* Fucked Up Beyond All Repair/Recognition.

RE

Quote from: TDoS on Nov 02, 2025, 11:54 AMJust guessing without any forum background it would seem that advcoates for Ukraine and Palestinians would be on the same side, as opposed to opposite sides?

Unlikely.  Ukraine and Israel are both Fascist states.

RE

Quoteadvcoates Advocates for Ukraine and Palestinians would be on the same side, as opposed to opposite sides?

They would be on opposite sides, an advocate for the war in Ukraine is down with death as fun and games.  An advocate for Palestine would be advocating for an end to death and destruction.  People dying is not fun and games.

You read it wrong. My intent was clear enough.

Quote from: RE on Nov 02, 2025, 05:58 PM* Fucked Up Beyond All Repair/Recognition.

RE

Your definition, and mine, of what "beyond recognition" might mean, or fucked up" even, are relative. I certainly recognize the current political system. And I recognize how it has changed. And can speculate on how to repair it.

Hence my comment. I already knew the words in the abbreviation.

Of course our perspectives are different.  I view the collapse of the FSoA political system as symptomatic of the wider collapse of industrial civilization, you don't.  Given the current trajectory of all the salient indicators of falling birthrate, increasing debt, aging populations, increasing homelessness, increasing military conflicts and decreasing per capita energy consumption and no indication any of the trends will change in the next 30 years at least, likelihood is that conditions will continue to worsen rather than improve.  Since I'll be dead after that I won't be affected by changes that come later, though I suspect they will continue to worsen into the next century.

Time will tell.

RE

Quote from: RE on Nov 02, 2025, 10:51 PMOf course our perspectives are different.  I view the collapse of the FSoA political system as symptomatic of the wider collapse of industrial civilization, you don't.

Oh, you don't really know my views on collapse, other than sure, the Sun is getting lighter by 40 million tons a second, and that is BAD NEWS.

Your sense of timing when it comes to general collapse has morphed over the years, interestingly you were quite pessimistic 16 years ago. And what did the world get out of it? Economic growth, prosperity, even with idiot politicians in charge.

Quote from: REby ReverseEngineer » Thu 08 Jan 2009, 08:33:42

OK gang, I am off to Hawaii. The trip is work related, but I tell you when I booked it a few months ago I didn't even think Alaska Airlines would be flying. Shows how good I am with timelines here on the collapse. LOL.

Back then you seemed to have a sense of humour about how poor your random temporal guessing skills were.

Quote from: TDoS on Nov 03, 2025, 07:06 PMEconomic growth, prosperity, even with idiot politicians in charge.

The standard of living for the median American has declined by 31.7% since 2008.

* This figure is derived from the comparison between the meager growth in real median wages (+3.2%) and the substantial increase in the cost of living (+51%), showing that the purchasing power of the median paycheck has fallen sharply in relation to the costs it needs to cover.

Quote from: TDoS on Nov 03, 2025, 07:06 PMOh, you don't really know my views on collapse

This was a completely predictable response.  No matter what you write, you claim no one understands what you really think or what your motivation is for trolling collapse websites.  Mr. Mysterious.  🙄🙄🙄

I've always had a sense of humor, an attribute you are notably lacking.  I know, we just don't understand your humor.  I'm sure you're hilarious at a conference.

How many Geochemists does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

A Geochemist an Economist and a Rabbi were out barhopping...

What do you call 50 Geochemists at the bottom of the ocean?


You can guess the punchlines.

RE

Quote from: K-Dog on Nov 03, 2025, 09:39 PM

Quote from: TDoS on Nov 03, 2025, 07:06 PMEconomic growth, prosperity, even with idiot politicians in charge.

The standard of living for the median American has declined by 31.7% since 2008.

* This figure is derived from the comparison between the meager growth in real median wages (+3.2%) and the substantial increase in the cost of living (+51%), showing that the purchasing power of the median paycheck has fallen sharply in relation to the costs it needs to cover.

Signs of "economic prosperity".













Tdos gets his alternative facts the same place Trumpolini gets his no inflation information.🙄



RE

Quote from: K-Dog on Nov 03, 2025, 09:39 PM

Quote from: TDoS on Nov 03, 2025, 07:06 PMEconomic growth, prosperity, even with idiot politicians in charge.

The standard of living for the median American has declined by 31.7% since 2008.

A median in a skewed distribution, how trickstery! But to be honest....need to know how "standard of living" is calculated.

This is what my AI told me about standard of living since 2008.

The American standard of living has improved overall since 2008, driven by gains in life expectancy and education, but this progress has been accompanied by a significant increase in income inequality and a slowdown in the pace of improvement for low- and middle-income Americans.

Key Indicators of the Standard of Living

Economic Growth: The U.S. economy experienced a long expansion after the Great Recession, with average annual GDP growth, though the pace of improvement in consumer spending power slowed considerably to about 0.4 percent per year between 2007 and 2015.

Median Household Income: Real (inflation-adjusted) median household income has seen an overall increase, reaching new highs in recent years after initial declines during and immediately after the recession. However, the gains have been unevenly distributed, with higher-income households seeing larger percentage gains than lower-income households, contributing to increased inequality.
Poverty Rate: The poverty rate initially increased during the Great Recession, reversing some gains from the late 1990s.

Life Expectancy: Health outcomes have generally improved, with most states seeing an increase in life expectancy over the last decade, though the rate of improvement has slowed slightly in some areas.
Education: Educational attainment has seen broad improvements across the country, with increases in high school and college degree attainment rates in most states, which typically leads to better long-term outcomes.
Cost of Living and Wages: A significant challenge has been the divergence between wage growth and the cost of essential goods like housing and healthcare, with these costs inflating at a higher rate than wages for the bottom 60% of earners. This means many working- and middle-class Americans feel "left behind" despite overall positive economic metrics.

Perception: Public perception shifted from general concern during the recession, when many felt their standard of living was getting worse, to more positive expectations in the years following, although satisfaction with the current standard of living has remained relatively stable over time.

So...how where did your 31.7% come from? I required more than some number from wherever from my AI, turn your AI loose on my AI's explanation, I'd really like them to iron this out for us.

IN2013DOLLARS.COM • 2025-11-05

Something that was priced at $990 in 2008 costs $1,489.70 today.

Playing with the math :

1498.7 / 990 => 1.514  How much would the median wage have to increase to reduce this price ratio increase down to 1.317 ?  The answer is 1.514 / 1.149 => 1.317 to yield an increase of 31.7% in real prices I need a wage increase of 14.9% for my math to work.  How much did the median income actually increase?

Real median household income (Census, expressed in 2024 C-CPI-U dollars): ↑ 18.73%.  Applying the two data sources to create the ratio is :  1.514 / 1.187 => 1.275 for an increase of 27.5% in real prices.

Sources: The above article and FRED.  So now you can take your AI and go fuck yourself with it.  You whittled my 31.7 % down to 27.5 % with some hard facts.  Big Deal.  The misery is slightly less quantified with this pair of data sources.  Other sources can be used, YMMV.

For the average American prosperity caught the last train for the coast quite a while ago no matter how much you want to complicate this.  No easy answer is bullshit, and that is exactly what your AI gave you.  The answer is the result of a simple ratio, and there is nothing complicated about it.

In some ways AI is the madness of crowds.

* Depending on which metrics are used real living standards have fallen from  ~27 to ~35 % since 2008 using the ratio presented.  I may have been closer the first time.

JACKBOWMAN.SUBSTACK.COM • 2025-10-26

The Chart of Doom

The stock market rising, and the number of job openings in America declining.

No Worries.  Concerned Amerikans will pass out sandwiches and Church Pantries will pop up like mushrooms. Plus there is plenty of nutritious food left free for collection every day by restaurants and supermarkets.



https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/15/food-stamps-snap-trump-one-big-beautiful-bill-impact-00653447

Food stamps are back, but millions will soon lose benefits permanently

RE

Between this and Epstein, unless Trumpolini rigs the 2026 elections the Repugnants will get creamed.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/13/republicans-are-scrambling-to-reclaim-affordability-good-luck-with-that

Republicans are scrambling to reclaim affordability. Good luck with that

RE

Eugene starts by emphasizing that applying the movie 'Hunger Games' to the current state of things in America sounds dramatic, but actually is an accurate assessment of the American situation.  I agree.











CAROLINAPOLITICALREVIEW.ORG • 2025-05-05

The Politics of Control: The Hunger Games, MAGA, and the Rebranding of Dissent

The greatest form of control isn't censorship, it's the illusion of freedom.