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@Greyparrot
I have only watched a sampling and read a bunch of the (self-righteously depressed and repetitive) comments, but I think I get the gist:
The green movement’s actions are akin to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Industrialization and our desire for comfort and convenience are to blame for us being on the Titanic. Oh, there aren’t any lifeboats, either, and a bunch of poor animals are already drowning down below. (Ironically, the producer of the documentary has a first class suite on the ship.)
Is any resolution offered? We should be crossing the Atlantic in sailboats like Greta? Sailboats made in factories powered by sun and wind? Oh, right… the doc already told us that “green energy” doesn’t do any good…
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@thett3
You have some detailed predictions, but they seem reasonable. I don’t have much to offer in this regard other than a couple things:
The US will convert public employee pensions to something like Australia’s superannuation, or I hope we do, at least— basically a 401(k) that employers must contribute to but isn’t taxed going in or out.
Livestock will go out of favor much like fossil fuels will. The way we treat and eat animals now will be seen in the future much as we see slavery today— morally reprehensible.
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@PREZ-HILTON
Being realistic about your personal limitations is a large part of success. The lack thereof is what made the “American Idol” auditions so entertaining…
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@IwantRooseveltagain
Of course if Biden made gas go up, he now deserves the credit for making it go down.
Non sequitur. There are various possibilities: the president caused both the increase and the decrease; he caused neither the increase nor the decrease; he caused the increase but not the decrease; or he didn’t cause the increase but he caused the decrease. (Also, it’s implausible that a president would be the complete cause, so it is more correct to say “helped cause [the increase or decrease].”
Just baldly claiming any one of the above 4 scenarios doesn’t make it so. Whatever the case, I believe the price will head back up again before long. Winter’s coming!
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@Danielle
“The Left denies reality as it attempts to transition completely to green energy. The capacity simply isn’t there yet.”
Do you know what the word "transition" means?
Yes.
I believe you know what “Meanwhile, this causes “green” nations to import ever more unclean energy from other oil producing nations, some of which make for strange, if not dangerous bedfellows, as the world is witnessing with Russia’s oil resources. It merely reveals itself as a NIMBY stance. In various ways, it causes unintended consequences which undermine its very goal and threatens the security of the various nations which fully subscribe to it” means, so I will refrain from insulting your intelligence in kind…
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@FLRW
One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure.
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@Basti123
Yes, easier not easy as I mentioned in the OP. I’m pretty sure that is to make for a grabbier headline…
Realistically, there are not enough resources for everyone on earth to be “rich,” so it simply cannot be literally “easy.”
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@Greyparrot
With the Inflation Reduction Act, the perfect storm just got… perfecter.
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@Greyparrot
Remember the time when the government would provide assistance directly to affected people instead of engaging in corporate welfare?
Aren’t insulin price caps an example of the former?
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@Ramshutu
I’m not going to bat for the GOP vote on this, as they appear to lack a counter proposal of any kind. It seems like a “price controls bad!” sort of reaction which, while not entirely false, is an oversimplification which doesn’t lead to any solutions.
That said, my research shows that it wouldn’t be the insulin manufacturer’s benefitting from a lack of price controls. To the contrary, price controls would take the price pressure off of them and put it onto insurance companies, followed by insurance holders and taxpayers. Here is a good, nonpartisan article which brings up the point that middlemen are getting more of the insulin profits over time, while the insulin manufactures are getting less. Comprehensive reform should address all aspects of the insulin money flow:
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@Danielle
Oh, the Left denies reality in more substantive ways than you give it credit. “Acknowledging trans women exist”? To my knowledge, no one denies that trans women exist. The reality denial is claiming that transgenders are 100% the gender they claim to be, and that such claims are beyond question. “Yes, there ARE men who can get pregnant!” “Yes, there ARE women who have a penis!” Such a platform sows confusion and chaos in a society, which weakens it. This is precisely why Russia is continually attempting to do just that (sow confusion and chaos in the US in order to weaken it). And when the Left thinks that the bulk of society will be ok with the government indoctrinating its citizenry’s children in such controversial ideology, it is again denying reality… and losing elections.
The Left denies reality when it enacts largely demand side economic policies such as the American Rescue Plan when both supply and demand have been externally restrained via pandemic era policies. Supporting demand that merely needed to be unleashed, while simultaneously in a period of low supply, leads to runaway inflation. How anyone who should have known better could claim it was “merely transitory” is beyond me… more like “the perfect storm.”
The Left denies reality as it attempts to transition completely to green energy. The capacity simply isn’t there yet. Meanwhile, this causes “green” nations to import ever more unclean energy from other oil producing nations, some of which make for strange, if not dangerous bedfellows, as the world is witnessing with Russia’s oil resources. It merely reveals itself as a NIMBY stance. In various ways, it causes unintended consequences which undermine its very goal and threatens the security of the various nations which fully subscribe to it.
The Left denies reality when it pushes the idea that law enforcement is the primary threat to the safety of black people. This has inevitably led to the demonization of police, followed by less police, followed by an increase in violent crime, which has led to an increase in fatalities in black communities.
The Left denies reality when it pushes the efficacy of lockdowns, school closures, and vaccine mandates, all while exhorting us to “follow the science” while lacking the supporting data. Rahm Emmanuel once said, “Don’t let a good crisis go to waste.” Well, much of the population is getting the idea that the Left has been exploiting the COVID crisis to expand its power.
As for the rise in public distrust and conspiracy thinking, this is the inevitable outcome when influential institutions such as academia, healthcare, media, multinational corporations, FBI, CIA, DOJ, IRS become more and more politically activist, polarized, and weaponized. The command “stay in your lane” comes to mind…
None of these things lead to good outcomes.
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@Intelligence_06
Also, it depends on what “rich” is.
Defining that is a personal decision and should be a part of setting one’s goals. What is “rich enough” for you? (Rhetorical question)
Finally, you can get rich easily, go make some dollars and donate some of them towards Dart.
???
Not sure what you’re getting at, if anything. FYI, this thread is not about commanding others what to do with their money.
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From a site called Alux.com:
The video has a very positive yet realistic vibe. I believe it eventually admits that gaining financial independence isn’t exactly “easy,” but easier than many believe and easier than it used to be.
My thoughts: the video provides food for thought and can hopefully provide inspiration to those open to listening to it. It certainly isn’t material for the “woe is me” type. Financial independence requires discipline, focus, patience, adaptability, and a positive attitude— with these traits, gaining wealth is easier now than ever— perhaps even close to a mathematical certainty. Thing is, many people do not possess all of these traits and will continue to scrape by as they always have.
One important thing missing from this particular video: the importance of good relationships. Part of a healthy and wealthy life is good relationships with good people. It is good for emotional health and well being as well as networking into a career. We are social creatures after all…
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@FLRW
Sounds like a 20+ year wait. What will you drive in the meantime?
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@Greyparrot
Yellen is now redefining a recession to be something other than 2 consecutive quarters of GDP decline.
They had no problem calling it a recession when governments were commanding stores, bars, restaurants, arenas, etc. to close and for citizens to stay home. Just like any other recession, right?
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@sadolite
One can only speculate, but yeah I’d say about half the nation would say that things would not be any better now under Trump— I can’t say if that counts as blaming Trump. However, up to 70% blame Biden after these 2 years of his leadership. There remains a core 30% whose political motto is “It’s not Biden’s fault” and that most every problem we are experiencing is simply “a global phenomenon.”
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@secularmerlin
It is nonsense to say that this non value has changed.
False. The proof is you will not part with all, or even half of your alleged valueless money for no value in return.
The value of money is defined by what you can exchange it for. When you need more money this year than last year to exchange it for the same goods, that money is indeed losing its value.
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@secularmerlin
Ok… here’s another, better way to put it that hopefully answers your question:
Goods have generally the same value; it’s just that your money is losing value…
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@secularmerlin
THEN inflation is the mass delusion that everything in the world is more valuable today than it was yesterday.
Here’s a more realistic way of looking at it:
It means that you can buy something for a lower price today than you can tomorrow.
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@Greyparrot
Fact checked false:
Ok, but you cited an article which claims the opposite:
“Eight years later, Jimmy Carter, promoting himself as a small-government/fiscal conservative, rejected the Nixon precedent. One of his first acts as president was to turn down the Democratic Congress’s offer to authorize standby wage and price controls—a move that Stuart Eizenstat, his chief domestic policy adviser, later admitted was his biggest mistake.”
Point being, you cite an article which, factually correct or not, doesn’t support your point, and I merely felt the need to point that out…
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@Greyparrot
Lol, price fixing! Go Carter! Too bad some Democrats blocked it or we could have 40 years of Democrats out of power instead of the projected 20.
I don’t think that article says what you imply it does. That publication is decidedly left biased but factually reliable. The article is PRO price fixing, which Carter did not do, and Nixon did. Disclosure: just looked this up— Nixon instituted a 90 day wage/price fix to prevent the notorious “wage/price spiral.” According to your posited article, it was a successful policy which was out of character for a Republican prez.
Instead of a temporary price and wage fix as Nixon had done, Carter reduced federal spending and appointed Volcker as fed chair, who then raised interest rates appreciably. This later did ease inflation, but not before making things worse in the short term and making things ripe for Reagan’s landslide election.
The article is a cautionary tale in favor of keeping Democrats in power.
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@FLRW
Ah, I see. From what I have gathered, it seems to be a matter of properly incentivizing electrical grid usage times. My other concern is getting all the materials required for all the batteries…
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It appears to be a given that electric vehicles (EVs) are going to be increasing in number into the foreseeable future as THE superior alternative to internal combustion engines (ICE). My concern is that EVs have definite disadvantages, such as limited range, long charge times, drain on the electrical grid, heavy batteries… it seems to me that plug in hybrids would be the best of both worlds or at least serve as a more workable transition until the infrastructure is better suited to pure EVs.
So, why the current uncompromising trend toward pure EVs?
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@Greyparrot
Biden did promise that he could do something about oil, namely phase it out
Rising gas prices aren’t a bug in Biden’s energy policy; they’re a feature.
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@zedvictor4
Whether or not lockdowns were too long is really a decision for politicians, taking into account all relative issues, including economics.
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@zedvictor4
The pandemic AND the policies enacted in response to the pandemic— such as lockdowns and paying citizens NOT to produce goods and services— affected economies globally. Sure, it was arguably the right thing to do for a limited time, but that time was extended well past its due date.
“Predict… with hindsight”? That is contradictory and nonsensical. What I am saying— and I don’t know why this is so groundbreaking and difficult to accept— is that once people were being paid not to produce, which started in the Spring of 2020, I predicted that inflation would markedly increase once demand resumed, which happened once the vaccines were distributed and societies reopened. That was a prediction looking forward (not a particularly miraculous one), not an observation in hindsight.
Once inflation did materialize, why did so many officials who should have known better label it “transitory”? Got me…
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@Kritikal
Yes, semi auto shotguns as well— age 21
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@Kritikal
Handguns already have an age 21 minimum.
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@zedvictor4
It’s pretty straightforward, really. I will explain again:
When governments pay people essentially to hibernate instead of producing goods and services, inflation is the inevitable result when hibernation ends and pent up demand (for goods that have not been produced, with money given rather than earned, saved up during lockdown) is unleashed.
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@Double_R
No, I’m in favor of raising the age to own semi auto to 21.
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@Tejretics
I mean the Fed actively tightened policy when they should have been loosening (no, “cutting rates” isn't loosening, because the natural rate of interest fell sharply during the recession, so insofar as you keep the rate above the natural rate, you’re actively reducing how much money there is in the economy relative to a counterfactual where the Fed “did nothing”), for a brief period.
Ah, ok. Wouldn’t inflation have been a greater danger if they loosened policy?
I still think this is less useful than someone seeing the specific policy that was passed, and predicting later inflation due to it.
But that’s precisely what I laid out in post 5. Government gave money to citizens to keep them from producing goods and services and put moratoriums on rent payments— those are specific policies. Hence, I predicted inflation would result when stifled demand was unleashed, which is exactly what resulted.
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@Tejretics
Hope you had a good flight!
In fact, I'd say the Obama Administration and particularly the Fed went the wrong way during the Great Recession.
By “the wrong way,” do you mean not far enough in the proper direction? If not, I’m not getting what you’re saying…
Don’t think this is a prediction of 2021–22 inflation though.
It sure is— I wasn’t saying that I predicted inflation would occur in the Spring of 2020. To be clear, I was saying that in the Spring of 2020, I was predicting high inflation would occur later— which is now.
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@Tejretics
During the stimulus and quantitative easing of the Obama administration, I was hearing talk of inflation… inflation which never materialized. Looking back, I think that is because Obama was dealing with a general weakness in demand from the Great Recession and its high unemployment.
What has happened during the COVID era is totally different— demand has been artificially and temporarily restrained, like a compressed spring. Meanwhile, production slowed down immensely from lockdowns, artificially low demand, and labor illnesses. Governments were literally paying people not to produce— a perfect storm for inflation: low supply and demand just waiting to be freed from lockdown.
The Biden admin mistook the COVID economy for the Great Recession economy, and the results speak for themselves.
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@zedvictor4
Current inflation was in fact, unpredictable.
Seeing as how I predicted inflation in Spring of 2020, I must disagree with your claim of fact.
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The most commonly used weapon in mass shootings is the semi auto pistol. They have high capacity magazines and are easily concealed. An assault weapons ban doesn’t include that type of firearm.
The “assault weapon” ban is largely symbolic. It outlaws weaponry based upon their appearance rather than their lethality. It makes semi auto rifles with pistol grips, folding stocks, and flash suppressors illegal, while semi auto rifles without those features can still be easily attained.
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@Swagnarok
Heck, we wouldn't even have to arm the teachers. Just make it legal for them to concealed-carry on school grounds. The likelihood of you knowing for sure that none of the personnel are armed is slim. If just one was, and if that one person intervened, that'd be it for you.
That seems a valid policy. Problem is that there are entrenched groups who would oppose such a policy. In contrast, after the NYC attacks on 9/11, the main pilot union lobbied to arm airline pilots on a volunteer basis. Having teachers trained and armed in a similar fashion would be much more effective than arming pilots, IMO.
I also would be open to universal background checks and making a 21 age limit for semi auto rifle purchases, but, again, there is an entrenched group which opposes such measures.
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@thett3
I don’t enjoy posting here very often because when I do it’s like engaging with defense attorneys instead of actual people.
Objection! Argumentative…
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I think that cancelling loan debt causes greater problems than it solves. My biggest concern is what incentives it would possibly create, not the least of which would be encouraging colleges to raise, not lower tuition. And, as you said, the slap in the face it is for people who either paid off their loans at great inconvenience or simply went to less costly programs. It would also be a pro inflationary measure.
Going forward, it would be nice if steps were taken to prevent further abuses. Perhaps requiring colleges to co-sign the loan so that they have skin in their own game. Perhaps not issuing loans to students majoring in the “soft” sciences. There are too many courses of study which serve as a one way ticket to a life of debt laden poverty.
To loosely quote Frank Zappa: “If you want your kids to learn, give them a library card. If you want them to party, get drunk, and fornicate, send them to college.”
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@Athias
So what is the dispute here?
Ah… who said we had a dispute? I refer you back to my first post to you if you’re so inclined.
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@Athias
My reply was in response to this question from you:
isn't DeSantis obliged to the members of his State, even those who hold opposing political views?
Insofar as DeSantis has violated the Florida or US constitution, he is accountable to that, as I said already.
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@3RU7AL
great point
i do try to steer clear of characterizing individuals…
Yet post 28 shows his desire to do the opposite…
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@Double_R
Would you prefer to be written off as not worth the attempt at serious conversation?
The feeling would be mutual.
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@Athias
If a politician does not advance, or at least appear to advance the interests of at least a majority of the electorate, then he/she tends not to win re-election. As for constituents with opposing views, a leader is charged with advancing their interests insofar as the interests are in common between opposing factions, but where the interests of the minority electorate diverge and are also not protected by the state constitution, then no, the governor is not obliged to act outside the policy platform on which he was elected.
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@Greyparrot
Build Back Biden Better
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@Greyparrot
Build Words Better
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@Double_R
This is a perfect example of why our conversations go no where.
Yet you post to me unsolicited anyway.
you’re busy looking for hidden motivations so you can focus on me instead.
They’re hardly hidden; you wear them on your sleeve, which is just fine other than you refuse to own up to them, and I don’t focus on *you*; I focus on what you say— big difference— as well as what you neglect to say. I recall you avoiding answering straightforward questions from me because you were convinced I was “going for the ‘gotcha!’” so there’s a lack of self awareness in your posts which creates much irony…
Of course they do, but it’s not a central issue for them.
Of course, the Democrats prioritize the 1A, but it’s not a central issue for them? You have a dizzying intellect…
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@Reece101
No, Trump has all the best words.
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@ILikePie5
DeSantis projects strength and conviction, which serves a nation well ; ) in a leader.
If you want a president who projects conviction but not strength, you get Carter. If you want a president who projects neither strength nor conviction, you get Biden. If you want a president who projects a lack of strength, conviction, knowledge, and skill, you get Harris.
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@Greyparrot
“Misinformation” is merely “fake news” rebranded for people who hate Trump.
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