Silicon Valley love H1-B visas, as it lets them pay Indians $40k a year to live in California, where an American won’t work for less than $100k. It’s also sponsored employment, so they get to work 70 hours a week and get deported if they’re fired. Most of them have ‘degrees’ paid for by some very dodgy Indian ‘Universities’
There’s a big campaign in SV to raise the minimum salary for H1-B visas to $100k, so they’re used to employed genuinely talented people rather than undercutting Americans’ wages.
That's a little bit harsh. IT Services companies - like IBM Global Services, Accenture, and the like - have tended to abuse H1B visas in that way, but in the Valley most (although not all) are very highly skilled and pretty well paid.
Before we decided on Santa Monica, we looked at Silicon Valley for our US base. In the end, the cost of talent there was simply too high. There aren't many unemployed skilled US tech guys there (in fact you need to be pretty seriously anti-social not to be employed), so it's hard to make the case that it's damaged Americans job prospects in the area.
What it has done - as has the absolute flood of foreign cash into properties for investment purposes - is pushed up the cost of living.
Perhaps a little harsh, but for a lot of those made redundant by the outsourcing to the likes of IBM and Tata it’s a serious problem.
The H1-B should be for senior staff or researchers, rather than for entry-level positions.
AIUI housing in SV is now a really serious problem, with rents unaffordable even to those with the good jobs. A bunch of very large tech companies with extra piles of onshore cash in the next year or two is unlikely to make that situation any better.
But people aren't made redundant due to outsourcing in Silicon Valley. They're made redundant due to outsourcing in Madison, Wisconsin.
I agree there is a serious housing shortage in SV and SF. There are also absolutely ridiculous rents for office space there too. Second tier office space - and we're really not talking nice stuff here - in Santa Clara is as expensive as ocean front in Santa Monica. It's insane. But it can hardly all be blamed at the foot of H1Bs.
Indeed, would Silicon Valley be such a magnet for tech companies, if it wasn't possible to bring in foreign talent so easily? I suspect that if you looked at H1B salaries there, the average would be comfortably above $120k.
Yes, the low cost outsourcing is more of a problem elsewhere in the US, AIUI the Googles and Apples use H1 visas in the intended way, to employ some very intelligent people from wherever in the world they can find them.
Nope, they were fervently opposed to and campaigned against the Labour government of 74-79, too. In fact, the far left that now leads Labour has opposed every Labour government there has ever been - even the Attlee one. We really are in uncharted territory in terms of belief systems and world view. They are actively opposed to capitalism - they want to smash it, not regulate it - and unequivocally anti-Western in outlook.
Real cheap: Legal blog UpCounsel puts the cost of the H-1B process at $10,000 to $11,000 per employee....
These tend to be people with masters degrees.
Silicon Valley love H1-B visas, as it lets them pay Indians $40k a year to live in California, where an American won’t work for less than $100k. It’s also sponsored employment, so they get to work 70 hours a week and get deported if they’re fired. Most of them have ‘degrees’ paid for by some very dodgy Indian ‘Universities’
There’s a big campaign in SV to raise the minimum salary for H1-B visas to $100k, so they’re used to employed genuinely talented people rather than undercutting Americans’ wages.
What it has done - as has the absolute flood of foreign cash into properties for investment purposes - is pushed up the cost of living.
Perhaps a little harsh, but for a lot of those made redundant by the outsourcing to the likes of IBM and Tata it’s a serious problem.
The H1-B should be for senior staff or researchers, rather than for entry-level positions.
AIUI housing in SV is now a really serious problem, with rents unaffordable even to those with the good jobs. A bunch of very large tech companies with extra piles of onshore cash in the next year or two is unlikely to make that situation any better.
But people aren't made redundant due to outsourcing in Silicon Valley. They're made redundant due to outsourcing in Madison, Wisconsin.
I agree there is a serious housing shortage in SV and SF. There are also absolutely ridiculous rents for office space there too. Second tier office space - and we're really not talking nice stuff here - in Santa Clara is as expensive as ocean front in Santa Monica. It's insane. But it can hardly all be blamed at the foot of H1Bs.
Indeed, would Silicon Valley be such a magnet for tech companies, if it wasn't possible to bring in foreign talent so easily? I suspect that if you looked at H1B salaries there, the average would be comfortably above $120k.
No, it probably wouldn't.
As ever, the Hamilton musical nails it: You know, and it gets into this whole issue of border security You know, who's gonna say that the borders are secure? We've got the House and the Senate debating this issue And it's, it's really astonishing that in a country founded by immigrants "Immigrant" has somehow become a bad word So the debate rages on and we continue...
How the hell can someone not work out that date nights in with pizza n dvd would have been a good wheeze for a month or so just at the moment? I think Marney is a plant by the press or a Ukip rival (I don't see any national security services giving enough of a toss to bother). Bolton was ensnared with that line we've all heard - "If you really loved me, you'd take me to the National Liberal Club."
"If you really loved me, you'd take me to the National Liberal Club."
Worst euphemism ever.
Although I've got Tim Minchin's 'If you really loved me, you'd let me videotape you whilst you wee' in my head now.
'If you really love me you'll let me take you up the National Liberal Club' has a certain je ne sais quoi.
54% approve of a tax rise paid by someone else. The approval rate might even go up as those that do pay leave. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Haven't checked the cross tabs yet but you saying 0% support amongst ABC1s then?
According to the article even a quarter of SCons support it. They may be the lesser spotted working class Tory of course.
I'd argue that we tend to construct caricatures of our political opponents (see all the frothing about the apocalypse to come when Corbyn or a Corbyn-like figure takes power).
As a right-of-centre critter (whatever that means), I'm neither big state or small state, rather 'appropriately sized' state. There are plenty of us who think that the argument has to be made for higher taxes. However, as pointed out downthread, the electorate don't like the idea - they want someone else to pay the tax, not them, hence the meltdown over the so-called 'dementia tax'.
How the hell can someone not work out that date nights in with pizza n dvd would have been a good wheeze for a month or so just at the moment? I think Marney is a plant by the press or a Ukip rival (I don't see any national security services giving enough of a toss to bother). Bolton was ensnared with that line we've all heard - "If you really loved me, you'd take me to the National Liberal Club."
"If you really loved me, you'd take me to the National Liberal Club."
Worst euphemism ever.
Although I've got Tim Minchin's 'If you really loved me, you'd let me videotape you whilst you wee' in my head now.
Tim Minchin song references should carry a trigger warning!
Nope, they were fervently opposed to and campaigned against the Labour government of 74-79, too. In fact, the far left that now leads Labour has opposed every Labour government there has ever been - even the Attlee one. We really are in uncharted territory in terms of belief systems and world view. They are actively opposed to capitalism - they want to smash it, not regulate it - and unequivocally anti-Western in outlook.
You are right.
I am, unfortunately.
The good news is that this means the current Labour party will never form a government. The bad news is that this means the current Conservative party will continue to govern.
54% approve of a tax rise paid by someone else. The approval rate might even go up as those that do pay leave. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Haven't checked the cross tabs yet but you saying 0% support amongst ABC1s then?
According to the article even a quarter of SCons support it. They may be the lesser spotted working class Tory of course.
I'd argue that we tend to construct caricatures of our political opponents (see all the frothing about the apocalypse to come when Corbyn or a Corbyn-like figure takes power).
As a right-of-centre critter (whatever that means), I'm neither big state or small state, rather 'appropriately sized' state. There are plenty of us who think that the argument has to be made for higher taxes. However, as pointed out downthread, the electorate don't like the idea - they want someone else to pay the tax, not them, hence the meltdown over the so-called 'dementia tax'.
Sure, but all political parties are pretty complicit in it - we're the party of low tax & aspiration, standing up for Scotland, fairness for the many, not the few etc.
Shamefully I can't think of a Libdem sloppy platitude, but they will exist.
Nope, they were fervently opposed to and campaigned against the Labour government of 74-79, too. In fact, the far left that now leads Labour has opposed every Labour government there has ever been - even the Attlee one. We really are in uncharted territory in terms of belief systems and world view. They are actively opposed to capitalism - they want to smash it, not regulate it - and unequivocally anti-Western in outlook.
54% approve of a tax rise paid by someone else. The approval rate might even go up as those that do pay leave. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Haven't checked the cross tabs yet but you saying 0% support amongst ABC1s then?
Most ABC1s will not be affected. There are something like 14k ART payers in Scotland. It is a statistically insignificant number (in a poll of 1,000 there would statistically be about 5) but they provide more than 10% of the total income. It does not take many of them to move to wipe out the benefit of the increased tax completely.
How the hell can someone not work out that date nights in with pizza n dvd would have been a good wheeze for a month or so just at the moment? I think Marney is a plant by the press or a Ukip rival (I don't see any national security services giving enough of a toss to bother). Bolton was ensnared with that line we've all heard - "If you really loved me, you'd take me to the National Liberal Club."
"If you really loved me, you'd take me to the National Liberal Club."
Worst euphemism ever.
Although I've got Tim Minchin's 'If you really loved me, you'd let me videotape you whilst you wee' in my head now.
'If you really love me you'll let me take you up the National Liberal Club' has a certain je ne sais quoi.
She is the mysterious Aelfgyva in the tapestry - a woman of controversy (apparently). There are lewd naked men in the margins under her picture suggesting a scandal.
54% approve of a tax rise paid by someone else. The approval rate might even go up as those that do pay leave. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Haven't checked the cross tabs yet but you saying 0% support amongst ABC1s then?
Most ABC1s will not be affected. There are something like 14k ART payers in Scotland. It is a statistically insignificant number (in a poll of 1,000 there would statistically be about 5) but they provide more than 10% of the total income. It does not take many of them to move to wipe out the benefit of the increased tax completely.
I expect the SNP is counting on the fact that they won’t commute from Carlise or Berwick to save the tax!
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
It has to be pointed out that there were quite a few pbers who thought that Nigel Farage was the problem for UKIP. Events have shown that he was all that was holding them together.
Should Tory MPs be quite so delighted at UKIP's demise? By hinting that they might defect to it, it allowed otherwise insignificant MPs to spook the leadership and get no end of media attention. They'll miss it when it's gone.
How the hell can someone not work out that date nights in with pizza n dvd would have been a good wheeze for a month or so just at the moment? I think Marney is a plant by the press or a Ukip rival (I don't see any national security services giving enough of a toss to bother). Bolton was ensnared with that line we've all heard - "If you really loved me, you'd take me to the National Liberal Club."
"If you really loved me, you'd take me to the National Liberal Club."
Worst euphemism ever.
Although I've got Tim Minchin's 'If you really loved me, you'd let me videotape you whilst you wee' in my head now.
'If you really love me you'll let me take you up the National Liberal Club' has a certain je ne sais quoi.
It does.
It beats will you take me up the OXO tower...
The other half and I are staying in a castle next weekend.
I've told her I'm going to treat her like a Princess.
So I'm going to marry her off to some European noble in the hopes of forming an alliance to wage war on France.
She is the mysterious Aelfgyva in the tapestry - a woman of controversy (apparently). There are lewd naked men in the margins under her picture suggesting a scandal.
Should Tory MPs be quite so delighted at UKIP's demise? By hinting that they might defect to it, it allowed otherwise insignificant MPs to spook the leadership and get no end of media attention. They'll miss it when it's gone.
Really, we won't.
Not like we'll miss Corbyn.
The demise of Farage and UKIP is the best thing to come out of the referendum aftermath
54% approve of a tax rise paid by someone else. The approval rate might even go up as those that do pay leave. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Haven't checked the cross tabs yet but you saying 0% support amongst ABC1s then?
Most ABC1s will not be affected. There are something like 14k ART payers in Scotland. It is a statistically insignificant number (in a poll of 1,000 there would statistically be about 5) but they provide more than 10% of the total income. It does not take many of them to move to wipe out the benefit of the increased tax completely.
I expect the SNP is counting on the fact that they won’t commute from Carlise or Berwick to save the tax!
It’s more of a problem in the longer term.
The bigger problem is that we don't attract or retain private sector business because we have additional tax risks that are not there south of the border. 2014 and the preceding years did serious damage to our financial services industry where many of our ARTs were. Business has gone south even if the plate has remained. This aggravates that risk.
Nope, they were fervently opposed to and campaigned against the Labour government of 74-79, too. In fact, the far left that now leads Labour has opposed every Labour government there has ever been - even the Attlee one. We really are in uncharted territory in terms of belief systems and world view. They are actively opposed to capitalism - they want to smash it, not regulate it - and unequivocally anti-Western in outlook.
You are right.
I am, unfortunately.
The good news is that this means the current Labour party will never form a government. The bad news is that this means the current Conservative party will continue to govern.
I think you are correct.However your predictions like mine are crap.So I will not be putting any money on .Anyways you have a friend now on here Stevef both saying the same day after day.
It has to be pointed out that there were quite a few pbers who thought that Nigel Farage was the problem for UKIP. Events have shown that he was all that was holding them together.
UKIP always was The Farage Party - When Nige left (and they won the referendum) they should've disbanded.
She is the mysterious Aelfgyva in the tapestry - a woman of controversy (apparently). There are lewd naked men in the margins under her picture suggesting a scandal.
Are they lwedly saying "Aelfgyva one!"?
She appears to have been implicated with "... a certain cleric ..." and in the margin underneath is a little man abusing himself.
It has to be pointed out that there were quite a few pbers who thought that Nigel Farage was the problem for UKIP. Events have shown that he was all that was holding them together.
I don't recall many suggesting that.
I do recall many suggesting he was the problem for Leave - and indeed when he was sidelined by Vote Leave, Leave unexpectedly won. I still think if Leave.EU and Farage had led the Leave campaign then Remain would have won.
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
So the smart thing is to graduate in Scotland and then move to England once you start earning a lot.
Very good news - Emirates order 36 x A380's helping to keep the plane from being mothballed
Also
Apple to take back 38 billion dollars to the US. Commentators expect many more billions to be returned to the US following Trump's tax changes and express alarm at how this may affect other economies
At least on this Trump has put America first and how lower business tax rates are beneficial.
Yes, the low cost outsourcing is more of a problem elsewhere in the US, AIUI the Googles and Apples use H1 visas in the intended way, to employ some very intelligent people from wherever in the world they can find them.
OK. I'm foolishly bringing facts into it
The average H1B salary is $86,000/year. I suspect that the Valley will be at a comfortable premium to that, as (a) living costs are much higher, and (b) there aren't many scummy outsourcing firms based there (see a).
That being said it probably isn't 33% higher. Based on a US average of $86k, I'd guess Silicon Valley H1Bs are probably paid around $110k on average.
It has to be pointed out that there were quite a few pbers who thought that Nigel Farage was the problem for UKIP. Events have shown that he was all that was holding them together.
I would suggest that is coincidence posing as causality.
For a very large number of UKIP voters and supporters - almost certainly the majority - UKIP ceased to have an relevance or purpose as soon as the referendum was won. Whether it was Farage or any other leader makes no difference. If the public don't see any point in a party they are not going to vote for them.
She is the mysterious Aelfgyva in the tapestry - a woman of controversy (apparently). There are lewd naked men in the margins under her picture suggesting a scandal.
Are they lwedly saying "Aelfgyva one!"?
She appears to have been implicated with "... a certain cleric ..." and in the margin underneath is a little man abusing himself.
Is it just the way my mind works, or is that a very phallic tower to their right??
It has to be pointed out that there were quite a few pbers who thought that Nigel Farage was the problem for UKIP. Events have shown that he was all that was holding them together.
I would suggest that is coincidence posing as causality.
For a very large number of UKIP voters and supporters - almost certainly the majority - UKIP ceased to have an relevance or purpose as soon as the referendum was won. Whether it was Farage or any other leader makes no difference. If the public don't see any point in a party they are not going to vote for them.
Plus Jezza has sort of turned the Labour Party into a NOTA (what are you rebelling against, what have you got?) Party.
She is the mysterious Aelfgyva in the tapestry - a woman of controversy (apparently). There are lewd naked men in the margins under her picture suggesting a scandal.
Are they lwedly saying "Aelfgyva one!"?
She appears to have been implicated with "... a certain cleric ..." and in the margin underneath is a little man abusing himself.
Is it just the way my mind works, or is that a very phallic tower to their right??
No - that is simply where the invading aliens landed their rocket before passing space technology to William so he could win the invasion and thus force Britain's entry to the Norman Union.
Domestically, it suggests that Boris's attack on Corbyn for not being enamoured of the US alliance is not going to resonate. Corbyn is lucky that some of his classic themes - criticism of US policy, opposition to PFI, scepticism about British foreign intervention - are now commonplace, even among people who thought them deplorable 10-20 years ago.
Isn't that really just a reflection that Britons and indeed most of the world, don't like most Republican Presidents, Nixon and W Bush were equally loathed and US approval has fallen everywhere in that poll under Trump outside Israel, Russia, Liberia and parts of Eastern Europe. If say Bernie Sanders won the 2020 Presidential election I expect a future PM Corbyn would have a good relationship with him
Re your first point, I think there’s an element of truth to that.
Neither Trump nor George W Bush would have won a UK general election. Bush Snr is probably the last Republican candidate who could have won a general election in the UK
John McCain could have done, before he hurtled to the right and inexplicably put Sarah Palin on his ticket. Dole in 96 was also basically a moderate.
They still would have voted for Clinton over Dole and Obama over McCain
She is the mysterious Aelfgyva in the tapestry - a woman of controversy (apparently). There are lewd naked men in the margins under her picture suggesting a scandal.
Are they lwedly saying "Aelfgyva one!"?
She appears to have been implicated with "... a certain cleric ..." and in the margin underneath is a little man abusing himself.
Is it just the way my mind works, or is that a very phallic tower to their right??
No - that is simply where the invading aliens landed their rocket before passing space technology to William so he could win the invasion and thus force Britain's entry to the Norman Union.
Mrs C, some say she had affairs because she was displeased with her husband, Simon le Floppe.
[I may have made that up].
I think you have done so Mr Dancer
The truth is that she was really part of the alien anti-Brexit conspiracy of the 11th century. Her direct descendent, M. Macron, is now bringing the Tapestry to London so that the mind-control circuitry embedded in it can influence MPs at Westminster.
She is the mysterious Aelfgyva in the tapestry - a woman of controversy (apparently). There are lewd naked men in the margins under her picture suggesting a scandal.
Are they lwedly saying "Aelfgyva one!"?
She appears to have been implicated with "... a certain cleric ..." and in the margin underneath is a little man abusing himself.
Nope, they were fervently opposed to and campaigned against the Labour government of 74-79, too. In fact, the far left that now leads Labour has opposed every Labour government there has ever been - even the Attlee one. We really are in uncharted territory in terms of belief systems and world view. They are actively opposed to capitalism - they want to smash it, not regulate it - and unequivocally anti-Western in outlook.
You are right.
I am, unfortunately.
The good news is that this means the current Labour party will never form a government. The bad news is that this means the current Conservative party will continue to govern.
The current Labour Party may never win a working majority, that does not necessarily mean it will never form a government
Mrs C, some say she had affairs because she was displeased with her husband, Simon le Floppe.
[I may have made that up].
I think you have done so Mr Dancer
The truth is that she was really part of the alien anti-Brexit conspiracy of the 11th century. Her direct descendent, M. Macron, is now bringing the Tapestry to London so that the mind-control circuitry embedded in it can influence MPs at Westminster.
She is the mysterious Aelfgyva in the tapestry - a woman of controversy (apparently). There are lewd naked men in the margins under her picture suggesting a scandal.
Are they lwedly saying "Aelfgyva one!"?
She appears to have been implicated with "... a certain cleric ..." and in the margin underneath is a little man abusing himself.
Is it just the way my mind works, or is that a very phallic tower to their right??
No - that is simply where the invading aliens landed their rocket before passing space technology to William so he could win the invasion and thus force Britain's entry to the Norman Union.
It has to be pointed out that there were quite a few pbers who thought that Nigel Farage was the problem for UKIP. Events have shown that he was all that was holding them together.
I would suggest that is coincidence posing as causality.
For a very large number of UKIP voters and supporters - almost certainly the majority - UKIP ceased to have an relevance or purpose as soon as the referendum was won. Whether it was Farage or any other leader makes no difference. If the public don't see any point in a party they are not going to vote for them.
The best result for UKIP would have been a narrow Remain win, the quickest way to revive them would be to have a second EU referendum which Remain wins but where at least 40% still vote Leave
Very good news - Emirates order 36 x A380's helping to keep the plane from being mothballed
Also
Apple to take back 38 billion dollars to the US. Commentators expect many more billions to be returned to the US following Trump's tax changes and express alarm at how this may affect other economies
At least on this Trump has put America first and how lower business tax rates are beneficial.
Great news for Airbus and Rolls Royce, that’s a huge order and enough to keep the line running for another few years. 20 orders and 16 options.
The US corporate cash import is going to have a massive effect on the economy, both in terms of tax revenues and corporate spending. If, as promised by the President, the taxes raised go to job-creating infrastructure projects, there’s a very good chance of Trump getting re-elected no matter what CNN and the comedians in NY and CA think of him.
Mrs C, some say she had affairs because she was displeased with her husband, Simon le Floppe.
[I may have made that up].
I think you have done so Mr Dancer
The truth is that she was really part of the alien anti-Brexit conspiracy of the 11th century. Her direct descendent, M. Macron, is now bringing the Tapestry to London so that the mind-control circuitry embedded in it can influence MPs at Westminster.
To set sail for Tinchebray?
Oooo... that is an obscure one. Interesting though
Mrs C, some say she had affairs because she was displeased with her husband, Simon le Floppe.
[I may have made that up].
I think you have done so Mr Dancer
The truth is that she was really part of the alien anti-Brexit conspiracy of the 11th century. Her direct descendent, M. Macron, is now bringing the Tapestry to London so that the mind-control circuitry embedded in it can influence MPs at Westminster.
To set sail for Tinchebray?
Oooo... that is an obscure one. Interesting though
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
So the smart thing is to graduate in Scotland and then move to England once you start earning a lot.
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
So the smart thing is to graduate in Scotland and then move to England once you start earning a lot.
And move back when you have kids presumably.
Wouldn't have thought there was much point heading to England if you can choose your location of work with Scots vs English property law & prices.
Yes, the low cost outsourcing is more of a problem elsewhere in the US, AIUI the Googles and Apples use H1 visas in the intended way, to employ some very intelligent people from wherever in the world they can find them.
OK. I'm foolishly bringing facts into it
The average H1B salary is $86,000/year. I suspect that the Valley will be at a comfortable premium to that, as (a) living costs are much higher, and (b) there aren't many scummy outsourcing firms based there (see a).
That being said it probably isn't 33% higher. Based on a US average of $86k, I'd guess Silicon Valley H1Bs are probably paid around $110k on average.
Bringing facts to a debate, whatever next?
Rather like the debate on EU immigration in the UK, the US welcome immigration of skilled individuals who will contribute to society, but don’t like immigration being used purely to undercut and outsource local jobs to the benefit of large companies.
As I said earlier in this thread, the way I’d deal with skilled visas is to auction them, therefore ensuring they go to the companies who will use them for the intended purpose.
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
So the smart thing is to graduate in Scotland and then move to England once you start earning a lot.
And move back when you have kids presumably.
Only if you can afford to send them to a private school. The once lauded Scottish Education system has gone to the dogs thanks to the SNP and their Marxist bullcrud.
Very good news - Emirates order 36 x A380's helping to keep the plane from being mothballed
Also
Apple to take back 38 billion dollars to the US. Commentators expect many more billions to be returned to the US following Trump's tax changes and express alarm at how this may affect other economies
At least on this Trump has put America first and how lower business tax rates are beneficial.
Great news for Airbus and Rolls Royce, that’s a huge order and enough to keep the line running for another few years. 20 orders and 16 options.
The US corporate cash import is going to have a massive effect on the economy, both in terms of tax revenues and corporate spending. If, as promised by the President, the taxes raised go to job-creating infrastructure projects, there’s a very good chance of Trump getting re-elected no matter what CNN and the comedians in NY and CA think of him.
The commentators were suggesting upto a trillion dollars could find it's way back to the US and that it would have immense ramifications for the economies of the World and Trump would be hugely popular in the US
Very good news - Emirates order 36 x A380's helping to keep the plane from being mothballed
Also
Apple to take back 38 billion dollars to the US. Commentators expect many more billions to be returned to the US following Trump's tax changes and express alarm at how this may affect other economies
At least on this Trump has put America first and how lower business tax rates are beneficial.
$38bn is the tax. The monies being taken back amount to $250bn so Apple will have roughly $212bn to spend/pay dividends with etc. Some of it is going to be on a new campus which will create 20k new jobs: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42723367
The US economy is already growing strongly. Trump is pouring petrol on the fire. There may be adverse inflationary consequences in due course but that will be a problem for his second term.
Yes, the low cost outsourcing is more of a problem elsewhere in the US, AIUI the Googles and Apples use H1 visas in the intended way, to employ some very intelligent people from wherever in the world they can find them.
OK. I'm foolishly bringing facts into it
The average H1B salary is $86,000/year. I suspect that the Valley will be at a comfortable premium to that, as (a) living costs are much higher, and (b) there aren't many scummy outsourcing firms based there (see a).
That being said it probably isn't 33% higher. Based on a US average of $86k, I'd guess Silicon Valley H1Bs are probably paid around $110k on average.
Bringing facts to a debate, whatever next?
Rather like the debate on EU immigration in the UK, the US welcome immigration of skilled individuals who will contribute to society, but don’t like immigration being used purely to undercut and outsource local jobs to the benefit of large companies.
As I said earlier in this thread, the way I’d deal with skilled visas is to auction them, therefore ensuring they go to the companies who will use them for the intended purpose.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the H1B average were higher than that. I know senior directors on H1B visas.
Another aspect of the Silicon Valley labour market that shouldn’t be forgotten is the dominance of illegal Mexican immigrants in anything to do with construction or non-skilled labour.
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
So the smart thing is to graduate in Scotland and then move to England once you start earning a lot.
And move back when you have kids presumably.
Wouldn't have thought there was much point heading to England if you can choose your location of work with Scots vs English property law & prices.
Well yes, you'd think that was the really smart thing to work out.
Very good news - Emirates order 36 x A380's helping to keep the plane from being mothballed
Also
Apple to take back 38 billion dollars to the US. Commentators expect many more billions to be returned to the US following Trump's tax changes and express alarm at how this may affect other economies
At least on this Trump has put America first and how lower business tax rates are beneficial.
$38bn is the tax. The monies being taken back amount to $250bn so Apple will have roughly $212bn to spend/pay dividends with etc. Some of it is going to be on a new campus which will create 20k new jobs: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42723367
The US economy is already growing strongly. Trump is pouring petrol on the fire. There may be adverse inflationary consequences in due course but that will be a problem for his second term.
Thanks for your explanation and I note you say his second term.
This is the big economic story and is little covered by our media who will be in the most dreadful state if Trump achieves his America First objective and he gets re-elected
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
So the smart thing is to graduate in Scotland and then move to England once you start earning a lot.
And move back when you have kids presumably.
Wouldn't have thought there was much point heading to England if you can choose your location of work with Scots vs English property law & prices.
Higher income taxes, higher stamp duties, soon to be higher alcohol duties - and all rising in the future. Plus a track record of lower GDP.
Older PBers may remember him as the absurd yet entertaining Jason King (on whom SeanT might have modelled himself)... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066672/?ref_=nv_sr_1 After leaving Department S, Jason settled down to a full-time career of writing (trashy) Mark Caine novels. He philandered his way around the world, doing research for his stories and tripping over a variety of odd--often verging on surreal--cases, usually involving beautiful women. He was occasionally blackmailed into working for British Intelligence under the threat of being arrested for unpaid back taxes...
Very good news - Emirates order 36 x A380's helping to keep the plane from being mothballed
Also
Apple to take back 38 billion dollars to the US. Commentators expect many more billions to be returned to the US following Trump's tax changes and express alarm at how this may affect other economies
At least on this Trump has put America first and how lower business tax rates are beneficial.
$38bn is the tax. The monies being taken back amount to $250bn so Apple will have roughly $212bn to spend/pay dividends with etc. Some of it is going to be on a new campus which will create 20k new jobs: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42723367
The US economy is already growing strongly. Trump is pouring petrol on the fire. There may be adverse inflationary consequences in due course but that will be a problem for his second term.
Thanks for your explanation and I note you say his second term.
This is the big economic story and is little covered by our media who will be in the most dreadful state if Trump achieves his America First objective and he gets re-elected
Its so much easier to laugh at some stupid tweet he has sent isn't it? I agree these tax changes are one of the bigger economic stories around at the moment.
Older PBers may remember him as the absurd yet entertaining Jason King (on whom SeanT might have modelled himself)... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066672/?ref_=nv_sr_1 After leaving Department S, Jason settled down to a full-time career of writing (trashy) Mark Caine novels. He philandered his way around the world, doing research for his stories and tripping over a variety of odd--often verging on surreal--cases, usually involving beautiful women. He was occasionally blackmailed into working for British Intelligence under the threat of being arrested for unpaid back taxes...
Peter Wyngarde's Wikipedia page is extraordinary. It is the product of hundreds of edits, and boy does it show.
54% approve of a tax rise paid by someone else. The approval rate might even go up as those that do pay leave. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Haven't checked the cross tabs yet but you saying 0% support amongst ABC1s then?
Most ABC1s will not be affected. There are something like 14k ART payers in Scotland. It is a statistically insignificant number (in a poll of 1,000 there would statistically be about 5) but they provide more than 10% of the total income. It does not take many of them to move to wipe out the benefit of the increased tax completely.
I expect the SNP is counting on the fact that they won’t commute from Carlise or Berwick to save the tax!
It’s more of a problem in the longer term.
The bigger problem is that we don't attract or retain private sector business because we have additional tax risks that are not there south of the border. 2014 and the preceding years did serious damage to our financial services industry where many of our ARTs were. Business has gone south even if the plate has remained. This aggravates that risk.
It is peanuts and the difference in cost of living and things like fee uni , prescriptions etc more than compensate.
54% approve of a tax rise paid by someone else. The approval rate might even go up as those that do pay leave. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Haven't checked the cross tabs yet but you saying 0% support amongst ABC1s then?
Most ABC1s will not be affected. There are something like 14k ART payers in Scotland. It is a statistically insignificant number (in a poll of 1,000 there would statistically be about 5) but they provide more than 10% of the total income. It does not take many of them to move to wipe out the benefit of the increased tax completely.
I expect the SNP is counting on the fact that they won’t commute from Carlise or Berwick to save the tax!
It’s more of a problem in the longer term.
The bigger problem is that we don't attract or retain private sector business because we have additional tax risks that are not there south of the border. 2014 and the preceding years did serious damage to our financial services industry where many of our ARTs were. Business has gone south even if the plate has remained. This aggravates that risk.
It is peanuts and the difference in cost of living and things like fee uni , prescriptions etc more than compensate.
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
So the smart thing is to graduate in Scotland and then move to England once you start earning a lot.
And move back when you have kids presumably.
Only if you can afford to send them to a private school. The once lauded Scottish Education system has gone to the dogs thanks to the SNP and their Marxist bullcrud.
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
So the smart thing is to graduate in Scotland and then move to England once you start earning a lot.
And move back when you have kids presumably.
Wouldn't have thought there was much point heading to England if you can choose your location of work with Scots vs English property law & prices.
Well yes, you'd think that was the really smart thing to work out.
Surely that depends on house prices go in the respective countries. Given that Scotland already has far lower growth projected than the rest of the UK for the next few years there is every chance that buying a more expensive house in England may prove to be a good investment.
Yes, the low cost outsourcing is more of a problem elsewhere in the US, AIUI the Googles and Apples use H1 visas in the intended way, to employ some very intelligent people from wherever in the world they can find them.
OK. I'm foolishly bringing facts into it
The average H1B salary is $86,000/year. I suspect that the Valley will be at a comfortable premium to that, as (a) living costs are much higher, and (b) there aren't many scummy outsourcing firms based there (see a).
That being said it probably isn't 33% higher. Based on a US average of $86k, I'd guess Silicon Valley H1Bs are probably paid around $110k on average.
Bringing facts to a debate, whatever next?
Rather like the debate on EU immigration in the UK, the US welcome immigration of skilled individuals who will contribute to society, but don’t like immigration being used purely to undercut and outsource local jobs to the benefit of large companies.
As I said earlier in this thread, the way I’d deal with skilled visas is to auction them, therefore ensuring they go to the companies who will use them for the intended purpose.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the H1B average were higher than that. I know senior directors on H1B visas.
Another aspect of the Silicon Valley labour market that shouldn’t be forgotten is the dominance of illegal Mexican immigrants in anything to do with construction or non-skilled labour.
H1-Bs are supposed to be for senior staff, but the lower salary limit of $60k is seeing them be abused. There’s also a lot of very junior IT contractors on them, working in development and support roles for outsourcers like Tata and IBM. Which is the problem.
I take Robert’s figures at face value, they seem about right and he’s spent way more time in California than I have in recent years. Yes, there’s also lots of illegals in CA, living in the local equivalent of beds in sheds and working unskilled daily jobs for cash in hand.
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
So the smart thing is to graduate in Scotland and then move to England once you start earning a lot.
And move back when you have kids presumably.
Wouldn't have thought there was much point heading to England if you can choose your location of work with Scots vs English property law & prices.
Higher income taxes, higher stamp duties, soon to be higher alcohol duties - and all rising in the future. Plus a track record of lower GDP.
lower property costs, free university , free prescriptions , better HS , less traffic jams , commuting and on and on ..............suck it up saddo
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
So the smart thing is to graduate in Scotland and then move to England once you start earning a lot.
And move back when you have kids presumably.
Wouldn't have thought there was much point heading to England if you can choose your location of work with Scots vs English property law & prices.
Well yes, you'd think that was the really smart thing to work out.
Surely that depends on house prices go in the respective countries. Given that Scotland already has far lower growth projected than the rest of the UK for the next few years there is every chance that buying a more expensive house in England may prove to be a good investment.
Only if you sell it and move somewhere with lower cost, if by some strange fact you look at it as your home then NO.
Very good news - Emirates order 36 x A380's helping to keep the plane from being mothballed
Also
Apple to take back 38 billion dollars to the US. Commentators expect many more billions to be returned to the US following Trump's tax changes and express alarm at how this may affect other economies
At least on this Trump has put America first and how lower business tax rates are beneficial.
Great news for Airbus and Rolls Royce, that’s a huge order and enough to keep the line running for another few years. 20 orders and 16 options.
The US corporate cash import is going to have a massive effect on the economy, both in terms of tax revenues and corporate spending. If, as promised by the President, the taxes raised go to job-creating infrastructure projects, there’s a very good chance of Trump getting re-elected no matter what CNN and the comedians in NY and CA think of him.
The commentators were suggesting upto a trillion dollars could find it's way back to the US and that it would have immense ramifications for the economies of the World and Trump would be hugely popular in the US
Yup. $1trn is something like 6% of US GDP so if it’s spent over three years that adds 2% per year to GDP.
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
So the smart thing is to graduate in Scotland and then move to England once you start earning a lot.
And move back when you have kids presumably.
Wouldn't have thought there was much point heading to England if you can choose your location of work with Scots vs English property law & prices.
Well yes, you'd think that was the really smart thing to work out.
Surely that depends on house prices go in the respective countries. Given that Scotland already has far lower growth projected than the rest of the UK for the next few years there is every chance that buying a more expensive house in England may prove to be a good investment.
Only if you sell it and move somewhere with lower cost, if by some strange fact you look at it as your home then NO.
If you view it as your home while working then retire somewhere else then yes.
54% approve of a tax rise paid by someone else. The approval rate might even go up as those that do pay leave. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Haven't checked the cross tabs yet but you saying 0% support amongst ABC1s then?
Most ABC1s will not be affected. There are something like 14k ART payers in Scotland. It is a statistically insignificant number (in a poll of 1,000 there would statistically be about 5) but they provide more than 10% of the total income. It does not take many of them to move to wipe out the benefit of the increased tax completely.
I expect the SNP is counting on the fact that they won’t commute from Carlise or Berwick to save the tax!
It’s more of a problem in the longer term.
The bigger problem is that we don't attract or retain private sector business because we have additional tax risks that are not there south of the border. 2014 and the preceding years did serious damage to our financial services industry where many of our ARTs were. Business has gone south even if the plate has remained. This aggravates that risk.
It is peanuts and the difference in cost of living and things like fee uni , prescriptions etc more than compensate.
Other views are available Malcolm.
you are correct David but most on here are ill informed and biased views from outside Scotland. It costs me money given I am a high earner but has not encouraged me to move. Are you thinking of moving south because of it.
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
So the smart thing is to graduate in Scotland and then move to England once you start earning a lot.
And move back when you have kids presumably.
Wouldn't have thought there was much point heading to England if you can choose your location of work with Scots vs English property law & prices.
Well yes, you'd think that was the really smart thing to work out.
Surely that depends on house prices go in the respective countries. Given that Scotland already has far lower growth projected than the rest of the UK for the next few years there is every chance that buying a more expensive house in England may prove to be a good investment.
I thought the current line was that Brexit and the Tories' (very) putative build more homes policy would provide a long needed correction to the over heated housing market. Every day's a learning day.
Very good news - Emirates order 36 x A380's helping to keep the plane from being mothballed
Also
Apple to take back 38 billion dollars to the US. Commentators expect many more billions to be returned to the US following Trump's tax changes and express alarm at how this may affect other economies
At least on this Trump has put America first and how lower business tax rates are beneficial.
$38bn is the tax. The monies being taken back amount to $250bn so Apple will have roughly $212bn to spend/pay dividends with etc. Some of it is going to be on a new campus which will create 20k new jobs: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42723367
The US economy is already growing strongly. Trump is pouring petrol on the fire. There may be adverse inflationary consequences in due course but that will be a problem for his second term.
Thanks for your explanation and I note you say his second term.
This is the big economic story and is little covered by our media who will be in the most dreadful state if Trump achieves his America First objective and he gets re-elected
Its so much easier to laugh at some stupid tweet he has sent isn't it? I agree these tax changes are one of the bigger economic stories around at the moment.
Hard to believe the stupidity over Trump, he is playing a blinder and looking more likely to get re-elected every day. He is running rings those wishy washy liberal troughing professional politicians.
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
So the smart thing is to graduate in Scotland and then move to England once you start earning a lot.
And move back when you have kids presumably.
Wouldn't have thought there was much point heading to England if you can choose your location of work with Scots vs English property law & prices.
Well yes, you'd think that was the really smart thing to work out.
Surely that depends on house prices go in the respective countries. Given that Scotland already has far lower growth projected than the rest of the UK for the next few years there is every chance that buying a more expensive house in England may prove to be a good investment.
Only if you sell it and move somewhere with lower cost, if by some strange fact you look at it as your home then NO.
If you view it as your home while working then retire somewhere else then yes.
We agree but most people do not move on retirement.
In fairness, it's written by a very rare bird, seldom found in the FT, a pro-Brexit columnist. He admits his own cognitive bias in the article.
In terms of Brexit, we probably won't go far wrong in the future by expecting that things won't be as bad as we feared and not as good as we hoped. I still expect a 2019/20 recession, though that likelihood is diminished now, the global economy seems to be recovering quite well.
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
So the smart thing is to graduate in Scotland and then move to England once you start earning a lot.
And move back when you have kids presumably.
Wouldn't have thought there was much point heading to England if you can choose your location of work with Scots vs English property law & prices.
Higher income taxes, higher stamp duties, soon to be higher alcohol duties - and all rising in the future. Plus a track record of lower GDP.
lower property costs, free university , free prescriptions , better HS , less traffic jams , commuting and on and on ..............suck it up saddo
The Australian Outback also has less traffic jams. It's a function of no-one wanting to be there.....
Which would of course be fine if there were a Europe-wide party in opposition to The Project. But there isn’t, the choice ends up being between a Eurofederalist centre-right party and a Eurofederalist centre-left party.
Very good news - Emirates order 36 x A380's helping to keep the plane from being mothballed
Also
Apple to take back 38 billion dollars to the US. Commentators expect many more billions to be returned to the US following Trump's tax changes and express alarm at how this may affect other economies
At least on this Trump has put America first and how lower business tax rates are beneficial.
$38bn is the tax. The monies being taken back amount to $250bn so Apple will have roughly $212bn to spend/pay dividends with etc. Some of it is going to be on a new campus which will create 20k new jobs: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42723367
The US economy is already growing strongly. Trump is pouring petrol on the fire. There may be adverse inflationary consequences in due course but that will be a problem for his second term.
Thanks for your explanation and I note you say his second term.
This is the big economic story and is little covered by our media who will be in the most dreadful state if Trump achieves his America First objective and he gets re-elected
Its so much easier to laugh at some stupid tweet he has sent isn't it? I agree these tax changes are one of the bigger economic stories around at the moment.
Hard to believe the stupidity over Trump, he is playing a blinder and looking more likely to get re-elected every day. He is running rings those wishy washy liberal troughing professional politicians.
Or his tax changes create a burst of inflation which the Fed responds to by hiking rates.
"Nobody knows how much tightening our ultra-leveraged global system can endure."
I like the way he thinks a coupon election of Remainers would go down okay with the wider electorate, rather than generate a massive UKIP surge which is the most likely outcome of such a tactic.
I like the way he thinks a coupon election of Remainers would go down okay with the wider electorate, rather than generate a massive UKIP surge which is the most likely outcome of such a tactic.
Why would anyone surge to UKIP when the Tories and Labour leadership are both pro-Brexit?
I like the way he thinks a coupon election of Remainers would go down okay with the wider electorate, rather than generate a massive UKIP surge which is the most likely outcome of such a tactic.
Why would anyone surge to UKIP when the Tories and Labour leadership are both pro-Brexit?
The article suggests that the Remainers of the MPs would take over the Tories and Labour, and campaign with the LDs in a coupon election to return a pro-remain national government.
Scotland's tax plans seem fair enough to me, the biggie for all graduates are tuition fees being paid for by the state which equates to ~8% less marginal tax than under the English system (For middle to upper earners)...
So the smart thing is to graduate in Scotland and then move to England once you start earning a lot.
And move back when you have kids presumably.
Wouldn't have thought there was much point heading to England if you can choose your location of work with Scots vs English property law & prices.
Higher income taxes, higher stamp duties, soon to be higher alcohol duties - and all rising in the future. Plus a track record of lower GDP.
lower property costs, free university , free prescriptions , better HS , less traffic jams , commuting and on and on ..............suck it up saddo
The Australian Outback also has less traffic jams. It's a function of no-one wanting to be there.....
However Scotland has everything as good or better than other UK in regard to living , scenery , etc and I doubt anyone will move to the outback due to a smidgen on tax whilst not understanding if they have any benefits on anything. Their flights alone would pay many years of the tax. In simpler terms your comparison is bollox.
Comments
As ever, the Hamilton musical nails it:
You know, and it gets into this whole issue of border security
You know, who's gonna say that the borders are secure?
We've got the House and the Senate debating this issue
And it's, it's really astonishing that in a country founded by immigrants
"Immigrant" has somehow become a bad word
So the debate rages on and we continue...
Immigrants, we get the job done
And here's a (very free market) solution for housing shortage:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB827
As a right-of-centre critter (whatever that means), I'm neither big state or small state, rather 'appropriately sized' state. There are plenty of us who think that the argument has to be made for higher taxes. However, as pointed out downthread, the electorate don't like the idea - they want someone else to pay the tax, not them, hence the meltdown over the so-called 'dementia tax'.
The good news is that this means the current Labour party will never form a government. The bad news is that this means the current Conservative party will continue to govern.
https://twitter.com/SkipsterX/status/953924258006257664
Shamefully I can't think of a Libdem sloppy platitude, but they will exist.
The problem with the Sun's riff apart from its wanky messaging is that it pays hardly any attention to the distinctive visual style of the BT.
That is a big fine
It’s more of a problem in the longer term.
Not like we'll miss Corbyn.
I've told her I'm going to treat her like a Princess.
So I'm going to marry her off to some European noble in the hopes of forming an alliance to wage war on France.
I do recall many suggesting he was the problem for Leave - and indeed when he was sidelined by Vote Leave, Leave unexpectedly won. I still think if Leave.EU and Farage had led the Leave campaign then Remain would have won.
Also
Apple to take back 38 billion dollars to the US. Commentators expect many more billions to be returned to the US following Trump's tax changes and express alarm at how this may affect other economies
At least on this Trump has put America first and how lower business tax rates are beneficial.
[I may have made that up].
The average H1B salary is $86,000/year. I suspect that the Valley will be at a comfortable premium to that, as (a) living costs are much higher, and (b) there aren't many scummy outsourcing firms based there (see a).
That being said it probably isn't 33% higher. Based on a US average of $86k, I'd guess Silicon Valley H1Bs are probably paid around $110k on average.
For a very large number of UKIP voters and supporters - almost certainly the majority - UKIP ceased to have an relevance or purpose as soon as the referendum was won. Whether it was Farage or any other leader makes no difference. If the public don't see any point in a party they are not going to vote for them.
The truth is that she was really part of the alien anti-Brexit conspiracy of the 11th century. Her direct descendent, M. Macron, is now bringing the Tapestry to London so that the mind-control circuitry embedded in it can influence MPs at Westminster.
The US corporate cash import is going to have a massive effect on the economy, both in terms of tax revenues and corporate spending. If, as promised by the President, the taxes raised go to job-creating infrastructure projects, there’s a very good chance of Trump getting re-elected no matter what CNN and the comedians in NY and CA think of him.
Rather like the debate on EU immigration in the UK, the US welcome immigration of skilled individuals who will contribute to society, but don’t like immigration being used purely to undercut and outsource local jobs to the benefit of large companies.
As I said earlier in this thread, the way I’d deal with skilled visas is to auction them, therefore ensuring they go to the companies who will use them for the intended purpose.
https://twitter.com/ScotTories/status/953962320396521472
The US economy is already growing strongly. Trump is pouring petrol on the fire. There may be adverse inflationary consequences in due course but that will be a problem for his second term.
Another aspect of the Silicon Valley labour market that shouldn’t be forgotten is the dominance of illegal Mexican immigrants in anything to do with construction or non-skilled labour.
This is the big economic story and is little covered by our media who will be in the most dreadful state if Trump achieves his America First objective and he gets re-elected
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/gallery/2018/jan/18/from-jason-king-to-flash-gordon-peter-wyngarde-a-life-in-pictures
Older PBers may remember him as the absurd yet entertaining Jason King (on whom SeanT might have modelled himself)...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066672/?ref_=nv_sr_1
After leaving Department S, Jason settled down to a full-time career of writing (trashy) Mark Caine novels. He philandered his way around the world, doing research for his stories and tripping over a variety of odd--often verging on surreal--cases, usually involving beautiful women. He was occasionally blackmailed into working for British Intelligence under the threat of being arrested for unpaid back taxes...
Thought you'd appreciate this tweet.
https://twitter.com/solerolady/status/953905643102113792
I take Robert’s figures at face value, they seem about right and he’s spent way more time in California than I have in recent years. Yes, there’s also lots of illegals in CA, living in the local equivalent of beds in sheds and working unskilled daily jobs for cash in hand.
To bring a betting angle into the discussion, Trump is currently 3.6 as 2020 election winner. I think that’s value.
https://www.betfair.com/exchange/politics/event/28009878/market?marketId=1.128151441
Edit. Mike Pence at 15.5 is probably also value and a good cover against a Trump scandal.
https://twitter.com/peterwalker99/status/953925117293326336
https://twitter.com/tconnellyrte/status/953567136152203264
https://www.fairobserver.com/region/europe/british-politics-news-vince-cable-liberal-democrats-latest-news-97202/
(Runs for bomb shelter)
In terms of Brexit, we probably won't go far wrong in the future by expecting that things won't be as bad as we feared and not as good as we hoped. I still expect a 2019/20 recession, though that likelihood is diminished now, the global economy seems to be recovering quite well.
"Nobody knows how much tightening our ultra-leveraged global system can endure."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/01/05/another-reckless-asset-bubble-will-destroy-capitalist-system/
NEW THREAD
Wishful thinking of the highest order.
In simpler terms your comparison is bollox.