Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Mike]

I’ll have to check it out. Ketel One is our usual with some Tito’s substituted occasionally.

[CGVT]

I’ll have to check it out. Ketle One is our usual with some Tito’s substituted occasionally.

Have it cold, cold. I keep it in the freezer.

[iam416]

I'd prefer to cut and paste the direct article from The Economist, but I do not have a subscription. Fucking capitalist motherfuckers. Anyway, this is a summary of an article dedicated to how astonishing the American economy is:

Does the U.S. economy have problems? Absolutely. It always has, and it always will. There’s always room for improvement, and policy-makers have plenty of work to do.

It still remains true that despite those problems, the U.S. economy significantly outperforms its peers. That’s the subject of the Economist’s most recent cover story. The British paper doesn’t have a dog in the U.S. domestic partisan fight, and it steps back to admire what the U.S. economy has done.

Here are some of the facts the piece points out:

• In 1990, the U.S. share of the G7’s GDP (the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan) was 40 percent. Today, it’s up to 58 percent.
• In 1990, the U.S. share of world GDP was about 25 percent. Today, despite China’s rise and Japan’s fall, it remains about the same.
• By purchasing-power parity, only petrostates and small countries with financial hubs have higher average incomes than the U.S.
• And the U.S. is still pulling away: Average income growth in the U.S. is higher than in Europe or Japan.
• The poorest U.S. state, Mississippi, has a higher average income than France.
• The U.S. has almost 33 percent more workers today than it did in 1990. Western Europe and Japan only have 10 percent more.
• More American workers have graduate and postgraduate degrees than workers in Western Europe or Japan.
• American workers are more productive as well.
• Over 20 percent of patents registered abroad belong to American companies, more than China and Germany combined.
• The top five corporations by R&D spending are all American.
• Putting $100 in the S&P 500 in 1990 would leave you with over $2,000 today. That’s four times more than if you had put it in any other wealthy country’s stock market.
• Incomes in the lowest quintile in the U.S. have risen by 74 percent, adjusted for inflation, since 1990.

The piece notes challenges with labor-force participation, drug overdoses, and middle-class income rising slower than upper- and lower-class incomes. Another problem it doesn’t mention is the federal government’s looming fiscal disaster and politicians’ unwillingness to spend responsibly.

But for most people, there’s no economy better than America’s. Zooming out from day-to-day politics, it’s clear that the U.S. free-market system is doing something right. America’s more managed peers in Europe and Japan just aren’t doing as well. The Economist points to how easy it is to start a business in the U.S. — and how easy it is to work through bankruptcy and try again. It also points to something the Founders gave us: a massive common market between the states.

Though there are problems to be solved, and things could be better, the doom narratives from the left and the right should be put in perspective. “The more that Americans think their economy is a problem in need of fixing, the more likely their politicians are to mess up the next 30 years,” the Economist says. Let’s not talk ourselves into stagnation.

[Mike]

And what economic policies you upset about?

Mostly the absurd amount of spending, much of which is entirely useless and wasteful. We increased the money supply in this country 43% through Covid spending and the result is Carter-era inflation. As noted in the link Talent posted, the United States is fabulously wealthy compared to the rest of the world and I'd like to keep it that way. The biggest threat to that wealth is unilateral disarmament in the form of misguided green energy nonsense that will make energy significantly more expensive and provide less power. Cheap abundant energy is the biggest economic engine in the history of mankind. Progressives want to destroy that in the pursuit of reducing the average global temperature by 1 degree over the next 100 years. They can fuck off.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Just as the loudest homophobes often turn out to be closeted gays, the people screaming about "groomers' the loudest...well...

Pro-Trump ‘Stop the Steal’ organiser apologises for asking teenage boys for sexual pictures | The Independent

[iam416]

To reiterate, Mississippi has a higher average income than France. The Progs goal is to equalize that and it ain't by raising the French income.

The biggest threat to that wealth is unilateral disarmament in the form of misguided green energy nonsense that will make energy significantly more expensive and provide less power. Cheap abundant energy is the biggest economic engine in the history of mankind.

This is 100% true. In terms of importance for improving the human condition, harnessing and producing cheap energy is right up there with antibiotic/vaccines and GMO farming (IMO).

And to finish off the "unilateral disarmament" point -- the stated UN goal for 2030 is 50% global reduction or oblivion (I'm sure the goalposts will move -- they always do). The Chinese are currently over 30% of global carbon emissions -- but let's call it just 30. They have zero intent of reduction and, in fact, are building more coal power because their shitty central-planned economy is running into loads of trouble. So, we need to get the 50% global reduction from only 70% of the actual emissions. The US is currently around 12ish. That means that if the US went to ZERO, the rest of the world would still need 38% of global reduction from 58% of the emssions -- or about a 66% reduction by everyone else. If you factor in India as not reducing -- and they aren't -- they're increasing, though they're not as obviously recalcitrant about it as Chine -- then you need 50% global reduction from roughly 55% of the global emissions -- or over 90% from everyone else.

The absurdity of this should be apparent to anyone with a goddamn 6th grade education.

But, he were are -- The Chairman tilting at a windmill by, e.g., making our entire automobile market depedent on China who, as noted above, has no interest in intentionally making energy more expensive.

As I've said many times -- high gas prices are a FEATURE of Prog (and The Chairman's ) policies.

And, btw, if you love centrally planned economies, then load up on that fantabulous Sinovac vaccine.

[Dr. Strangelove]

A few months ago AOC came back from France raving about how well run the French nuclear industry was so I had some hope that the greens can be convinced that nuclear isn't as scary a boogeyman as people think.

[iam416]

You misunderstand the Greens, DSL. They aren't about limiting climate change. That's ancillary. They're about retarding progress. They're about reshaping the economy in ways that reduces the human footprint. "Green" energy is energy that accomplishes that goal. Nuclear energy is, therefore, not "green". That's why so many of us on the right -- but not far right -- of this issue have such a hard time taking these people seriously. Nothing short of dismantling the US Economy (so raved about by the Economist) will satisfy them.

Now, for those who are actually serious about the issue and are looking for politically and economically viable policies that will meaningfully address the issue, nuclear power is a ginormous compromise position that everyone should agree with -- it massively reduces emissions and produces cheap energy. And you can build a new one in a mere 30 years within the US regulatory structure!

[Dr. Strangelove]

Old article but coal ash is actually more radioactive than nuclear waste. As Germany shuts down its last nuclear plants and reopens coal ones!!!

Coal Ash Is More Radioactive Than Nuclear Waste - Scientific American

[Whitley]

Mostly the absurd amount of spending, much of which is entirely useless and wasteful. We increased the money supply in this country 43% through Covid spending and the result is Carter-era inflation. As noted in the link Talent posted, the United States is fabulously wealthy compared to the rest of the world and I'd like to keep it that way. The biggest threat to that wealth is unilateral disarmament in the form of misguided green energy nonsense that will make energy significantly more expensive and provide less power. Cheap abundant energy is the biggest economic engine in the history of mankind. Progressives want to destroy that in the pursuit of reducing the average global temperature by 1 degree over the next 100 years. They can fuck off.

So you don't think the climate is changing then?

I think it is a false choice you are presenting of a good economy or healthy environment.

I see no reason why we can't be at the forefront of new tech that gets this country (and the world) off of dependence on cheap oil. You find a way to do that and not only does the American economy grow enormously but the money dries up (to a large degree) in the middle east the reach of terrorist organizations there shrinks in the long run.

I look at places like Death Valley and wonder if there is a way to capture that energy in a container that keeps it from leaking out. And you could ship this container to your house and like load it and there is your energy. Maybe you can buy a months worth. Just an idea.

The next wars are going to be over fresh water.

A lot of inflation is flat out corporate greed

[Whitley]

A few months ago AOC came back from France raving about how well run the French nuclear industry was so I had some hope that the greens can be convinced that nuclear isn't as scary a boogeyman as people think.

The question I have is how do you secure and ensure nuclear waste so it doesn't get into the environment.

[iam416]

I see no reason why we can't be at the forefront of new tech that gets this country (and the world) off of dependence on cheap oil. You find a way to do that and not only does the American economy grow enormously but the money dries up (to a large degree) in the middle east the reach of terrorist organizations there shrinks in the long run.

I look at places like Death Valley and wonder if there is a way to capture that energy in a container that keeps it from leaking out. And you could ship this container to your house and like load it and there is your energy. Maybe you can buy a months worth. Just an idea.

The next wars are going to be over fresh water.

I mean, we could be if we let market economies play out. We absolutely won't be with central planning idiocy.

Water is a big deal. You'd think states like California might be interested in retaining water, but they ain't building reservoirs. Again, the Greens win -- gotta stop progress at all costs.

And the Death Vallley shit -- I mean, we do have that techology -- it's a battery. But it ain't a solution.

[Tom W]

A few months ago AOC came back from France raving about how well run the French nuclear industry was so I had some hope that the greens can be convinced that nuclear isn't as scary a boogeyman as people think.

She could have reached the same conclusion, and saved taxpayer money, by hitching a ride on a U.S. Navy CVN.

.. trying really hard to resist the idea that "walking the plank" is still a nautical practice.

[Mike]

So you don't think the climate is changing then?

I think it is a false choice you are presenting of a good economy or healthy environment.

I see no reason why we can't be at the forefront of new tech that gets this country (and the world) off of dependence on cheap oil. You find a way to do that and not only does the American economy grow enormously but the money dries up (to a large degree) in the middle east the reach of terrorist organizations there shrinks in the long run.

I look at places like Death Valley and wonder if there is a way to capture that energy in a container that keeps it from leaking out. And you could ship this container to your house and like load it and there is your energy. Maybe you can buy a months worth. Just an idea.

The next wars are going to be over fresh water.

A lot of inflation is flat out corporate greed

I do think the climate is changing just far more subtly than the greens would have us believe and the consequences of that small change are being dramatically oversold. How many "tipping points" have come and gone and things are largely the same? It reminds me of the wackadoo doomsday preachers that say the rapture is coming on a certain day and it always comes and goes with nothing happening. Not sure how many more times we're going to let the greens pull that trick before people start realizing that maybe things aren't as grim as they say.

Fresh water is absolutely the most precious resource on earth and I couldn't be happier that I am surrounded by 20% of the world's fresh water supply. Conversely, progressive policies in California have prevented the construction of desalination plants that would provide clean drinking water for MILLIONS of people. Progressives oppose drinking water for humans in favor of protecting some rare ocean species.

Instead, they blame global warming for the drying up of Lake Mead, and that probably does contribute, while ignoring the reality that the population of California has doubled from 20 to 40 million since they built their last water reservoir. All the water rights from Lake Mead were divvied up long before the population explosion in the SW and they are simply running it dry. It was desert for a reason: It's hot and arid. There is no naturally occurring ability for that region to support massive metros and golf resorts. It was made possible by human ingenuity and the American can-do ethic in the form of the Hoover Dam. Fast forward 90 years and the progressive's proposed solution to a problem they have ignored for decades is to make me drive a battery to work.

Make no mistake. NONE. There will come a day when the progs go after the Great Lakes in the name of "environmental justice". And that, as Earl Bruce used to say about losing to Michigan... Buddy, that's a problem.

[THE_WIZARD_]

FB_IMG_1681829404661.jpg