#60

I would ask you if USans are willing to put their money where their mouth is and accept higher taxes for expanded government services. I don't know the answer.

Soo...ask the question if the US would be willing to accept up to a 25% VAT to match European funding mechanisms. When it comes to what most would refer to as "Socialism," that's where it starts.

I'd be in favor. I don't think many USans would be.

#52

Norway is importing workers from East Africa to do unskilled labor. It's a big country with lots of resources, a lot of land, and a small population. They can't afford to not allow immigration.

#50

Eerily enough, I was just about to post that. Although the DSA platform looks more similar to communism than socialism.

It's basically the Communist Manifesto in different packaging.

"But that does not explain the extensive use of the word "socialism" by the GOP in a denigrating manner."

Socialism is an economic system where the workers own the means of production. I don't know of anyone calling themselves a "socialist" would support this.

I think there is a backroom agreement between progressives and conservatives to keep using this term. For conservatives, it is a pejorative. For progressives, it is a badge of honor.

And Europeans think that both sides are ------- crazy when they say Europe is socialist. It's not. Not even close.

"If you're a fat Texan that's raised on crap "bbq" and breakfast tacos, maybe Norway isn't for you."

I don't think any of you would be ready for Norway. Sitz didn't even get it. The weather in Norway is the worst weather I've ever experienced, and I lived eight years in North Dakota. I was working with my NOR counterparts today, who fly home later this evening. Let's just say they spent a lot of time outside, enjoying the bright German sunshine. Because it's going to be a while before they see it again. Until they come to Germany next month.

Trump shouldn't even be concerned about vendors. He should have a competent staff that did it for him. But it's Trump, so competency is hard to come by.

And SOF has always had something akin to carte blanche to buy the ---- they need. It's just the conventional forces that are funneled into buying ------ military.

Hell, even as an aviator we had access to the good stuff.

"Against the head wind of liberal judges it literally take an act of congress for Trump to change vendors. Democrats and their grifters have so entrenched themselves at the trough."

Yeah.

It's the Democrats.

They have Arc'teryx in their pocket.

NORSOCOM partners with them as well, FWIW.

"Attack posters who have achieved real success in life on an anonymous blog every day."

Dude, success is self-defined.

I consider myself to be extremely successful.

I'll never be a millionaire or billionaire, but for me-that's not what defines success.

I'm not really sure why so many people are hung up on money as a measure of success. The only thing I can think of, and it may be unique to me, is that I don't do what normal people do. There are only a handful of us. Maybe for everyone else, money is an indicator of how much other people care about what they do. It's how they validate their importance to society. And by extension, to themselves.

"You have mastered the Art of Saying things that are the Opposite of their actual meaning. And Believing falsities because the Words are present without any spirit behind them. Wake Up -------."

You seem to be conflating Republics with representative governments. They are two different things. Historically, and maybe even today, the vast majority of "Republics" do not follow a model of representative government. Are you familiar with the People's Republic of China? How about the Islamic Republic of Iran?

"It has a king, so no."

There is no king of North Korea...so...no.

"You JUST KNOW you're always right."

I can only say what's right for me.

In my mind, being 20 years old and making $61k per year isn't a bad gig.

"Is The People's Republic of North Korea a Republic?"

Indeed, it is. It is divided into multiple administrative districts. Just like the United States, the Republic of Germany, and previously the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Would you like more examples?

#61

Not sure why it cut off. The average wage of an electrician with less than 2 yrs of experience is $61k.

Good job or bad job?

"Cool anecdote."

I know.

It's just wrong when reality doesn't support the narrative.

"Of course he's in a bubble. He thinks 3 generations of wealth isn't staying power."

Staying in power?

Do elaborate.

First, power and wealth are not inextricably related. Most of the people referenced in this post-you've never heard of them.

Second, if you're in that third generation, you're not staying wealthy. I suppose you could run for office is power was your thing, but that's a totally separate issue that has nothing to do with wealth.

"Nobody actually keeping them down but there's only so many "Good Jobs".

Define a good job?

Is a good job one that pays six figs after six years of college? Or five figs with no college?

Or six figs with no college, because those exist too.

The average wage of an electrician with

#42

You've hit it on the head, m'dude. It's why I half joke that the US is the last Marxist country in the west, due to this idea of "to each according to need, to each according to ability.

Even contemporary socialism would not solve the problem, all other things being equal. A janitor working at Wal-Mart would be making a fraction of what a janitor at Apple was making, simply because Wal-Mart is low-profit, while Apple is very profitable.

"Personal decisions, life decisions determine your lot in life in our nation"

It's absolutely true.

And I don't get the obsession with the rich, those that hate them and those that want to be them-often times the same people.

I'll never be rich. I went to college. I work for other people who are getting rich.

The wealthiest people I know didn't go to college and weren't born rich. That didn't stop them from making millions. Much like the people mentioned in this post.

They did work their asses off though. Like 16 hours a day for a decade, missing holidays and family time, to get to the point they finally reached.

"People born into wealth also stay there, generally."

Not even remotely true.

90% of family fortunes are exhausted within three generations.

"People born into poverty generally stay there, at no fault of their own."

Walk me through that logic.

If not their fault, then whose?

Mine? Yours?

There is a reason why SOF partners with companies like Arc'teryx and Black Diamond to procure a lot of their kit. Standard desk job boots won't cut it.

Norway is the ideological homeland of bad weather clothing. But it's not cheap.

So...just under .08% of Amazon employees are on SNAP, and it's an "Amazon" problem?

The other 99.02% seemed to have figured it out.

#4

I grew up in Idaho and Oregon

When I was younger, my dad told me that if I went to Ricks College, I could knock the bottom out of anything.

Not sure how he knew that...

I just question how AI could say, kill the residents of somewhere like North Sentinel Island, or some of the remote tribes in different parts of the world. The only thing I could think of would be somehow convincing people to kill everyone.

#8

If you have a job where you're paid in EUR, you're LUCKY.

Maybe circumstances change in the future and the value of the dollar starts to go back up, but I get paid in USD. I get paid quite a bit, but that does not mean much if the value of the dollar continues to decline.