How does the World view America these days?

  On 7/21/2015 at 1:37 AM, delet... said:

To whomever said wherever about the army recruitment office being shot up as proof positive that armed citizens don't stop idiots with guns, well it turns out that military recruitment personnel are not allowed to carry firearms whilst manning the recruitment centres.

this sentence is an MC Escher-esque recursive nightmare

dleeter pls

That was me delet, and yes, mea culpa, I should have read the situation better. Still doesn't change my stance on guns - they're designed for one thing and one thing only, and it ain't "protecting your property."

Whilst I never called for it, the removal of the confederate flag on public buildings such as the courthouse or state capital is entirely different than banning such things altogether. I can agree with the first point while disagreeing with the second point. Nothing hypocritical about that at all.

Looks like the shooter was suffering from depression. Good article at Wall Street Journal: http://www.wsj.com/articles/chattanooga-shooting-suspect-showed-signs-of-trouble-1437358662

as a tribute to merka i recently bought an Old Bay t-shirt AND a tin of the stuff, so i can fry my crab/fishcakes crusted in that heavenly seasoning and loyally represent to the max with said couture

put that in your holster, Chuck Norris

Texas officials: Schools should teach that slavery was ‘side issue’ to Civil War

http://wapo.st/1G23Jyg

.

In general the problem is that people who are neither historians nor educators get a say in how history textbooks are written.

Edit: lol chunkster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDGGlckXvww

baseball cap included

here's an idea for a fictional movie (similar to abraham lincoln vampire hunter):-

you get one official history, probably published by a giant company, and that company is owned today by family X

and it turns out that family X was the same family that lost its financial grip on the USA after the war of independence

and family X hated the Christians, Anglo-Saxons,& Celts because they kept frustrating family X's schemes and plans

President Andrew Jackson stopped the bank, Family X didn't like that, they wanted their bank

Andrew Jackson loved keeping slaves, which was his moral weakness

Family X knew they could get the bank if they divided the public (divide and rule)

They used the press to influence people against slavery

The ones they failed to influence had to be dealt with

During the civil war Family X lent money to both sides

blah blah, 150 years later family X write the history books, cut out all references to family X

250 years later, slavery is legal again

blah blah

  On 7/21/2015 at 3:51 PM, doublename said:

In general the problem is that people who are neither historians nor educators get a say in how history textbooks are written.

 

Edit: lol chunkster

history in general is unreliable. context is always set by opinion. very difficult to discern truth, atmosphere, intent. I would promote a million other things before history in education. Would be more beneficial to have a class where people closely follow current events and politics and discuss them. History then becomes a tool for providing extra context, and the matter of opinion that is inherent in it becomes more obvious.

I actually agree with you and think of the history / social studies teachers I've talked to would rather teach the kind of class you describe. If the people who set education policy knew anything about education, I think you'd see much less emphasis on memorizing whatever happens to be the acceptable version of a given event and more focus on analysis, context and current events. Teachers are punished for encouraging critical thinking here.

Yeah, first teacher I ever had who told me the history book isn't 100% accurate was in college. In grade school they present it all as undeniable fact which is weird. Part of the indoctrination process I suppose. People don't like having their beliefs challenged.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmUV5hnwQTM

  On 7/26/2015 at 2:30 AM, Nebraska said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmUV5hnwQTM

Isn't it relevant that space and resources are finite?

I think it is, to a degree.

^^ they are, but i think the issue is that paychecks haven't increased, so many can't afford the high costs (eg rent in san francisco is now equivalent to getting detroit out of debt)

  On 7/26/2015 at 2:53 AM, Nebraska said:

^^ they are, but i think the issue is that paychecks haven't increased, so many can't afford the high costs (eg rent in san francisco is now equivalent to getting detroit out of debt)

Shouldn't things in general be less affordable if they are more scarce? To curb consumption you need to make things less available right?

Edit: I wonder how real scarcity is. I'm not an economist by any means but I figure scarcity is used as leverage to justify raising prices in a disproportionate manner to it being a real phenomenon

  On 7/26/2015 at 2:44 AM, StephenG said:

 

  On 7/26/2015 at 2:30 AM, Nebraska said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmUV5hnwQTM

Isn't it relevant that space and resources are finite?

 

I think it is, to a degree.

 

There are more than enough resources on this planet for everyone. When people hoard resources (e.g. in a world where Nestle wants to 'privitize' drinking water) or when market forces disincentivice resource distribution (e.g. US throws away 40% of our food when it could go to, say, Africa), then problems occur.

  On 7/26/2015 at 2:57 AM, StephenG said:

 

  On 7/26/2015 at 2:53 AM, Nebraska said:

^^ they are, but i think the issue is that paychecks haven't increased, so many can't afford the high costs (eg rent in san francisco is now equivalent to getting detroit out of debt)

 

Shouldn't things in general be less affordable if they are more scarce? To curb consumption you need to make things less available right?

 

Edit: I wonder how real scarcity is. I'm not an economist by any means but I figure scarcity is used as leverage to justify raising prices in a disproportionate manner to it's reality as a phenomenon.

 

Scarcity doesn't affect inelastic demand. For instance, scarcity of food won't affect how hungry people are.

"Scarcity" is usually just market friction. There really truly is enough to go around, but that runs counter to anarcho-capitalist values so...

All correct, yes.

  On 7/26/2015 at 2:57 AM, StephenG said:

 

  On 7/26/2015 at 2:53 AM, Nebraska said:

^^ they are, but i think the issue is that paychecks haven't increased, so many can't afford the high costs (eg rent in san francisco is now equivalent to getting detroit out of debt)

 

Shouldn't things in general be less affordable if they are more scarce? To curb consumption you need to make things less available right?

 

Edit: I wonder how real scarcity is. I'm not an economist by any means but I figure scarcity is used as leverage to justify raising prices in a disproportionate manner to it being a real phenomenon

 

what things are scarce? also, do you think it's normal that paychecks are around the same amount as they were 30 years ago? because that was the main issue. things getting expensive comes with the territory especially when you consider the population increase

  On 7/26/2015 at 3:27 AM, Nebraska said:

 

  On 7/26/2015 at 2:57 AM, StephenG said:

 

  On 7/26/2015 at 2:53 AM, Nebraska said:

^^ they are, but i think the issue is that paychecks haven't increased, so many can't afford the high costs (eg rent in san francisco is now equivalent to getting detroit out of debt)

 

Shouldn't things in general be less affordable if they are more scarce? To curb consumption you need to make things less available right?

 

Edit: I wonder how real scarcity is. I'm not an economist by any means but I figure scarcity is used as leverage to justify raising prices in a disproportionate manner to it being a real phenomenon

 

 

what things are scarce? also, do you think it's normal that paychecks are around the same amount as they were 30 years ago? because that was the main issue. things getting expensive comes with the territory especially when you consider the population increase

 

Materials required to build the houses and cars etc shown in the video are not infinite. An example: mining for metal and hydrocarbons.

There is lots of metal and oil in the planet, yes, but as we over-mine the planet companies develop new (and more expensive) techniques for locating and extracting these resources. The cost is passed on to the consumer. The relative scarcity compared to previous generations makes it more expensive for us than before.

Same thing with farming. The huge population to feed causes meats to be scarce, relative to previous generations. Cost passed on to customer etc.

Average real hourly wages for men aged 17-60 employed full time in Canada has actually increased from $22.55 to $25.03 in the last 30 years. Real wages are adjusted for CPI increases, meaning we are actually enjoying more spending/consumption power than before. That comparison is in 2010 dollars btw and is actually from 1981-2011.

Edit: I know that's not the same as the USA but I'm sure there's similar stats for the USA?

real estate prices are the biggest load of horseshit imo. housing prices should all be fixed otherwise you just ruin everything with gentrification. it's great that rent prices are constantly in flux too. Like super rational that rent prices change by the day.

  On 7/26/2015 at 3:56 AM, AdieuErsatzEnnui said:

real estate prices are the biggest load of horseshit imo. housing prices should all be fixed otherwise you just ruin everything with gentrification. it's great that rent prices are constantly in flux too. Like super rational that rent prices change by the day.

Crazy how expensive housing is in Canada when it's the 2nd largest country in the world and has a shit ton of space. Developers cram houses within pissing distance of each other and the average price for a house this July is $474,476.

I'm not sure if the average real wages I posted above are adjusted for housing (aka not sure if CPI includes real estate).

  On 7/26/2015 at 3:38 AM, StephenG said:

Materials required to build the houses and cars etc shown in the video are not infinite. An example: mining for metal and hydrocarbons.

 

There is lots of metal and oil in the planet, yes, but as we over-mine the planet companies develop new (and more expensive) techniques for locating and extracting these resources. The cost is passed on to the consumer. The relative scarcity compared to previous generations makes it more expensive for us than before.

 

Same thing with farming. The huge population to feed causes meats to be scarce, relative to previous generations. Cost passed on to customer etc.

 

Average real hourly wages for men aged 17-60 employed full time in Canada has actually increased from $22.55 to $25.03 in the last 30 years. Real wages are adjusted for CPI increases, meaning we are actually enjoying more spending/consumption power than before. That comparison is in 2010 dollars btw and is actually from 1981-2011.

 

 

Edit: I know that's not the same as the USA but I'm sure there's similar stats for the USA?

 

i actually don't think most of the things you listed are scarce (although i have no stats to prove my theory). but the point the video was making wasn't that things are scarce, but that people are paid today almost exactly what they were being paid 30 years ago while the cost of homes etc. keeps raising.

btw: you gave an example of the full time hourly wage increase in canada. do you know what the cost of home or car in canada was 30 years ago compared to today, or is it around the same price?

  On 7/26/2015 at 6:37 AM, Nebraska said:

 

  On 7/26/2015 at 3:38 AM, StephenG said:

Materials required to build the houses and cars etc shown in the video are not infinite. An example: mining for metal and hydrocarbons.

 

There is lots of metal and oil in the planet, yes, but as we over-mine the planet companies develop new (and more expensive) techniques for locating and extracting these resources. The cost is passed on to the consumer. The relative scarcity compared to previous generations makes it more expensive for us than before.

 

Same thing with farming. The huge population to feed causes meats to be scarce, relative to previous generations. Cost passed on to customer etc.

 

Average real hourly wages for men aged 17-60 employed full time in Canada has actually increased from $22.55 to $25.03 in the last 30 years. Real wages are adjusted for CPI increases, meaning we are actually enjoying more spending/consumption power than before. That comparison is in 2010 dollars btw and is actually from 1981-2011.

 

 

Edit: I know that's not the same as the USA but I'm sure there's similar stats for the USA?

 

 

 

btw: you gave an example of the full time hourly wage increase in canada. do you know what the cost of home or car in canada was 30 years ago compared to today, or is it around the same price?

 

The wage increase I referred to was in "real wages" meaning it was adjusted to consider consumer price index (inflation) increases. The term "real wages" means our earning power despite increases in the cost of consumer goods and shelter/etc.

According to my research this actually includes the increased price of vehicles and shelter.

Therefore the increase in wages I referred to is normalized according to real inflation (printing more money) as well as increased prices across the board. Let me know if I'm not making sense, but ultimately what I'm saying is Canadian's have more disposable income than 1981 because our "real wages" even when considering the increases in CPI (including transportation/cars and houses) has increased.

Like... given the prices in 1981, we made $22.55 per hour. Fast forward to 2011 and adjust for inflation (printed money) and CPI increases, it's the equivalent as if we made $25.03 per hour in 1981.

But to directly answer your question I don't have data available RE housing prices. My gf's mom bought her house for $80,000 in 1980. But consider the interest rate on cars etc back then was near 25%.

gotcha. thanks for explaining stepheng. btw: canada was voted most admired country in the world so obviously you guys are running things the right way. here in the united states, it's a slightly different story