The Goat Pen

"IMO, the economic policies championed by both sides are just desperation kicks against the tide to continue trying to avert disaster."

There's no disaster to avert, but I guess it's fun to say so people keep saying it (kinda like "runaway inflation has been a thing ever since"). There will always be pullbacks and downturns, but everything always pops back up, and always will. See 2008 and Covid. The Great Depression was a disaster. That's not happening again, certainly not due to any economic policies enacted in this country (although the massive blanket tariffs Trump keeps lisping about would come close). Now if somebody shoots off a nuke, all bets are off...

"Russia is dying, even before the war."

Dude, Cuba hasn't died yet, Russia can hang on for a long time...

hedge wrote: ↑Tue Mar 04, 2025 5:16 pm "Russia is dying, even before the war."

Dude, Cuba hasn't died yet, Russia can hang on for a long time...

The demographics are the demographics. Russia is gigantic nation with less GDP than the state of New York, with a meager population about equal to Mexico, a total fertility rate as low as Canada, and a horribly low estimated lifespan. There are as many men in Russia who are dead at 60 as there are at 80. Land is infinite. Natural resources, infinite. Potential, infinite. But in reality, the nation is quickly dying from alcohol psychosis. And by quick, I mean, maybe 100 to 150 years. Everyone on this board will be dead long before Russia, but unless the Orthodox Church can turn things around very quickly, there will be no meaningful Russia in the 22nd century.

This cartoon is only 11 years old…

https://www.reddit.com/r/polandball/s/W6ensTmqWt

" Russia is gigantic nation with less GDP than the state of New York, with a meager population about equal to Mexico"

They have the ninth largest population of any nation on this planet you idiot. They also have the 11th highest GDP...

Whats Mexico?

hedge wrote: ↑Tue Mar 04, 2025 8:12 pm " Russia is gigantic nation with less GDP than the state of New York, with a meager population about equal to Mexico"

They have the ninth largest population of any nation on this planet you idiot. They also have the 11th highest GDP...

So? Their country spans 11 time zones and has a land mass to rival all of the continent of Africa. And they are only the 9th largest population on the planet? That sparse? What, their population density for their entire nation is akin to South Dakota.

Everything I said was mathematically true. 11th GDP in the world? Big deal. There are 4 or 5 little European countries with a greater GDP than Russia. There are 3 individual US states that each have a greater GDP than all of Russia.

DS trying to talk politics is embarrassing.

Alright here we go, speech to congress.

Immigration
Debt
Tariffs
Ukraine

So far it's me me me me.

yup

as it always is no matter who the POTUS is

STFU

"There are 4 or 5 little European countries with a greater GDP than Russia."

Link?

well

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_c ... _(nominal)

It appears that

• Germany
• UK
• France
• and Italy

are all ahead of Russia in GDP. That is 4 European countries. Not bad.

By the by, POTUS just appointed someone to West Point. Just now. Nice.

Congressman Al Green, shame on you. Next time, just sit there with your arms folded for 2 hours if you can't be respectful.

I doubt you said the same thing about Joe Wilson

Ruh Roh Ms Crockett





Democrats walking out in protest when 69% of the nation feels the speech was positive. JFC, these people are stupid. Bonus points for all the democratic women wearing pink in a show of support of women's rights when the day before they voted to keep men in women's sports.

hedge wrote: ↑Tue Mar 04, 2025 4:46 pm "but in the long run it will strengthen America with less government bloat and a more realistic GDP, and it will also drive down inflation."

Even if you were right, which I don't think you are, do you really think American voters assess things in the long term? They care more about the price of eggs and gas than decreasing government bloat or having a "realistic" GDP (whatever that is, but I guess you'll tell us) or any of this other bullshit. Evidently Republican town halls haven't been going well lately, just think how things are going to look in two years at the midterms, much less in 2028 when this buffoon has had four years to completely ruin shit, and he will. It's what he does, it's all he does.

Now then, will there be some (plenty) of Maga voters that care way more about the the half dozen trans athletes that are invading female sports nationwide (of course the only reason they care is so they can own the libs)? Sure there will. But if the economy tanks as you predict, it's going to be a rough night on election day 2026 and 2028. Then the pendulum will swing back again in 2032 b/c people will be pissed again. I doubt we'll have another two term president in our lifetimes...

first of all, I am right - if for no other reason than government spending cannot drive GDP as it has in the past. We see the effects of that with inflation , debt and interest payments.

but no, Americans will vote them out, I had zero expectation the Repubs would hold the house in 2026 before Trump even took office, I've seen it happen so many times before, Americans are happiest with government when there is a balance and gridlock - which is one reason why the executive orders are completely out of control. They are the last resort of effective government.


But I also believe that 4 years is long enough for America to recover from the tariffs and the economy rebound with real meaningful private sector jobs that will set JD Vance up quite nicely for a presidential run. My hope is that Trump doesn't cave, that Canada ends up on bended knee, Europe has to invest billions upon billions upon keeping Russia at bay and their own military while getting their ass ripped on free trade and that we cross the border in Mexico and go after cartels they will not impact because their country is so corrupt.

It would be the ultimate show of American strength, and even if Europe , as a result turns into a super power economically and militarily, America still benefits by being able to go back to an isolationist nation. America should have never been expected to carry the load on NATO 80 fucking years later.

The final piece of the puzzle would be to detach ourselves from Israel, but that won't happen in my lifetime, so that's just a parasite relationship we'll have to live with.

btw, Arab nations have combined to create a 53 billion dollar fund to rebuild gaza in an effort to keep Palestinians on their land - if that works out its a brilliant move by Trump to suggest he move them out. Amazing actually.

eCat wrote: ↑Wed Mar 05, 2025 8:13 am Ruh Roh Ms Crockett





Democrats walking out in protest when 69% of the nation feels the speech was positive. JFC, these people are stupid. Bonus points for all the democratic women wearing pink in a show of support of women's rights when the day before they voted to keep men in women's sports.

At national review, they commented that the democrat response was so incoherent specifically because they are trying to tie together women’s rights while at the same time championing men in women’s sports by refusing to define what a woman even is. This level of hysterical insanity and irrationality are part of the reasons why I have said and continue to say that it would be better for the whole country if women didn’t vote. They are far too emotional to handle this level of civic responsibility. We have more that 100 years of data on this, they just can’t do it.

The Dems are, unanimously, on the wrong side of trans rights, immigration, government waste, and war in Ukraine. It boggles the mind that all they need to do is get back on the right side of these issues, like they have in the past, and differentiate themselves with republicans by higher taxes for the wealthy, which is a legitimate argument and popular. Instead, they wallow in the absurd, and not one of them, except for Fetterman on immigration, will talk sense.