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Leaving the U.S. for the Netherlands

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Re: Leaving the U.S. for the Netherlands

#251

Post by mothballed »

bulbar wrote: post #250
mothballed wrote: post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've repeated it several times in this thread, but it absolutely helped those in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising gain hours to days, and a couple women who had their lives spared because the Nazi or Nazi-allied officers decided at least a couple of jews (see woman on right here for example[]) were humans with bravery rather than just more carbon for the incinerator. Although I'll grant you, that took place in Poland, but…

Sounds like a desperate suicidal operation and fits perfectly to what I wrote: that fire arms are the last measure you want to rely on.

Yes the last option, like a fire extinguisher or seat belt. It doesn't become useful until the very last moment, but you'd give the world to have only have learned how to use one when days were better, and also to not be trying to buy one at at time where everyone's house is already on fire.

Re: Leaving the U.S. for the Netherlands

#253

Post by tonfreed »

ethbr1 wrote: post #237
ramblerman wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry but as a southern Neighbor you are painting a picture of Europe 20 years ago. Taxes these days keep up the ponzi scheme of european pensions and an influx of low skilled migrants that are not incentivized to work. There is a a lot of budget between ur citizens not going bankrupt when they get sick and taking 50% of their salary.

> influx of low skilled migrants that are not incentivized to work Aka a low wage labor pool to plug the youth demographic gap. If European countries had sustainable fertility rate, then they could be choosy about immigration. At 1.3-1.5, well, people have to come from somewhere...

Real mask off comment here, respect

Re: Leaving the U.S. for the Netherlands

#254

Post by ethbr1 »

tonfreed wrote: post #253
ethbr1 wrote: post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> influx of low skilled migrants that are not incentivized to work Aka a low wage labor pool to plug the youth demographic gap. If European countries had sustainable fertility rate, then they could be choosy about immigration. At 1.3-1.5, well, people have to come from somewhere...

Real mask off comment here, respect

Folks spend so much time talking about second+ order effects of immigration, but it's the economy that's primarily important.

I don't know too many nativists / nationalists who agree with the statement 'I am fine with my country being poorer and worse off economically in exchange for getting rid of immigrants.'

Their political champions bill is as though removing immigrant labor will somehow make the economy better.

Because, yes, when has a smaller, more expensive domestic labor pool ever helped a country's economic competitiveness? /s

Re: Leaving the U.S. for the Netherlands

#255

Post by ethbr1 »

jbstack wrote: post #245
ethbr1 wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There are also practical problems with taxing wealth. [...] With a wealth tax, you might not have the money. For example, if you own an investment apartment or some other illiquid asset you can't just sell a piece of it every year to pay the tax. This is a strawman trotted out against wealth taxes. Stated another way: no, people shouldn't be able to put their wealth into an arbitrary form to make it untaxable. Afte…

"Take a loan with it" - that's not a practical solution if the asset is property. Getting a mortgage approved is far from straightforward, can take months, is by no means guaranteed to be accepted, and can be extremely expensive if done frequently (e.g. yearly) due to one-off costs and lock-in periods.

I'm not sure what country you live in, but in the US at least, mortgages (and their property-collateral loan relatives) are incredibly easy to get, relatively cheap, and come in a (perhaps overly so) incredible range of flavors.

Re: Leaving the U.S. for the Netherlands

#256

Post by Gud »

mothballed wrote: post #185
Gud wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Switzerland you can have guns, so it’s just factually wrong.

Sure but bearing arms is a lot more restrictive in Switzerland. I'm not claiming you can't have guns in other countries, hell you can have a gun even in places like Japan in a limited capacity with the right permits. Where I live in Arizona you can 3d print a handgun, load it, stick it down your pants, and walk around with it around town all day doing basically whatever (as long as you don't go to a school, jail, or…

Ok, sounds like a feature, not a bug.

Re: Leaving the U.S. for the Netherlands

#257

Post by lostmsu »

kuerbel wrote: post #224
lostmsu wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's an example. What would you do if the next government pulls Hungary or early Putin on you and starts banning opposition media with courts saying it's fine refusing to hear the case?

Germany can slide, but it’s much harder than in Hungary or early Putin’s Russia. The Basic Law has built-in guardrails: core rights can’t be abolished, the Constitutional Court can block illiberal laws instantly, power is decentralized across the Länder, and changing the constitution requires supermajorities no extremist party can reach. The domestic intelligence service can monitor or restrict anti-democratic partie…

Most of these were technically applicable to Russia as well.

Re: Leaving the U.S. for the Netherlands

#258

Post by lostmsu »

mopsi wrote: post #232
kuerbel wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The idea that Russia would “have the two strongest armies in Europe” if it won in Ukraine doesn’t make sense. A defeated country’s army doesn’t magically become part of the victor’s forces. Ukrainian soldiers wouldn’t serve Russia, many would withdraw, go underground, or continue resisting. Even in a hypothetical total Russian victory, Moscow wouldn’t “gain” a second army. It would inherit a hostile, traumatized popu…

> Ukrainian soldiers wouldn’t serve Russia Nobody's going to ask them. Since 2022, Russia has forcibly conscripted 300 000 men from the occupied parts of Ukraine. https://www.euronews.com/2025/11/07/moscow-inches-closer-to-...

Did you link the wrong article? This one says they are only working on maybe making that happen, and the article is only a month old, so they haven't conscripted any yet?

Re: Leaving the U.S. for the Netherlands

#259

Post by lostmsu »

_zagj wrote: post #228
kuerbel wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live in Germany and I'm not afraid of Russia. If they had more manpower they would have overrun Ukraine by now. They do not. I'm not saying it would be an easy fight, but Russia stands no chance. Not even with Belarus on their side or some other satellite states.

>I live in Germany and I'm not afraid of Russia. That's one of the most "German" things that's ever been said on HN.

Russia is a bleak shadow of the Soviet Union, getting bleaker by the day.

Re: Leaving the U.S. for the Netherlands

#260

Post by bulbar »

mothballed wrote: post #251
bulbar wrote: post #250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like a desperate suicidal operation and fits perfectly to what I wrote: that fire arms are the last measure you want to rely on.

Yes the last option, like a fire extinguisher or seat belt. It doesn't become useful until the very last moment, but you'd give the world to have only have learned how to use one when days were better, and also to not be trying to buy one at at time where everyone's house is already on fire.

In your example, virtually everybody died, even with fire arms.

So I still wonder against what / who you are really defending.

Needing a seat belt is much more likely than needing a fire arms, at least in Europe. Focusing on fire arms means focusing on the wrog things. It's about a feeling of security, not actual security. To use your wording: You'd give the world to have focussed on something else instead of buying a fire arm.

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