cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/post/684427

Not a shmup, but sneaks in due to the unwritten "Touhou Rule." 🤫

I want to build a new PC, but avoid buying RAM until prices are sane. What are my options?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/39737768

In the aftermath of much well-heeled panic about a potential mass exodus of New York millionaires and billionaires following the election of Zohran Mamdani, the contrary is already happening, and Manhattan luxury apartment buyers are voting with their wallets.

Signed contracts for Manhattan homes costing $4 million or more rose to 176 in November, a 25% increase from October’s 141 deals, according to fresh data from brokerage Douglas Elliman and appraiser Miller Samuel. New signed contracts of more than $4 million increased at more than twice the rate of the overall market, the report noted.

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43082168

Web archive link

The Russian government’s tax initiatives are part of broader budget reforms proposed for 2026–2028. The new federal budget places the burden of military spending on the public and businesses — and the war will cost them dearly.

...

The authorities had promised that the tax increase would affect only 4% of small and mid-sized businesses, but now they have decided to squeeze small enterprises to the fullest.

...

[In addition to income and consumption tax increases] the government is also set to abolish the reduced social insurance contribution rate for SMEs. Such an increase in the tax burden of small companies will wipe out profits that were previously earned within the range of 10–12% of revenue. This measure will hit labor-intensive industries first — retail, catering, and construction — where payroll makes up a significant portion of expenses.

The tax authorities are also gaining powers to tighten oversight. They will be authorized to increase fines, write off taxpayers’ debts from bank cards without a court order, and bring in inspectors from other regions to conduct major tax audits.

Deadlines for paying taxes have also been tightened. Under the new regulations, if a payment deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday, the obligation must be fulfilled in advance, requiring businesses to plan more precisely if they are to avoid facing penalties for noncompliance.

...

“If I have to start paying VAT, costs will skyrocket,” entrepreneur Vyacheslav Kopylov complained on Business FM. Kopylov runs a small grocery store in Krasnodar, operating under a patent system. He expects that next year could be the last for his business. Meanwhile, the trade sector accounts for the largest share of the gross regional product (GRP) in Krasnodar Krai. Even nationwide, it ranks just behind Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the Moscow Region. In other words, Krasnodar Krai is set to suffer the most from the tax hit.

...

Importantly, while VAT goes entirely to the federal budget, 100% of revenues from the simplified tax system go to the regional budget. Therefore, small businesses that survive the tax hike will be paying into the federal budget instead of contributing money for use closer to home. Regional budgets will lose revenue and, by rough estimates, face a combined deficit of around half a trillion rubles ($6.5 billion). Only the budgets of Moscow and St. Petersburg will remain in surplus.

...

The tax increase will also lead to rising costs throughout the supply chain, with each participant adding their share of the tax and their markup to maintain profit. The manufacturer includes 22% in the ex-factory price, the wholesaler adds a markup on that amount and applies VAT again, and the retailer repeats the process.

...

The blow will be especially hard on regions with large populations and developed retail markets — Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar Krai, and Moscow Region. In these areas, a combination of intense competition and low margins could drive down turnover in multiple sectors, most notably in food retail and services (catering, beauty salons, dry cleaners). Any increase in the tax burden presents a critical threat to such businesses.

cross-posted from: https://piefed.ca/c/technology/p/377579/wtf-just-happened-the-corrupt-memory-industry-micron

• Invidious
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Donald Trump's administration has set forth a new national security strategy that paints European allies as weak and aims to reassert America's dominance in the Western Hemisphere.

The document released Friday by the White House is sure to roil long-standing U.S. allies in Europe for its scathing critiques of their migration and free speech policies, suggesting they face the "prospect of civilizational erasure" and raising doubts about their long-term reliability as American partners.

At the same time the administration is sharply critical of its democratic allies in Europe and carrying out a pressure campaign of boat strikes in South America, it chides past U.S. efforts to shape or criticize Middle Eastern nations and seeks to discourage attempts for changes in those countries' governments and policies.

As someone who has been in Internet, e-commerce and the all around development of the web almost since its inception, this article makes me feel very, very old.

President Donald Trump's administration has warned that Europe faces "civilisational erasure" and questioned whether certain nations can remain reliable allies, in a new strategy document that puts a particular focus on the continent.

The 33-page National Security Strategy sees the US leader outline his vision for the world and how he will wield US military and economic power to work towards it.

Trump described the document as a "roadmap" to ensure America remains "the greatest and most successful nation in human history".

European politicians have begun to react, with Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul saying his country did not need "outside advice".

A formal National Security Strategy is typically released by presidents once each term. It can form a framework for future policies and budgets, as well as signalling to the world where the president's priorities lie.

The new document follows similar rhetoric to Trump's speech to the United Nations earlier this year, where he had harsh criticism for Western Europe and its approach to migration and clean energy.

The new report doubles down on Trump's point of view, calling for the restoration of "Western identity", combatting foreign influence, ending mass migration, and focusing more on US priorities such as stopping drug cartels.

Focusing on Europe, it asserts that if current trends continue the continent would be "unrecognisable in 20 years or less" and its economic issues are "eclipsed by the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure".

"It is far from obvious whether certain European countries will have economies and militaries strong enough to remain reliable allies," the document states.

It also accused the European Union and "other transnational bodies" of carrying out activities that "undermine political liberty and sovereignty", said migration policies were "creating strife" and said other issues included "censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition, cratering birthrates, and loss of national identities and self-confidence".

Conversely, the document hails the growing influence of "patriotic European parties" and says "America encourages its political allies in Europe to promote this revival of spirit".

The Trump administration has fostered links with the far-right AfD party in Germany, which has been classified as extreme right by German intelligence.

The document says there must be a readjustment of "our global military presence to address urgent threats in our Hemisphere". To do this, the strategy calls for moving assets away from theatres which are less important to American national security than they once were.

This re-prioritising of military power can be seen already in the Caribbean, where the US military has a growing presence and has carried out repeated deadly strikes on boats which the government alleges are carrying drugs. The world's largest warship, the USS Gerald Ford, is currently based in the Caribbean along with its strike group.

The most extensive online library of Georgian books.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/46768180

Archived

A single word can crack the facade of a great power’s confidence. That’s what happened last month when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan told lawmakers in Tokyo that a Chinese attack or blockade against Taiwan would constitute a threat to Japan’s “survival,” a term that, under Japanese law, would permit the country to deploy its military overseas.

Ms. Takaichi merely said aloud what has long been understood — that a crisis involving Taiwan would threaten Japan’s national security. But her comments were among the clearest public signals yet that Tokyo could help defend Taiwan from potential Chinese aggression.

Beijing reacted as if Ms. Takaichi, a conservative politician, had declared war. Chinese state media has portrayed her as reviving the militarist rhetoric used to justify Japan’s aggression during World War II, and a senior Chinese envoy posted what amounted to an online threat to behead Ms. Takaichi. China has halted some Japanese imports, discouraged Chinese tourism to Japan and stepped up coast guard patrols around islands claimed by both countries.

Beijing routinely lashes out at Tokyo because of lingering resentment over Japan’s wartime past, which included a brutal invasion and occupation of China. This time, however, the fury is rooted in something more dangerous: China’s growing anxiety that one of its bedrock goals — isolating Taiwan and forcing it to submit to unification on Chinese terms — is slipping away.

The Chinese Communist Party has long assumed that time and pressure would slowly wear Taiwan down. If President Xi Jinping of China concludes that bet has failed, he may escalate to sharper forms of pressure sooner than planned. It is vital for regional security that Tokyo and Washington stand firm and signal clearly that increased Chinese coercion of Taiwan will trigger a coordinated response.

[...]

Ms. Takaichi did not create this situation; years of relentless Chinese coercion did. Her remark merely made explicit what has long been implicit — that if Beijing keeps tightening the screws on Taiwan, it will inevitably pull in other democracies because the island’s fate now bears directly on their security.

Airing out the shared stakes faced by all the players in this equation, as Ms. Takaichi has done, is a surer path to stability than pretending that silence will keep the peace.

[,,,]

Meanwhile, Taiwan's PM said his country is 'very moved' by Japanese prime minister's support.

"Recently, Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks about stability and peace in the Taiwan Strait moved us all very, very much. They represent justice and peace," Premier Cho Jung-tai said in Taipei.

"We are also extremely grateful to Prime Minister Takaichi and to the Japanese government and people for continuing to uphold this justice and peace under such strong pressure."

Trump launched into a pair of vicious and increasingly racist rants against Somalia and Somali Americans this week, first at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and then during an Oval Office photo op on Wednesday. He called Somali migrants “garbage” and said they should “go back to where they came,”

WHITNEY WILD: How did it make you feel when you heard the president say that?

MOHAMED AHMED: I got five children. My children are not garbage!

WHITNEY WILD: What would you say to the president if he were standing here right now?

MOHAMED AHMED: Mr President, we campaigned for you. We have hope in you. We see hope in you. Please differentiate between good, bad and evil.

In a recent episode of ‘The Necessary Conversation’ podcast a Trump cultist told his son he’d be fine if Trump decided to carpet bomb a mall with his son still in it. The moment took place during a heated discussion about whether or not troops should obey unlawful orders. In this video, we’ll talk about the viral moment and revisit our conversation about MAGA parents and how difficult it is for young people to deal with them.

Watch the Full Episode Here: • Is Trump A Communist Now?

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