timeline of presidentss

[conception_native_0123]

I had always thought that, because the american people can never make up their mind and change their minds constantly, the presidency changed party hands almost every 4 years. but, according to this:

President of the United States - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

that's not always true. any thoughts on this? any thoughts from the older crowd that remember better times when things weren't so polarized and non-tie-breaking? according to wiki, those times were at least 50 years ago now.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

As populations have risen, immigration has increased, and the world became more financially polarized, we have drifted away from situations where people could get by in reasonable but not extravagant surroundings. People were willing to compromise as long as they felt they were getting "a piece of the pie." However, we have reached a point where social programs have become so extreme that the slices of the pie are getting very thin. The problem then becomes that when they get thin enough, we lose incentive for anyone to continue to strive. The work of economist Maslow showed this in the 1930s. The whole problem with the concept of "social safety net" is that we run out of "net" before we run out of "social." There ARE theories of economics that discuss the value added to the economy by labor, but if you can't GET people to labor even a little bit, those theories become meaningless. No labor? No value added.

Sort of like asking a Ford Pinto Hatchback to tow an 18-wheeler-style trailer. Might work briefly before the engine burns out.

 

[Isaac]

However, we have reached a point where social programs have become so extreme that the slices of the pie are getting very thin. The problem then becomes that when they get thin enough, we lose incentive for anyone to continue to strive. The work of economist Maslow showed this in the 1930s. The whole problem with the concept of "social safety net" is that we run out of "net" before we run out of "social."

 

[conception_native_0123]

The whole problem with the concept of "social safety net" is that we run out of "net" before we run out of "social." There ARE theories of economics that discuss the value added to the economy by labor, but if you can't GET people to labor even a little bit, those theories become meaningless. No labor? No value added.

are you saying that we are headed for more democratic presidents?

 

[The_Doc_Man]

No, but the Dems are saying that. Or trying to convince you of that.

I keep on looking back to Greece several years ago. They were finally forced to excise the fat from their social safety net. There was a lot of pain. the problem with kicking a can down the road is that if it is a dead-end street, you run out of ways to kick it.

Are we at a dead-end street? I don't know. But if nothing else changes, I'd say the odds are greater than 50% of a steep and painful reckoning.

 

[conception_native_0123]

But if nothing else changes, I'd say the odds are greater than 50% of a steep and painful reckoning

agreed.

 

[kevlray]

As populations have risen, immigration has increased, and the world became more financially polarized, we have drifted away from situations where people could get by in reasonable but not extravagant surroundings. People were willing to compromise as long as they felt they were getting "a piece of the pie." However, we have reached a point where social programs have become so extreme that the slices of the pie are getting very thin. The problem then becomes that when they get thin enough, we lose incentive for anyone to continue to strive. The work of economist Maslow showed this in the 1930s. The whole problem with the concept of "social safety net" is that we run out of "net" before we run out of "social." There ARE theories of economics that discuss the value added to the economy by labor, but if you can't GET people to labor even a little bit, those theories become meaningless. No labor? No value added.

Sort of like asking a Ford Pinto Hatchback to tow an 18-wheeler-style trailer. Might work briefly before the engine burns out.

Not to hijack, but your last line reminds me of a commercial that was on television years ago of a small car pulling a large boat up a hill, engine screaming (not really possible, but what an image).

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I had a Pinto wagon. It screamed every now and then when my rock band had an "away" job. I was the only guy with a wagon and nobody had a truck, so my poor little wagon screamed going over the Mississippi River bridge.

It was good little car, but it got wrecked when an 18-wheeler dump truck ran a red light. I saw him coming and just barely backed up so as to not get t-boned. He got the front bumper assembly to about a 15-degree angle from straight. That car was never again in good alignment.

 

[Isaac]

I had a Pinto wagon. It screamed every now and then when my rock band had an "away" job. I was the only guy with a wagon and nobody had a truck, so my poor little wagon screamed going over the Mississippi River bridge.

It was good little car, but it got wrecked when an 18-wheeler dump truck ran a red light. I saw him coming and just barely backed up so as to not get t-boned. He got the front bumper assembly to about a 15-degree angle from straight. That car was never again in good alignment.

Wow, that's really scary. Glad it turned out better than could have.

@Everyone has anyone signed up for a Ford Maverick? I'm very interested. I'm exactly the demographic they were targeting with this amazing new sort of non-truck truck, the person who thought most pickups were absolutely ridiculous for the wasted, un-used size, power and general pounds of steel to no purpose. BUT despite my claims, I've secretly always "kind of wanted a truck". I'm looking forward to a truck that can actually maneuver in parking lots so I don't have to be "that guy" making the 15-point Y turn every few minutes. I signed up for the XLT because (quite disappointingly) the entry level one doesn't have cruise. (odd, since it has everything else I could possibly want in a vehicle, personally).

But, the XLT is only $3k more expensive, for a total price of $23,800 or something. I added about 600 in options and then there is $1300 delivery, so 25,700 + TTL.

The only part I am sad about is the 6 mo. wait.

 

[NauticalGent]

I had a Pinto wagon.

My first car was a '73 Chevy Vega, the only car worse than the Ford Pinto...

 

[The_Doc_Man]

NG, the Pinto wagon wasn't so bad. It was the Pinto hatchback that exhibited the rear crash hazard.

 

[AccessBlaster]

I didn't think the Vega was that bad either

 

[NauticalGent]

Aluminum block with steel piston rings = scored cylinder walls. I put enough oil in that car to make the middle east rich. At times it looked like I was fogging for mosquitoes. Nicknamed the damn thing "smokey".

 

[AccessBlaster]

Lol, my mom and brother owned them. My mom also owned a Corvair back in the day, another cool car I thought growing up.

 

[NauticalGent]

another cool car I thought growing up.

Good 'ole Ralph Nadar would disagree with you on that one! Dude, we are showing our age here....

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Ah, the Chevy Vega - reminds me of a scene in the movie Contact just after Ellie Aroway and her team heard "the signal" from Vega and every Vega owner drove there for a convention.

 

[Steve R.]

My first car, the Corvair was a great car.

 

[conception_native_0123]

My first car, the Corvair was a great car.

so was my jeep wrangler. and it lasted 15 years.

 

[Isaac]

The first car that I ever drove with any regularity was a Volkswagen beetle, the real kind, made and registered in mexico.

Stick

 

[AccessBlaster]

The first car that I ever drove with any regularity was a Volkswagen beetle, the real kind, made and registered in mexico.

Stick

Negative brother the "real kind" was made in Germany