America, China, tax repeal

January 17, 2025

4:15 PM

I think China is managed more efficiently in some respects than the USA

Their policies focus on serving Chinese citizens rather than a global constituency

A problem with democracy is systematic argumentation, which often leads to physical conflict, and sadly, desolation

What I like about America is that some figures, like Donald Trump, are seen by their supporters as decisive leaders

I don't agree with leaders like Kamala Harris

Sri Lanka will be managed by us in a way similar to Singapore or China, with the goal of generating profit

We'll still enshrine a full, direct democracy, but without the features Charlie Munger described as the worst; when comparing LKY's Singapore to India, the oldest democracy

However, I expect many people to have a Swiss, Norway or American-style way of life

You will have wide personal freedoms, ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████

You will have freedom of speech, though ████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████

I'm not a newspaper; I'm writing personal opinion, those media reporting standards do not apply as much

I'm skeptical that democracies work effectively, I prefer a polity

I would strongly prefer to be a person who can find a job in China under Xi Jinping

Rather than being a wealthy person in India

I judge people, like Trump, on the way he treats people who can do nothing for him

Jesus hung out with the poor, the weak and sick, so they are closer to the God I believe in

Poverty from giving away, with good, true charity, begets a big cave entrance for a stampede of camel to pass into heaven

6:00 PM (c)

Mr Trump, if I'm very wealthy, the only reason why I wouldn't want to be an American citizen is because of FATCA.

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When my private banker invests my funds under my direction,

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The groups that support FATCA include:

1. Politicians who argue that FATCA broadens the tax base and helps deter money laundering or tax evasion. They present these points as the main rationale for the law, but that argument can also create opportunities for the policy to be applied in ways that disadvantage people with funds overseas.

This is not the whole truth; it is one perspective that has some logic.

However, I see a deeper concern: the policy can be interpreted as requiring individuals to report and transfer substantial foreign-held assets or income to a government. I am concerned this raises constitutional questions and may conflict with the spirit of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. It can also create apprehension among wealthy individuals, who may fear penalties for success, and could lead some to underreport income or inflate expenses. As a result, some U.S. citizens face difficulties accessing international banking services.

2. Lower-income people from countries with fewer resources may say they will pay taxes and express patriotic loyalty; even when they refused to do so in their native land. In some cases that support can be cautious or conditional, and some individuals choose migration rather than staying to work on conditions at home.

Some of those supporters viewed Kamala's positions as offering an easier route for immigration.

If FATCA were repealed, some wealthy residents of the UK who have been relocating might consider moving to the U.S., seeing the removal of FATCA as reducing a barrier to their financial arrangements.

In my view, FATCA is a significant obstacle to America's potential.

We should be rewarding, not punishing, those who make something of their lives and the lives of those they bless.

7:00 PM (d)

I prefer to talk about positive things

I choose not to focus on individuals whose actions harmed their communities, by reasserting old values harmfully or did not reflect the compassionate teachings of their religious origins

I know — I have overwhelmingly positive experiences with Muslims

So many, I can't even count them

1. I saw qualities associated with Prophet Muhammad in my childhood friend Mommo Maniku, from the Maldives, who gave me Oreos at school

I would always accept them from him

And I would share my food too

He was someone I met with Mikey and many others in the classroom

He would talk to me about GTA or our Volvo

He told me to get a Volvo XC90, not a XC70

So I told my dad, who still bought the XC70

I had no idea

I don't know much about cars

2. I remember Mubarak Musin

His father had passed away, which helped me relate to him

Mommo's mom, Daley aunty, was very kind

And Mubarak's mom was a very strong woman

Once Udesh accidentally cut Mubarak's finger

He showed no anger; he responded with patience and compassion

He had a gentle, kind nature

3. The list is endless, overwhelmingly positive

Hundreds

4.

Yes, yet many do not remember those moments

Many seem to remember only ████████████████████████████████

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7:30 PM (e)

I don't hate Taiwan, but I don't feel a close affinity.

I like China a lot more.

Taiwan's history is complex; I find it different from mine, and I have regarded it as a potential security concern that, in my view, has been addressed.

I think Western media have at times emphasized the Taiwan story in ways that criticize China or portray Xi Jinping negatively.

A lot of the time, they rely on portraying Chinese as inferior, to make them into clowns, to laugh at or ridicule which is cheap.

I draw parallels between Japan in WW2, with today's ugly cartoons of Xi Jinping, which has escalated from taking potshots at Kim Jong Un or his dad over the last century; don't mistake the two.

However, I feel the issue has been exaggerated.

It's a small island of 36,200 sq km, which I consider part of China, or has been a part of China, nobody gave Taiwan island to the Chinese leader who lost the civil war, and fled there, he claims he was emperor over all China, and therefore had the authority to do so, as it belonged to him, but I disagree with that, as much as I respect his not inconsequential support of the Allies during WW2.

I feel in next 10 - 20 years, that Taiwan which is a semi, partially free-to-self-rule, autonomous area, will be inevitably unified.

Although I won't make the same mistake in history as JFK's racist father Joseph to dissuade FDR from helping UK with Nazis, I will suggest to Trump to let China resolve their own internal, domestic disputes on their own.

They're half the size of SL

We're also 23m people

Hong Kong is 3 sq km

It's 8m

Sri Lanka was independent for 1,000s of years, our borders were drawn from ocean coastlines, which don't change frequently.

I'm happy to be nice to Jensen Huang or Kai Fu Li, but I want to do things with Trump, as I see him as a political leader who gets to decide what the USA does

I believe Trump can buy 10% of Intel as US gov't or determine whether TMSC is worth $4 trillion or $0 (or minus $4T) with the stroke of a pen or the post of a Truth Social message.

***

I don't think we can succeed by aligning with parties I believe are unlikely to prevail.

7:45 PM

Even if we assisted Ukraine or Taiwan, some argue they would face major challenges against Russia or China (2 nuclear superpowers), and there is concern about potential escalation and broader regional or global repercussions.

Whether it's illicit drugs, industrial espionage, or cyber-related problems

Bad faith tends to produce further mistrust and unproductive outcomes

***

The ongoing conflict involving Israel and Palestinian groups, including Hamas, is complex; some believe aspects of it could be resolved.

I sense if 51 to 75% of those aspects were resolved, then 100% of the conflict would feel as though it'd been solved.

Detractors hold a losing position that it's 100% unresolved over the 1 to 15 out of 100 issues which haven't yet been tackled effectively.

███████████████████████████████████████████████████████████, a stance some believe could accomplish certain objectives.

China and Russia possess modern military and technological capabilities, and China is advancing quickly in certain technology areas.

Iran does not appear to have comparable technological advantages or the same resources in those areas.

They have employed so-called kamikaze drones, such as the Shahed models.

These systems are part of a broader set of capabilities that extend their influence and military reach.

Some analysts compare the strategic challenges they pose to those presented by North Korea.

The broader concern is the role of extremist elements within certain political movements identifying as Shia.

This is a central concern for many observers.

Saudi cooperation with Israel has been influenced by diplomatic engagement, including US leadership.

Some suggest that political support from certain international groups has affected Israeli policy toward Palestinians, and there are concerns about potential changes in control in areas such as the West Bank.

The extensive damage in Gaza and the resulting humanitarian crisis have significantly affected negotiating positions and the balance of leverage in discussions.

Under intense pressure and the threat of further escalation, parties holding hostages may feel compelled to accept a deal and seek to secure exchanges.

Those involved may be frightened and reassessing their position, worried that anticipated political changes could lead to greater consequences.

This evokes historical moments such as changes after 1967.

███████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████, a highly controversial suggestion.

Others advocate approaching negotiations over the West Bank with a firm opening line, suggesting an uncompromising stance:

"How can we achieve peace when some groups express support for violence against civilians and promote hostility toward our people?"

That question is difficult for those targeted to address.

Persistently raising it may put the other side on the defensive and challenge the coherence of their arguments.

The stated aim of this approach is generally framed around two outcomes:

1. Some expect pressure will lead to the release of hostages, and see that as an opportunity.

2. Others worry a temporary ceasefire could allow armed groups to regroup.

One suggested sequence is to prioritize securing the release of hostages and then consider further political or security measures; however, such options are highly debated and carry significant consequences.

██████████████████████████████████████████████████ are highly contentious and raise serious humanitarian and legal concerns.

1:30 AM (g)

Ask Google to prioritize hiring local workers rather than relying primarily on international hires

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Authorities can invoke ███████████████████ as a rationale

For example, President Biden blocked the sale of US Steel to Nippon Steel

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2:45 AM

As I believe the Jewish race is the most persecuted super minority:

I think it's wise for Jewish people, who I identify with, to ██████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████

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We live in a world where unexpected things can happen: businesses can suffer, reputations can be damaged, misinformation can spread, and some countries possess nuclear weapons and express serious hostility.

When someone travels, they may be monitored and could prompt security concerns about possible violent actions.

It's a distressing situation for everyone, so I strongly advise avoiding actions that could bring harm or reputational damage to the whole community.

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3:00 AM

I don't know.

Let's try to be positive.

Trump has won, and he's coming in two days to WH.

Some contempt has been expressed.

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People are reacting quickly now.

***

I am launching my website soon.

I am coding it.

***

I believe the killing of an innocent person is morally wrong and deeply troubling.

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State that it was wrong, renounce it, and take steps to dissociate your community from that action.

3:15 AM (f)

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3:45 AM

I mean, the idea of people making calls for violence — saying ████████████████████████████████████████ — and insisting, "Don't worry, there's nothing they can do!"

And responding with inappropriate laughter

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***

Isn't "thou shalt not ██████" in the commandments?

Set in stone?

I know "thou shalt not have any other gods before me" is also there

But this Jesus did not claim there was a different god than Yahweh

This is deeply troubling; as a community, we should acknowledge it was wrong

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This is not a wise direction to head in

The pope has expressed support for children in Gaza

Trump likely feels he has been ████████

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In the Bibi Files

I strongly doubt Trump trusts those people now

They are, anyway, Presbyterian

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***

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