The Off-Topic and Random Thoughts Thread(Anything Goes!)
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The South only wanted free trade because they didn't see themselves having anything in common with the North, and so they wanted to trade with other countries on equal terms. The southerners were also economic nationalists, they just didn't see the North being part of their nation. But anyways, we're going in circles here. If they had gained independence, the economic calculus would change for them and they would not necessarily favor free trade in the same way. They would likely decide to put tariffs on the Union.
In any case, resource-based economies can do quite well. Look at Russia, Australia, and Saudi Arabia. And there's no guarantee the South would not have changed in some way, as today it's the most economically booming part of the country. But it really took them over 100 years to recover from the war. So I don't get the argument that the northern victory benefited the southern people. Their standard of living definitely dropped, and they had to work longer hours to get by. The northerners chopped down their forests, and big companies from New York effectively stole the land from independent farmers. Better to be a small, independent farmer in rural Alabama rather than an expendable wage slave in a Chicago factory.
Things haven't panned out too well for people in northern states. Today it's the northern liberal states that are welcoming migrants in their sanctuary cities. The South, though far from perfect, offers much more support for border protection and Christian values.
You are once again doing exactly what I pointed out earlier and project present alignments back on the past, so I'm not even going to address the "the north is liberal" line.
Russia, Australia and Saudi-Arabia are not unindustrialized states. Stalin force-industrialized Russia which is the only reason they could project the geopolitical power that they did. Australia is industrialized. The practiced de-facto protectionism for periods of time. Australia would become consumed by its Southeast Asian neighbors if they had. As the Washington consensus got established, it did happen though.
Russia recently got indirectly forced into protectionism, and their domestic production thrived and they gained purchasing power globally. Saudi-Arabia isn't terribly diversified, but they are trying, so all of your examples actually proved my point.
That's because protectionism is the correct path, with the version depending on whether the country has access to resources or not.
Lastly, I never tried to argue that the particular situation of the Southerners improved over a specific window of time (although, at least in the 20th century it definitely did). Injustices happening to them in the aftermath of the war, while definitely historically interesting, has no bearing on the political adequacy of the war to save the Union.
Okay but I never said the CSA wouldn't or shouldn't industrialize at all if they had gained independence. All developed countries are industrialized, but my point is that some are still heavily focused on the primary sector and do quite well.
As for the past, it matters whether we like it or not. Understanding the past allows us to see why certain states have ended up the way they are in the present.
I'm not opposed to protectionism in principle. I believe in fair trade over free trade. What needs to be taken into account is that different regions have different needs. The bottom line is the South had its own culture, identity and economy. It's leaders were justified in looking out for their own people because Washington was primarily interested in the economic prosperity of the North.
The issue being that, once you have imported enough low IQ peasants, industrializing becomes harder. The North was a total powerhouse and came up with simple factory jobs a good chunk of Black people could participate in and share in the economic gain, but there will always be a threshold where they stagnate and fall back a little behind the rest of society and then they grow dissatisfied and become susceptible to revolutionary dialectics.
That'll happen to those Western countries that practiced free trade the most very fast. The South with rapidly reproducing Black people and no industrial opportunities would have been in danger of a race war and probably had to have to cut out some area of the country for Blacks and then it would be another one of those free trade open air prison situations (similar to Gaza, although I wouldn't count that as an example), because Southern Whites weren't feeling charitable about Blacks because Blacks and Rednecks were caught up in Lumpenproletariat warfare and the latter the only electorate available for Southern leaders.
Free trade nations always end up in a situation where they shrink their cake so much that they can't share any more without drastically changing the power relations and that tends to cause dramatic conflicts. That's when you truly have a "no turn back" situation on your hands.
Unionists defended the States from that situation and created so much wealth within a short time that created a very solid American identity up until well into the 1980s.
Batman
Heritage
About a decade ago I made a thread on /r/askwomen asking why they care about nails so much which included saying that men don't care about nails. As expected, they ALL attacked me with vicious vitriol and none of them answered the question.
I don't get the nail thing either. I think it's likely to be one last component in their manufactured assembly of artificial add-ons that come together, including make-up, lip filler, and a lack of accountability, that get them feeling like a gorgeous, desirable and indestructible voltron.
It's also clear that social validation and or the avoidance of shame/embarrassment, drives much of this behaviour because otherwise they would simply do things to make themselves feel pretty and confident at home.
It makes me smirk when women post things online like "I dont care about your opinion, I'm doing this for me!"
Mmm hmmm... so that's why you're posting it online
This guy gets it:
Despite all the doom posting on America, it is still one of the best places to live.
I am constantly amazed at how well everything works and I can't believe how peaceful American society is. How is it that masses of people aren't killing each other in the streets? In my entire life of 40+ years I've only seen one real 3D "shoot out" (a jewelry store being robbed). My step-grandmother was raped by a black man in the 1970's and my half-sister died last year under mysterious circumstances while in the presence of a black man who had once threatened to kill her. But outside of that, and the witnessing of several benign bar fights, my experience of America has primarily been a peaceful one.
In addition, the electric grid has been incredible. In my entire life I've probably only had to go without electricity for a total of 48 hours. There were some toilet paper and artisan cheese "shortages" during the pandemic, but even then I never went without anything I really needed (gasoline, food, shelter, electricity, medical care/prescriptions, water, etc.).
Inflation and rent/mortgage increases have been steady, however, economically, things "on the street" as of late seem to be going really well. I know of many nice, peaceful places in the US where you can still buy untouched, resource rich land for $2K an acre. Last week I paid $2.74 a gallon for gas (Scott Ritter was claiming $10 a gallon "peak oil" was coming SOON back in 2002). I've been in sales for the last decade, and even after inflation, Im selling more (and making more) than I ever have. Where are all these people getting all this money from?
So my question is, when will all this end? What is the date and time of America's imminent "collapse" that I've been hearing about for 40 years?
My hypothesis is that an American collapse is not forthcoming. When I look at my own personal anecdotal trajectory through American space and time (i.e. history) very little has changed. Things have always been good, I've just mistakenly perceived them as being bad (due to depression, bad relationships, negativity, alcohol use, etc.).
I know of all the "problems" (especially immigration and JQ banking/finance shenanigans) and doom and gloom Roman Empire-esque forecasts, but on the ground, everyday reality just isn't congruent with such hypothesis. If you truly look at America there are new construction projects around every corner, every stop light works, 911 is up and active and the police respond (albeit slowly sometimes), every grocery store is filled to the brim with fresh meat and produce, and the 600+ Red Lobsters around America always seems to have lobster (which never ceases to amaze me). And when will they stop building new Starbucks (there are two new ones opening soon near me)?
You would think that before the collapse you'd see a slow down? But America is firing on all cylinders, the ship is huge and cannot be stopped. Based on a lifetime of anecdotal experience I would say do not bet on America suddenly "stopping" or ceasing to function the way it always has.
All forecasts for America's demise and the US dollar collapse are just that, "forecasts." You can say whatever you want about the future, that is easy, anybody can claim anything about the future. However, today, right now, life in America is good if you want it to be. Expect the best and prepare for the worst.
I am constantly amazed at how well everything works and I can't believe how peaceful American society is. How is it that masses of people aren't killing each other in the streets? In my entire life of 40+ years I've only seen one real 3D "shoot out" (a jewelry store being robbed). My step-grandmother was raped by a black man in the 1970's and my half-sister died last year under mysterious circumstances while in the presence of a black man who had once threatened to kill her. But outside of that, and the witnessing of several benign bar fights, my experience of America has primarily been a peaceful one.
In addition, the electric grid has been incredible. In my entire life I've probably only had to go without electricity for a total of 48 hours. There were some toilet paper and artisan cheese "shortages" during the pandemic, but even then I never went without anything I really needed (gasoline, food, shelter, electricity, medical care/prescriptions, water, etc.).
Inflation and rent/mortgage increases have been steady, however, economically, things "on the street" as of late seem to be going really well. I know of many nice, peaceful places in the US where you can still buy untouched, resource rich land for $2K an acre. Last week I paid $2.74 a gallon for gas (Scott Ritter was claiming $10 a gallon "peak oil" was coming SOON back in 2002). I've been in sales for the last decade, and even after inflation, Im selling more (and making more) than I ever have. Where are all these people getting all this money from?
So my question is, when will all this end? What is the date and time of America's imminent "collapse" that I've been hearing about for 40 years?
My hypothesis is that an American collapse is not forthcoming. When I look at my own personal anecdotal trajectory through American space and time (i.e. history) very little has changed. Things have always been good, I've just mistakenly perceived them as being bad (due to depression, bad relationships, negativity, alcohol use, etc.).
I know of all the "problems" (especially immigration and JQ banking/finance shenanigans) and doom and gloom Roman Empire-esque forecasts, but on the ground, everyday reality just isn't congruent with such hypothesis. If you truly look at America there are new construction projects around every corner, every stop light works, 911 is up and active and the police respond (albeit slowly sometimes), every grocery store is filled to the brim with fresh meat and produce, and the 600+ Red Lobsters around America always seems to have lobster (which never ceases to amaze me). And when will they stop building new Starbucks (there are two new ones opening soon near me)?
You would think that before the collapse you'd see a slow down? But America is firing on all cylinders, the ship is huge and cannot be stopped. Based on a lifetime of anecdotal experience I would say do not bet on America suddenly "stopping" or ceasing to function the way it always has.
All forecasts for America's demise and the US dollar collapse are just that, "forecasts." You can say whatever you want about the future, that is easy, anybody can claim anything about the future. However, today, right now, life in America is good if you want it to be. Expect the best and prepare for the worst.
What do you make of the tizzy over this viral clip of the gold medal-winning US junior ice hockey team?
In a way, I find it depressing, since this kind of display would've been the norm in the 1990s but now draws attention (primarily from conservatives) because it is atypical.
In a way, I find it depressing, since this kind of display would've been the norm in the 1990s but now draws attention (primarily from conservatives) because it is atypical.
American cities are horrible. When you look at maps of them it's like you're looking at an industrial zone.
Contrast that with the UK where, last year, we had this:
Numerous times now, when I've ordered an entree at the bar and finished eating, the waitress comes by and says, "Good job." Is this some weird sales technique to encourage me to buy more? Because it comes off as the waitress sounding like my mother and I'm an infant who doesn't want to eat his lima beans.
Next time, leave some sauce on the edge of your mouth and see if she wipes it off for you and kisses your forehead.
I think I would like that, depending on the waitress!
Excellent post, well done.
You might just be really good at eating entrees. Not great, but good.
That is weird. I haven't run into that one, but maybe because I almost never dine in. Is it, maybe, some huge dish that most people can't finish?
It's just your typical American entree with more food than any one person needs at a single sitting. So yeah, a pretty large portion I guess.