Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by UNI88 »

GannonFan wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 8:38 am
kalm wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 8:19 am
Depends on how you want to read the graph.

I think it's pretty telling, and I'd say positive, that from 1970 to 2021, the percentage of people considered "low income" dropped from 25% to 10%. That's awesome, people are moving upwards in large numbers. And it doesn't stop there, the percentage of people in the "high income" bracket moved from 14% to 29%. How's that not awesome too? Kinda goes directly against the narrative that people can't move upwards in American society as defined by income - people are moving and mostly moving upwards. Yay America. Wonder how other countries look and if they have anything close to this upward movement in society.
One of us is misreading the graph. I see it as the percentage of people considered low income went from 25% in 1970/71 to 29% in 2021. The lighter shade of each color is 1970/71 and the darker shade is 2021. The good news is that the percentage of people considered high income went from 14% in 1970/71 to 21% in 2021. The quality of life of low income people then and now should also be considered.

Upward mobility is a thing. That might change if MAGAts have their way and gut public education and continue their war on business and commerce, making America no longer the land of opportunity.
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by UNI88 »

BDKJMU wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 9:43 am Image
The MAGAt "I love my country and want to protect it" person looks kind of like Michael Jackson. More proof that MAGAts are groomers and child molesters. :coffee:
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by GannonFan »

UNI88 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 9:42 am
GannonFan wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 8:38 am

Depends on how you want to read the graph.

I think it's pretty telling, and I'd say positive, that from 1970 to 2021, the percentage of people considered "low income" dropped from 25% to 10%. That's awesome, people are moving upwards in large numbers. And it doesn't stop there, the percentage of people in the "high income" bracket moved from 14% to 29%. How's that not awesome too? Kinda goes directly against the narrative that people can't move upwards in American society as defined by income - people are moving and mostly moving upwards. Yay America. Wonder how other countries look and if they have anything close to this upward movement in society.
One of us is misreading the graph. I see it as the percentage of people considered low income went from 25% in 1970/71 to 29% in 2021. The lighter shade of each color is 1970/71 and the darker shade is 2021. The good news is that the percentage of people considered high income went from 14% in 1970/71 to 21% in 2021. The quality of life of low income people then and now should also be considered.

Upward mobility is a thing. That might change if MAGAts have their way and gut public education and continue their war on business and commerce, making America no longer the land of opportunity.
My bad, you're correct. The percentage of low income people did increase by 4%. Middle income folks dropped by 11%, with the higher income folks increasing by 7%. So movement, mostly up, but with a smaller number falling behind. Good catch.
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by kalm »

GannonFan wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 9:38 am
kalm wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 9:23 am

I’m open to what you’re laying down but it’s your idea so you can support it further with additional stats if you’d like. If not…no biggie.
It was your idea for the household spending stuff - or is someone else posting for you these days? :?
It was your idea to oversimplify with one metric that’s obviously related to a few others.

It’s not just about inflation and MMT. (BTW, I’m not huge fan of either as well).

Support your claim…or not. It should be easy but it’s up to you. I won’t judge if you’d rather not.
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by GannonFan »

kalm wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 10:01 am
GannonFan wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 9:38 am

It was your idea for the household spending stuff - or is someone else posting for you these days? :?
It was your idea to oversimplify with one metric that’s obviously related to a few others.

It’s not just about inflation and MMT. (BTW, I’m not huge fan of either as well).

Support your claim…or not. It should be easy but it’s up to you. I won’t judge if you’d rather not.
My claim was simply looking at the graph you provided, which specifically looked at household income and divided it into low, middle, and high, and making an observation that the cumulative progression from 1970 to now was that people were moving upwards. That's true, even with UNI's correction to my mistake. That's not oversimplifying, it's just reading a graph.

You suggested that we look at other things, such as household spending. I just assumed since you brought it up that you would also then have the data we could look at. And now you seem way too defensive about it when asked for it and seem to think I claimed something other than what I did.

Again, my interpretation was that, as a measure of income as noted on the graph, that the net shift has been upward for America over the past 50 years. That doesn't seem to be in dispute unless you have something else to bring to the table.
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by kalm »

GannonFan wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 10:20 am
kalm wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 10:01 am

It was your idea to oversimplify with one metric that’s obviously related to a few others.

It’s not just about inflation and MMT. (BTW, I’m not huge fan of either as well).

Support your claim…or not. It should be easy but it’s up to you. I won’t judge if you’d rather not.
My claim was simply looking at the graph you provided, which specifically looked at household income and divided it into low, middle, and high, and making an observation that the cumulative progression from 1970 to now was that people were moving upwards. That's true, even with UNI's correction to my mistake. That's not oversimplifying, it's just reading a graph.

You suggested that we look at other things, such as household spending. I just assumed since you brought it up that you would also then have the data we could look at. And now you seem way too defensive about it when asked for it and seem to think I claimed something other than what I did.

Again, my interpretation was that, as a measure of income as noted on the graph, that the net shift has been upward for America over the past 50 years. That doesn't seem to be in dispute unless you have something else to bring to the table.
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by GannonFan »

kalm wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 10:23 am
GannonFan wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 10:20 am

My claim was simply looking at the graph you provided, which specifically looked at household income and divided it into low, middle, and high, and making an observation that the cumulative progression from 1970 to now was that people were moving upwards. That's true, even with UNI's correction to my mistake. That's not oversimplifying, it's just reading a graph.

You suggested that we look at other things, such as household spending. I just assumed since you brought it up that you would also then have the data we could look at. And now you seem way too defensive about it when asked for it and seem to think I claimed something other than what I did.

Again, my interpretation was that, as a measure of income as noted on the graph, that the net shift has been upward for America over the past 50 years. That doesn't seem to be in dispute unless you have something else to bring to the table.
“How is (this post) not awesome?”

:lol:
If all you want to do is troll and post drive-bys, you're doing a great job. I thought there was more to you, but I can certainly reconsider. :thumb:
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by kalm »

GannonFan wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 10:41 am
kalm wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 10:23 am

“How is (this post) not awesome?”

:lol:
If all you want to do is troll and post drive-bys, you're doing a great job. I thought there was more to you, but I can certainly reconsider. :thumb:
You’re either unaware of the thinly veiled snark (“How is this not awesome?”) in you’re original reply (which I respectfully replied to) or you sir, are the troll.
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by GannonFan »

kalm wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 10:59 am
GannonFan wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 10:41 am

If all you want to do is troll and post drive-bys, you're doing a great job. I thought there was more to you, but I can certainly reconsider. :thumb:
You’re either unaware of the thinly veiled snark (“How is this not awesome?”) in you’re original reply (which I respectfully replied to) or you sir, are the troll.
No snark in my original reply. I do use the word awesome on occasion and I thought the data was positive enough to warrant the word. Still do actually. And I never troll. :thumb:
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by kalm »

GannonFan wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 11:17 am
kalm wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 10:59 am

You’re either unaware of the thinly veiled snark (“How is this not awesome?”) in you’re original reply (which I respectfully replied to) or you sir, are the troll.
No snark in my original reply. I do use the word awesome on occasion and I thought the data was positive enough to warrant the word. Still do actually. And I never troll. :thumb:
Sure. :lol:
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by Winterborn »

UNI88 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 9:42 am
GannonFan wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 8:38 am

Depends on how you want to read the graph.

I think it's pretty telling, and I'd say positive, that from 1970 to 2021, the percentage of people considered "low income" dropped from 25% to 10%. That's awesome, people are moving upwards in large numbers. And it doesn't stop there, the percentage of people in the "high income" bracket moved from 14% to 29%. How's that not awesome too? Kinda goes directly against the narrative that people can't move upwards in American society as defined by income - people are moving and mostly moving upwards. Yay America. Wonder how other countries look and if they have anything close to this upward movement in society.
One of us is misreading the graph. I see it as the percentage of people considered low income went from 25% in 1970/71 to 29% in 2021. The lighter shade of each color is 1970/71 and the darker shade is 2021. The good news is that the percentage of people considered high income went from 14% in 1970/71 to 21% in 2021. The quality of life of low income people then and now should also be considered.

Upward mobility is a thing. That might change if MAGAts have their way and gut public education and continue their war on business and commerce, making America no longer the land of opportunity.
You could just as well put illibrials in the same spot as MAGAt's. Both twist science, follow dogma, and generally don't care about anybody outside of their particular tent. Neither side want's opportunity but to stick it to the other.
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by Winterborn »

GannonFan wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 10:41 am
kalm wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 10:23 am

“How is (this post) not awesome?”

:lol:
If all you want to do is troll and post drive-bys, you're doing a great job. I thought there was more to you, but I can certainly reconsider. :thumb:
Easier to argumentative when trolling.
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by kalm »

Winterborn wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 11:51 am
UNI88 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 9:42 am

One of us is misreading the graph. I see it as the percentage of people considered low income went from 25% in 1970/71 to 29% in 2021. The lighter shade of each color is 1970/71 and the darker shade is 2021. The good news is that the percentage of people considered high income went from 14% in 1970/71 to 21% in 2021. The quality of life of low income people then and now should also be considered.

Upward mobility is a thing. That might change if MAGAts have their way and gut public education and continue their war on business and commerce, making America no longer the land of opportunity.
You could just as well put illibrials in the same spot as MAGAt's. Both twist science, follow dogma, and generally don't care about anybody outside of their particular tent. Neither side want's opportunity but to stick it to the other.
I think the data indicates a shrinking middle class. I’m also concerned about a diminished ability to afford college, healthcare, retirement with dignity, etc.

My parents and their peer group were able to achieve these as well luxury items like vacation homes on modest teachers, professors, retired air force salaries. My sense is many of those things are no longer achievable today. I don’t care where the ideas come from as long as they’re ideas that have a proven track record of success.
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by UNI88 »

Winterborn wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 11:51 am
UNI88 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 9:42 am
One of us is misreading the graph. I see it as the percentage of people considered low income went from 25% in 1970/71 to 29% in 2021. The lighter shade of each color is 1970/71 and the darker shade is 2021. The good news is that the percentage of people considered high income went from 14% in 1970/71 to 21% in 2021. The quality of life of low income people then and now should also be considered.

Upward mobility is a thing. That might change if MAGAts have their way and gut public education and continue their war on business and commerce, making America no longer the land of opportunity.
You could just as well put illibrials in the same spot as MAGAt's. Both twist science, follow dogma, and generally don't care about anybody outside of their particular tent. Neither side want's opportunity but to stick it to the other.
Completely agree. They're different sides of the same coin. Crusading zealots trying to force their moral standards on everyone. Neither wanting to respect or consider other opinions and perspectives.
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by UNI88 »

kalm wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 11:59 am
Winterborn wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 11:51 am
You could just as well put illibrials in the same spot as MAGAt's. Both twist science, follow dogma, and generally don't care about anybody outside of their particular tent. Neither side want's opportunity but to stick it to the other.
I think the data indicates a shrinking middle class. I’m also concerned about a diminished ability to afford college, healthcare, retirement with dignity, etc.

My parents and their peer group were able to achieve these as well luxury items like vacation homes on modest teachers, professors, retired air force salaries. My sense is many of those things are no longer achievable today. I don’t care where the ideas come from as long as they’re ideas that have a proven track record of success.
There are valid reasons to be concerned about the future of our youth and their ability to build wealth through homeownership. Some of that is due to their personal choices and spending habits and some of it is due to the rising cost of homes, autos, etc.

It is also worth considering whether the past 75 years were an anomaly and we're simply returning to historical norms. In which case you're attempting to deny (social) science. ;)
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by kalm »

UNI88 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 12:23 pm
kalm wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 11:59 am

I think the data indicates a shrinking middle class. I’m also concerned about a diminished ability to afford college, healthcare, retirement with dignity, etc.

My parents and their peer group were able to achieve these as well luxury items like vacation homes on modest teachers, professors, retired air force salaries. My sense is many of those things are no longer achievable today. I don’t care where the ideas come from as long as they’re ideas that have a proven track record of success.
There are valid reasons to be concerned about the future of our youth and their ability to build wealth through homeownership. Some of that is due to their personal choices and spending habits and some of it is due to the rising cost of homes, autos, etc.

It is also worth considering whether the past 75 years were an anomaly and we're simply returning to historical norms. In which case you're attempting to deny (social) science. ;)
You’re probably right. :)
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by Winterborn »

UNI88 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 12:23 pm
kalm wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 11:59 am

I think the data indicates a shrinking middle class. I’m also concerned about a diminished ability to afford college, healthcare, retirement with dignity, etc.

My parents and their peer group were able to achieve these as well luxury items like vacation homes on modest teachers, professors, retired air force salaries. My sense is many of those things are no longer achievable today. I don’t care where the ideas come from as long as they’re ideas that have a proven track record of success.
There are valid reasons to be concerned about the future of our youth and their ability to build wealth through homeownership. Some of that is due to their personal choices and spending habits and some of it is due to the rising cost of homes, autos, etc.

It is also worth considering whether the past 75 years were an anomaly and we're simply returning to historical norms. In which case you're attempting to deny (social) science. ;)
Agree and I am very concerned about upward mobility and building wealth (I would like to retire someday after all) and it concerns me that Politicians keep on putting roadblocks and restricting freedoms. Republicans have definitely been catching up to the bad habits that Democrats have been employing during my lifetime, so no side is immune from blame, but from a regulatory standpoint and a cost of business nobody holds a candle to keeping people from realizing their dreams like the D's. It is almost like they want people to fail so they can swoop in and be their savior. :coffee:
From his inauguration to March 24, 2023, President Joe Biden increased the regulatory paperwork obligation by 220 million hours, reports American Action Forum's Dan Goldbeck.

The regulatory paperwork burden under Biden "exceeds the combined total accumulated under Obama and Trump in their opening years," Goldbeck says. If that number seems incomprehensibly large, he notes that it equates to "roughly 25,000 years" of filling out forms and other compliance tasks.
https://reason.com/2023/05/01/president ... arsely-api
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by kalm »

Winterborn wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 1:57 pm
UNI88 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 12:23 pm

There are valid reasons to be concerned about the future of our youth and their ability to build wealth through homeownership. Some of that is due to their personal choices and spending habits and some of it is due to the rising cost of homes, autos, etc.

It is also worth considering whether the past 75 years were an anomaly and we're simply returning to historical norms. In which case you're attempting to deny (social) science. ;)
Agree and I am very concerned about upward mobility and building wealth (I would like to retire someday after all) and it concerns me that Politicians keep on putting roadblocks and restricting freedoms. Republicans have definitely been catching up to the bad habits that Democrats have been employing during my lifetime, so no side is immune from blame, but from a regulatory standpoint and a cost of business nobody holds a candle to keeping people from realizing their dreams like the D's. It is almost like they want people to fail so they can swoop in and be their savior. :coffee:
From his inauguration to March 24, 2023, President Joe Biden increased the regulatory paperwork obligation by 220 million hours, reports American Action Forum's Dan Goldbeck.

The regulatory paperwork burden under Biden "exceeds the combined total accumulated under Obama and Trump in their opening years," Goldbeck says. If that number seems incomprehensibly large, he notes that it equates to "roughly 25,000 years" of filling out forms and other compliance tasks.
https://reason.com/2023/05/01/president ... arsely-api
As a former small business owner and manager in a highly D controlled regulatory state but with a R controlled local government I disagree.

They both suck.

Then again, given the large population and dishonesty of too many companies and threats to the environment and public health (not to mention monopolistic practices) I understand the need for regulation.

My brother just told me about some heavy industrial company that was caught dumping waste into a slough on a game refuge near his place. They were fined 200 million for the damages. If more companies acted more responsibly we wouldn’t need as many regulations. That’s not a D or R problem exclusively.

Here’s a lefty counter to your Reason article:
Dwight Eisenhower created the Small Business Administration to “aid, counsel, assist, and protect insofar as is possible the interests of small-business concerns.”

He signed a massive expansion of Social Security to take the pension/retirement onus off small- and medium-sized employers, increased the minimum wage so a prospering working class could purchase the products of American manufacturers, and built low-income housing across the nation to end the homeless “hobo” problem left over from the Republican Great Depression.

Eisenhower created from scratch the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to build a healthy and well-educated workforce, while Richard Nixon signed the Environmental Protection Agency into law to save the lives of American workers being killed by toxic pesticides and other chemicals (the agency’s creation was provoked by Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring).

Today’s GOP opposes all of these programs and agencies. They only support the largest American companies and the richest citizens.

When Trump was president, he rolled back regulation of toxic pesticides known to cause brain damage to children, and one of his first official acts in office was to end the prohibition of coal mines dumping their toxic waste and tailings into America’s rivers, polluting downstream water supplies with cancer-causing chemicals.

Republicans keep business costs absurdly high

Arguably, the best policy possible for American businesses of all sizes is the Medicare For All program promoted for decades by progressive Democrats.

Back in 2004, Toyota announced they’d be opening a new factory in North America. Three southern US states offered them billions in tax advantages and free land, with the Republican governor of Alabama openly bragging about how cheaply his citizens would work for the company.

But in the end, in 2005, Toyota announced they’d be building the factory in Ontario, Canada because US healthcare costs are nearly twice those of Canada, which has had a successful Medicare For All system in place for more than a half-century (as I lay out in The Hidden History of American Healthcare: Why Sickness Bankrupts You and Makes Others Insanely Rich).

Since then, as Republicans (and a few bought-off Democrats) continue to fight any effort to establish a national healthcare or health insurance system, the company has built two more North American factories in Canada.

If it wasn’t for Republican obstruction, they would’ve been built here and the jobs would be here.



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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by kalm »

We missed out on the possibility of trauma stations when I was a kid.

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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by Winterborn »

kalm wrote: Tue May 02, 2023 5:18 am
As a former small business owner and manager in a highly D controlled regulatory state but with a R controlled local government I disagree.

They both suck.

Then again, given the large population and dishonesty of too many companies and threats to the environment and public health (not to mention monopolistic practices) I understand the need for regulation.

My brother just told me about some heavy industrial company that was caught dumping waste into a slough on a game refuge near his place. They were fined 200 million for the damages. If more companies acted more responsibly we wouldn’t need as many regulations. That’s not a D or R problem exclusively.

Here’s a lefty counter to your Reason article:
Dwight Eisenhower created the Small Business Administration to “aid, counsel, assist, and protect insofar as is possible the interests of small-business concerns.”

He signed a massive expansion of Social Security to take the pension/retirement onus off small- and medium-sized employers, increased the minimum wage so a prospering working class could purchase the products of American manufacturers, and built low-income housing across the nation to end the homeless “hobo” problem left over from the Republican Great Depression.

Eisenhower created from scratch the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to build a healthy and well-educated workforce, while Richard Nixon signed the Environmental Protection Agency into law to save the lives of American workers being killed by toxic pesticides and other chemicals (the agency’s creation was provoked by Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring).

Today’s GOP opposes all of these programs and agencies. They only support the largest American companies and the richest citizens.

When Trump was president, he rolled back regulation of toxic pesticides known to cause brain damage to children, and one of his first official acts in office was to end the prohibition of coal mines dumping their toxic waste and tailings into America’s rivers, polluting downstream water supplies with cancer-causing chemicals.

Republicans keep business costs absurdly high

Arguably, the best policy possible for American businesses of all sizes is the Medicare For All program promoted for decades by progressive Democrats.

Back in 2004, Toyota announced they’d be opening a new factory in North America. Three southern US states offered them billions in tax advantages and free land, with the Republican governor of Alabama openly bragging about how cheaply his citizens would work for the company.

But in the end, in 2005, Toyota announced they’d be building the factory in Ontario, Canada because US healthcare costs are nearly twice those of Canada, which has had a successful Medicare For All system in place for more than a half-century (as I lay out in The Hidden History of American Healthcare: Why Sickness Bankrupts You and Makes Others Insanely Rich).

Since then, as Republicans (and a few bought-off Democrats) continue to fight any effort to establish a national healthcare or health insurance system, the company has built two more North American factories in Canada.

If it wasn’t for Republican obstruction, they would’ve been built here and the jobs would be here.

https://open.substack.com/pub/thomhartm ... medium=web
I can get behind the argument (from a small business side) they both suck. From a large business, regulatory standpoint, the current D's are much worse. The current EPA has proposed rule making that would effectively shutter half of our coal and gas fired power plants. Going to be hard to charge all those electric cars that we are supposed to buy, no?

I have no problem with some of what the EPA has done in the past, I think they were needed, but the current crop is justifying their paychecks and has gone beyond correcting a wrong to actively hindering the U.S. economy. The EPA has its place, but it needs guidelines and to stay in those guidelines. Your ignorance on what the EPA and other agencies actually do, is limiting your understanding of the topic (you’re not unique here, most of America doesn’t realize the impact on their day to day lives these agencies have). There is a massive difference in having blank permission to build a product while meeting certain regulatory rules and having to ask permission to even get started due so much regulatory oversight (we are very close to having to do this under the current rulemaking proposals). You complain about cost and corruption (validly) but yet ignore the cost the government adds to every single product by having onerous regulations who’s cost just gets passed on to the consumer and thereby reducing their spending power. Back to my reason.com article, who do you think is going to pay for those 220 million extra hours of regulatory paperwork that Biden added in two years? Those rich, evil corporations (your words) or the people who buy their products? Nothing happens in a vacuum.

And not all business are dishonest, the vast majority are not and do their best for their consumers and the environment they operate in. I work in the regulatory side of things with multiple Fortune 500 companies and your push of everybody is corrupt gets to be tiresome to read to be frank. I also take it that you never did read the WSJ article I put on here about the true cost of socialized medicine. I have Canadian relatives and guess where they come for anything serious? I will give you a hint, it isn’t their system.

Thom Hartmann is an idiot and his message is straight up your ally of a gluten free version of socialism lite (and yes I read the entire article just to see how far he goes down his particular gospel. I got a good chuckle out of it). I try to ignore the R’s and D’s beside people’s names and look at what they did from a does this increase people’s freedom or decrease it. I don’t agree with everything past presidents did on both sides nor do I disagree with what they did, true freedom doesn’t care about political party.

One should be careful of what they wish for, because they just might get it. :coffee:
“The best of all things is to learn. Money can be lost or stolen, health and strength may fail, but what you have committed to your mind is yours forever.” – Louis L’Amour

“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” - G. Michael Hopf

"I am neither especially clever nor especially gifted. I am only very, very curious.” – Albert Einstein
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by kalm »

Winterborn wrote: Tue May 02, 2023 7:03 am
kalm wrote: Tue May 02, 2023 5:18 am
As a former small business owner and manager in a highly D controlled regulatory state but with a R controlled local government I disagree.

They both suck.

Then again, given the large population and dishonesty of too many companies and threats to the environment and public health (not to mention monopolistic practices) I understand the need for regulation.

My brother just told me about some heavy industrial company that was caught dumping waste into a slough on a game refuge near his place. They were fined 200 million for the damages. If more companies acted more responsibly we wouldn’t need as many regulations. That’s not a D or R problem exclusively.

Here’s a lefty counter to your Reason article:




https://open.substack.com/pub/thomhartm ... medium=web
I can get behind the argument (from a small business side) they both suck. From a large business, regulatory standpoint, the current D's are much worse. The current EPA has proposed rule making that would effectively shutter half of our coal and gas fired power plants. Going to be hard to charge all those electric cars that we are supposed to buy, no?

I have no problem with some of what the EPA has done in the past, I think they were needed, but the current crop is justifying their paychecks and has gone beyond correcting a wrong to actively hindering the U.S. economy. The EPA has its place, but it needs guidelines and to stay in those guidelines. Your ignorance on what the EPA and other agencies actually do, is limiting your understanding of the topic (you’re not unique here, most of America doesn’t realize the impact on their day to day lives these agencies have). There is a massive difference in having blank permission to build a product while meeting certain regulatory rules and having to ask permission to even get started due so much regulatory oversight (we are very close to having to do this under the current rulemaking proposals). You complain about cost and corruption (validly) but yet ignore the cost the government adds to every single product by having onerous regulations who’s cost just gets passed on to the consumer and thereby reducing their spending power. Back to my reason.com article, who do you think is going to pay for those 220 million extra hours of regulatory paperwork that Biden added in two years? Those rich, evil corporations (your words) or the people who buy their products? Nothing happens in a vacuum.

And not all business are dishonest, the vast majority are not and do their best for their consumers and the environment they operate in. I work in the regulatory side of things with multiple Fortune 500 companies and your push of everybody is corrupt gets to be tiresome to read to be frank. I also take it that you never did read the WSJ article I put on here about the true cost of socialized medicine. I have Canadian relatives and guess where they come for anything serious? I will give you a hint, it isn’t their system.

Thom Hartmann is an idiot and his message is straight up your ally of a gluten free version of socialism lite (and yes I read the entire article just to see how far he goes down his particular gospel. I got a good chuckle out of it). I try to ignore the R’s and D’s beside people’s names and look at what they did from a does this increase people’s freedom or decrease it. I don’t agree with everything past presidents did on both sides nor do I disagree with what they did, true freedom doesn’t care about political party.

One should be careful of what they wish for, because they just might get it. :coffee:
Well to be frank, I never everybody is too corrupt. I said too many companies are corrupt. Or put another way, there’s enough corporate malfeasance that the regulatory state continues to grow by necessity.

I don’t expect you to like Hartmann. I posted his facts as a counter to Reason (which, like Hartmann gets some things wrong and some right, and also has an axe to grind). One thing I appreciate has been Hartmann’s willingness to have libertarians including some writers from Reason on for debates many times through the years. They are typically engaging but respectful discussions.

I choose to not dismiss either out of hand. Reason’s ideas challenge my thinking…something I rather appreciate.
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Re: Political memes, Posters, Funny Pics, Etc.

Post by Winterborn »

kalm wrote: Tue May 02, 2023 7:36 am
Winterborn wrote: Tue May 02, 2023 7:03 am

I can get behind the argument (from a small business side) they both suck. From a large business, regulatory standpoint, the current D's are much worse. The current EPA has proposed rule making that would effectively shutter half of our coal and gas fired power plants. Going to be hard to charge all those electric cars that we are supposed to buy, no?

I have no problem with some of what the EPA has done in the past, I think they were needed, but the current crop is justifying their paychecks and has gone beyond correcting a wrong to actively hindering the U.S. economy. The EPA has its place, but it needs guidelines and to stay in those guidelines. Your ignorance on what the EPA and other agencies actually do, is limiting your understanding of the topic (you’re not unique here, most of America doesn’t realize the impact on their day to day lives these agencies have). There is a massive difference in having blank permission to build a product while meeting certain regulatory rules and having to ask permission to even get started due so much regulatory oversight (we are very close to having to do this under the current rulemaking proposals). You complain about cost and corruption (validly) but yet ignore the cost the government adds to every single product by having onerous regulations who’s cost just gets passed on to the consumer and thereby reducing their spending power. Back to my reason.com article, who do you think is going to pay for those 220 million extra hours of regulatory paperwork that Biden added in two years? Those rich, evil corporations (your words) or the people who buy their products? Nothing happens in a vacuum.

And not all business are dishonest, the vast majority are not and do their best for their consumers and the environment they operate in. I work in the regulatory side of things with multiple Fortune 500 companies and your push of everybody is corrupt gets to be tiresome to read to be frank. I also take it that you never did read the WSJ article I put on here about the true cost of socialized medicine. I have Canadian relatives and guess where they come for anything serious? I will give you a hint, it isn’t their system.

Thom Hartmann is an idiot and his message is straight up your ally of a gluten free version of socialism lite (and yes I read the entire article just to see how far he goes down his particular gospel. I got a good chuckle out of it). I try to ignore the R’s and D’s beside people’s names and look at what they did from a does this increase people’s freedom or decrease it. I don’t agree with everything past presidents did on both sides nor do I disagree with what they did, true freedom doesn’t care about political party.

One should be careful of what they wish for, because they just might get it. :coffee:
Well to be frank, I never everybody is too corrupt. I said too many companies are corrupt. Or put another way, there’s enough corporate malfeasance that the regulatory state continues to grow by necessity.

I don’t expect you to like Hartmann. I posted his facts as a counter to Reason (which, like Hartmann gets some things wrong and some right, and also has an axe to grind). One thing I appreciate has been Hartmann’s willingness to have libertarians including some writers from Reason on for debates many times through the years. They are typically engaging but respectful discussions.

I choose to not dismiss either out of hand. Reason’s ideas challenge my thinking…something I rather appreciate.
I can work with your correction but disagree on the need for the regulatory state to grow. I see just as much corruption in that as the companies they are supposedly to have oversight on (Banking is the most recent example and the EPA has been caught taking multiple shortcuts, which are against their charter, in the recent years). Who is going to watch the watchers then? Corruption doesn't just take a day off because it runs across a bureaucrat. As a small business owner (or former owner) you can appreciate efficiency I hope. When there is no to limited oversight (as in the EPA, CARB, etc) what is to keep them from acting in their own self interests? (which is very business like, IMHO)

I am not arguing for elimination of oversight, I am advocating for more efficient oversight, oversight that is accountable, and oversight that fits the particular case, not more growth. There is current work I am doing on where the proposed regulations are so low, that they are beyond the means to measure (i.e. there is NO instrument that exists to measure those values in a repeatable manner) and companies are supposed to comply with that. How? And the consequences of none-compliance can be millions of dollars a day depending on the product. That is to say nothing of their proposed rulemaking was based on a study in a different area that was applied to a completely different use case. The authority for this came under the Obama reign.

His "facts" (and I use the term very, very loosely) are confined to particular activity (i.e. Eisenhower started x) but why I called him an idiot and said that you two are peas in a pod ( :kisswink: ) is because of his "analysis". Outside of the facts above, the rest is his opinion and poorly reasoned opinion at that, IMHO. Like you noted, Hartmann has an axe to grid, just like your posts and mine, my axe is to look at the past and see what it has gotten us, something Harmann and yourself like to pick and choose over to fit your agenda. I take a more holistic approach. :coffee:

Biden will wind up costing us Billions more if we are lucky. Unlucky, well let me ask you this. How well do you like your AC system? Or stain resistant carpet? UV resistant plastics or other materials? Like your plastic tooth brush or bristles? IV lines? etc.

Now some (all of the above I listed but others will not) will get exemptions but that goes to my point in the previous post. We are going from a state of have permission to asking for permission due to chemicals that should have never been regulated in this manner. For reference, in my example, 3/4 of the U.S. economy runs on derivations of these chemicals of which some have been used for over 50 years and have a good provenance.

BTW: I am in fact calling your particular political philosophy idiotic in the nicest most well meaning way with a smile. Not saying you do not have good points (you have many), just that your proposed implementation is doomed to failure. :kisswink: :hide:
“The best of all things is to learn. Money can be lost or stolen, health and strength may fail, but what you have committed to your mind is yours forever.” – Louis L’Amour

“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” - G. Michael Hopf

"I am neither especially clever nor especially gifted. I am only very, very curious.” – Albert Einstein
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