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Winter (Mute), and Economic Fail
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The Heretic
Dec 17, 2014, 10:49:46 AM12/17/14
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The Heretic sat at his table, paging through a tablet with a bored finger. Wattsupwiththat.com is a climate skeptic website. He was a fan.
"There is a wonderful website run by a BLM employee as a hobby, down at Folsom Dam called WattsUpWithThat. Folsom Dam, near Sacramento and next door to Folsom Prison (Blues) of Johnny Cash fame, supplies both drinking water and hydroelectric power through its huge reservoir, capturing the American River. The water released from the dam is so cold in the 100'F summer heat that rafters get hypothermia riding the rapids downstream into Sacramento. People get drunk while tubing and their beer stays cold floating beside them but people drown too. Somebody gets pulled out of a certain famous rapids there, sometimes because they were diving after their beers and getting caught in a vortex. Saw a corpse there once. Kinda awful, floppy flash of feet and gone once more. The Sheriff's department has a diver for retrieving bodies from the site.
"Anyway, the website debunks fake climate claims by citing counter claims that provide proof, usually data but often mathematics. And when claimants of the Global Warming Cult see their claims come to nothing, again, the blogger reminds us so we can have a good laugh at them getting caught lying again. As the Global Warming Cultists have been insisting the Earth will catch fire by 2012, and claim its never been this hot before like during the Medievil Warm Period, the Jurassic and Creataceous Periods, and most of the Quarternary Period that wasn't ice age, as well as talking to Paleontologists and Geologists who have plenty of boring published books on paleoclimate. Ones with data prior to the current cult, without the romance of fund raising with anti-human communists who know best because they said so and want your money so you can live in mud huts while they ride around in Tesla limos and feel superior because they CARE MORE than you. Folks who aren't in the climate business because of its lucrative parties and use of good booze and hookers, those who know about climate with the proper perspective of history find current climate rather dull. Not worthy of panic. Panic gets hookers, no doubt, but hookers plus academia leads to alimony payments and child support and paternity suits. Climate science as practiced today is the modern equivalent of greasy sleaze evangelists with a tent, preaching to scared old ladies, fleecing them, then fleeing town before the law catches up. Climate science is a scam. It isn't science, its a con game with made up numbers and bad predictions that only get published if they scare people. Real science says: Sorry, not scary after all. But that doesn't sell aspirin on the 6 o'clock news, does it? The trouble with being cynical about people is you are never quite cynical enough. This makes me sad.
"In the real world, we're between glaciers, and it's happened several times in the past. Our species predates the ice ages. Same as polar bears, who evolved before the ice ages, and then adapted to live in ice or on land. The polar bears are rather indifferent to this because they can sprint 40 mph, which is faster than people can run, so catching game on the tundra is not that hard after all. And since the ice is coming back this fine winter, with snowy owls seen into the Midwest and even South due to the cold, it looks like the Warming Cultists have done a great job milking their contributors into realization it is a con game after all. And isn't that hilarious?
"I got surprised by a couple things over the last 15 years. First was that the public didn't panic over oil shortages. Killing the economy killed most of the demand for oil so the price didn't rise as much as I thought it would. Stands to reason is a wonderful phrase which accurately describes how reason has little to do with market forces or crowds. So I was wrong there.
"Right now, the stock markets are getting pounded because The Saudis are dumping cheap oil onto the market internationally, in hopes of accomplishing the assassination of Putin, the defunding of ISIS, and the bankruptcy of American Fracking operators who need a certain price to stay in the black because fracking is more expensive than regular drilling. They can't keep doing it forever, but they can hurt a lot of enemies and maybe buy up fracking teams right now and retain control of oil in the USA long term, betting the USA won't nationalize foreign owned fracking companies that sell out to Saudi investors.
"The other thing that surprised me is most of the cyberized computer technology we thought would be so amazing became everyday and commonplace. Most of the best hackers are in poor countries that can't afford to buy missiles, and they attack entertainment companies that mock their fearless leaders. Those Kim Jongs are getting lampooned hard, by James Bond and now Saturday Night Live, and why not? Murder your ex-gf because she banged someone new? Really, fat boy? Hackers used to be so interesting, but now they're kinda pathetic. There's an entire building in CHina with hackers funded by their Military, who borrow from those script kiddies we used to mock in the 90's. China allegedly has antisattellite weapons, supersonic wave cresting antiship nuke missiles, 300 mph rocket torpedos that can't be dodged, and the worlds's largest air force. But the USA and Japan have the largest drone fighter squadrons in the world, and the hours of dwell time over target do for air power what snipers and artillery do to area denial. And its possible the Chinese weapons are fake, after all. Ronald Reagan claimed the USA had active missile defense, aka Star Wars weapons, and bankrupted the Soviet Union with the help of the Saudis dumping oil so the USSR couldn't afford to buy the exotic materials required. It was a sneaky way to end the Cold War, but it worked. Now the Russians are trying to rebuild the empire by pissing all over their neighbors and threatening to wipe out Ukraine in hopes of getting easier control over Kazakhstan and the other stans and control more oil, bully eastern Europe and threaten to turn off the heat to Europe in Winter. Again, winter is important. Russia is overt about their desire to hurt people for power. Saudi hurting Russia may convince the billionaire oligarchs to assassinate Putin to end this dumping. Or they may wait until the Saudis bleed. They have to stop eventually. Then the oil price rises again, the fracking operations get back into the black, and all is well. Probably.
"I am also surprised that overt communism has become the defacto Democratic Party. They attack the middle class, they offer just enough to the poor to get votes, but actually impoverish more people than ever in history, and the useless pricks just keep voting for them anyway. I suppose its because in the two-party system, the middle is abused or ignored, and only the rich and poor get any interest by politicians, who care about campaign contributions, laws which leave them either profit or exceptions to continue profiting, or votes to stay in power and keep getting those contributions. It used to be illegal, called Pandering not so long ago. Why doesn't the media remember this word? Didn't politicians go to jail for pandering in the old days? Wasn't that illegal? It is baffling.
"I think the best news today is that the general incompetence and viciousness of the federal government is reducing its own influence and value. Eventually, states will individually be the only ones who care about their domestic problems, and with the federal govt only HURTING people, never helping, they won't be allowed to interfere with local issues, so people will stop paying attention, and more importantly, stop enforcing taxes to a fedgovt that is openly malicious and tyrannical. Will the midwest care about Washington DC where they don't fund farm subsidies anymore? The population is getting older, and illegals don't pay social security taxes so that's doomed too. Without a middle class, theres no real tax base. And without tax base, there's little funding for abusive govt. Even education is a scam today because a college degree actively hurts you via student loan payments, since you get paid the same as a high school graduate, minimum wage. And most jobs are part time now, too. No benefits. Some are even "on call" which is terrible when you want to make rent or buy food. Around here, the only growing industries are home health care assistants and pot growers. That's it. Picture that. Many of those growers are shifting into living in RVs, when they get enough money to buy a used one cheap, then rebuild it themselves. I see a lot of those around, now. Some are even made out of wood, with shingles and caulking compound. Amazing, really. These are the cyberpunks of today. Pot growers with laptops and smart phones, reenacting Walden Pond, only its Walden Grow. Someday I'm sure those guys will write their adventures and publish them as best selling NYT novels.
"The fact that USA has the lowest labor participation full time employment rate in history is worrying. One hopes that the unemployed are educating and developing hobbies into businesses that haven't gotten big enough for taxes yet, but thats probably optimism. 3D printing has lots of interesting potential for home business, using the right materials (not plastics), as does CNC machining, which can be put into a garage, same as many kinds of assembly welding and home businesses constructing trailers and refurbing RVs to turn over for a profit once done. Being able to drive away from bad taxes is more valuable than the 4x inflating housing market, where buying a home is losing a LOT of money once the bubble bursts. Which it will. The Boomers are being forced into retirement by sickness and poverty, and they are selling their retirement fund houses for what the market will bear, which isn't much when most couples are getting minimum wage. Economically, America is going to get gut punched again, both on housing values and T-bill collapse. Thank the current president for that. When you attack the image of the USA, you attack the value of its bonds, and those eventually dump because they are a bubble. And Japan holds the most of them. A quadrillion dollars in bonds. Picture that. Now imagine them dumping those for Yuan-gold bonds from China, who is importing tons of gold to shore up their currency, same as the Russians. Oops!
"Bored now," admits Ghost, Rune, and Goobs. GodEater is already snoozing. Mambo and Troubadour look vaguely sick, having caught the implications.
"Yes, I'm sure economics is dull. It defines our future, after all," mocked The Heretic. "But don't let me keep you awake. Feel free to sleep through the future."
He peered out into the storm. The brief snow was melting in the drizzle. Not time for the snow mobile yet, at least, but the .338-08 Browning BAR, with the 20 round magazine and scout mounted scope would do for the grizzly bear problem recently discovered after a Berkeley fascist started importing maneaters from Yellowstone because they looked pretty. The joggers and babies terrorized, briefly before being eaten, had little recourse. Black bears displaced by the grizzlies were coming into the Sacramento suburbs, down on the flatland. That is bad because they run 40 mph and weigh 300 pounds and most pistol rounds only make them angry. And what female jogger carries a 44 magnum on the chance a black bear will try to kill them for breakfast?
"We live in strange times."
"There is a wonderful website run by a BLM employee as a hobby, down at Folsom Dam called WattsUpWithThat. Folsom Dam, near Sacramento and next door to Folsom Prison (Blues) of Johnny Cash fame, supplies both drinking water and hydroelectric power through its huge reservoir, capturing the American River. The water released from the dam is so cold in the 100'F summer heat that rafters get hypothermia riding the rapids downstream into Sacramento. People get drunk while tubing and their beer stays cold floating beside them but people drown too. Somebody gets pulled out of a certain famous rapids there, sometimes because they were diving after their beers and getting caught in a vortex. Saw a corpse there once. Kinda awful, floppy flash of feet and gone once more. The Sheriff's department has a diver for retrieving bodies from the site.
"Anyway, the website debunks fake climate claims by citing counter claims that provide proof, usually data but often mathematics. And when claimants of the Global Warming Cult see their claims come to nothing, again, the blogger reminds us so we can have a good laugh at them getting caught lying again. As the Global Warming Cultists have been insisting the Earth will catch fire by 2012, and claim its never been this hot before like during the Medievil Warm Period, the Jurassic and Creataceous Periods, and most of the Quarternary Period that wasn't ice age, as well as talking to Paleontologists and Geologists who have plenty of boring published books on paleoclimate. Ones with data prior to the current cult, without the romance of fund raising with anti-human communists who know best because they said so and want your money so you can live in mud huts while they ride around in Tesla limos and feel superior because they CARE MORE than you. Folks who aren't in the climate business because of its lucrative parties and use of good booze and hookers, those who know about climate with the proper perspective of history find current climate rather dull. Not worthy of panic. Panic gets hookers, no doubt, but hookers plus academia leads to alimony payments and child support and paternity suits. Climate science as practiced today is the modern equivalent of greasy sleaze evangelists with a tent, preaching to scared old ladies, fleecing them, then fleeing town before the law catches up. Climate science is a scam. It isn't science, its a con game with made up numbers and bad predictions that only get published if they scare people. Real science says: Sorry, not scary after all. But that doesn't sell aspirin on the 6 o'clock news, does it? The trouble with being cynical about people is you are never quite cynical enough. This makes me sad.
"In the real world, we're between glaciers, and it's happened several times in the past. Our species predates the ice ages. Same as polar bears, who evolved before the ice ages, and then adapted to live in ice or on land. The polar bears are rather indifferent to this because they can sprint 40 mph, which is faster than people can run, so catching game on the tundra is not that hard after all. And since the ice is coming back this fine winter, with snowy owls seen into the Midwest and even South due to the cold, it looks like the Warming Cultists have done a great job milking their contributors into realization it is a con game after all. And isn't that hilarious?
"I got surprised by a couple things over the last 15 years. First was that the public didn't panic over oil shortages. Killing the economy killed most of the demand for oil so the price didn't rise as much as I thought it would. Stands to reason is a wonderful phrase which accurately describes how reason has little to do with market forces or crowds. So I was wrong there.
"Right now, the stock markets are getting pounded because The Saudis are dumping cheap oil onto the market internationally, in hopes of accomplishing the assassination of Putin, the defunding of ISIS, and the bankruptcy of American Fracking operators who need a certain price to stay in the black because fracking is more expensive than regular drilling. They can't keep doing it forever, but they can hurt a lot of enemies and maybe buy up fracking teams right now and retain control of oil in the USA long term, betting the USA won't nationalize foreign owned fracking companies that sell out to Saudi investors.
"The other thing that surprised me is most of the cyberized computer technology we thought would be so amazing became everyday and commonplace. Most of the best hackers are in poor countries that can't afford to buy missiles, and they attack entertainment companies that mock their fearless leaders. Those Kim Jongs are getting lampooned hard, by James Bond and now Saturday Night Live, and why not? Murder your ex-gf because she banged someone new? Really, fat boy? Hackers used to be so interesting, but now they're kinda pathetic. There's an entire building in CHina with hackers funded by their Military, who borrow from those script kiddies we used to mock in the 90's. China allegedly has antisattellite weapons, supersonic wave cresting antiship nuke missiles, 300 mph rocket torpedos that can't be dodged, and the worlds's largest air force. But the USA and Japan have the largest drone fighter squadrons in the world, and the hours of dwell time over target do for air power what snipers and artillery do to area denial. And its possible the Chinese weapons are fake, after all. Ronald Reagan claimed the USA had active missile defense, aka Star Wars weapons, and bankrupted the Soviet Union with the help of the Saudis dumping oil so the USSR couldn't afford to buy the exotic materials required. It was a sneaky way to end the Cold War, but it worked. Now the Russians are trying to rebuild the empire by pissing all over their neighbors and threatening to wipe out Ukraine in hopes of getting easier control over Kazakhstan and the other stans and control more oil, bully eastern Europe and threaten to turn off the heat to Europe in Winter. Again, winter is important. Russia is overt about their desire to hurt people for power. Saudi hurting Russia may convince the billionaire oligarchs to assassinate Putin to end this dumping. Or they may wait until the Saudis bleed. They have to stop eventually. Then the oil price rises again, the fracking operations get back into the black, and all is well. Probably.
"I am also surprised that overt communism has become the defacto Democratic Party. They attack the middle class, they offer just enough to the poor to get votes, but actually impoverish more people than ever in history, and the useless pricks just keep voting for them anyway. I suppose its because in the two-party system, the middle is abused or ignored, and only the rich and poor get any interest by politicians, who care about campaign contributions, laws which leave them either profit or exceptions to continue profiting, or votes to stay in power and keep getting those contributions. It used to be illegal, called Pandering not so long ago. Why doesn't the media remember this word? Didn't politicians go to jail for pandering in the old days? Wasn't that illegal? It is baffling.
"I think the best news today is that the general incompetence and viciousness of the federal government is reducing its own influence and value. Eventually, states will individually be the only ones who care about their domestic problems, and with the federal govt only HURTING people, never helping, they won't be allowed to interfere with local issues, so people will stop paying attention, and more importantly, stop enforcing taxes to a fedgovt that is openly malicious and tyrannical. Will the midwest care about Washington DC where they don't fund farm subsidies anymore? The population is getting older, and illegals don't pay social security taxes so that's doomed too. Without a middle class, theres no real tax base. And without tax base, there's little funding for abusive govt. Even education is a scam today because a college degree actively hurts you via student loan payments, since you get paid the same as a high school graduate, minimum wage. And most jobs are part time now, too. No benefits. Some are even "on call" which is terrible when you want to make rent or buy food. Around here, the only growing industries are home health care assistants and pot growers. That's it. Picture that. Many of those growers are shifting into living in RVs, when they get enough money to buy a used one cheap, then rebuild it themselves. I see a lot of those around, now. Some are even made out of wood, with shingles and caulking compound. Amazing, really. These are the cyberpunks of today. Pot growers with laptops and smart phones, reenacting Walden Pond, only its Walden Grow. Someday I'm sure those guys will write their adventures and publish them as best selling NYT novels.
"The fact that USA has the lowest labor participation full time employment rate in history is worrying. One hopes that the unemployed are educating and developing hobbies into businesses that haven't gotten big enough for taxes yet, but thats probably optimism. 3D printing has lots of interesting potential for home business, using the right materials (not plastics), as does CNC machining, which can be put into a garage, same as many kinds of assembly welding and home businesses constructing trailers and refurbing RVs to turn over for a profit once done. Being able to drive away from bad taxes is more valuable than the 4x inflating housing market, where buying a home is losing a LOT of money once the bubble bursts. Which it will. The Boomers are being forced into retirement by sickness and poverty, and they are selling their retirement fund houses for what the market will bear, which isn't much when most couples are getting minimum wage. Economically, America is going to get gut punched again, both on housing values and T-bill collapse. Thank the current president for that. When you attack the image of the USA, you attack the value of its bonds, and those eventually dump because they are a bubble. And Japan holds the most of them. A quadrillion dollars in bonds. Picture that. Now imagine them dumping those for Yuan-gold bonds from China, who is importing tons of gold to shore up their currency, same as the Russians. Oops!
"Bored now," admits Ghost, Rune, and Goobs. GodEater is already snoozing. Mambo and Troubadour look vaguely sick, having caught the implications.
"Yes, I'm sure economics is dull. It defines our future, after all," mocked The Heretic. "But don't let me keep you awake. Feel free to sleep through the future."
He peered out into the storm. The brief snow was melting in the drizzle. Not time for the snow mobile yet, at least, but the .338-08 Browning BAR, with the 20 round magazine and scout mounted scope would do for the grizzly bear problem recently discovered after a Berkeley fascist started importing maneaters from Yellowstone because they looked pretty. The joggers and babies terrorized, briefly before being eaten, had little recourse. Black bears displaced by the grizzlies were coming into the Sacramento suburbs, down on the flatland. That is bad because they run 40 mph and weigh 300 pounds and most pistol rounds only make them angry. And what female jogger carries a 44 magnum on the chance a black bear will try to kill them for breakfast?
"We live in strange times."
Bobby Newmark
Dec 22, 2014, 10:52:39 AM12/22/14
to
Bobby.
The Heretic
Jan 6, 2015, 1:08:51 PM1/6/15
to
On Monday, December 22, 2014 7:52:39 AM UTC-8, Bobby Newmark wrote:
> "Keep going, I thought this group was dead," said Bobby.
"I'm a long-time fan of good settings with realistic complexity. They provide motivations for characters, so they nearly write themselves when you consider how those differ. In modern times, the Housing Bubble keeps prices 4X what they should be to meet the market. Modern times make for ultra-grim settings. Less self defense, a lot cleaner, far less grimy city deals and a lot more rural Makers and semi-legal herb gardens.
"Since Communists and Managers are colluding for lowest wages and no benefits for nearly all workers in nearly all industries, nobody on Minimum Wage can afford a house, or a family, or have any means of climbing onto the Middle Class Ladder, as it is called. The way UP no longer exists. The Baby Boomers own most of the houses, and are counting on it as their retirement fund. Deep down, I suspect they realize that they will have to sell their homes for a lot less money than they want, when they have to sell because they can't wait any longer, probably due to old age sickness. The Boomers would have retired in 2000, but the Dot.Com crash wiped out their primary 401K retirement funds, so they worked more until the Housing Bubble came, which tripled their money.
"Then the bubble crashed, halfway, so a house they'd bought for $300K went to $680K, then fell back to $380K under the president they elected to feel better about their own racism. Favoring someone based on race is also racism, after all. So their home values dropped and their big plans for a fat retirement went up in smoke. So now they're praying to see the housing market tighten up with all those home foreclosures being bought for big prices so they can sneak their own overpriced home onto the market and sell for a big pile of cash too, which they'll then use to buy a small house outright and live off the rest, taking advantage of the retirement tax credit, which avoids the home sale capital gains tax. This is why Capital Gains Tax rate is important, and why cutting it is so crucial to the Boomers, who then voted not to because they are gullible communists. This is nearly ALL the currently working Baby Boomers thinking this, by the way. Nearly all.
"This is why they are still working, still controlling industries and businesses and offshoring jobs insanely, because it never occurred to them that if you impoverish the youth, they can't buy houses for sale. And youth aren't interested in buying a house for 3x more than they're worth. It is painfully obvious that on minimum wage the most you can afford as a couple is about $70K for a mortgage, not $350K for that place today. So they're waiting for the bubble to burst the rest of the way. And it gets funnier. While most rent, some find the rising prices of rentals since the owners are chiseling renters hard for maximum profit, turning many formerly good places into slums, the smarter and more able are buying up RVs, fixing them up, and going mobile. Instead of getting trapped in really BAD and exploitative job markets, they're driving to a better town. Not just couples either. There's technicians and building contractors and engineers doing this. If you work on shorter term multiweek projects and have to move every few months, an RV is smarter than a rental. And most of those RVs, despite using battered hardware is more cyberpunk than you'd expect. They've got smartphones, laptops, solar panels, survival gear so they can park in the Boonies, and negotiation and stealth skills to trade labor for parking space. Yes, they use a lot of fuel moving around, but its less than you see your average rent increase in modern times. One of the great truths of Cyberpunk was the recognition of both inevitable corruption and that the Street finds its own uses for things. These days, the rotting city cores are full of race riots and murder, and the suburbs are expensive, methodically wiping out the former Middle Class and shoving them into poverty and despair, which feeds the race riots and other kinds of crime. And the youth can see the writing on the wall. If you join the underground, you face criminal consequences. If you develop the right technical skills and work on contract rather than be exploited by hourly managers, you can ride the ragged edge and stay on the side of the law. Mostly. In times of illegally variable application of laws by local discretion, entirely unConstitutional btw, following some laws means breaking others. There is no baby. And no bathwater. This filthy grey murky area means you can float in between and conduct business, profitably, provided you keep your accounting current and maintain a fund to your attorney. Naturally, most people don't, and currently Colorado pot growers are supplying weed to 40 states, illegally, and California weed supplies the rest, at least where there isn't sufficient local product. Interesting times, like the 1880's all over again. The 1930's were a better economy and more lawful than today. Modern times are worse.
"Staying out of debt and ahead of pre-taliation laws by unfriendly communists looking to seize property or enslave debtors does require frequent mobility. If you wait in a dumb place too long, you might get caught by debt when they jack up your rent, seize your vehicle for "parking violations" and demand special taxes raised specially to penalize you. They want you to leave, so go before they up the ante.
"This is why RV's are getting so popular for the youth. This is a huge change. Modern young people are learning to be a modern version of the Plains Indians or the European Gypsies, sneaking into town, finding some money, changing out worn parts, leaving before the torches and pitchforks organize. Human nature is bad.
"Really? Bad?" mused Bobby.
"That's been my experience," confirmed The Heretic. "Current Baby Boomers run everything and own everything, and control all taxes and wages and benefits. They own the whole thing, and its all ruined. The economy is torn apart. And eventually the quadrillion in debts is going to come due, and possibly imploding the Dollar and devaluing everything the Boomers own. Including their companies where everybody wants to get a piece and get out. And if the piece they've got suddenly turns worthless and the staff all quit, what's your business? Salvage sale to China? You think we've got riots NOW?" chortled The Heretic darkly. "Better to drive away, leave the suckers to die in outrage."
> "Keep going, I thought this group was dead," said Bobby.
"I'm a long-time fan of good settings with realistic complexity. They provide motivations for characters, so they nearly write themselves when you consider how those differ. In modern times, the Housing Bubble keeps prices 4X what they should be to meet the market. Modern times make for ultra-grim settings. Less self defense, a lot cleaner, far less grimy city deals and a lot more rural Makers and semi-legal herb gardens.
"Since Communists and Managers are colluding for lowest wages and no benefits for nearly all workers in nearly all industries, nobody on Minimum Wage can afford a house, or a family, or have any means of climbing onto the Middle Class Ladder, as it is called. The way UP no longer exists. The Baby Boomers own most of the houses, and are counting on it as their retirement fund. Deep down, I suspect they realize that they will have to sell their homes for a lot less money than they want, when they have to sell because they can't wait any longer, probably due to old age sickness. The Boomers would have retired in 2000, but the Dot.Com crash wiped out their primary 401K retirement funds, so they worked more until the Housing Bubble came, which tripled their money.
"Then the bubble crashed, halfway, so a house they'd bought for $300K went to $680K, then fell back to $380K under the president they elected to feel better about their own racism. Favoring someone based on race is also racism, after all. So their home values dropped and their big plans for a fat retirement went up in smoke. So now they're praying to see the housing market tighten up with all those home foreclosures being bought for big prices so they can sneak their own overpriced home onto the market and sell for a big pile of cash too, which they'll then use to buy a small house outright and live off the rest, taking advantage of the retirement tax credit, which avoids the home sale capital gains tax. This is why Capital Gains Tax rate is important, and why cutting it is so crucial to the Boomers, who then voted not to because they are gullible communists. This is nearly ALL the currently working Baby Boomers thinking this, by the way. Nearly all.
"This is why they are still working, still controlling industries and businesses and offshoring jobs insanely, because it never occurred to them that if you impoverish the youth, they can't buy houses for sale. And youth aren't interested in buying a house for 3x more than they're worth. It is painfully obvious that on minimum wage the most you can afford as a couple is about $70K for a mortgage, not $350K for that place today. So they're waiting for the bubble to burst the rest of the way. And it gets funnier. While most rent, some find the rising prices of rentals since the owners are chiseling renters hard for maximum profit, turning many formerly good places into slums, the smarter and more able are buying up RVs, fixing them up, and going mobile. Instead of getting trapped in really BAD and exploitative job markets, they're driving to a better town. Not just couples either. There's technicians and building contractors and engineers doing this. If you work on shorter term multiweek projects and have to move every few months, an RV is smarter than a rental. And most of those RVs, despite using battered hardware is more cyberpunk than you'd expect. They've got smartphones, laptops, solar panels, survival gear so they can park in the Boonies, and negotiation and stealth skills to trade labor for parking space. Yes, they use a lot of fuel moving around, but its less than you see your average rent increase in modern times. One of the great truths of Cyberpunk was the recognition of both inevitable corruption and that the Street finds its own uses for things. These days, the rotting city cores are full of race riots and murder, and the suburbs are expensive, methodically wiping out the former Middle Class and shoving them into poverty and despair, which feeds the race riots and other kinds of crime. And the youth can see the writing on the wall. If you join the underground, you face criminal consequences. If you develop the right technical skills and work on contract rather than be exploited by hourly managers, you can ride the ragged edge and stay on the side of the law. Mostly. In times of illegally variable application of laws by local discretion, entirely unConstitutional btw, following some laws means breaking others. There is no baby. And no bathwater. This filthy grey murky area means you can float in between and conduct business, profitably, provided you keep your accounting current and maintain a fund to your attorney. Naturally, most people don't, and currently Colorado pot growers are supplying weed to 40 states, illegally, and California weed supplies the rest, at least where there isn't sufficient local product. Interesting times, like the 1880's all over again. The 1930's were a better economy and more lawful than today. Modern times are worse.
"Staying out of debt and ahead of pre-taliation laws by unfriendly communists looking to seize property or enslave debtors does require frequent mobility. If you wait in a dumb place too long, you might get caught by debt when they jack up your rent, seize your vehicle for "parking violations" and demand special taxes raised specially to penalize you. They want you to leave, so go before they up the ante.
"This is why RV's are getting so popular for the youth. This is a huge change. Modern young people are learning to be a modern version of the Plains Indians or the European Gypsies, sneaking into town, finding some money, changing out worn parts, leaving before the torches and pitchforks organize. Human nature is bad.
"Really? Bad?" mused Bobby.
"That's been my experience," confirmed The Heretic. "Current Baby Boomers run everything and own everything, and control all taxes and wages and benefits. They own the whole thing, and its all ruined. The economy is torn apart. And eventually the quadrillion in debts is going to come due, and possibly imploding the Dollar and devaluing everything the Boomers own. Including their companies where everybody wants to get a piece and get out. And if the piece they've got suddenly turns worthless and the staff all quit, what's your business? Salvage sale to China? You think we've got riots NOW?" chortled The Heretic darkly. "Better to drive away, leave the suckers to die in outrage."
Troubadour
Mar 8, 2015, 6:09:19 AM3/8/15
to
On Tuesday, January 6, 2015 at 1:08:51 PM UTC-5, The Heretic wrote:
> A lot of stuff indicating he has been sniffing tea bags.
The Troubadour steps in bor a moment and casts a glance at the the Heretic. "Sorry bud... but being one of them thar 'boomers' I can tell you that 99% majority of "current baby boomers" don't own squat... We're mostly up to our eyes in debt... the correct version of what you said should be "elite capitalist and tea bagging opportunists run an own everything".
The troubadour took a sip then continued. "The Koch Brothers, the majority funders of the Tea Party movement, are a case in point. It is they and their ilk that have bought the best government they can buy to enrich themselves and turn the rest of us into techno-peons. That whole Keystone XL is a Koch brothers play at selling Canadian Shale Oil to the Chinese . They keep the pot boiling to distract the deluded masses from their power plays."
Troubadour waved at Ratz for anpother drink. "Look at who benefits the most from the defunding of public infrastructure and public education. Who benefits from corporate deregulation? Who makes more money: Social welfare or corporate welfare? Look at the numbers Bud. You'll be surprised to find that those good ol' boy capitalists get twice as much welfare from the government than any old people do. What does all this return to the real average Joe and Jane? Nothin'. Nothin' at all. If I were able to retire (still a few years away) I'd get about $2000 in Social Security. My current basic expenses bills are something like $2100 a month. With inflation I figure that when the time comes I'll be a few hundred dollars short of paying my expenses."
The old geezer with the guitar took another slurp. "As for running for the hills or reovlution/counter revolution? Those Corporate Elite types ain't gonna happen unless it's good for profits. So ease up, my friend ad take a look at who the real enemies are. It ain't old hippies that want to make love and not war... no its those who want to take love and make war."
"Ratz, Give the Heretic another glass of what he's drinking an put it on my tab." With that the Troubadour faded into the shadows.
> A lot of stuff indicating he has been sniffing tea bags.
The Troubadour steps in bor a moment and casts a glance at the the Heretic. "Sorry bud... but being one of them thar 'boomers' I can tell you that 99% majority of "current baby boomers" don't own squat... We're mostly up to our eyes in debt... the correct version of what you said should be "elite capitalist and tea bagging opportunists run an own everything".
The troubadour took a sip then continued. "The Koch Brothers, the majority funders of the Tea Party movement, are a case in point. It is they and their ilk that have bought the best government they can buy to enrich themselves and turn the rest of us into techno-peons. That whole Keystone XL is a Koch brothers play at selling Canadian Shale Oil to the Chinese . They keep the pot boiling to distract the deluded masses from their power plays."
Troubadour waved at Ratz for anpother drink. "Look at who benefits the most from the defunding of public infrastructure and public education. Who benefits from corporate deregulation? Who makes more money: Social welfare or corporate welfare? Look at the numbers Bud. You'll be surprised to find that those good ol' boy capitalists get twice as much welfare from the government than any old people do. What does all this return to the real average Joe and Jane? Nothin'. Nothin' at all. If I were able to retire (still a few years away) I'd get about $2000 in Social Security. My current basic expenses bills are something like $2100 a month. With inflation I figure that when the time comes I'll be a few hundred dollars short of paying my expenses."
The old geezer with the guitar took another slurp. "As for running for the hills or reovlution/counter revolution? Those Corporate Elite types ain't gonna happen unless it's good for profits. So ease up, my friend ad take a look at who the real enemies are. It ain't old hippies that want to make love and not war... no its those who want to take love and make war."
"Ratz, Give the Heretic another glass of what he's drinking an put it on my tab." With that the Troubadour faded into the shadows.
The Heretic
Mar 27, 2015, 6:04:50 PM3/27/15
to
On Sunday, March 8, 2015 at 3:09:19 AM UTC-7, Troubadour wrote:
> On Tuesday, January 6, 2015 at 1:08:51 PM UTC-5, The Heretic wrote:
> > A lot of stuff indicating he has been sniffing tea bags.
>
> The Troubadour steps in bor a moment and casts a glance at the the Heretic. "Sorry bud... but being one of them thar 'boomers' I can tell you that 99% majority of "current baby boomers" don't own squat... We're mostly up to our eyes in debt... the correct version of what you said should be "elite capitalist and tea bagging opportunists run an own everything".
>
"Debt? Yes. Lots of debt, that the Boomers shifted into Deficit Spending they voted for, again and again. Your generation won't be paying for that. That's falling onto mine, and the ones after me. Gen Y and Millenials and Teeners, if we're going to call them that. We can't own houses. Did you know that? It is nearly impossible to earn enough to pay for one at current bubble prices. What do you think happens to families that rent? Do they survive the noise and chaos of unexpected rent/lease increases by Boomer landlords looking to buy a better boat or luxury car? Not often, no. Most boomers are rich, compared to the younger generations couch surfing and starving for work opportunities beyond the Part-Time-On-Call-No-Benefits model which dominates everything these days. People with real full times paying jobs with benefits are RARE now. It was never like that when you were young. That so many from your generation blew their savings on luxuries is hardly surprising. They were the Spoiled Generation, after all. We have decades of examples proving this. Yes, there are exceptions, but that's the RULE for a reason."
> On Tuesday, January 6, 2015 at 1:08:51 PM UTC-5, The Heretic wrote:
> > A lot of stuff indicating he has been sniffing tea bags.
>
> The Troubadour steps in bor a moment and casts a glance at the the Heretic. "Sorry bud... but being one of them thar 'boomers' I can tell you that 99% majority of "current baby boomers" don't own squat... We're mostly up to our eyes in debt... the correct version of what you said should be "elite capitalist and tea bagging opportunists run an own everything".
>
> The troubadour took a sip then continued. "The Koch Brothers, the majority funders of the Tea Party movement, are a case in point. It is they and their ilk that have bought the best government they can buy to enrich themselves and turn the rest of us into techno-peons. That whole Keystone XL is a Koch brothers play at selling Canadian Shale Oil to the Chinese . They keep the pot boiling to distract the deluded masses from their power plays."
> Troubadour waved at Ratz for anpother drink. "Look at who benefits the most from the defunding of public infrastructure and public education. Who benefits from corporate deregulation? Who makes more money: Social welfare or corporate welfare? Look at the numbers Bud. You'll be surprised to find that those good ol' boy capitalists get twice as much welfare from the government than any old people do.
> "What does all this return to the real average Joe and Jane? Nothin'. Nothin' at all. If I were able to retire (still a few years away) I'd get about $2000 in Social Security. My current basic expenses bills are something like $2100 a month. With inflation I figure that when the time comes I'll be a few hundred dollars short of paying my expenses."
> The old geezer with the guitar took another slurp. "As for running for the hills or reovlution/counter revolution? Those Corporate Elite types ain't gonna happen unless it's good for profits. So ease up, my friend ad take a look at who the real enemies are. It ain't old hippies that want to make love and not war... no its those who want to take love and make war."
> "Ratz, Give the Heretic another glass of what he's drinking an put it on my tab." With that the Troubadour faded into the shadows.
"The upsides of that is enforcement of Federal laws will be nearly impossible, so the erratic tantrums of Autocrats and murderers in Washington DC and New York City won't matter much beyond the sound of their own voices. The Internet is getting regulated by the FCC, as of a week ago, so say bye bye to Wikipedia and privacy and freedom of speech. That's going to die, along with the Internet itself. Govt ALWAYS breaks things. They are the very definition of violence and abuse. I expect individual towns will find themselves having to setup local networks and mirror websites and local DNS not hacked by the govt like the Chinese do through Yahoo to catch "dissidents" and murder them. They won't find it quite so easy, but that's not impossible. Imagine a drone strike against your cabin after asking "why did you kill that guy?" on a BBS. This is the same govt that butchered the Indians, and we're the Indians now. Our deaths make it easier to control and abuse the survivors, turn them into frightened and obedient slaves. We are entered a sort of Worst-Case-Scenario of isolation without a properly neutral internet, something we had before the FCC nationalized it. A pity, but all the more reason to hide from the bastards and keep your head down. Or live somewhere that finding your house is a bigger challenge because your house is on wheels and you only post via anon servers, and skip town after. Is that what we're coming to? Is that America today, with a burning bill of rights and engineered race war? That's what it looks like from here."
"There's a kind of sobriety to clear and painful, brought about by too much coffee that is it the antithesis of Drunk. Its called "Knurd", and the awareness of totality caused by being Knurd is famous for driving men to serious binge drinking to try and forget it again. This is why men drink Scotch. The upside of the utter collapse of America, the America we live in today being a failed state since the Attorney General told the Sheriffs to "only enforce the laws you feel like" after getting caught breaking most of the constitution and then NOT being arrested for it, well the upside of failure as a nation we Moonshine is going to be legal again, and there's every reason to think of America as a wild west, Free Fire Zone. You know, like Chicago after dark, or Detroit any time at all. We are living in a real life cyberpunk age. It actually happened. Who knew that cyberpunk would have something in common with Road Warrior?"
The Heretic
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