DBG8492

GenX - Raised on hose water and neglect. OG DBG - Now I wrestle computers and rustle packets. No job is too big, no fee is too big. DBG8492@ 4

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

This is just a complete loss of awareness and common courtesy.

It's been on the rise for years and every time I swear it's peaked, it gets worse.

[Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius]

My whole life I have been very respectful of my elders.

As a young person (younger than 55) I was very respectful of old people (older than 55) who moved like molasses in the grocery store, blocking the aisles, walking three abreast at the speed of a wounded gerbil while chitchatting.

I always figured: "Well they are old. I hope people show me that respect when I am that age."

Wellllll....

Now I AM that age and you people need to PICK UP THE PACE AND GET THE HELL OUT OF EVERYBODY'S WAY.

Just because you are 60 does not mean you get to spend ten minutes in front of the milk case checking the expiration date on every single blasted gallon of milk and then comparing the prices of the 2% and the 1% and the nonfat while literally eight people pile up behind you waiting for you to get done and choose your stupid carton of milk.

Just because you are older does not give you the right to inconvenience everybody else.

(And no, I am not talking about the 95 year old great-great grandma with the walker who deserves to take her time, I'm talking about the healthy 65 year old who walks just fine but is still oblivious to everyone else.)

OK I feel better now that I have that out of my system.

Carry on.

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

@MarioNawfal The miracle of food preservation through the use of seasonings and dry air - something that fueled our rise from the bottom to the top of the food chain - is now regarded as "if bacteria won't touch it, maybe you shouldn't either."

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

@MarioNawfal https://t.co/pX7S5M6Oe8

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

I see a lot of people out there - mostly influencers - who have taken to repeating Reagan's famous quip "The Debt Doesn't Matter" as if it were some mantra or wizard's spell. Less said, but just as important are things like "We owe it to ourselves," or the question "Who is going to collect it?"

While the latter two have a kernel of truth but miss the larger picture, the first one is patently false. The debt does matter. Why? Because the US dollar is backed by debt. Nearly every single dollar that exists is a share of that debt, and every bit of debt added that's not offset by a corresponding cancellation devalues every other dollar in the system.

This is no different than clipping coins or printing paper money. It's inflation.

In 1990, the US national debt was a little over $3 trillion. Today, it's over $37 trillion. That's an increase of about 1025% - most of which occurred after 2020, which is why everything costs so much more now than it did in 2019 and why, simultaneously, the quantity and quality of products and materials have eroded tremendously as producers scramble to find a way to keep their prices down.

Before 2020, it was relatively easy to keep paychecks rising at a level comparable to real inflation. And with the manipulated numbers published to track it, it was easy to conceal the discrepancy. However, there is no way in hell to hide the rise from $12 trillion in 2009 to $27 trillion in 2020. Nine years just isn't enough runway to raise everyone's pay enough to keep up with price increases.

And we don't "owe it to ourselves." We sell bonds that promise to pay the face value plus interest over a specified term, and that debt is owed to those who bought the bonds - some are individuals - most of them US citizens - while others are banks and countries around the world.

Yes, we can just create more debt to pay off the old, but you're still stuck with the problem that doing so requires paying the interest with new debt as well. But this just further devalues the currency. As for collections - no one is going to collect. But at some point, they will simply stop buying your new bonds. Then they will stop taking dollars in payment for the old ones.

When that happens, we will officially default, and the debt will be erased. This will result in the greatest deflationary spiral ever seen as trillions of dollars just disappear - not because they no longer exist on paper or in some computer, but because they're now worthless. If you have a dollar that no one wants, you don't have anything. It may as well no longer exist.

Yes, there are a lot of countries out there with economies dependent on the dollar that cannot afford for it to collapse. And they will do their best to prop it up, but in the end, they will either have to give in or be pulled down the drain with us.

Can this be stopped? Maybe - but definitely not in the current political climate.

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

In a political system where leaders are elected, every politician is an "honest product" of their constituents' beliefs.

Which says a lot about those who supported Joe Biden as well... Or any politician, for that matter.

[Sony Thăng @nxt888]

The problem with Trump isn’t that he’s the worst America has to offer. It’s that he’s the most honest product of what America has always been.

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

It's not that difficult to understand.

Since 2020, every producer in the US has been doing everything they can to keep their products priced as low as possible. Why? Because if they are forced to raise prices too high, people will stop buying their products.

This is why a 12 oz box of macaroni and cheese mix not only became a 7 oz box, but the ingredients that were sourced to make it were reduced in quality. This allowed them to charge the same amount or at least only raise the price by a small percentage. If they'd kept everything the same, the price of the 12 oz box would have doubled - at least.

This is easy to do in an industry like the one that produces macaroni and cheese mix, where you can shrink the size and source lower-quality ingredients. It is not very easy to do in the service or agriculture industry, where much of your control over most of your costs revolves around the employees.

If you have one group of employees that cost you - on net - 30% less than another group, you're going to tend to focus your efforts on getting and keeping those in the lower-cost demographic because if you don't, you will have to raise your prices to a level even higher than 30% to make up for it - OR - you will have to lower the quality and/or quantity of the services you provide to remain at the same price.

The reality is that due to other government policies and meddling in markets, it will cost more to hire US citizens for these jobs than it does to hire an undocumented worker - in many cases, a lot more than 30%. There's no disputing that.

Politicians know that if forced to hire US citizens, the ripple effect of these industries having to raise their prices to cover that increased cost will be extreme, and it will be felt across the economy in ways that no one can imagine. It would be a complete disaster, and it might just blow the lid off the whole thing.

Does that mean I support them doing so? No, they should not create or continue to support a slave worker class to hide the fact that they've printed too much money. Get out of the markets completely and let the chips fall where they may. Unfortunately, that's not the world we live in because it's not the world that the majority of the people in the US want.

No one wants to pay $550 a night for a hotel room they were only paying $400 a night for a few months ago AND have to endure a reduction in the amount and/or quality of the services provided.

[Brett MacDonald @BrettAMacDonald]

The idea that the hospitality industry can't afford to pay americans is complete BS. They just want modern indentured servants. We pay four hundred dollars a night for a room in most cities.

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

@ProfMJCleveland It's not rocket science.

They come because get free money - both in straight-up cash and in benefits paid for by taxpayers.

The Democrats want them here because they believe they will vote more for them than Republicans.

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

@tedcruz @IDF Dude...

You have some sort of white milky substance in your beard. Right there on your chin.

Will somebody please get Ted a towel?

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

It's the onions - I swear...

If more people actually felt this way in their bones - that despite many of the dark stains on our history, we should be proud of the original idea of the United States and what we've accomplished, and we should focus on and use that pride to work hard to improve ourselves as individuals...

We would be an entirely different - and better - country.

[Among the Wildflowers @deaflibertarian]

Francis Scott Key wrote The Star-Spangled Banner in 1814 after witnessing the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. While held on a British ship negotiating a prisoner’s release, he saw the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry after a night of bombardment, inspiring the anthem’s lyrics.

Troy Kotsur presented an incredible ASL interpretation of the song, embodying Key’s perspective as he looked through the window of the rocking ship.

Watching his performance was one of the most deeply moving experiences I’ve ever had. I get goosebumps every time I watch it. With the way he did it, I feel like I'm on the ship with Key.

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

@HollyBriden Sorry - that happens sometimes when I roll out of bed after staying up late, eating nacho cheese Doritos.

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

A more broken system won't fix it, but there's no viable path to a less broken system.

The issue isn't the politicians, it's us.

The majority of people want government to do things - regardless of what those things are, they want them. The left wants handouts and wealth redistribution programs, and the right wants a bloated military and homeland defense. And both sides want at least some entitlements and subsidies.

Government doing these things costs money and they can only get that money through taxation or debt.

Until everyone realizes that they cannot have government do all these things - even the things they like -and STILL have low taxes and no debt, there's no fixing this system, no matter how many political parties you have.

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

I see a lot of people out there - mostly influencers - who have taken to repeating Reagan's famous quip "The Debt Doesn't Matter" as if it were some mantra or wizard's spell. Less said, but just as important are things like "We owe it to ourselves," or the question "Who is going to collect it?"

While the latter two have a kernel of truth but miss the larger picture, the first one is patently false. The debt does matter. Why? Because the US dollar is backed by debt. Nearly every single dollar that exists is a share of that debt, and every bit of debt added that's not offset by a corresponding cancellation devalues every other dollar in the system.

This is no different than clipping coins or printing paper money. It's inflation.

In 1990, the US national debt was a little over $3 trillion. Today, it's over $37 trillion. That's an increase of about 1025% - most of which occurred after 2020, which is why everything costs so much more now than it did in 2019 and why, simultaneously, the quantity and quality of products and materials have eroded tremendously as producers scramble to find a way to keep their prices down.

Before 2020, it was relatively easy to keep paychecks rising at a level comparable to real inflation. And with the manipulated numbers published to track it, it was easy to conceal the discrepancy. However, there is no way in hell to hide the rise from $12 trillion in 2009 to $27 trillion in 2020. Nine years just isn't enough runway to raise everyone's pay enough to keep up with price increases.

And we don't "owe it to ourselves." We sell bonds that promise to pay the face value plus interest over a specified term, and that debt is owed to those who bought the bonds - some are individuals - most of them US citizens - while others are banks and countries around the world.

Yes, we can just create more debt to pay off the old, but you're still stuck with the problem that doing so requires paying the interest with new debt as well. But this just further devalues the currency. As for collections - no one is going to collect. But at some point, they will simply stop buying your new bonds. Then they will stop taking dollars in payment for the old ones.

When that happens, we will officially default, and the debt will be erased. This will result in the greatest deflationary spiral ever seen as trillions of dollars just disappear - not because they no longer exist on paper or in some computer, but because they're now worthless. If you have a dollar that no one wants, you don't have anything. It may as well no longer exist.

Yes, there are a lot of countries out there with economies dependent on the dollar that cannot afford for it to collapse. And they will do their best to prop it up, but in the end, they will either have to give in or be pulled down the drain with us.

Can this be stopped? Maybe - but definitely not in the current political climate.

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

@_putonthemask_ A lot of folks in the replies don't understand that you don't need to kill something that's already dead.

I mean - It can't get any deader.

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

@ASo1omons "...so all the poop gets out of their system..."

Gonna be removing poop from a LOT of systems.

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

Correction - this is a moron moment.

[Hakeem Jeffries @RepJeffries]

This is a moral moment.

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

@hodgetwins

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

@alexthechick

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

"...put our grandkids in great, great debt."

As if he's cared about this up to now, or as if anything any of them do will make a difference.

Nothing stops this train.

[FactPost @factpostnews]

Rep. Thompson: Every member who votes yes will forever carry the shame of betraying hard working Americans and put our kids and our grandkids in great, great debt. It's bad for our constituents. It's bad for America. It's bad for our future

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

Anyone who doesn't see the game they're playing by now is NGMI.

[Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley]

The court holds that Article IV does not vest any additional powers that the President does not have under Article II. The question is whether that effectively makes the Guarantee Clause superfluous in terms of actual authority to repel an invasion. https://t.co/mCiTvtWWSe

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

@muchtoocommon Zero wen?

[DBG8492 @dbg8492]

Nope