Autumn in New England
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2012
- Messages
- 5,381
@Rockdiamond, Please know you’ve also gained a lot of respect from people here thru your posts.
Yep. I wish we could all go out for a beer!

@Rockdiamond, Please know you’ve also gained a lot of respect from people here thru your posts.
Very complex answer to the question. It actually wouldn't be good to eliminate all debt, in fact.
Start reading about the differences between gov't and individual debt to begin.
Generating revenue helps. It's not the pat answer. There are no pat answers.
Close all tax loopholes and increase taxes on the rich to post war II levels, for one. Cut military spending would help.
From the trusty AI:
Government debt, unlike personal debt, is the total amount a country's government owes to its creditors, while personal debt is the total amount an individual owes to their creditors. Governments can borrow to cover deficits, and their debt can affect interest rates, benefit programs, and potential tax increases, while personal debt impacts an individual's financial situation.
![]()
What the National Debt Means to You
The national debt level is what the United States federal government owes its creditors. The U.S. debt grows every year. How does national debt affect you?www.investopedia.com
![]()
5 Ways Governments Reduce National Debt
Governments have options to reduce national debt that include raising taxes and cutting spending. Both can help lower the deficit when they're used together.www.investopedia.com
I was sincerely apologizing for my part.Respectfully, everyone in the world is aware of what is going on in the US and who is in power. No one needs to be named.
It only continues to divide us to point fingers and lay blame rather than discussing the policies and what they will or will not do for people. Make your points about how you believe policies will harm or help people and perhaps that might change minds. But you will not have anyone’s minds changed with insult slinging about parties or politicians they may identify with.
Regarding the Russian medical student.
She was caught at customs trying to smuggle frog embryos into the country. That’s the story. I looked it up and frog embryos are used for all kinds of research including using them as a medium to grow embryo-like micro robots (according to Tufts University). The contraband biological items list are very straightforward rules.
This scientist unfortunately intentionally tried to bring contraband biological items into the country.
@ItsMainelyYou, You posts are always factual and straightforward. Please don’t leave these threads. Many here also strongly value your opinions when you share them. You are never mean or snarky with your replies.
Even DOGE says they cost us about the same as what they pay in. Of course, I don't believe a word of it. But let's rely on their findings for a moment. So, at worst, they've essentially paid for themselves... still not the reason for the wealth gap in this country. I'm not debating illegal immigration, mind you... I will never deny that it comes with certain drawbacks. I'm debating this fallacy that they're the reason for all of our problems in this country. Keep the (soon to be extinct) middle and lower classes fighting amongst themselves while the rich are robbing us blind. That's the motto (of those at the top, not you), and I resent it. We can never affect real change by starting from that premise.
All tied up and in a bundle from a statement made and no action.
Enjoy every day. Every minute. Hug the ones you love.
None of us here can affect real change.
That’s a real part of the problem.
We have one more day of ….. whatever it is we have now that might change when these tariffs come into effect.
If they even do.
Part of an issue for many of us is the uncertainty.
It’s hard to imagine supporting this scattershot approach in terms of the stress it causes those watching/ and those directly affected.
Yet there are those making the case that this is some sort of negotiating tactic.
I, for one, really don’t like it. I’ve run from suppliers or potential client exhibiting inconsistent behavior. Time will tell.
We’re just leaves that have fallen into the stream. No control where it takes us at this point.
It’s easy to vilify immigrants that are using public services. That’s looking at one side of the issue and ignoring the other. Immigrants are the life blood of America. Many of them do not have all the correct paperwork. Many of those people are productive members of our society.
Try to get sheet rock done in NYC by Americans. Impossible.
@Sunrises Sunsets - I really appreciate your participation in this discussion.
I have lost friends because of issues we’ve discussed here.
I’m sure you love America.
People are reporting posts because of how charged these issues are.
A lot of us are very afraid of what these tariffs will do to our country- we love America too.
If you’re a student of history / or even based on current events- it’s not unreasonable to feel like these tariffs are a catastrophic error.
On the other hand, I guess it’s easy to make the case people are overreacting. Insults get thrown around.
I have appreciated the opportunity to get things off my chest. Sorry if I’ve insulted anyone.
WORDS MATTER
I agree that illegals in this country are not the only straw on the camels back by a long shot. That is why everything is on the table and being sifted through. A good way to keep the middle and lower classes where they are is to keep up the handouts. Why bother to improve one's education and situation if a handout fills the financial void?
My perspective is the rich make their money for the most part from the stock market but that market is buoyed by up by the government no matter what. Why is the money in savings accounts and instruments forced to take small interest rates so people can have "free money" for loans? The market is where we all get to pay far more for products, services and utilities than we need to pay. Every business in the stock market needs to garner enough profit to fill the pockets of those doing nothing but collecting money even though the business in many instances doesn't need public funding. How can we fix that?
I was sincerely apologizing for my part.
A suppose that a divide has developed, as my contributions have clearly become unwelcome and are causing issue for this board. I unfortunately lack the talent to speak around the obvious eloquently. That is my shortcoming.
I will defer to the prevailing Voldemort rule.
I apologize, again, and will not contribute further to discussions.
I understand words matter and pointed out the stress from a situation that hasn't occurred.
I was sincerely apologizing for my part.
A suppose that a divide has developed, as my contributions have clearly become unwelcome and are causing issue for this board. I unfortunately lack the talent to speak around the obvious eloquently. That is my shortcoming.
I will defer to the prevailing Voldemort rule.
I apologize, again, and will not contribute further to discussions.
im in a rush because its time to leave for work so i have some catching up to do
but i have a queation
what is happening with the UK?
where is the special relationship gone ?
why is the US impossing tarrifs on the UK ? and what are they ?
i know nothing about this thread is funny butThey want to increase US auto manufacturing so would likely hit UK built Automobiles sold to the US market~ so if any rock fan needs a Bentley Boodles edition... buy it now
The model’s most striking feature is perhaps its one-off ‘Be Boodles Bentley’ pendant in the centre console, featuring a pair of mirrored diamond-set B emblems handcrafted in 18kt Single Mine Origin white gold and designed to imitate the curves of antique lace
With minimum wage being what it is (federally, it hasn't changed since 2009), housing being generally unaffordable, healthcare not being accessible for many, food prices continuing to soar, how can we not provide social safety nets? It's impossible. I've said this before and I will say it again, you can't have it both ways. If you want to pay folks wages that are incompatible with COL, you don't want to provide affordable housing, and you don't recognize healthcare as a right, we're going to have to continue to socialize this economy. For those who don't like it, I encourage them to vote accordingly.
The rich inherit much of their wealth, which continues to accrue with passive income and minimal (if any) tax burdens. The game is rigged and the tables are tilted, as George Carlin used to say.
I was sincerely apologizing for my part.
A suppose that a divide has developed, as my contributions have clearly become unwelcome and are causing issue for this board. I unfortunately lack the talent to speak around the obvious eloquently. That is my shortcoming.
I will defer to the prevailing Voldemort rule.
I apologize, again, and will not contribute further to discussions.
Is this to mean that if you own or are paying for your home or rent, health insurance and food, you are rich and have inherited your money and it must be distributed? I wonder how many realize that even the uber wealthy cannot support the throngs hanging on the public pig. If this country was so incapable of "the poor" being supported why were millions of people allowed over the border to inundate the services that were already stretched.
I keep hearing about the "rich" causing all the problems. If you robbed the "rich" of every dollar they had it wouldn't begin to pay for our welfare country and the nations it helps to support. But incentive for any type of work would be dead.
Now what?
What does “hanging on the public pig” mean? I’ve never heard that definition before
Now we have to learn to endure what's inevitably coming.
Do you really not understand how difficult some people’s lives are? There are many Americans working two jobs and can barely pay rent and feed their family.
What does “hanging on the public pig” mean? I’ve never heard that definition before.
No one is talking about robbing the rich. Do many of us feel the rich should be paying their fair amount of taxes. Of course we do. Go back and take a look at what wealthy people paid in taxes in the 70’s. The wage disparity in this country is insane. They can afford to pay taxes.
It's 'real' as far as it was publicly 'presented' on TV.This is real, right? If so, it's really helpful. I don't necessarily understand everything about tarriffs, but this *looks to me* like we (the US) are starting to levy tariffs on places where we didn't have them before, but that those places already had levied them on goods from the US. So honestly this seems kind of like common sense to me. Am I missing something?