Political Posts

[73 Reds]

7 minutes ago, cubsfan said:

 

Ouch - that hurts!   You mean you actually have to be productive and accountable??

 

What happened to just putting in your time like a good government leach?

 

I mean seriously, if you have any ambition beyond simply earning a paycheck (nothing wrong with that), is government your first choice?

[Gregmal]

31 minutes ago, dealraker said:

LOL...My last name Sink is Anglicized Zinck.  My g-g-g-g-g-g grandfather Jacob Zinck was granted land here and his children became Sink's.  I just finished building 10 miles of foot/bike trail on the land Jacob was given by the King of England just before the Revolutionary War that was bought by the City of Lexington, NC.  

So youre what the left would call, a colonizer....

[changegonnacome]

On 8/6/2025 at 5:03 PM, Parsad said:

These guys are so fucking stupid.  I'm just at a loss of words today. 

 

 

Guess this is what happens when you elect a moron and then that moron puts other morons in charge of various federal agencies and then those morons come up with moronic ideas and because everybody above them is a moron too there is nobody competent to stop ideas like defunding mRNA research or rug pulling NIH funding.

 

Whats crazier still, if that we're possible....is literally this is a President that presided over the most recent pandemic and a death toll of a million of his citzens .....I genuinely hope he doesn't get caught out with this stupidity.......mRNA conspiracy theorists had the luxury of still being alive cause COVID turned out to have negligible fatality rate focused mainly on those with comorbidities.....what a time to be alive.

[Sweet]

On 8/6/2025 at 5:03 PM, Parsad said:

Back to the 50's!  These guys are so fucking stupid.  I'm just at a loss of words today. 

 

I could stand most of the other shit, but mRNA vaccines were crucial to fighting the Pandemic and not spending money developing them just puts us back decades!  This pseudoscience bullshit is going to get millions killed.  Cheers!

 

https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/05/health/hhs-slashes-funding-for-mrna-vaccine-development

Whilst I agree with you, one of the good things about mRNA vaccines is that there isn’t as much development.  I don’t think this means there won’t be mRNA vaccine development, or that it will put anyone back decades.  So I wouldn’t worry.

[Spekulatius]

We have Big government now:

I am surprised we don’t have a central planning office and & 5 year plans yet.

Edited August 8, 2025 by Spekulatius

[changegonnacome]

2 hours ago, Sweet said:

mRNA vaccines is that there isn’t as much development.  I don’t think this means there won’t be mRNA vaccine development, or that it will put anyone back decades.  So I wouldn’t worry.

 

I dont think this is the case......the research was focused on exploring the various edge outs that mRNA would provide for various pathogens.....defunding emerging pathogen research.....I mean how stupid and short sighted from a President who last go round was in power for a period when a million American's died.

Edited August 8, 2025 by changegonnacome

[Sweet]

6 hours ago, changegonnacome said:

 

I dont think this is the case......the research was focused on exploring the various edge outs that mRNA would provide for various pathogens.....defunding emerging pathogen research.....I mean how stupid and short sighted from a President who last go round was in power for a period when a million American's died.

Why don’t you think that’s the case?  I’m not saying it takes no development, I said takes less.  It shortcuts all the recombination and expression vectors - pretty significant shortcuts.  It’s objectively easier to develop and it’s not really an opinion.

[John Hjorth]

[J/K begin] Let me just say, that any discussion in this topic on CofB&F of why and how tariffs affect economies and markets globally, is absolutely futile, meaningless and stupid, thus nobody should engage into such activites. Because the man who knows everything has just spoken! -Dixi! ['Amen' is for another, different purpose!] [j/k end] :

 

Edited August 8, 2025 by John Hjorth

[Gregmal]

It is hard keeping up with it all. On one side you have that...on the other side tariffs are both "not real" but at the same time "bringing in meaningless amounts of money" but also a "tax on the consumer"... whilst also ignoring that the tax in these cases is a choice versus the kind their preferred politicians would've implemented isnt...and then of course theres those that just cant understand any of it and feel owed an explanation on everything from the highest levels of the land...

 

Just sit back and have a woke beer.....isnt it great? I can't fuckin stand it. 

 

 

[cubsfan]

And of course, there is never any explanation of why it's perfectly fine for other countries to use tariffs as a policy - but in no way should the United States.

 

 

[dwy000]

21 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

It is hard keeping up with it all. On one side you have that...on the other side tariffs are both "not real" but at the same time "bringing in meaningless amounts of money" but also a "tax on the consumer"... whilst also ignoring that the tax in these cases is a choice versus the kind their preferred politicians would've implemented isnt...and then of course theres those that just cant understand any of it and feel owed an explanation on everything from the highest levels of the land...

 

Just sit back and have a woke beer.....isnt it great? I can't fuckin stand it. 

 

 

How are tariffs a tax that is choice?  When they are embedded in the shelf price of necessary products or in the price of manufacturing inputs that's not a choice.  

[cwericb]

11 minutes ago, dwy000 said:

How are tariffs a tax that is choice?  When they are embedded in the shelf price of necessary products or in the price of manufacturing inputs that's not a choice.  

 

Well I guess one could always choose not to eat and nor use toilet paper, etc......

[dwy000]

3 minutes ago, cwericb said:

 

Well I guess one could always choose not to eat and nor use toilet paper, etc......

So much winning!

[Gregmal]

15 minutes ago, dwy000 said:

How are tariffs a tax that is choice?  When they are embedded in the shelf price of necessary products or in the price of manufacturing inputs that's not a choice.  

Care to name these and then quantify the difference? @cwericb seems think think it’s food and $1.29 rolls of toilet paper…I’m so sorry an extra 10-30c on the head of lettuce is causing your financial issues…any others I’m missing? Tomatos maybe? So we got like $3 a week? 
 

Or wait! Maybe you mean big ticket? A car? Again, a choice whether to buy new or used or even have one. Meanwhile you guys if you had your way would just rob us blind raising our tax brackets…

[Malmqky]

33 minutes ago, cubsfan said:

And of course, there is never any explanation of why it's perfectly fine for other countries to use tariffs as a policy - but in no way should the United States.

 

I'm a free market kinda guy, think tariffs are a bad idea in general. Just let the market do it's thing, economies are too complex for government interference. I believe tariffs are a bad idea because I don't trust the US government not to mess something up.

 

But, I've come around to the view they may be needed to counteract government subsidized "fox in the hen house" type situations (how China subsidizes BYD and car manufactures in Europe can't really compete).

 

The idea of reciprocal tariffs still doesn't make much sense to me, but I am trying to understand if it's really as simple as leveling the playing field. I suspect countries tariffing America are hurting themselves more than benefiting themselves, even if it's not immediately apparent. Most of the US "exports" are things like financials and big tech anyways.

 

Free trade is a good thing, tariffs ain't it imo.

[dwy000]

3 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

Care to name these and then quantify the difference? @cwericb seems think think it’s food and $1.29 rolls of toilet paper…I’m so sorry an extra 10-30c on the head of lettuce is causing your financial issues…any others I’m missing? Tomatos maybe? So we got like $3 a week? 
 

Or wait! Maybe you mean big ticket? A car? Again, a choice whether to buy new or used or even have one. Meanwhile you guys if you had your way would just rob us blind raising our tax brackets…

Have you been to a supermarket recently?  Just about everything is costing more. The $0.30 on the lettuce by itself isnt much but multiple that across almost every product. I wasnt surprised to see Costco sales up - just price increases alone would lead to that. Not buying a new car used to be a choice for most people - one that is no longer a choice for many. 

 

Taxing American consumers hundreds of $bns for reasons that have still never been explained by the administration is kinda dumb (how's that tariff on the UK where we have a trade surplus?).  But hey, you dont need an explanation.  If Trump says its good that enough for the cult. 

[Gregmal]

1 minute ago, dwy000 said:

Have you been to a supermarket recently?  Just about everything is costing more. The $0.30 on the lettuce by itself isnt much but multiple that across almost every product. I wasnt surprised to see Costco sales up - just price increases alone would lead to that. Not buying a new car used to be a choice for most people - one that is no longer a choice for many. 

 

Taxing American consumers hundreds of $bns for reasons that have still never been explained by the administration is kinda dumb (how's that tariff on the UK where we have a trade surplus?).  But hey, you dont need an explanation.  If Trump says its good that enough for the cult. 

Totally. It’s devastating. Just raise em brackets lol 

 

Maybe you can double up the 94c toilet paper as tissues for your tears and save a few bucks.

 

 

[John Hjorth]

2 minutes ago, Malmqky said:

I'm a free market kinda guy, think tariffs are a bad idea in general. Just let the market do it's thing, economies are too complex for government interference. I believe tariffs are a bad idea because I don't trust the US government not to mess something up.

 

But, I've come around to the view they may be needed to counteract government subsidized "fox in the hen house" type situations (how China subsidizes BYD and car manufactures in Europe can't really compete).

 

The idea of reciprocal tariffs still doesn't make much sense to me, but I am trying to understand if it's really as simple as leveling the playing field. I suspect countries tariffing America are hurting themselves more than benefiting themselves, even if it's not immediately apparent. Most of the US "exports" are things like financials and big tech anyways.

 

Free trade is a good thing, tariffs ain't it imo.

 

Thank you, @Malmqky,

 

To me personally, your post above is a very good post. What you to me are expressing is that tariffs as a concpept are some kind of weapon in international trade, where it now, as a concept, gets weaponized in a new way, dimension, namely international policy and relations.

[dwy000]

3 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

Totally. It’s devastating. Just raise em brackets lol 

 

Maybe you can double up the 94c toilet paper as tissues for your tears and save a few bucks.

 

 

This is great for you and me but now ask Walmart shoppers how they feel about it.

[cwericb]

Kinda sad when some here can't even conceptualize the situation the average guy with a young family is in and how the prices at the local supermarket are rising and will continue to do so. But wait, there are some here that, just a few months ago, were pontificating that there would be no inflation.

[Gregmal]

6 minutes ago, cwericb said:

But wait, there are some here that, just a few months ago, were pontificating that there would be no inflation.

LOL so where is it?

 

Or are we back to playing the one tenths of one percent monthly fluctuation game?

 

All I pointed out is how nothing burger these predicted item increases are and you for whatever reason declared people couldn't afford 94c 4 packs of toilet paper.....

[Gregmal]

29 minutes ago, dwy000 said:

This is great for you and me but now ask Walmart shoppers how they feel about it.

So the answer of course is raising everyone tax brackets....got it. Except if WEB brings up tariffs, or other countries...then it's a great idea. 

 

The other thing thats funny is how all you "raise the bracket" champions seem so gravely concerned, same even for Mr Buffett whom at times is quite vocal about higher taxes....yet, nothing is preventing you guys from sending additional checks to the Treasury...but you dont.

[dwy000]

2 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

So the answer of course is raising everyone tax brackets....got it. Except if WEB brings up tariffs, or other countries...then it's a great idea. 

 

The other thing thats funny is how all you "raise the bracket" champions seem so gravely concerned, same even for Mr Buffett whom at times is quite vocal about higher taxes....yet, nothing is preventing you guys from sending additional checks to the Treasury...but you dont.

When have I ever once commented on raising tax brackets?  

 

But if the goal is to raise taxes on Americans (which Trump has never admitted is a goal of tariffs) is making it proportionally harder on the lowest income segment of society (which is his primary base) really the best way to do if the country?

[Gregmal]

1 minute ago, dwy000 said:

When have I ever once commented on raising tax brackets?  

 

But if the goal is to raise taxes on Americans (which Trump has never admitted is a goal of tariffs) is making it proportionally harder on the lowest income segment of society (which is his primary base) really the best way to do if the country?

The candidates you've consistently supported believe the answer to everything is raising taxes. The same way you take anything Trump does and completely fabricate this notion that anyone whom disagrees with you politically supports it...dont we get the reciprocal logical assumption?

 

Bottom line is, in general, the US macro position many feel is unsustainable and some measures are necessary to alleviate it. In almost all of them, there is some obvious burden. Austerity is a no go. Cutting spending seems damn near impossible. Raising taxes is an option. If you're doing so, theres different ways to go about it. Simply upping brackets gives people no choice. Upping certain product costs that come from outside the country is another, but it gives the consumer a choice. Unless I guess if 94c 4 packs of toilet paper are a problem for you....so again...the logic is pretty simple. I dont need to agree with or support every aspect of it. As I said in April, I kinda think tariffs are dumb, but also dont get why everyone else gets to impose them but then this TDS faction of the country is like "thats fine but not us!"...

[73 Reds]

50 minutes ago, John Hjorth said:

 

Thank you, @Malmqky,

 

To me personally, your post above is a very good post. What you to me are expressing is that tariffs as a concpept are some kind of weapon in international trade, where it now, as a concept, gets weaponized in a new way, dimension, namely international policy and relations.

Agreed.  So why is it OK for them to tax us (the US) but not OK for us to tax them?