America (Page 3)

Posted by CancerOnTheCusp

Posted by Argus

Posted by MercurialVapor

Posted by CancerOnTheCusp

Posted by MyStarsShine
For anyone living in the USA, tell me what you like about living there and what you don’t like?

Likes:
A lot of beautiful places which are potentially accessible
Unique in the way the country was founded --with some thanks to common law tradition and Enlightenment thinking--which allowed a large thriving middle class which has been historically anomalous (see more in dislikes related to this)
A Constitution with a Bill of Rights and associated freedoms(see more in dislikes related to this)
Still a land of opportunity if one is willing to put in the honest work to make it happen
Dislikes (well really one big one with a whole lot of subfactors):
When you hear someone use the pejorative "first world problems", the US is the poster child. We've had it so good for so long, due to the industry and creativity of generations before us, that there is a large number of historically ignorant retards and ingrates that have been insulated from suffering the consequences of the bad decisions they make, enabled by smooth talking shysters who manipulate those idiots for their own ends, and as a consequence innocent parties also suffer. We've become way too tolerant of it.
Example (about the time you really started seeing the trend):
30 years ago, a woman sued McDonalds claiming injury because the coffee she spilled on herself was "too hot". There was a time where there the reponse would be "hey dumbass, don't spill coffee on yourself", or more charitably, "that's unfortunate. We can help with rhe medical bills, but accidents happen". There's more to the story, but the gist is that was when the door opened to catering to the terminally stupid.
Or another example:
'Activist', usually egged on by some corrupt asshole who has a grift/agenda in the works behind the scenes: "we need to get rid of all fossil fuels right now."
Questioner: "How are the trucks going to deliver food"
'Activist': "we don't need trucks. We can just go to the store and buy the food"
The two examples are where the US has the capacity to handle the stupidity based on the bounty built by others. The problem is, the idiots are growing while eating the proverbial seed corn. And to compound it (for now) the idiots think they won't be affected. And will be the first to whine/cry/loot/lie/steal when they eventually are, too clueless to realize what they have lost. And unfortunately, pull everyone else down with them.
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Finally.... It's refreshing to see someone with an informed and valid opinion and that understands the greatness of this country.... Rather than the idiots here that don't understand a single thing about Capitalism.
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In your opinion, what is so great about capitalism?

Maybe listen to this speech by Javier Milei. The speech gets a little dry, but the guy speaks both from a grounded education in economics, and from practical experience having grown up in Argentina (which in the early 1900s was a very affluent country, throughout the rest of the century contending with the wonders of socialism). I hope he can right that nation.

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The same guy who labeled climate change "a socialist lie!?". Kay!

Curious how bolivar lost its value over night as soon as he got elected! Growing pains though, right? Even more curious is his plan to ditch bolivar in favor of the USD specially in light of BRICS having recently accepted SA & UAE into their midst. I wouldn't be surprised if Argentina once again fell into the same old petrostate trap its has long suffered regardless of its economic system.

As far as the 1900s goes, we'll, my earlier post to MercurialVapor applies here if one can be bothered reading it.

But yeah, I listened to Milei as I do a whole bunch people.

Posted by Argus

Posted by MercurialVapor

Posted by Argus

Posted by MercurialVapor

Posted by CancerOnTheCusp

Posted by MyStarsShine
For anyone living in the USA, tell me what you like about living there and what you don’t like?

Likes:
A lot of beautiful places which are potentially accessible
Unique in the way the country was founded --with some thanks to common law tradition and Enlightenment thinking--which allowed a large thriving middle class which has been historically anomalous (see more in dislikes related to this)
A Constitution with a Bill of Rights and associated freedoms(see more in dislikes related to this)
Still a land of opportunity if one is willing to put in the honest work to make it happen
Dislikes (well really one big one with a whole lot of subfactors):
When you hear someone use the pejorative "first world problems", the US is the poster child. We've had it so good for so long, due to the industry and creativity of generations before us, that there is a large number of historically ignorant retards and ingrates that have been insulated from suffering the consequences of the bad decisions they make, enabled by smooth talking shysters who manipulate those idiots for their own ends, and as a consequence innocent parties also suffer. We've become way too tolerant of it.
Example (about the time you really started seeing the trend):
30 years ago, a woman sued McDonalds claiming injury because the coffee she spilled on herself was "too hot". There was a time where there the reponse would be "hey dumbass, don't spill coffee on yourself", or more charitably, "that's unfortunate. We can help with rhe medical bills, but accidents happen". There's more to the story, but the gist is that was when the door opened to catering to the terminally stupid.
Or another example:
'Activist', usually egged on by some corrupt asshole who has a grift/agenda in the works behind the scenes: "we need to get rid of all fossil fuels right now."
Questioner: "How are the trucks going to deliver food"
'Activist': "we don't need trucks. We can just go to the store and buy the food"
The two examples are where the US has the capacity to handle the stupidity based on the bounty built by others. The problem is, the idiots are growing while eating the proverbial seed corn. And to compound it (for now) the idiots think they won't be affected. And will be the first to whine/cry/loot/lie/steal when they eventually are, too clueless to realize what they have lost. And unfortunately, pull everyone else down with them.
click to expand

Finally.... It's refreshing to see someone with an informed and valid opinion and that understands the greatness of this country.... Rather than the idiots here that don't understand a single thing about Capitalism.

In your opinion, what is so great about capitalism?

Albeit, not a perfect system (no economic system is and no economic system will be able to phase out poverty, but only minimize it) since it has some flaws and shortcomings, Capitalism has single-handedly lifted the majority of humanity out of poverty through the entire history of mankind. That's no easy feat to begin with and it has happened, in less than 200 years.

There is so much to unpack in a such seemingly simple satement, which is why I've deliberated whether or not I should respond. I'd be, however, remiss if I didn't touch on few glaring points. I'll try my best to be as succinct as possible since I do not wish to derail this thread.

I'll start by asking as to what you might consider middle class? Those with enough purchasing power to buy a house, a car, have some saving and a retirement fund? If so, US isn't the exception nor is capitalism in a sense it seem to be suggest it is.

Additionally, and this is a part that trully tickles my funny bone, is that a great deal of those who are staunch supporters of capitalism, completely and conveniently forget about the history of the US and its inception! The massive wealth accrued over several hundred years by expulsion of native people, land grab and it's resources and of course, in no small part thanks to free labour. But that's not where it stops is it now? Come 20th century, such practices only expanded on a global scale to this very day which actually renders US a expolatative imperial oligacy when one really thinks abut it.

It is estimated that the North net, in 2015 alone, appropriated extraordinary aggregate of resources world wide (mainly the global south) in the amount that it could easily end world hunger 70 times over.

But more to the point of middle class you mentioned... I ask again, what middle class as in which demographic? The only time in history of the US where one could argue there truly was a middle class was the 50s & 60s ( maybe early 70s) and it applied primarily to a certain demographic. But even that was made possible with help of social program (G.I Bill) that congrass passed shortly after WWII. Any meaningful economic upward mobility was in fact made possible thanks to social programs put in place over the years. So no, the wealth and the emergence of the middle class in the US did not just happen in the ether of capitalism.

Many like to use GDP as a measure of individual monetary standing yet what the equation fails to do is account for a massive wealth discrepancy. And the gap is only getting bigger! What of 44000-98000 hospitalized patients who die from preventable diseases? What of our crumbling infrastructure...

I better stop myself here because I could literally write a dissertation but I will conclude by saying that I do agree with you on the fact that there is no perfect economic systhem. That said, I do not see a reason why, in the 21st century, citizens of this country shouldn't expected better. Better from our government, each other and humanity at large?

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Let me start with a few simple question.

What do you think Capitalism is?

How do you define it?

How does government generate money?

What kind of economic system do you think the US has? (Hint: it isn't Capitalism)



There was no mention of middle class anywhere in my post. In reality it's a subjective term that can mean almost anything depending on who is setting up the parameters. Middle class isn't a barometer of how the economy is performing in general. GDP can give you a better idea of things but a better measure is purchasing power of the dollar, which has diminished over time and hence why things are less affordable. What do you think caused the loss of purchase power?

You attribute social programs such as GI bills as reasons that generated all that wealth, yet nowadays we have one of the most college educated populations in an entire era and yet they're asking for student loan forgiveness and are waiting tables for a living....Why? Because of Capitalism?

Housing, healthcare, etc used to be affordable on one household salary, what do you think caused the increase? All these things have sky-rocketed due to government intervention. Every time government subsidizes a home, a degree, healthcare, etc they increase demand on a dwindling supply. If you had 10 houses in the market for sale and 3 buyers, laws of demand and supply dictate that those houses are going to be cheaper due to competition. Now throw all sorts of government loans (where do you think those loans come from? How do you think government makes money?). So due to government trying to make something "affordable" you introduced 7 buyers in the market now, what do you think that does to the price of the homes? What about the price of tuition? See where this is going?

What does Capitalism have to do with bad actors? If people were stealing or enslaving others, it has nothing to do with it. I don't recall reading any book on Capitalism endorsing those things. In reality, Chattel Slavery kept the South poor and industrially behind the North. On the same breath, what do you think was the factor that propelled the North forward and left the South behind?

https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3558#:~:text=Although% 20slavery% 20was% 20highly% 20profitable,a% 20lack% 20of% 20technological% 20innovation.

@MercurialVapor

What kind of economic system do you think the US has? (Hint: it isn't Capitalism)

Yes! I know it is not! I said as much in my post above, so thank you for reaffirming my observations! That being said, one does wonder why you decided to praise capitalism in the framework of the United States?! Rhetorical question of course since I intend to follow through on my earlier resolution & not to get into a debate. But I appreciate your reply just the same!

America is a country where you are constantly running without realizing it.

We chased the Natives into resorts.

Now, Whites run away from the colored people and poor people. "Run away" into few places (resorts like).

Those resorts are now $ 30,000 in taxes per year in order to keep away the people you ran away from.

We are running away to get:

"better job"

"bigger home"

"less taxes"

"better school system"

"more space"

"different people" - most common running reason

"leave my life alone politics"

"etc"

You know why we are always looking for the things above? Because those things don't exist where WE ARE RIGHT NOW. It's a constant chase. We did not have a president that did anything for the country since Eisenhower. It's a nightmare for people born here, but a paradise for those invading from third world countries.

If you are not careful this place using that "chase" will take all your: energy, life, youth, money. It's an extremely well engineered Feudalistic system. People that aligned 4 oldest cities in the country with Stonehenge were never stupid.