The US Hamster Wheel

[Slasher]

Thanks for that link, he certainly is a very astute observer of the political scene in America, and as he states he can voice his opinion with little chance of being called Racist.

Yes I've followed him for some months now. The Trumpet haters here won't challenge that Pool video as their rabid hatred blocks their ability for clear thinking and debate.

Only exception could be Undried Plum. He's smart enough to pause his loathing in order to make a logical rebuttal. Caco was another but sadly he's left the site.

[Slasher]

You promised not to read my posts.

No, I said I'd unblock you on my Ignore list. Ergo I read them!

[John Hill]

From Google!

Millions of millennials are working at McJobs—jobs that are debasing and unfit for their $200k education. Yes, they may be working, but it is not the type of job they want nor does it measure up to their educational investment.

Millions of people have dropped out of the job market and are not counted in the government data. If you stopped collecting unemployment checks, you simply disappear; the government doesn’t include you in their data. Therefore, even though you are looking for a job, you are unaccounted for. These unemployed folks have conveniently fallen through the cracks.

Similarly, millions of people have simply given up hope. As a result of age discrimination and other perceived injustices, distressed job seekers throw up their hands in defeat and abandon their job searches entirely. Maybe they’ll settle for some part-time work or try to live off of their savings. Unfortunately, the outcome looks bleak for these folks.
We have witnessed the ascendance of the “gig” economy— a “side hustle” or whatever sexy-sounding title you want to assign it. People are pushed into working short-term, going-nowhere contractual engagements. It is scrapping and clawing to constantly find consistent work.

Also, the data doesn’t count a person who is working and just holding on by the skin of one’s teeth. They come to work each and every day worried about losing their jobs, having to relocate to a cheaper location or another country, being replaced by someone younger and less expensive or superseded by artificial intelligence.
Baby boomers are desperately clinging onto whatever jobs they have. Without corporate pensions and having lost money in the financial crisis to reinvest into the bull stock market, they don’t have the money to retire.

[John Hill]

No, I said I'd unblock you on my Ignore list. Ergo I read them!

Feel free to put me back on your little list.

[Slasher]

Nah. I wanna see if you're capable of rebutting Tim Pool and prospector's last post instead of your usual deflection into ad hominem on we non-socialist types.

From Google!

My goodness! A post from you sans accompaniment of Trump bashing?

Perchance you could share which Dem state(s) that burst was based on? A URL wouldn't go astray either.

[Woody]

[John Hill]

Perchance you could share which Dem state(s) that burst was based on? A URL wouldn't go astray either.

You do know I suppose that Google is open to everyone?

[Slasher]

Yep that's you alright - avoid giving a direct answer to a direct question by using a deflectionary question in subtle ad hominary fashion. The "Squad" would be proud!

I can play this game all day if you want.

[John Hill]

Don't let me stop you from enjoying yourself!

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I can play this game all day if you want.

You are playing solo Slash, as JH remains on my Ignore list, with the reason given in your last post remaining the reason. Let me know if reasoned and open debate starts again.

[Boac]

"You are playing solo Slash" - now, now, Fox, no need to raise that.............

[Woody]

Anyone else see the irony of leaving TOP due to the unbalanced modding, coming over to this wonderful forum and then putting people on your ignore list

[Slasher]

I can play this game all day if you want.

You are playing solo Slash, as JH remains on my Ignore list, with the reason given in your last post remaining the reason. Let me know if reasoned and open debate starts again.

Yes he was on mine Fox but I peeked at one of his aviation related posts and he was actually civil. So I took him off it. The problem is one can't put someone on Ignore selectively by forum (i.e. this one).

I think Hill is just plain bored and can't be bothered nutting out a cohesive reply to a direct question.

Only K&C and "Bob" are presently on my Ignore list.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Agreed.
I read JH's aviation posts too.
Woody, there's a difference between others not being allowed to post who are worth reading, and ignoring things not worth reading (and my ignore list is, as it happens, the same as Slasher's, for the same reasons).

[BenThere]

I've never put anyone on my ignore list, either here on on TOP, the logic being that I form my views on what I perceive as facts and strong argument and it's healthy to expose myself to challenges to those views. I further benefit in that a post in opposition to my views gives me fodder to rebut it.

I'm not critical at all of those who choose to ignore contributors. That's a personal choice. It just doesn't work for me.

[llondel]

That works for me too, I may choose to scroll on by if it's the same repeated argument ignoring all other points raised, but generally it's valuable to try to understand those you consider to be wrong because occasionally they'll say some thing that you realise is not wrong and you need to shift your own position a bit. If nothing else, understanding your opponent and why he thinks a particular way better equips you to deal with him.

[BenThere]

Well said, llondel. It's the basis of civility that we seem to be losing around here (the US).

I debate all the time with my sister, who is fairly hard Left-leaning but not radical. Sometimes we talk into the wee hours, both of us stimulated by the conversation. We always remain close and courteous, and value these conversations. That's how it should be. I try to not be dogmatic and so does she. The last time I spoke to her about a week ago she conceded that if the election were held today she'd vote for President Trump, the crop of Democrat candidates being a big turnoff to her. And the US economy is really good, but still I was shocked to hear her say that.

[John Hill]

"Thank God that's not the test of whether or not people have rights in this country, whether or nor they pass your look test," he said.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/a ... d=12250437

[BenThere]

John Hill, your post link is clearly written in the tinge of an editor who doesn't think much of President Trump.

My wife, a hairdresser, once worked with another hairdresser who was the star of the salon in Ann Arbor. He had taught in the premier cosmetology school, had a huge clientele and great reputation in the community, In the salon he had three chairs and three assistants, new grads from the school, who did a lot of the work, hair-washing, color-mixing, applying, and drying after the cut, then sweeping up the clippings and making the chair ready for the next client. It was a McJob.

His assistants worked for free, and a few tips, just to watch the master at work and learn from him. His name is Chip, taken from his ethnicity as a Chippewa Indian, a Michigan tribe now known as Ojibway. He just worked after the assistants had done their work and clipped for a few minutes with each client and raked in the profit.

Chip made about $5,000 a week my wife says, styling and cutting hair on his three chairs. Chip was also hooked into the gravy train of Ojibway revenues from their rights, along with other native tribes, to operate casinos to the exclusion of non-native American licenses. Chip earned another six figure+ income as a birthright from casino revenue. Chip lives in an enclave of other native Americans near Chelsea, an exclusive town West of Ann Arbor. There are ten or so large estates in the enclave, all owned by Chip's fellow Ojibways, all raking in casino profits. These estates run well into 7 figure values, and the driveways are like a showroom of super luxury vehicles.

It's nice of the rest of us are able to help out the less fortunate.

[John Hill]

It's nice of the rest of us are able to help out the less fortunate.

Socialism at work!