Politics

[Doubleplay]

Hmmm. My son is one of that "uneducated" workforce. He has quite a few post high school college hours but is a graduate of Texas State Technical College with a wall full of certifications. He is considered a biotech engineer and he is that fellow that keeps all the exotic imaging equipment running in your local hospital. He is also one of the best read young men I have ever known, and with respect to history, government, and international relations better read and "educated" than many I have known with a specialist degree - particularly in the field of medicine. He is also very well compensated and owns a finer home than we ever did until leaving the military.

I would also argue his contributions to our society are certainly as valuable as many with those technical degrees.

I think we would be far wiser to direct more of our youth into such fields. With the right certifications some of our best and brightest languishing with their history degrees and voting for democrats could be highly productive and rewarded members of our economy.

I never did say uneducated anywhere on my post.
I also used the term educated for the job they perform not for the general knowledge of the World, international relations, history, etc...
Educated does not mean you are well rounded and refined, but it helps.

 

[Tanks]

The mental gymnastics, if capable, of Putin sympathizers must be quite arduous in order to make facts fit the narrative.

These are the same folks that call illegal immigrants crossing the border an "invasion".

 

[Brent in Az]

The mental gymnastics, if capable, of Putin sympathizers must be quite arduous in order to make facts fit the narrative.

These are the same folks that call illegal immigrants crossing the border an "invasion".

Gaslight much?

 

[Tanks]

Gaslight much?

I am not the one justifying Putin's invasion of a sovereign country.

 

[Red Leg]

Saw this clip over on X. The average American HAMAS militant has no idea how close Palestinians were to a separate state )or much of anything else about the Middle East) - I am sure the average Palestinian has no clue either. All Arafat had to do was say yes. But he could not bring himself to do it. Rather like the race grifters today, he would have had no relevance without the conflict with Israel.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1852116637752705343

 

[Brent in Az]

I am not the one justifying Putin's invasion of a sovereign country.

Outside of the Russian Oligarchy, tell us who is justifying it?

I'll wait.

 

[Dirtdart]

Undoubtedly not, but I would happily debate him.

I can not make that arrangement but in case the opportunity arrises I will PM.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine was naked aggression.

I agree 100%.
I am not placing the blame on the boy that left the skinning shed gate open to let a hyena destroy the trophies. The consequences rest squarely on the shoulders of the boss that was supposed to check the gate when he had the chance.

 

[Red Leg]

Oh dear. So they took Biden's laptop away so he couldn't make anymore virtual appearances and call republicans garbage. But, they decided they could risk putting him in front of an audience today.........

When referring to Trump supporters -

https://twitter.com/x/status/1852802221295165849

Of course, looking at Tim Walz and the soy boys for Harris commercials, it might have an entirely different meaning.

Would love to be an observer at Kamala campaign staff meeting this evening.

 

[deewayne2003]

Oh, so legal, regulated immigration can become a form of eugenics? So who determines the metrics for the potential for good citizenship and how does one develop that skill? … What a load of crap!

Well the first metric would be…..

Are you illiterate in your native language?

 

[deewayne2003]

Yes. It is a social security, medicare and anything else funded by the tax base thing.

Well if any of those social policies can survive the current imbalance of the baby boomer generation.

 

[Red Leg]

Well if any of those social policies can survive the current imbalance of the baby boomer generation.

Of course they will. It is political suicide for either party to change either - just ask Trump or Harris. The money will come from anywhere and everywhere else - especially defense.

 

[Dirtdart]

I live in what many would consider a small town. We have two traffic lights. One is a full on stop/go with the other being a caution flasher.

There was a time when I would get a knock on the door and a Girl Scout accompanied by a chaperon would ask me if I wanted to buy some cookies. Me being a fan of the "Tag A Long" they had a willing buyer.

The past few years the Girl Scouts have set up a table outside the local grocery store peddling cookies for the fund raiser. It is mandatory you swing by and buy some cookies. The JROTC sets up in the same place. Both organizations deserve support.

Recently, there was a different organization set up in the same spot as the GS and JROTC. This outfit was giving away free NarCan. I can not express the feeling in my gut when I saw this.
One day Girl Scout cookies and the next, NarCan. WTF?

In bordering counties ATF was able to arrest six individuals aged 28-32 for trafficking eleven .50 caliber Barret's and 16 FN249S. The shops that these particular firearms were purchased from are big legit retailers. Resident legal aliens or some shit like that.

Stay frosty!

 

[Tanks]

...

Recently, there was a different organization set up in the same spot as the GS and JROTC. This outfit was giving away free NarCan. I can not express the feeling in my gut when I saw this.
One day Girl Scout cookies and the next, NarCan. WTF?

...

I must have led a sheltered life, I had to Google "NarCan".

 

[deewayne2003]

Of course they will. It is political suicide for either party to change either - just ask Trump or Harris. The money will come from anywhere and everywhere else - especially defense.

I agree on the political suicide, however even if you completely eliminate defense spending we would still come up short.

Social security benefits and Medicare already make up over 50% of spending; I remember my finance professor ranting about how this would happen back in 2002.

 

[Red Leg]

I must have led a sheltered life, I had to Google "NarCan".

I did as well.

 

[WAB]

Hmmm. My son is one of that "uneducated" workforce. He has quite a few post high school college hours but is a graduate of Texas State Technical College with a wall full of certifications. He is considered a biotech engineer and he is that fellow that keeps all the exotic imaging equipment running in your local hospital. He is also one of the best read young men I have ever known, and with respect to history, government, and international relations better read and "educated" than many I have known with a specialist degree - particularly in the field of medicine. He is also very well compensated and owns a finer home than we ever did until leaving the military.

I would also argue his contributions to our society are certainly as valuable as many with those technical degrees.

I think we would be far wiser to direct more of our youth into such fields. With the right certifications some of our best and brightest languishing with their history degrees and voting for democrats could be highly productive and rewarded members of our economy.

Agreed. Our economy stops running without instrument techs, electricians, fitters, welders, med techs, etc. without them you have no fuel for your vehicle, power for your lights, internet, you name it. It’s pretty hard to add value as an engineer, economist, doctor, etc., without this workforce making it possible. As a society, we would be much further ahead if we focused on developing skills that actually create value.

 

[WAB]

The issue is Social Security is set up as a ponzi scheme, and if there are less people paying in the whole thing collapses.

This is actually not true. Social security has solvency issues because congress keeps robbing it. At nominal yields they should have a surplus. If they had let me invest my contributions over the past 40+ years I would have far more in savings than I will ever realize in payments.

 

[MD Driver]

Agreed. Our economy stops running without instrument techs, electricians, fitters, welders, med techs, etc. without them you have no fuel for your vehicle, power for your lights, internet, you name it. It’s pretty hard to add value as an engineer, economist, doctor, etc., without this workforce making it possible. As a society, we would be much further ahead if we focused on developing skills that actually create value.

Couldn’t agree more. Mike Rowe has been on TV time and again preaching this, and nobody seems to care much. Locally, we have an outstanding electrical workers union that will train and pay trainees to become certified electricians. They can’t even get the warm bodies to show any interest in their program. Life in the hood is much more exciting, apparently.

 

[WAB]

Couldn’t agree more. Mike Rowe has been on TV time and again preaching this, and nobody seems to care much. Locally, we have an outstanding electrical workers union that will train and pay trainees to become certified electricians. They can’t even get the warm bodies to show any interest in their program. Life in the hood is much more exciting, apparently.

When I left Alaska the average age of
Workers in the oil sector was 57. If we don’t attract folks into the skilled trades our economy will grind to a halt. What is mind boggling is that making in excess of $100,000 per annum in a trade was routine and that was back in 2006.

 

[Tanks]

Agreed. Our economy stops running without instrument techs, electricians, fitters, welders, med techs, etc. without them you have no fuel for your vehicle, power for your lights, internet, you name it. It’s pretty hard to add value as an engineer, economist, doctor, etc., without this workforce making it possible. As a society, we would be much further ahead if we focused on developing skills that actually create value.

PE firms have taken notice.

MSN