The "What Are You Doing This Moment" Thread

[zabu of nΩd]

I glorify Asia because they're greater practitioners of capitalism than most of the West

Corruption, poor regulation, capital flight, and dirt-cheap stock valuations suggest otherwise.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-04-23/china-s-control-problem

In much of corporate China, weak internal controls are the norm. Banks are reluctant to spend money on database or compliance software. Forged corporate seals have been used to conduct billions of dollars in seemingly legitimate trading. Nearly 60 percent of Chinese executives say that unethical behavior is acceptable to keep a company going or to meet revenue targets. In short, investors and regulators have reason to worry.

American bank compliance, by contrast:

https://www.complianceweek.com/blogs/the-filing-cabinet/ex-wells-fargo-ceo-slams-‘absurd’-compliance-spending#.WQqeldIrKUk

“I think what’s happening today, is that they [banks in general] are getting rid of sales staff and investing in technology and so on, in order to pay for compliance. It is staggering. In our bank there are probably close to 10,000 compliance people. At JPMorgan it is 20,000 compliance people. It is absurd that we are investing that kind of money on compliance."

Exhibit C - Hyundai CEO:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chung_Mong-koo

He was convicted of embezzlement and breach of fiduciary duty in February 2007,[2] but was given a suspended sentence and was fully pardoned by President Lee Myung-bak.

Lee was also a Hyundai executive before becoming President of South Korea.

Chung is still the Chairman and CEO of Hyundai today. Embezzlement charges are pretty unheard-of among CEOs of large, public US companies, as are such companies being run by convicted criminals.

For more on corporate corruption in South Korea, see the ongoing bribery trial for Samsung's CEO:

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/07/samsung-boss-trial-court-jy-lee.html

Exhibit D:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1Malaysia_Development_Berhad_scandal

In 2015, Malaysia's Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak, was accused of channelling over RM2.67 billion (nearly USD 700 million) from 1MDB, a government-run strategic development company, to his personal bank accounts. The event triggered widespread criticisms among Malaysians, with many calling for Najib's resignation

Razak is still the Prime Minister.


The only major Asian country I'd consider calling a "good practitioner of capitalism" is Japan.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Good point and examples. True, Asia practices a kind of corporatism/crony capitalism that falls short of American ideals, but despite the amount of corruption in play and the currency manipulation and other bubbles China is playing into, the end result is that by adopting cut-throat market economies, those nations have been rapidly managed to build wealth, jobs, infrastructure, and their standard of living. Corporate fraud is bad, but let's not pretend it's something the West is immune to; the only reason you have all those banks hiring "compliance people" is because of how many of them hosed Americans during the recession, or even after. See John Stumpf.

Ultimately I was referring more to the competitive nature of their culture, though. In France, Spain, the UK, etc you see a gradual decline as the citizenry becomes more complacent with just working less for more social benefits.

 

[CiG]

Those Chinamen stealing yer jerb, roight m8?

I work for myself you cretin.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I work for myself you cretin.

Self-employed Asians taking over your can recycling business.

 

[zabu of nΩd]

Ultimately I was referring more to the competitive nature of their culture, though. In France, Spain, the UK, etc you see a gradual decline as the citizenry becomes more complacent with just working less for more social benefits.

I certainly won't defend Europe on economic competitiveness - just the US

 

[CiG]

Self-employed Asians taking over your can recycling business.

Most Asians here seem to own fish and chip shops and lunch-bars, long story short they suck balls at cooking western food.

 

[CiG]

Gee, why is there an uprising of the right in the U.K. and Europe? @Mort Divine a "woman" after your own heart.

 

[arg]

koreans are probably the hottest asians. i wonder how the whoring scene is in south korea

 

[CiG]

I'd rather the North Korean whores, they're more desperate.

 

[EspaDa]

Ironing clothes for the gig tonight. Napalm Death w/ Brujeria, Power Trip and Lock Up. I also replaced the tyres for summer season.

 

[tagradh]

I disagree I think its aged really well, but it can't touch the greatness of Braveheart.

One of the biggest complaints about Braveheart always seems to be 'BUT HISTORICAL ACCURACY'.

Who watches fucking blockbusters for historical accuracy?

I have a degree in history and read a lot of history books and I don't give a fuck so whenever I see some wannabe critic cunt making a fuss online all I can think is 'shut your cunt mouth'. Half the time they don't even know the history they're berating Holloywood for getting wrong.

 

[Carpe Mortem]

One of the biggest complaints about Braveheart always seems to be 'BUT HISTORICAL ACCURACY'.

Who watches fucking blockbusters for historical accuracy?

I have a degree in history and read a lot of history books and I don't give a fuck so whenever I see some wannabe critic cunt making a fuss online all I can think is 'shut your cunt mouth'. Half the time they don't even know the history they're berating Holloywood for getting wrong.

I have a similar, even greater, annoyance towards people bitching over book/comic book movies not adhering fully. Just appreciate the film as a standalone work of art for fucks sake.

 

[Master_Yoda77]

Yeah, I'm the same there. All the butthurt about Game of Thrones totally moving away from the books doesn't bother me. That being said, the books are far more richly detailed and complex (in a good way) than the tv show.

 

[Talos of Atmora]

I have a similar, even greater, annoyance towards people bitching over book/comic book movies not adhering fully. Just appreciate the film as a standalone work of art for fucks sake.

I've had this same issue with Conan the Barbarian, for example. Many of those who are initiated with the source material deride the Schwarzenegger film from 1982 to be bad because of inaccuracies but no other Conan story on screen has captured the level of narrative depth and the spirit of the source material like John Milius did with that movie.

 

[no country for old wainds]

I have a similar, even greater, annoyance towards people bitching over book/comic book movies not adhering fully. Just appreciate the film as a standalone work of art for fucks sake.

i agree but in a lot of cases, especially with blockbusters and TV shows, the reason they don't adhere is because they've been dumbed down by a studio for being too violent or subversive or inaccessible or whatever, which is always lame.

 

[CiG]

One of the biggest complaints about Braveheart always seems to be 'BUT HISTORICAL ACCURACY'.

Who watches fucking blockbusters for historical accuracy?

I have a degree in history and read a lot of history books and I don't give a fuck so whenever I see some wannabe critic cunt making a fuss online all I can think is 'shut your cunt mouth'. Half the time they don't even know the history they're berating Holloywood for getting wrong.

Yeah I'm with you, that shit doesn't bother me at all.

 

[EspaDa]

I'm fucking over the moon man. Got the chance to take this photo. Legend.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

dat neoteny

 

[The Ozzman]

Who is that?

 

[EspaDa]

Who is that?

Shane Embury