International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees • Hacker News Board

Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees

#311

Post by bluejekyll » Wed, May 03, 2017, 2:18 PM UTC

tertius wrote: post #177

Sacho wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like those people didn't feel the electoral college was problematic. Otherwise, voting would have exposed the vast discrepancy between popular opinion and the college. Even if Hillary had won, that demonstration could be used to spur reform of the election process.

Say the majority went up to 55%... We'd still need a lot more than that to change the electoral college. And honestly, having big states control who becomes president just because of their population, given how independent states should function, is a cornerstone of the electoral college.

> having big states control who becomes president just because of their population, given how independent states should function,

This used to be true, but as more government control has been ceded to the federal government I don't believe this to be the case. The President is not all powerful either, this should be a fully democratic election. Also, the electoral college was broken when states started alotting their votes in a winner take all manner.

Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees

#312

Post by talklittle » Wed, May 03, 2017, 2:24 PM UTC

AngeloAnolin wrote: post #306

Kind of disheartening to read that (most) of the comments here diverted away from the topic of Basecamp's travel guide, which shows a lot of character from this company. A company composed of a lot of remote workers outside US that definitely goes out of their way to have their employees come into the US for their business meetings is a keeper. On a side note, I am a bit confused on a questionnaire asked at the Custo…

The work vs. business question is simpler than that. Business = working in US for a foreign company. Work = working in US for a US company.

Presumably Basecamp has set up business entities abroad.

https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/2272/about-differ...

Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees

#313

Post by Mhodesty » Wed, May 03, 2017, 2:25 PM UTC

It really is a shitty feeling for me. I grew up in New York, and was too young to really understand what was going on during the Bush days, so for me the Trump era is a new feeling.

This is the first time in my life I am embarrassed to be an American.

Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees

#314

Post by rapind » Wed, May 03, 2017, 2:26 PM UTC

alphapapa wrote: post #280

rapind wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds to me like voting with your pocket book. How is this a bad thing? Would you also object if I didn't want to purchase clothes that are manufactured in a way I find morally deplorable? Hey it's not the workers fault right?

> Sounds to me like voting with your pocket book. It's very interesting that you would compare it to voting, because that means we're talking about citizens of one country "voting" for the leader of another country--which would mean interfering with another country's elections. Are you sure you want to stick with that analogy? :) This is in contrast with the traditional definition of "voting with your wallet," which…

I guess I'm just more cycnical (possibly pragmatic) than you, because IMO it is "apples to apples". I believe that the US was captured by corporations long before Trump made it to office, and the only way to sway corporate opinion is to hit them in the wallet.

Sadly, as a foreigner, what I purchase is the most effective way to be heard. Besides, how successful is a business that blames potential customers for not buying their products? "We're gonna bomb them until they buy our cars dammit!"

I also disagree with you about why Trump was elected. I hear this condescension argument all the time but I think it's total BS. I suspect it's more about jobless (white) men and is a much harder (and real) problem to solve than simply being polite.

Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees

#315

Post by kfhoeihfy38h » Wed, May 03, 2017, 2:34 PM UTC

SimbaOnSteroids wrote: post #292

icebraining wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people do live in a small number of counties (~146 in ~3000). The US system is essentially designed to distribute voting power over land, rather than per capita.

It was designed to distribute votes to slave owners in order to appease the southern states. It was never about protecting small states or distributing over land. When the constitution was first signed if votes had been distributed by population the Southern states would have essentially never had a voice, which was a non-starter for them. Considering that these states were also the economic power houses of the US, n…

So, if I read your own second paragraph correctly, the system was actually designed to equalize votes between states? Then the 'distribute votes to slave owners' is just an emotional reflex-bating?

Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees

#316

Post by danielbln » Wed, May 03, 2017, 2:34 PM UTC

pcurve wrote: post #131

cm2187 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me it's less the risk of being search than the massive queues in US airports that turn me off. Feels like queuing for food in Moscow in the Soviet area, just to take a plane.

Flying into JFK from abroad, going through customs even as American is one of the more depressing things in life. It is such an unwelcoming sight and experience.

I've only been through JFK a few times, but every time it was a swift and uneventful experience, in as well as out. Maybe I was just lucky though.

Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees

#317

Post by boomboomsubban » Wed, May 03, 2017, 2:41 PM UTC

refurb wrote: post #291

boomboomsubban wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This ignores the other parties, which can explain most of the disparity. In Michigan, other candidates got about 1% of the vote in 12 and 5% in 16. Even if it helped Trump win, labeling them "spoilers" just ensures that our terrible system will have this happen again.

Is the system terrible because the person you wanted to win didn't?

No, I can't imagine wanting either of those people to win.

Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees

#318

Post by muninn_ » Wed, May 03, 2017, 2:47 PM UTC

staticelf wrote: post #164

petre wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Ford Focus sold in Europe is assembled in Germany [1]. The current US border control security climate dates since the Obama Administration. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_of_Europe#Facilities

The money is still going to an american company.

Well, sure but it's also going to the Europeans that work in that factory, and to the local community through taxation. It probably benefits the local community just as much, if not more, than it would benefit Ford.

Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees

#319

Post by rco8786 » Wed, May 03, 2017, 2:50 PM UTC

dagw wrote: post #274

rco8786 wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really. Both bases stayed pretty true to their colors.

That's a slight simplification. There where over 200 counties that voted for Obama twice and now voted for Trump.

Right i wasn't including those in the "bases". 200 counties represents about 6% of the total number of counties in the country, and few of them are from states that "always vote for democrats"

Re: International Travel Guide for Basecamp employees

#320

Post by muninn_ » Wed, May 03, 2017, 2:52 PM UTC

bluejekyll wrote: post #311

tertius wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Say the majority went up to 55%... We'd still need a lot more than that to change the electoral college. And honestly, having big states control who becomes president just because of their population, given how independent states should function, is a cornerstone of the electoral college.

> having big states control who becomes president just because of their population, given how independent states should function, This used to be true, but as more government control has been ceded to the federal government I don't believe this to be the case. The President is not all powerful either, this should be a fully democratic election. Also, the electoral college was broken when states started alotting their…

> This used to be true, but as more government control has been ceded to the federal government I don't believe this to be the case.

Maybe this is the problem then? If you have less federal government control, and more state-level control then it wouldn't be as big of a deal if Trump is elected if you're a Californian. Likewise with a democratic candidate.

And the current setup actually works pretty well. You should get diminishing returns on popular vote in a republic. Otherwise you have some areas that dominate others instead of a balance. In other words, you don't punish people/states that are not highly populated. It may not have worked out for us this time around, but it's more fair. If you want a different system, then abolish the Republic and the States.