Posts by silentnomad7

A business model built on a mere 5% commission simply isn't sustainable... it’s just setting the stage for another taxpayer-funded money pit. And honestly, it becomes even more impossible to maintain if they start filling positions with political cronies who won't actually contribute a lick of real work.

Just to clarify, this whole concept of a government-run entity skimming a 5% cut actually originated from an economics sub-forum right here on this site—specifically during a discussion about tourism. It’s funny how certain people just repackage someone else's ideas and pass them off as their own at the national headquarters in 😁
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That 5% margin wouldn't even cover the basic costs of IT infrastructure and high-level tech specialists. A lot of folks mistakenly assume that using free software or open-source tools means there are zero expenses involved, but that’s just not how it works in the real world $0.00, it really isn't
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But hey, I suppose it sounds wonderful when you're drafting a campaign platform...

There’s a real possibility the Republican Party might actually push forward with this project, though. After all, it provides a perfect opportunity to invent "jobs" for their loyalists, and we already know those loss-making entities are quite generously subsidized by the federal budget anyway...

Pretty entertaining and fun to watch, I'd give it a solid 7/10...

If we’re including TV series in this discussion, then you absolutely have to check out https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2802850...?ref_=tt_cl_t2

Fargo (2014– ) featuring Billy Bob Thornton as Lorne Malvo...

redpuma60 said:I’ve actually thought about that route, but I’m not a huge fan of using distributors or publishers. To be honest, so many of them seem unreliable. I hear stories from indie devs all over the world about getting burned by publishers—getting cheated out of money or having their vision completely ignored. Plus, it’s always been a dream of mine to have my own website, my own logo, and eventually my own company if that's what it takes.

And then, of course, there's the issue of how little is actually left.
Steam takes its cut (30%).
After that, the US takes its share (around 30% since we don't have a specific tax treaty to prevent double taxation).
Then the publisher takes their slice (usually another 30%).
The IRS takes their portion (whatever the current rate is).
The bank takes a fee for currency conversion (?%).
And by the time I'm done, I'm paying sales tax on whatever tiny amount is left! 🙂

When it comes to software, this is likely what the math looks like, because otherwise, nobody would ever bother making or selling it:
1) You start with 100% of the retail price,
2) The storefront (Steam, App Store, etc.) takes 30%,
3) That leaves 70% hitting your account after the bank takes its small fee,
4) Then you pay your American taxes on that remaining amount,
5) And you're left with roughly 45% to 50% of that original price as your actual profit.

Like it was mentioned before, if you aren't bringing in massive revenue yet, it's probably best to just sell as an individual first.

Once the numbers start getting significant, it definitely pays to set up an LLC or a corporation. A good accountant will know how to manage that tax hit in step 4) much more efficiently, which might bump your net profit up to 55% or even higher... it's worth it eventually!

It honestly feels like such a waste to slap a sales tax on food that just ends up being tossed in the trash... if they're just going to throw it away anyway, why charge it? 😁

No matter how dire things get, no matter how deep the debt climbs or how massive the deficit becomes, the ruling class will always find a way to siphon off at least 20% of the budget through public procurement contracts. We’re talking about roughly $4 billion a year...

That should explain exactly why both the GOP and the DNC are so desperate to stay in power.

Is a complete 180-degree turnaround even possible in the short term?

Well, it's certainly possible, but let's be real—that isn't their priority. Their main objective remains carving out that 20% slice from the treasury...

And that is precisely why this administration, or any other one for that matter, simply won't lift a finger to fix things.

mellownomad said:Are they destabilizing the nation by issuing these loans?
That’s a bit of a complex question... At the end of the day, a nation is comprised either of adults who are financially literate and capable, or a collection of people who lack judgment and require constant supervision.

Everyone claims to crave freedom, yet when they exercise that liberty irresponsibly, they aren't prepared to face the fallout. I call that a mindset of mental socialism.
It’s quite simple: you either embrace total freedom—complete with all its inherent opportunities and risks—or you don't have it at all.

Just yesterday, our government took on $9 billion in debt, and it barely even registered as news before everyone moved on to the next thing.

Did those supposedly "capable, adult citizens" say a single word about this borrowing?

What percentage of actual adults actually spoke up regarding yesterday's debt hike?

It would be lovely to live in a country where at least half the adult population actually uses their heads, but the reality here in America and across the whole world is something else entirely...

mellownomad said:The core argument behind voting on this thread is quite simple: we shouldn't give Greece an inch of leeway. In fact, we should push them straight toward bankruptcy rather than offering any concessions.

Think about it this way: if we decide to bail them out, we aren't just helping one nation; we are effectively opening the floodgates. It would set a precedent that invites every other country to come knocking, demanding their own debts be wiped clean.
long live socialism! long live the Communist Party! long live Comrade Marshall!

So, let me get this straight: the people handing out all these loans—the ones with entire armies of risk analysts and economic forecasters at their disposal—somehow missed the whole Greek scenario? And because of that, they aren't to blame at all?

Or is it perhaps more realistic to suggest that those lending the money are intentionally destabilizing countries like Greece? You could almost argue that these crises are being manufactured on purpose...

Handing out credit without any real thought regarding the long-term fallout is nothing more than a dealer-addict relationship...

In my view, it would be much fairer if both parties shared the responsibility for the mess they created. The creditors should probably carry 75% of the blame, while the borrower takes 25%...

You actually overlooked the micronation—there are 6 representatives 😁
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cosmicotter13 said:Oh, they exist, certainly. You don't even have to try very hard to figure out what any given party stands for—even the ones the mainstream media refuses to cover. Besides, we’ve already had the privilege of seeing exactly how much "work" the parties currently sitting in the US Congress actually do. We’re all "enjoying" the fallout from their decisions every single day. Personally? All those millions in bank loans, the massive billboards, the free sausages and tea at rallies, the party buses, the trinkets... it all just reeks of suspicion. It's a massive stain on their reputation.

The funniest parts of the debates were when:

Dennis Hastert starts preaching about how veterans fought for the European Union, but when asked if he was ever a veteran himself, he just dodges the question.

Or when, at the very end, he suddenly decides to urge right-wing voters to cast their ballots for the Republican Party?!
He finally remembered who his people are, I suppose....

It's true—anyone who has been following the debates through the various districts presented so far could probably tell that in many of these areas, the same group of people shows up to present the platform. Because of that, you can pretty much get a sense within five or six episodes of what someone represents and whether their logic is sound or not...

Of course, these debates have a bit of everything, especially since they're strictly timed to about three minutes per candidate per show, but you can still pick up on quite a lot. For instance, you see how the Republican Party keeps pushing those same old narratives about fighting corruption, maintaining steady wages and pensions, and successfully navigating our way out of the crisis. Then you have the Coalition of Democrats, who mostly just sit there passively waiting for the segment to end, occasionally trying to take a jab at the Republicans, but never really deviating from their usual pattern of opposition behavior. The Agrarian Party is actually somewhat charming; they're trying to highlight the positive things they achieved within their previous coalition, and they aren't afraid to stick a knife in the Republican Party's back! I really hope they manage to save at least one representative... It is, however, quite sad to watch seven or eight different right-wing or semi-right-wing parties just bickering amongst themselves. On the bright side, there are a few fringe candidates making a lot of sense, and according to the polls, some of them might actually have a shot at getting into Congress, though most won't...

All in all, there's plenty to choose from.

Samuel Ward75 said:Enough with the endless math and voting against everyone. This election, you actually have real options—you can find a party that truly represents you instead of just settling for the Democratic Party, the Liberal Party, the Regionalist Party, the Republican Party, or the Agrarian Party.

If you’re going to keep playing the "strategic voter" game—choosing the lesser of two evils because the ones you actually like don't have a shot—then honestly, just keep enjoying the endless rotation of the Democratic-Republican Coalition. You can go ahead and keep complaining about how all these parties are basically the same thing just swapping seats.
Go ahead and soak up the arrogance of Joe Manchin, the empty rhetoric from Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, and the rest of them.

Spot on! There are plenty of options out there. Just yesterday, I was watching the debate for the 1st Congressional District on NBC, and there were over 40 candidates on screen. Believe it or not, some of them actually made sense...