So the first amendment gives the right to infringe on the freedom of others?

I once got made fun of at work for using “hella” about something. People are stupid.

We’re the bad guys. Get anally fucked to death, pedo protector.

Some people are also genuinely fucking exhausted and just trying to live and can’t really change a fucking thing by worrying about it all the time.

Perfectly valid to feel that way. None of these numbers would ever explain away everything. People are suffering. Things are harder for most. Quantifying it is complicated.

The Vikings TV show went on wayyyyyy too long. It should have ended when

When, uhhh, when WAS the US economy good for most? Has to be pre-pandemic at minimum.

I wish you the best of luck finding something that works well for you. You got this.

A quick proxy could be overall wage increases for the year. I’m sure average wages for new jobs may be findable somewhere, but BLS recently released this:

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 3.4 percent, not seasonally adjusted, for the 12- month period ending in December 2025. Wages and salaries increased 3.3 percent and benefit costs increased 3.4 percent over the year.

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/eci.pdf

From BLS report USDL-26-0184 on Feb 10, 2026.

Yes. She would have not been directly involved in the production, amd she was fairly new to the position anyway in the grand scope of the methodology and procedures behind this type of report (she was about a year and a half in), and statistical agencies and the civil servants who work there take methodology VERY seriously (I know, I’ve worked with these kinds of agencies) and they’d have a LOT of reviews and checks in place for something this high profile to ensure it’s as accurate as it can be.

If anything it was more a slap in the face of the non-political government workers who geek out on statistical methodology and just want to produce the most accurate stats they can.

Have no knowledge of this website, but here’s an article about her firing:

https://www.epi.org/policywatch/firing-bls-commissioner-erika-mcentarfer/

A large building with a lot of rentals would be taxed at a high total value, and this increased cost would be passed on to renters, thereby defeating the purpose. It should o ly apply to unrented properties.

Side note, I know nothing about rent control though.

I know people involved in some of these unions. They still fight for federal workers and are successful at times in assisting them with so many other things. They negotiate contracts (like collective bargaining agreements) and seek more fair workplace practices, they represent workers in disputes, they scrutinize HR and administrative practices, and they bring lawsuits in federal courts.

Yes, they don’t have the teeth of large strikes, but it’s still helping them in the sense of banding together and pooling resources. Of course, this fucking piece of shit administration has just unilaterally taken away a lot of things and exposed a lot of the flaws in the system. From what I know, morale is in the shitter for most normal, everyday, civilian federal workers who simply wanted to provide a good public service and pay their bills.

Note that I think it being illegal to strike is fundamentally un-constitutional and un-American. But hey, not much of the U.S. is how we feel it should be.

Before Amazon were malls, before that, the big stores came along like shopko, Walmart, etc. which still persist. But of you go back far enough you get “Department” stores, mainly in the big cities 100 years ago.

As an aside, the stock market has also always been fucked. All the way back to the beginning like Jay Gould and the rail company corruption.

The system has always been against us.

So your average chump GS-5 processing paperwork to ensure people keep getting their social security payments despite the garbage coming down from the administration is supposed to dooo… what exactly?

Most are doing their best to focus on the actual public service mission and tune out and navigate the shitpile that voters put on their shoulders. Most just wanted to do a good job and help people.

They are not the policy makers.

Whatever helps you sleep at night. Enjoy your dreams of saving the world.

Mostly politicians and political appointees. Most actual government employees are just regular folk trying to pay bills and do a public service while keeping heads down so as to not draw attention from the shit-eating pieces of garbage that we morons keep electing. Especially the Federal civilians over the last year.

People live with Hollywood mindset.

Just like some of our top shithead politicians.

I’m not comparing Chinese influence to US. Both can exist and both can be bad. I don’t believe I’ve ever read of lots of bases or invasions by China (though they do practice invasions with Russia sometimes). But they have in the last 10-15 years equipped a lot of Sudan with more than simple economic influence. Guns. Weaponry. Resources that allowed Sudan to oppress South Sudan. Well-documented since like 2010.

Shit I’ve read here and there for years. You know, like most people that arent fucking dickheads.

Here’s one single easily googled example: https://grimshawreview.lse.ac.uk/articles/10

China’s foreign policy in Africa, whilst traditionally framed as noninterventionist in pursuit of its economic interests, has become increasingly involved in the provision of security on the continent. Extensive economic investments have exposed China to the volatility of Africa’s political landscape, which, in turn, has heightened its need to protect its economic interests in conflict-ridden territories (Alden & Barber, 2017).

And that’s merely the intro. But I know you don’t care.

Note: I have zero opinion or knowledge on this article. It’s merely one example. There are lots easily found.