Battleground: 7 in 10 say US ‘on the edge of civil war’

[chuckman]

Elevator repair is where it's at. A paid 5-year apprenticeship, you get out making >$100K. If I only knew when I was young.... In the past year I have had HVAC people come out, well pump people, and an electrician. All three said they needed help and had to turn down business because of how busy they were.

As for the welfare/assistance business, it needs a total overhaul and revamp. 100%, top-bottom.

[Esq.]

There's definitely an over saturation in a lot of businesses. For every good, knowledgeable and reliable worker you have 10 scumbags who don't know shit.

A friend of mine has had a automotive glass business for 20 years. He's closing and selling his property because he can't find good help. There's good money in that business and he always did well, had good customer skills and quality work. However his last employee left 4 years ago and since then he can't find anyone worth hiring. Tried Craigslist, newspapers, even a large sign out front. All he gets are people on probation, half way houses, drug addicts, those who are on unemployment and want to be paid cash...etc.. No one with a clean background and a strong work ethic. He's lost customers simply because he can't keep up by himself.

My business has become so over saturated with half ass fly by night companies that prices are now falling.

My local butcher retired and closed shop. 30 years in same location, was willing to essentially GIVE the business to an apprentice....Never could find one that would show up regularly and do good work. I dunno how much he made but he always seemed busy and I know his family was never hungry!

[Alex V]

As an Architect I would tell you, if I had to do it again, I would be an electrician. I say that despite the fact that I have no college debt.

Short story: In the early 2000's my dad drove me into NYC so I can meet with one of my professors. He worked for the NYCHA so he went into Manhattan every day for work and this saved me the train fare. We parked in a parking lot in Chelsea. The lot was for a NYCHA building... read "the projects". There was a brand new BMW 740 parked in the lot. Stuck out like a sore thumb. I asked my dad who's it was. It was the plumbers. Nuff said. The union trades is where it's at.

Going back to the subsidies discussion, I think limiting time and requiring some kind of proof that you are trying it a good start. People spend generations on welfare.

[Adrenaline_6]

That's the way it is in most residential/non-commercial jobs. The consumer is so cheap, they usually try and get it as cheap as possible, then wonder why they got burned in the process or that the product and/ or installation they just purchased is pure garbage/ hack job.

Commercial s the way to go.

[platoonDaddy]

Maryland MoCo Department of Police posted the following news release, then the SOB county exec banned them from displaying.

Thank you to resident James Shelton, who presented Montgomery County 5th District officers with a wooden American Flag that he had made in recognition of National First Responders Day. The flag will be displayed in the 5th District Station.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/maryland-...-flag-divisive

[Averageman]

I'm beginning to believe if any of these Socialists who can't do the Math get in the Oval Office, the economy is going to crash.
There's not going to be an easy solutions with multiple bubbles popping within the economy at the same time, so some drastic, Venezuela type crash will happen.
Americans are as spoiled as they are well armed, and as soon as all the above is combined with empty grocery stores and the check not coming in the mail, it's going to go sideways.
Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders may have the best of intentions, or an ulterior motive, but when someone breaks the collective rice bowl, it's going to be on.
It's going to be pretty spicy once the .gov takes 401k's.

[Grand58742]

Maryland MoCo Department of Police posted the following news release, then the SOB county exec banned them from displaying.




https://www.foxnews.com/us/maryland-...-flag-divisive

I'd tell said County Exec to pound sand.

[Grand58742]

I'm beginning to believe if any of these Socialists who can't do the Math get in the Oval Office, the economy is going to crash.
There's not going to be an easy solutions with multiple bubbles popping within the economy at the same time, so some drastic, Venezuela type crash will happen.
Americans are as spoiled as they are well armed, and as soon as all the above is combined with empty grocery stores and the check not coming in the mail, it's going to go sideways.
Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders may have the best of intentions, or an ulterior motive, but when someone breaks the collective rice bowl, it's going to be on.
It's going to be pretty spicy once the .gov takes 401k's.

Informing Bernie or Liz a Venezuelan style collapse would happen would only bring up more stupidity like "It was the US meddling in their nation that caused it to fail!"

You aren't dealing with rational people here. I like Bernie because he rocked the DNC boat in 2016 and inadvertently helped uncover the blatant hypocrisy and corruption in that party. On a personal level, he's somewhat likable (I saw him at a rally and his off the cuff remarks were actually decent). On a political level, he's pure plutonium but says all the right things to a target audience that is gullible and has no rationality behind their thought process either.

"Tax the rich!" he shouts in a microphone.

"YES! YES! TAX THE RICH!" they scream in reply. And not even realizing the whole concept of "rich" is highly subjective and eventually some of them will be the "rich" that gets taxed. Because everyone is equal under his ideals and everyone gets their "fair share."

Case in point, I overheard several disturbing conversations at said Bernie rally (we provided security) that really made me ask how much thought goes into his supporters. An overheard conversation...

"I hope he gets elected since my son can get a fresh start from his student loans. He got his Masters, but can't find a decent paying job. I hope Bernie forgives all student debt so everyone can start over."

"That sucks for your son. What's his degree in?"

"English literature."

Paraphrased, but that's pretty much the gist of the conversation two people had. Even more scary was the Sanders-Warren ticket some were proclaiming to be the "masterpiece" Democratic nomination.

Regardless, the whole idea of socialism attracts the young and stupid rather than the experienced and worldly. They don't understand that saying one thing and doing another is hypocrisy. Bernie driving his expensive sports car or AOC getting her $300 haircut are two examples of "do as I say, not as I do" that his supporters ignore. Eventually, they grow out of that nonsense and figure out just how stupid they were.

Anyway, sidetrack, tangent done. Bernie and Warren have zero issues with breaking the economy, breaking the country nor probably nationalizing industries/companies of the "rich" who flee the higher taxes. I mean, it worked in the Soviet Union, Cuba and Venezuela until the meddling capitalists got involved!

[Averageman]

You want to see some angry people, go ahead and take those 401k's.
When your retirement future looks like you and the wife sitting on the curb dipping Ritz crackers in a can of Mighty Dog, you're going to have some angry people.
That may sound pretty extreme, but I really don't see how they can give all this free stuff away without federalizing all of this without taking everyone's retirement money to pay for it.
I've got a Cousin that went to school for design, so She's got sixty K in Student loans that aren't disappearing, her husband is a professional musician with his own Student Loans.
You can't discuss this with them, because they are positive that Bernie is going to make Student Loan debt disappear.
When I attempt to explain to her that She owns that debt and that I shouldn't be responsible via my taxes to pay for her loan, it gets shrill. I even have tried to explain to her how I did it without help from anyone else, the volume of shrill just gets louder. She's told me that I'am just "Lucky", in the meantime, I look over at my long suffering Uncle who financed 50% of her education and he wont even make eye contact.
Honestly, I'm pretty good with finance, so I can guarantee you they "Could" do it, they just don't want to make the sacrifice to do it.

[Buncheong]

Bail-in laws are already on the books.