I made a huge mistake

[poptart]

Screwed, I didn't vote for Bush in 2004.
You can feel free to tell us what Barry has done which strengthens the republic ... anytime.


Scott, I'm not saying our republic will collapse soon, in 10 years, in 20 years ... or necessarily anytime.
It might, but I'm not making a call on that.

But what is OBVIOUS is that this administration has weakened the republic with the agenda it is pursuing.

A collapse is brought on by continued erosion and weakening.
I would say the path we are on is quite dangerous and certainly not at all beneficial to the majority of taxpaying citizens.

Sure, some can see their own personal situation as ... just fine, or better than before.
I would never dispute that.

Some have always benefitted from tyranny, yes?

Sort of the point of it.


Barry has taken the worst of Bush - nutzo spending, failure on illegal immigration, failure on foreign policy - and DOUBLED DOWN ON THOSE THINGS.

It's brain damage, dude.


WW?

[Screw_Michigan]

Dude, I came to hate Bush, the conservative fraud.

Right, after the two times you voted for him? Get fucked.

Fuck you both, I'd vote for him again.

We're well aware of that. You're a knuckle-dragging mongoloid. For Whitey, idiocy is a virtue.

[mvscal]

To be blunt... if all you have to offer is that you attended a free public high school for a year or two and can barely read, you don't have a particularly valuable skill set.

And that is a failure of our society and our government. There absolutely should be some form of decent work available to such people. If there isn't, then they're on the dole. Your whinge about some labor being overvalued is hypocritical at best.

Globalization is not some corporate invention.

Actually what it is is a conspiracy between government and business.

And that isn't going to change unless you: (1) empower a national government to engage in extremely protectionist policies (i.e., prevent global competition);

That is the proper function of government in this situation. American workers have not benefited in any way shape or form from globalization. Wages are stagnant. Employment opportunities have fled offshore by the millions. Even traditional unskilled labor such as agriculture and construction have been completely undermined by unchecked illegal immigration. These circumstances might beneficial to the corporate bottom line, but they are toxic to the country.

Corporate globalists need to join lawyers as the first ones up against the wall and shot.

[Cuda]

I voted for Obama.

Of course you did. He's black...just like you. That makes you fucking moron and yet another mistake waiting to happen.

He IS half white. That's something most n-ig-gers tend to overlook- including Ojigaboo himself

[smackaholic]

To be blunt... if all you have to offer is that you attended a free public high school for a year or two and can barely read, you don't have a particularly valuable skill set.

And that is a failure of our society and our government. There absolutely should be some form of decent work available to such people. If there isn't, then they're on the dole. Your whinge about some labor being overvalued is hypocritical at best.

Globalization is not some corporate invention.

Actually what it is is a conspiracy between government and business.

And that isn't going to change unless you: (1) empower a national government to engage in extremely protectionist policies (i.e., prevent global competition);

That is the proper function of government in this situation. American workers have not benefited in any way shape or form from globalization. Wages are stagnant. Employment opportunities have fled offshore by the millions. Even traditional unskilled labor such as agriculture and construction have been completely undermined by unchecked illegal immigration. These circumstances might beneficial to the corporate bottom line, but they are toxic to the country.

Corporate globalists need to join lawyers as the first ones up against the wall and shot.

RACK the fukk out of mvscal.

I remember having the same sort of discussion with my grandfather. He was born in 1898. He got married and raised 2 kids during the depression. He saw america's rise and decline. Dude didn't just read about it in a book. He was there.

Back in the early 90s while he was still around, he said NAFTA and our chumy relationship with the chinks would bite us in the ass.

He pooh poohed the "service economy" fairy tale. He pointed out that this service economy would lead to a handful of rich fukks and a whole lot of poor ones. An industrial economy provides plentiful decent paying yobs he said. 50 years ago, after high school, you could get a yob in the local widget factory and do OK.

I have a question for 88.

What happens when so many of the jobs have been sourced out to the lowest bidder? Eventually, you get to the point where even the hard working skilled folks find themselves out of a job. It is a simple matter of doing the math.

We are pretty much there now. So, why go through all that higher edumacashun if you end up asking folks if they want to supersize it for a living anyway?

So what do we do?

1. We do what we can to simplify/shitcan useless regulation which does nothing more than provide jobs for hacks.

2. We selectively impose tariffs. I would put a huge one on china yesterday. Partly because their slave labor is undermining our work force, partly because they cockblock us diplomatically ever chance they get. North Korea is a problem for one reason. China wants it to be a problem.

3. I would foster trade agreements with countries that work with us and have wage scales in the same neighborhood.

[indyfrisco]

What happens when so many of the jobs have been sourced out to the lowest bidder?

Capitalism?

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

Even traditional unskilled labor such as agriculture and construction have been completely undermined by unchecked illegal immigration.

By design.

Turning a "blind eye" to illegal immigration is a government tactic long used to smash the unions of those jobs you mentioned. No coincidence there.

You are correct. That is the nexus of corporatism and State. Of course, the politicians and their billionaire masters that foist this shit on Americans don't live in the congested ghettos, amid squalor and epidemic.

[PSUFAN]

^ exactly correct.

Anyone who tells you that they would not leave the shithole we call Mexico in order to better provide for their family is lying.

Which illegality is easier to check - that of workers streaming across the border, or that of employers droolingly eager to utilize said workers?

[mvscal]

You realize of course that if everything consumed in this country were made in this country we would have runaway inflation.

Complete, 100% bullshit. That is not how inflation comes about. Don't worry, you're going to see runaway inflation soon enough. Debt monetization is the cause of it. The market for our treasury securities is softening and deficit spending has been quadrupled over the already dangerously irresponsible levels seen during Chimpy's administration. The unavoidable consequence of that is hyperinflation or default.

The Fed can stave off the inevitable with gimmicks for a time but the piper will be paid. It is a stone cold economic fact. And when our economy collapses, we're going to take the rest of the world with us.

Why do you think Wal-mart prospered so?

The question you should be asking is why anybody should care if Walmart prospers? If you think it's a good thing for American workers to be competing against slave labor in Asia and Latin America, you're a fucking idiot.

[mvscal]

Which illegality is easier to check - that of workers streaming across the border, or that of employers droolingly eager to utilize said workers?

This is not an either or proposition. We need to do both to get illegal immigration under control.

[Dinsdale]

You realize of course that if everything consumed in this country were made in this country we would have runaway inflation.

Complete, 100% bullshit. That is not how inflation comes about.

A simple look at the 50's should suffice. A couple of short term inflationary periods in that decade, but wages increased faster than inflation. In a period where almost all consumer goods came from the Good Ol' USA.

If we can't make it here, we don't need it.

Time for some serious protectionism.

[Derron]

If we can't make it here, we don't need it.

Time for some serious protectionism.

That should effectively collapse the retail industry pretty good.

But agreed.

[Dinsdale]

And it wasn't the Govt. that caused it - rather a lack of Govt. regulation

You're really making a habit of slinging 100% pure, unadulterated bullshit these days.

[poptart]

Like it already did (economy collapse) in 2008? That was a watershed event and won't be seen again in our lifetimes.

:?

Scott, as I see it, the fundamental issues which plagued our economy in '08 were ... not fixed.

And if anything, the "solutions" they put forth have just made the problems worse.

I think another collapse is inevitable.

Will it happen in our lifetime?

Can't say for certain, but I would think it will.

[Dinsdale]

Psssst...

Oregon Stoner Needs to Stay on Subjects He Understands - Like Square head Deck Screws and 2:00 AM Hog Calling

Really?

Care to explain which private entity, participating in the free market, passed laws FORCING financial institutions into making subprime loans?

Or was that a result of government regulation, at the behest of GOVERNMENT SPONSORED ENTERPRISES.

Go ahead, take your time, H&R Blockhead.

[poptart]

The one HUGE variable, Scott, is that neither you or I know how long our lifetime is going to be.

We might check out tomorrow.

Never know.

If you want to say an economic collapse will not happen, say, in the next 40 years, I would disagree.

I think there will be a collapse, or a reorganizing of the economy into something much different than what we now see.

[Dinsdale]

Tell ya what champ - go google up Derivatives and Credit Default Swaps and then when you think you're just about ready to sit at the grown up table I'll explain how NO govenrment oversite or SEC visibility into these "products" caused a global economic meltdown.

Fucking Tard

Oh -- so Big Brother didn't put a gun to Fannie and Freddie's heads and make them back stupid fucking loans?

I suppose if you just make "history" up as you go, it's much easier to try and make a point.


CDSs were worthless without a taxpayer-funded fall guy to foist them on... which was clearly ridiculous meddling in the market by an entity (the fed) that had absolutely no business doing so.

[mvscal]

Tell ya what champ - go google up Derivatives and Credit Default Swaps and then when you think you're just about ready to sit at the grown up table I'll explain how NO govenrment oversite or SEC visibility into these "products" caused a global economic meltdown.

And credit derivatives and default swaps insured and/or hedged against what exactly? Once you are able to provide the specifics you will understand why you just kicked your own ass.

[Dinsdale]

Tell ya what champ - go google up Derivatives and Credit Default Swaps and then when you think you're just about ready to sit at the grown up table I'll explain how NO govenrment oversite or SEC visibility into these "products" caused a global economic meltdown.

And credit derivatives and default swaps insured and/or hedged against what exactly? Once you are able to provide the specifics you will understand why you just kicked your own ass.

SHHHHH!!!!! It's just starting to get funny.

[Dinsdale]

It could have as easily been any other inflatated tangible asset.

But it wasn't, now was it?

It was in fact one that the fed REGULATED to an unprecedented degree.

And it was one, in fact, that the fed REGULATED with taxpayer assets.


Whose idea was it to make bad loans? It sure the fuck wasn't the banks... they'd done just fine for the last 200 years... right up until the fed REGULATED who they were to loan money to.

[mvscal]

The collateral was irrelevent.

You're trolling now....right? Please tell me you're trolling.

Jesus Christ...

[Dinsdale]

The collateral was irrelevent.

You're trolling now....right? Please tell me you're trolling.

Jesus Christ...

He's really dancing around the two huge elephants in the room (both have the initials FM).

[Dinsdale]

One bad set of federal regulations deserves another.

[Go Coogs']

Capitalism expouses competition whether that's competition for quality or price is for the consumer to decide.

It makes you wonder where we would be as a nation had we excercised quality after WWII. We were the #1 manufacturer of consumer goods for such a long time that quality was considered irrelevent. Yet, we sent two experts on quality to Japan after the war to teach them how to build radios so FDR's rebuilding message could be heard throughout the greater Pacific.

The Japanese embraced the idea of quality and took it to another level. When those two dudes returned to the states and attempted to impement the same ideas to our top manufacturers, they laughed in their faces and told them to get fucked. Then the late '70s hit and we got blindsided by the likes of better products and automobiles made from the very people we taught how to make top-end shit.

The US is the poster child for getting fat and lazy when things are going good. When the shit hits the fan, we trim the fat and get things going again. At some point this vicious cycle will backfire on us and we won't climb out of it. Maybe it's already happened. I'm not sure.

I do know that another big economical breakthrough needs to happen in order for US to stay on top. It was the industiral revolution, then oil, then manufactured goods, now it's been technology for the past 20+ years. Technology is hitting a wall again and again. Fuck the Go Green movement, something else needs to jump start the recovery. Who knows what will be next. Maybe health and wellness?

[Go Coogs']

I tend to agree with Scott on piss poor regulation. FINRA and the SEC are a joke when it comes to the oversight. They are really more concerned about the OFAC and AML side of things. What comes in must come out, right? Forget the fucking investment itself; they just want to know that the client wrote a check and the BD or RIA did not skin anything from it. The paper trail has become too complex in addition to there being not nearly enough manpower to really investigate the Madoffs and Stanfords of the world.

Sub-prime mortgages were really a drop in the bucket compared to the other investment issues that led to 2008.

[Dr_Phibes]

I substantially agree with your take. But I think you think I place more importance on capitalism than I do. I believe in individual freedom, which can only be exercised if individuals are able to own property (real, personal and intangible). Market based economies flow from individual freedom. I think you get upset when market based economies produce what you view as social inequities. I see the social inequities too. But I believe that the alternatives (being anything that restricts individual freedom) are worse. Capitalism is the system we use because it is the most efficient. But it is not the only system that could be used, even today. Individual freedom allows groups of individuals to join together and interact in ways that are the antithesis of capitalism. In other words, people are free to engage in any economic activity in any way they choose (e.g., cooperatives, collectives etc.). But they should not be permitted to impress their views on others against their will. Do you agree that capitalism is almost always the most efficient (and ruthless, I admit) economic model?

I don't see how homeownership and the ability to own property are the only way to exercise personal 'freedom'. Harvey pointed that out as a cultural thing, it's bizarre. 'Private' is by definition exclusionary, it's a barrier, it can't really be equated to freedom in any way.
You've turned an economic system into an ideology and ideology presents itself as 'natural'. The more you try to naturalise your beliefs, the more ideological you become. The only way to break that naturalisation of ideology is to expose its workings, by theorising it.

Look at capitalism - I wouldn't describe it as efficient, it's primitive. The central focus of the system is the fetish of an inanimate object - money, gold etc. Investing yourself in a supernatural relationship with it
The system only functions property when there's adequate shortage. Production capacity is deliberately held back, excess product is routinely destroyed rather than used.
Just now as an example, an additional six or seven percent of the workforce has vanished in the US at the stroke of a pen. They're sitting at home when they want something to do, perfectly good factories are sitting empty and resources abound.
Ideas and human knowledge have become a commodity and are restricted from use in the form of intellectual property when they could be put to work for advancement.
The system is riddled with parasites, drawing far in excess of what they put in.

I could go on and on, if that's your definition of 'efficiency', you should be locked in a padded cell.

I'd say the Soviet and Chinese economies were more efficient, socialism took two farmfield backwaters and transformed them into industrial superpowers in a few decades, it took capitalism two hundred years to do that in the US.
And spare me your Lada takes, I'm not reading them.

Ruthless? meh. Anyone can do that, the drive to industrialisation in the Soviet sphere was extremely violent and coercive. Just ask the Kulaks.

[Dinsdale]

were they not leveraged a hundred times over

You're almost starting to catch on... almost.


Now, if you can simply answer a question, we can be done with it...


Leveraged against what?


I'll give you a hint -- it comes out of your paycheck.

[poptart]

The one HUGE variable, Scott, is that neither you or I know how long our lifetime is going to be.

We might check out tomorrow.

Never know.

Kind of backpeddling now aren't we O Harbringer of Doom?

If you want to say an economic collapse will not happen, say, in the next 40 years, I would disagree.

I think there will be a collapse, or a reorganizing of the economy into something much different than what we now see.

And what exactly would that be?

Does it have anything to do with all of us taking the number of the Beast and JC Flying down to kick ass?

{/headshake}

I'm sure you were a somewhat normal person at one time - you do know this brainwashing CAN be reversed, don't you?

This is funny.

I've never posted anything in here about end times, the mark of the beast, armageddon, or related topics.
I may have responded to a direct question about one of those things, but never sought to post about it.

This doesn't have to do with that.

This has to do with the @ssclown in the oval office taking a bad economic situation and making it a whole lot worse.

His policies have made it so that the next crisis will be worse than the one in '08.

How do I think the economy might be reorganized in that case?

Well, look at what happened after '08.

Government banks, government auto, government health care, HUGE bailouts to private companies at taxpayer expense, and 3 trillion more in debt.

Not long ago, such actions would have been seen as HIGHLY radical - and especially coming together in just a few month time.

But the sheeple have been desensitized over the years to huge fed government over-reach and unconstitutional actions.

And somehow you seem to be ok with that phallus, so long as KC Scott's personal situation still looks a-ok.

I posted about our republic, the revolutionary war, tyranny -- but it just won't sink in to some folks.

So who knows what sort of economy we will have when it all craters again.

It'll be something that fucks us up the @ss, though, you can bet on that.

Or it may just be that that paper you have in your wallet just isn't worth dick anymore.


Good times.

[poptart]

Yes, Christians generally do believe there will be a mark of the beast that people must take if they want to do business.

I believe that.

God bats 1.000 in fulfilling His Word, so yes, it'll surely happen sometime.

But as I said, this is not about that.


AP asked me that question - "Do you think Barry is the anti-christ," and I told him no, I don't believe so.

I guess some things could happen which would change my view, but I don't expect it.

[Carson]

Obama wishes he had the persuasive powers of The Antichrist.

His one-term reign will prove he's been outed as just an empty suit.

[Atomic Punk]

Yes, Christians generally do believe there will be a mark of the beast that people must take if they want to do business.

I believe that.

God bats 1.000 in fulfilling His Word, so yes, it'll surely happen sometime.

But as I said, this is not about that.


AP asked me that question - "Do you think Barry is the anti-christ," and I told him no, I don't believe so.

I guess some things could happen which would change my view, but I don't expect it.

I remember that. Pops and I have discussed this. Onogger is an anti-christ but not THEE biblical antichrist. Maybe enough Barry O's coming in and out will desensitize the crowd to be fooled by the real Jim Jones.

Right now, all of you... walk outside and don't tell me you don't see a morbidly obese male or female out in public. Seriously, go outside and see if I'm not cracking in on the master fisherman in Go Coogs' (grammatical error guy and fool) and tell me you don't see fat fucks rolly-pollying around.

BTW, P90X Day 40 here.

[Screw_Michigan]

Right now, all of you... walk outside and don't tell me you don't see a morbidly obese male or female out in public. Seriously, go outside and see if I'm not cracking in on the master fisherman in Go Coogs' (grammatical error guy and fool) and tell me you don't see fat fucks rolly-pollying around.

BTW, P90X Day 40 here.

The only morbidly obese fucks like Papa Willie who live in the District are either tourists or project-dwelling mongoloids.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

BTW, P90X Day 40 here.

When it becomes a lifestyle instead some some passing fad that you're counting the days of, I'll be impressed. Eventually, you'll stop doing it. You'll hit the bottle again... hard. You'll post stupid shit and contemplate yet another career change/relocation. Rock on, dude.

[poptart]

Yes, Christians generally do believe there will be a mark of the beast that people must take if they want to do business.

I believe that.

And it's what has shaped you into this batshit crazy - "the end is coming I just don't know when" paranoia that so many of your ilk seem afflicted by.

The problem of course is that when you are proven wrong, you'll be dead and I won't be able say "told you so"

God bats 1.000 in fulfilling His Word

Link?

:D :D :D

Paranoia about end times?

I think you're projecting, or something, Scott, because I've never said word one about such things in here.


I'm not going to respectfully not turn this into a theology thread.

You can look into the Bible some if you care to do that on your own time.

I highly recommend it.

[Atomic Punk]

BTW, P90X Day 40 here.

When it becomes a lifestyle instead some some passing fad that you're counting the days of, I'll be impressed. Eventually, you'll stop doing it. You'll hit the bottle again... hard. You'll post stupid shit and contemplate yet another career change/relocation. Rock on, dude.

I've been an employed nurse for almost 7 months. Most of my classmate can't find jobs in Barry O's economy BTW. Oh, and guess what? I don't work @ HD anymore. Shrubber's spreadsheet must be on another website.

I know you don't workout because you have no idea WTF I'm talking about. It's a challenge and the fat fucks would give up after Day 1. I was listening to Rome today and finished the 1hour and32 minute Yoga X routine 5 minutes before Tony Horton came on the show this morning. I wanted Jim to ask why that Yoga routine was so torturous. Tony said because when you get old you need that routine to keep you from injury. So right. I had to take a week off in the 1st round because I didn't modify until my body adjusts.

BTW, give it a try and you'll thank me at some point. You'll either toss it after Day 1 or you'll keep going. Your tired employment smack, Sue Bird horse, and anything else can pack sand. I've met some of you and many of you are miserable fat fucks. This program works. Give it a shot. Go on eBay and get it cheap. 'Sayin'

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

How do you go from Home Depot aisle guy to...nurse? Androgynous, indeed...

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

I know you don't workout because you have no idea WTF I'm talking about.

Actually, dude, I do work out. At a gym. For the last 20 years or so. Not only that, I used to be an ACE Certified personal trainer and was the GM for a Gold's Gym for about 4 years. I'll pass on your ebay advice to purchase some shitty DVDs that won't tell me anything I already don't know, you pathetic fucking loser.

With regard to my "tired" smack, you felt compelled to address it on a point by point basis, even covering topics I didn't post about. Why? If I left out anything else, feel free to prance around these as well.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

feel free to prance around

But leave the Kodak on the countertop, PLEASE

[Atomic Punk]

Actually, dude, I do work out. At a gym. For the last 20 years or so. Not only that, I used to be an ACE Certified personal trainer and was the GM for a Gold's Gym for about 4 years.

So you're "Workout guy." I get it now.

I'll pass on your ebay advice to purchase some shitty DVDs that won't tell me anything I already don't know, you pathetic fucking loser.

Okay I get it... you're "Workout guy."

With regard to my "tired" smack, you felt compelled to address it on a point by point basis, .

Bitch please, just drop it. You are insecure and take smoke breaks between sets. Is that point by point good enough for you, or are you at a tattoo parlor getting one for the neck? STFU fatass.

[Atomic Punk]

I'm sure he could. I thought this was a "smack board." I keep getting told how I shouldn't take my ass handings seriously, but that only applies to whom? So what is it? Smack board or "has issues" board? BTW, tell MgBlow to drop the Dan Vogel troll. Katy sold him out many months ago. I thought you knew.