It's Official, Bridgeport, Connecticut Is A Dismal Town

[PegLeg45]

Good on ya, bro! Congrats on the FAL. And just think where we'd be without "sporks!"     

Where's Haz and his "Sporkweasel" photo when you need him?.......     

[tombogan03884]

The only problem with Bills reasoning is that because of FDR's meddling, (which Obummer is copying ) the depression lasted twice as long as it naturally would have. The only thing that broke the depression and got us back onto solid footing was all the $ we made from WWII.
That will not occur now because that type of war would be over long before factories could be retooled for war production.

There is no way that the economy can be fixed by politicians.
No matter who wins the next few elections the economy will get drastically worse because of hyper inflation.
No politician has guts enough to make the drastic cuts in "Human Services" and "entitlements" that would be required to get control of the deficit.

As to what comes next ?
Dictatorship, it ALWAYS follows when democracies inevitably fail.
That's why we had a Republic until FDR "Made the world safe for democracy".
Except for the parts he sold out to the Soviets.

[billt]

No politician has guts enough to make the drastic cuts in "Human Services" and "entitlements" that would be required to get control of the deficit.

I doubt they'll have a choice.  Bill T.

[Hazcat]

Where's Haz and his "Sporkweasel" photo when you need him?.......     

Sorry I wuz late, Peg.

[fightingquaker13]

Sorry I wuz late, Peg.

I know I'll regret asking this, but is there some pop culture context for this I'm missing?
FQ13

[Sponsor]

[alfsauve]

END - TIMES:
A good fiction book that plays out some of the scenarios in the event of an all out catastrophe is Lucifer's Hammer by Niven & Pournelle based on the very plausible event of a large meteor strike.

Of the several "rules" I've got swirling around in my head for catastrophic times is:

Never, ever, trade away firearms or ammo.


TAXING THE RICH:

Thomas Sowel put it like this.  The "rich" invest or spend their money which creates jobs (TW's job on this yacht for example).   So extra  taxes on the rich takes money from those who create jobs and transfers it to the government who doesn't.   In essence, extra taxes on the rich basically kills jobs.

[Badgersmilk]

Twyacht, WE WANT PICS OF THE FAL BEFORE YOU EVEN GET IT HOME!!!  NICE CHOICE!!!!!

Drift kings unite! 

All started by a pic of toilet paper?  LOL 

Now back to business. 

Tom brings up what's been weighing on my mind about all this.  WHO is going to actually dare downsize government?  No politician is going to give up power / control over his sheep.  They may claim to, only to pass a bunch of back door policy that gives them even more control than they started with.  In the past, if budget didn't allow government to control things to their likeing it never discouraged them.  They just keep on F'ing things up progressivly worse...  How we got where we are today!

Don't get me wrong.  I LOVE the idea of Bill's small gov. future!  The more I think about our past...  It's just not plausible. IMO.

Dictatorship.  Hmm, seems we're not far off that right now!  A very blurry little differance anyway.  An all out SHTF isn't going to happen the way we think of it.  It would mean there is no government at all! They just won't roll over and let us do what we want.  I know I keep bringing this up, but Katrina!  It was a good indicator of how they'll take over when the time comes.  "If you won't immediately submit, and hand over all firearms.  Weve got a nice little prison camp we want to show you...  After a good beat down!"  It's the military.  They WILL win!

Still leads me back to life under Mr. Joseph Stalin every time.    Not that it's a GOOD thing!!!  Just that it seems our inevitable reality.

[Badgersmilk]

All property will belong to "The State".

[Solus]

I can see billt's future (small government, with much more limited control) easily becoming reality.  If we're very lucky!

The only other options I see being a total communist state.  

Or a total breakdown of society.  I'm not buying that people today have enough intelligence and respect for each other, life, whatever, to not just kill on site without threat of punishment stopping them from it.  

Imagin this.  Joe Blow has lots of food stocked up that he stole from a grocery store (where else do you think he got it?  Really???).  You trade him a gun and ammunition he couldn't find for a bunch of food... Now Joe Blow is just going to say.  "Thanks buddy." and walk away with loaded gun all happy?     I'm not buying it.  NOBODY is going to survive THIS long term (dream all you want).  

Sure hope Bill is right!  Hmmmmm, my pesimism / realism makes me think though...

What will tend to keep Joe Blow and you alive is that Joe knows you have a supply of ammo he needs and you know he has a supply of food you need.   Killing Joe or him killing you cuts off that supply.   You just have to be careful Joe doesn't find your stash and he will be making sure you don't find his.  Of course, the availability of cover fire is always a great backup.

And Folks WILL be acting out of self interest.  The Capable Decent folks will band together for mutual support.  The Capable AHoles will be making raiding parties.   Folks will be looking for "like minded" people to join. The internal dynamics of each group will be very different.   Neither will have much use for the incapable.

Unfortunately telling the difference won't be so easy.

[PegLeg45]

Bridgeport, CT - Sporkweasels - Stalin.............. man can we drift.