 year old solidly liberal justice in her place, penning equally liberal opinions and poised to continue doing so for decades.

But she didn't, so if she acts now, her replacement would get caught up in "senate can't nominate in election years for reasons" BS. Big political fight, but one that's winnable since Dems ultimately hold the Senate.

If she puts it off yet further, she would have to continue for the next 4, possibly 8+ years. And maybe by that time the democrats don't have both the presidency and senate anymore, so her replacement is a less liberal consensus candidate.

Failing to think strategically is an extremely bad idea when it comes to institutions like the Supreme Court.

[–] cyd -1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (3 children)

You haven't put any thought into the situation.

SC justices are appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate. Both are currently held by the democrats, the latter narrowly. Both are likely to flip next year. Sotomayor is over 70, diabetic, and travels with a medic.

If she wanted to do the right thing for the causes she believes in, she should have resigned during the past one or two years. Biden would have been able to replace her with a younger, equally liberal justice. But she didn't and probably won't, so if she dies anytime in the next 4 years (or 8 years if the Rs win the presidential election after that) then the court goes 7-2 and will remain conservative-dominated for decades.

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