Post: #101

(01-01-2019 01:32 PM)MrLemon Wrote:  There is a simple solution, that I promise you everybody will scream about at first, then gradually come to accept. This is the big one, the main solution, and all the other suggestions I read in this thread are puny in comparison.

To stop the bleeding out of the American economy, we need to stop ALL manufactured goods and tech product importation from China, India, Vietnam, Africa, and all low-wage nations. End of discussion.

Move all manufacturing and software developing back into the US. Enforce that with massive fines.

There's nothing we need from them. There's really nothing they need from us. All our nations now have manufacturing capacities and natural resources that are, for all purposes, infinite, maybe except for a few raw materials like Aluminum or Uranium or rare metals, but that's trivial.

Free trade was invented in a past era, when there were natural walls (oceans and financial obstacles) that kept it under control.
With the reduction of trade friction due to huge container ships and internet-based funds transfer, allowing free trade with China/India is essentially allowing them to suck every penny out of our economy.

100% of offshoring has a single purpose: to impoverish US workers. That is the sole purpose of offshoring and every corporate executive knows it.

Free trade was a great idea...except that it collided with the twin trends of massive worldwide shipping and the Internet. That changed free trade into the single worst idea ever in the history of the human politics. Future economists will marvel at how stupid we were to allow it.

As a starting point for this process, pass a constitutional amendment: "No tax money shall be spent on labor or materials from non-US citizens". That's just the first step but will set the path forward.

I couldn`t agree more on this. Global free trade is also horrible for the environment, both with the production methods and energy used in many Asian countries, and of course the shipping of all this manufactured goods over great distances. The world would be a better place with more local manufacturing and consumption.

But you also have to face the reality that if the US where to really move all production home, it would mean that a lot of goods (read; unnecessary crap) would be more expensive. This in turn would reduce consumption of things like clothes items and crappy plastic toys etc, which is just what the world needs again. We would have less crap available, but maybe fewer, more expensive, and higher quality things to buy.

Post: #102

I can't understand the hand-to-mouth thing but everyone I know has been doing it since I can remember and trying to persuade them towards saving & investing has never worked. It also doesn't work telling people how they are getting shafted. People cannot begin to understand they are hamsters on the banker's treadmill just working their entire lives to service debt.

In the past, the debt was manageable. You could pay off your home in 2 years, your college debt with a summer job, and your car in 6-8 months. Now it's 30, 10, and 7 years accordingly. Productivity is higher than ever, wages stagnant and even going backwards for some professions. Income taxes are also higher than ever. Inflation is not the 2-4% the government say it is, just looknat the price of housing. Millennials and zoomers can never get a house or even pay off their students loans. They just never will unless their parents pay for it.

At some people need to come to the realization that it's rigged and act accordingly. This comes in many forms. I've seen many single higher income earners with zero debt start investing and only working at a subsistence level. I've seen men start an online business and move offshore to cheaper locations. I keep hearing the same dejection of low earnings, income tax, and lack of free time that comes from 9-5 jobs.

Every day jobs are being pushed offshore or automated and workers become more redundant. I can see the masses having 2 possible futures. They either go into high-IQ/skilled jobs or pushed into basic income with service work on the side.

There's going to be a lot of social unrest in the future. When young men realize they are being shafted out of status, power, pussy it will get violent. Being fed and having vidya won't be enough. It's the case with most revolutions that they happen when young high T men feel cheated out of their fair share.

Post: #103

I am surprised it is only 40%.

Post: #104

Congrats! To sum up your post it pretty much means discipline=freedom. Unfortunately we live in a society where that isn't practiced. Even if you don't make 200K a year you can ride public transportation, not go out to the club, borrow books from the library, and cook at home. I'm currently in that boat right now but my luck is going to change in a matter of weeks. FYI I don't live month to month.

One of the richest people I've used to know is a retiree who would dress up business casual but to avoid dry cleaning costs he won't wear suit jackets. I've never asked him but it wouldn't surprise me if he washes his dress shirts. He always brews his own coffee like I do. My issue is that once I start making high amounts of money I will have to make sure it isn't getting wasted. High class problems.

(12-30-2018 12:54 AM)Employee22 Wrote:  snip

Everybody needs to read this gem by MrLemon.
/thread-71812...pid1912710
I am 99% sure MrLemon has talked about how WWII vets would come home to jobs where their COs would be their bosses in corporations. But since our bastard government overlords are oh so European and cosmopolitan now we throw vets out on the street, give them government sponsored healthcare, and service industry jobs. I'm sad to say I know some people that fit in that category and it frankly pisses me off.

My only minor disagreement with MrLemon's post is some people believe the Nazis have never died and that they have infiltrated the US government. What's that Vox Day rule again? SJWs always project (call the opposition Nazis). His post really made me jump and say YEAH WHY THE FUCK DON'T WE TALK ABOUT THIS???!!! and I'm on 500mgs of caffeine.

Post: #105

(01-01-2019 01:51 PM)[email protected] Wrote:  Every day jobs are being pushed offshore or automated and workers become more redundant. I can see the masses having 2 possible futures. They either go into high-IQ/skilled jobs or pushed into basic income with service work on the side.

Neither of your 2 futures is a future. They are merely two pathways to hell.

The only true future is the 3rd option: stop pushing jobs offshore.

How complex is this gentlemen? We either fight for our lives or are turned into slaves.

Post: #106

(01-01-2019 02:03 PM)rudebwoy Wrote:  I am surprised it is only 40%.

Its probably higher than 40% in cities like NYC, Miami, Detroit (shit hole), Baltimore (shit hole), San Francisco (homeless people are shitting on the streets)

Post: #107

It's true what they say about the biggest expenses being:

1. Housing
2. Transportation
3. Food

1. I'm paying $750/month near a major US ski town but it's nothing compared to the $150/month I was paying in EE this time last year
2. Car-Free for nearly 3 yrs now. I find the pedestrian lifestyle far cheaper and healthier. When I was in a major US city though, I would Uber around for dumb shit. Shopping and food mostly. It was so bad I had to move away
3. Food has been a tough lesson as I love to eat out. Recently dialed in a cheap home breakfast habit though (steel cut oats, walnuts, apples, cinnamon, etc) Next will be lunch and dinner

I buy a lot of stuff on Amazon, but it's always things I need. The key is to focus on small EDC stuff, like keychain tools and survival gear. The onebag lifestyle has helped tremendously. There is an entire reddit on the topic with people living out of one bag.

Post: #108

So what to do about all of this Debt Slavery Hand to Mouth System we find ourselves in without being a monastic incel who never gets laid or has fun?

My new Years Present -

"Buy when others are fearful and sell when others are greedy". ... Warren Buffet via Benjamin Graham

"Buy when blood is running in the streets" The Elder Amschel Rothschild the OG Gangster Bankster

A classic wealth building strategy - Turnaround Situations. I give you GE...

Will GE go out of business in 2019? Not likely they are listed at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_100_Co...government
Top 100 contractors in FY2015 by dollars obligated[6]
Rank Global vendor name Actions performed Dollars obligated %Total actions %Total dollars
31 General Electric Company 7,168 $1,694,742,834.63 0.0406% 0.3879%

The GE Board has elevated former board member Culp to CEO who used TSP the Toyota Supply Program a modern ISO 900X meets JiT as CEO at Danaher and returned 400% to Danaher stakeholders while GE Dropped 95%.

My thesis, premise and the general argument is GE at #31 on the Top 100 Fed Primes list is a major supplier to the other 30 etc.
Simply put they are crucial to the Fed Supply Chains and their past 3 egomaniacal CEOs ran it into the ground with a fleet of globe-trotting private Jets and sloppy Manufacturing QA and the GE Charts appear to have bottomed out - anyone wants a copy of my latest chart and analytics PM me.

Bottom line is my TA and Fundamental analysis indicate GE has basically bottomed so I bought ten 1 year Stock Options in GE giving me control of 1,000 shares (100 shares per option) at 15 Cents and 10 more at 10 cents as follows (Less than $270 with Commissions)... I suspect the Typical RVFer can come up with $270 for a chance at a GE rebound worth multiple X returns and nowhere as risky as a weekly lottery ticket.

I put a little cigar mad money where my mouth is and if I confirm strong turn in Trend perhaps a lot more...

It goes without saying Options are subject to time decay risk and you should not play with funds you weren't going to piss away on cars, booze, fantasy sports, strip clubs, and banging sluts anyway.

These are GE Calls with a 17th of January 2020 Expiration Date and $15 Strike Price - why $15 strike price? The Upper-Value-Range of the GE VPVR Market Profile is currently at $16.46 with a POC of $13 and closed Monday at Dec 31st at 7.57

15 centers down 0.06% and 10 centers up 45% at 18% average. I still have 1 year - 4 quarters of earnings results to go.

Symbol Last Price $ Change $ Change % Qty  Price Paid $ Days Gain $ Total Gain $ Total Gain %
GEJan 17 20 $15 CallTrade 0.16 0.03 18.52% 20 0.125 50.00 49.81 18.44%

As follows:
Symbol Last Price $ Change $ Change % Qty  Price Paid $ Days Gain $ Total Gain $ Total Gain %
CloseRoll12262018 0.16 0.03 18.52% 10 0.10 25.00 49.91 45.33%

Symbol Last Price $ Change $ Change % Qty  Price Paid $ Days Gain $ Total Gain $ Total Gain %
CloseRoll12262018 0.16 0.03 18.52% 10 0.15 25.00 -0.09 -0.06%

Bottom line the GE $15 Calls expire in 1 year giving me 4 full 90 day quarters for the new GE CEO to implement TPS across the remaining Core Operations and show some turnaround results which should yield a 5 to 10 bagger or more and I can buy more 1 year expiration GE Call options relatively cheap later in 2019 that is until a full GE Rebound is well underway.

Or Trump gets impeached this summer by Pelosi, Schumer, Warren, Schiff and Nadler and Maxine Waters - the Bloomberg/Soros funded Trump Hating Self Hating Hebrews and install Beto and Cortez to become POTUS and V-potus and turn the USA into Cuba/Venezuela Del Norte and shut down the DoD and open all of our borders and sell the Top 100 Federal Primes to China and India and Russia for pennies on the dollar as is the Globalists Plan.

Possible but will lead to a military junta and civil war between the Patriots and SJW Marxist Socialist Communist Traitors.

In the meantime, they are running a blue light special on GE Call Options in Aisle One.

Honestly, a 3-year turnaround process but the markets will price in any good or even luke warm results far ahead of that.

Happy KaChinging New Year in 2019!!!

Post: #109

Many Americans live paycheck to paycheck because they either do not have the ability to be disciplined in saving or noone taught them to be disciplined to save properly. This is obviously a YUGE problem in that when a crisis occurs, there are going to be alot of desperate people doing desperate things to stay afloat!

Post: #110

(01-01-2019 01:32 PM)MrLemon Wrote:  There is a simple solution, that I promise you everybody will scream about at first, then gradually come to accept. This is the big one, the main solution, and all the other suggestions I read in this thread are puny in comparison.

To stop the bleeding out of the American economy, we need to stop ALL manufactured goods and tech product importation from China, India, Vietnam, Africa, and all low-wage nations. End of discussion.

Move all manufacturing and software developing back into the US. Enforce that with massive fines.

There's nothing we need from them. There's really nothing they need from us. All our nations now have manufacturing capacities and natural resources that are, for all purposes, infinite, maybe except for a few raw materials like Aluminum or Uranium or rare metals, but that's trivial.

Free trade was invented in a past era, when there were natural walls (oceans and financial obstacles) that kept it under control.
With the reduction of trade friction due to huge container ships and internet-based funds transfer, allowing free trade with China/India is essentially allowing them to suck every penny out of our economy.

100% of offshoring has a single purpose: to impoverish US workers. That is the sole purpose of offshoring and every corporate executive knows it.

Free trade was a great idea...except that it collided with the twin trends of massive worldwide shipping and the Internet. That changed free trade into the single worst idea ever in the history of the human politics. Future economists will marvel at how stupid we were to allow it.

As a starting point for this process, pass a constitutional amendment: "No tax money shall be spent on labor or materials from non-US citizens". That's just the first step but will set the path forward.

You bring all the jobs back to America companies are just doing to dump the cost onto the consumer.

The key is to end the minimum wage and cut gov't spending.

And while we are at it let's end the federal income tax.

Post: #111

I have heard a theory that lifestyle of accepting credit as norm and lavish spending started in USA during cold war as society's reaction to nuclear threat. The thought that you and your whole family could get evaporated in an instant caused massive uprising in YOLO mentality.

Could this hold some truth - does anyone has data on this? Quick internet search brings little results, but the time period matches.

Then if we add the unpopular but interesting conspiracy theory that nuclear weapons are a scam.. a tool to frighten population and change human behavior ...







Not saying I believe this, but the implications of false nuclear weapons would explain a lot.

Post: #112

^^

What an interesting post. I remember a Simpsons episode where it was revealed flu shots took place during Christmas time so people will spend more money. Same reasoning theoretically applies to nuclear weapons and increased spending. We're essentially introducing artificial stimuli to stimulate a desired response (spend that $$$$$). Wouldn't be out of the realm for special interest groups to fake nukes.

Post: #113

One of the things Americans don't do anymore ..is move back home after college for a while. This was a common thing for most generations.

Instead of forming a larger household with their parents, saving money on rent and building a small piggy bank. They get jobs in the city, and immediately go into a situation where they're are living paycheck to paycheck. Americans (especially the women) borrow money from their parents to pay rent and then when they get a better job, they end up just moving up to higher status neighborhood, and pay more money for rent and continue to live paycheck to paycheck.

Then when they finally get some relief. They get married and blow an average of $25000 on wedding. Yep that statistic is accurate.

Post: #114

(01-01-2019 09:26 PM)ChicagoFire Wrote:  ^^

What an interesting post. I remember a Simpsons episode where it was revealed flu shots took place during Christmas time so people will spend more money. Same reasoning theoretically applies to nuclear weapons and increased spending. We're essentially introducing artificial stimuli to stimulate a desired response (spend that $$$$$). Wouldn't be out of the realm for special interest groups to fake nukes.

Wouldn't be out of the realm to say the red pill industry isn't doing the same. Enjoy the decline right?

Post: #115

I did live paycheck to paycheck for a long time, which is hilarious considering how poor I was during and after college. Honestly, moving to Asia is really what put work and money into perspective for me.

After trying to survive on less than a thousand dollars a month for my first few months in China, I decided to step shit up hardcore and make some cash.

It was not glamorous at all but I could work as much as I wanted and make money commensurate with my efforts. This sort of blew my mind because I spent the first 5 years out of college being laughably broke all the time despite going on endless interviews and begging for the privilege of making $15 an hour working 50+ hours a week.

I left usa and I then realized I no longer had to be in debt or even work for others forever. I should be debt-free very soon. Last year I made more money than I ever did. I mean, I worked like a horse and I hardly had time for game or dating, but something about it felt right.

The thing about living in the west is that it's easy mode unless you're not on top of your game. I didn't really have anyone teaching me how to manage my money, make investments, hunt for good deals or any of that stuff. Sadly, I probably know more about those topics than most of the guys in my family barring my father.

Looking back, it all seems so silly but I do still understand how some people simply never get it.

Post: #116

When I see figures like 20% tax and 300K house for someone who makes 100K, I don't know whether to say "damn you Americans have it easy" or "damn if the Yanks are that fucked then we Aussies are royally fucked". Here down under I'm looking at 37-45% tax for our top income tax brackets, and 900K+ house for a 100K-range income.

Post: #117

(12-30-2018 02:45 PM)Investment Bro Wrote:  You are right about us being slaves. We're slaves to debt. To corporations that don't care. To a government that is determined to spend us out of existence. To social security and medicare (which I won't see a dime of despite paying into). Most of all, we're slaves to an outdated mindset.

The rise of individualism is now. Corporations, social security, college, and the like are groupthink institutions. Your way out is accepting that your security isn't going to come from a corporation you work for for 30 years and retire with a pension. Your security is going to come from you, busting your ass when others won't, saving when others spend, and finding your enjoyment for a dime rather than a dollar.

With the internet and the ability to make a living anywhere, I'd rather be living right now because now, if you really want it, you can be more financially free than any time in history. You just have to want it, and be willing to pull the blindfold off of your eyes.

These days, we don't have the 1960s luxury of living in the absence of a plan. If you're not planning, you're planning to fail. That's why people are living paycheck to paycheck. There's no greater plan or objective, just survival. That's part of the reason we're seeing this great wealth transfer. Those with the plan are in an environment where they are able to get so far ahead of others, and then exploit the planless with enticing propositions like "cheap" debt and monthly payments. They also sell the idea of working for corporations as the way to get ahead after college.

Though I wish I could work 1/3 as hard and still make the same income, the key to my generation fixing the mess we're in is realizing we can't be lazy. We don't have that luxury. It's all about learning to find enjoyment in the hand we're dealt as opposed to complaining about it.

Nailed it.

I love America, it's the greatest country in the world to get ahead financially. But I haven't heard of a single actionable plan to change the status quo. Technology (and social/societal upheaval --> women and visible minorities entering the work force) changes the times and there's no going back to the 50-60s. Internet, automation, cheap transport, AI, etc, etc. Adapt or die.

Most Americans are living in debt, but most people anywhere are stupid/lazy.

Cost of everything has gone up; that's NEVER been a secret. Like Investment Bro said, if you're not planning, you're planning to fail.

RVF as whole seems way ahead of the curve in terms of ambition and forethought, so the commentary I'm making doesn't really apply to you guys. But if somebody is bitching that they can't support themselves/families, or save for the future, ask how much they gross per year.

Most people earn what? $50-80K/year? An RN can easily make > $100K; a BsN takes 4 years. All it takes is a Google search to see that nurses make waaay more than most cops, copywriters, teachers, HR employees, and the list goes on. Nursing is surprisingly lucrative with a very low barrier to entry. Any highschooler who isn't sure what to do w/ their life, can easily complete a nursing degree, make 6 figures at 23/24 while figuring out their next moves - it just takes forethought, ambition and work.

Ambitious people find ways to get ahead and America puts very little barriers in front of us: minimal nepotism and corruption as compared to the rest of the world.

I believe it should be made abundantly clear to kids (starting in middle school) that individualism is king. You gotta look out of number 1. If you can't support yourself financially, that's on you - start planning.

AND

What's this about feminism causing wage stagnation?

If I was a chick, I would def wanna make my own money. Most guys are f***ing losers. Most girls/people are not 8+. Betting on someone other than yourself to take care of you financially is a risky proposition. (I believe) Ambitious women deserve their shot at financial glory...

In a free market, the cream will rise to the top. IF a female is more competent than her male counterpart, why wouldn't I hire her?

Wage stagnation is a multi-factorial issue - blaming women doesn't do it justice.

PS
I know the forum by-in-large views feminism negatively for various reasons (divorce rape, the dating climate, potential preferential treatment in the workplace) - I'm not trying to defend it as a whole. Just saying that the cream (male or female) should be allowed to rise.

Post: #118

No one is saying that men and women shouldn’t be able to rise economically and that upward social mobility is important to people. It’s the same with minorities (aka new, or soon to be majorities).

But that’s where my individualist libertarianism aka cuckservatism ends.

the hypergamic expectations of men from women have increased while the state, banks and CEOs have depressed men’s chances of satisfying them.

The bottom line is the promise from feminism that women could share the wage earning burden with men. This was a lie because this destroyed the beta man’s ability to attract women into lifetime pair bonding.

The result is that a family with two earners still needs the usurer.

Post: #119

It's all the more mind boggling that this many Americans are struggling and we continue to let in 1.5m people per year legally and almost no politician will even broach the topic. Even most of the right only bitches about illegal immigration when the legal variety is what has hallowed out the middle class.

Post: #120

Meh women should never have been allowed to go to university or join the work force en masse.

It hasn't made anybody happier.

Probably one of the few things the Muslim world has right.

Post: #121

My descendants came to America legally and I'm a minority. But since I don't exactly fit a certain politically disadvantaged checkbox I don't count as a vote. We can all thank the left for tearing down families, inducing white guilt, infiltrating the unis, and corrupting entertainment. Your critical thinking skills of questioning why we should let in more mooches while the middle class continues to get hallowed out must be shut down at all costs. We're all collectively more miserable than ever. But at least we're diverse so long as you're not racist or a Trump supporter.

(01-02-2019 05:13 AM)Thomas Jackson Wrote:  It's all the more mind boggling that this many Americans are struggling and we continue to let in 1.5m people per year legally and almost no politician will even broach the topic. Even most of the right only bitches about illegal immigration when the legal variety is what has hallowed out the middle class.

Post: #122

(01-01-2019 01:48 PM)Johnnyvee Wrote:  I couldn`t agree more on this. Global free trade is also horrible for the environment, both with the production methods and energy used in many Asian countries, and of course the shipping of all this manufactured goods over great distances. The world would be a better place with more local manufacturing and consumption.

But you also have to face the reality that if the US where to really move all production home, it would mean that a lot of goods (read; unnecessary crap) would be more expensive. This in turn would reduce consumption of things like clothes items and crappy plastic toys etc, which is just what the world needs again. We would have less crap available, but maybe fewer, more expensive, and higher quality things to buy.

Quote:From where I'm standing, the city-sized Baogang Steel and Rare Earth complex dominates the horizon, its endless cooling towers and chimneys reaching up into grey, washed-out sky. Between it and me, stretching into the distance, lies an artificial lake filled with a black, barely-liquid, toxic sludge.

Dozens of pipes line the shore, churning out a torrent of thick, black, chemical waste from the refineries that surround the lake. The smell of sulphur and the roar of the pipes invades my senses. It feels like hell on Earth.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150402...e-on-earth




All this to manufacture our smartphones and other electronics that require rare earth minerals. This shit unless its cleaned up will remain to be a hazard to our water tables and future humans.

Post: #123

(01-01-2019 01:32 PM)MrLemon Wrote:  Snip

100% of offshoring has a single purpose: to impoverish US workers. That is the sole purpose of offshoring and every corporate executive knows it.

As a starting point for this process, pass a constitutional amendment: "No tax money shall be spent on labor or materials from non-US citizens". That's just the first step but will set the path forward.

I'd say this along with our fraudulent financial/monetary system is the cause of the massive economic inequality in America.

So much is the ill begotten gains that result from those factors.

Post: #124

I'm team "Western people are just lazy and spend way too much". There are of course external causes of impoverishment (e.g. women in the workforce), but the previous generation wasn't all sunshine. They had fewer vacation (and even fewer abroad), no smartphone, no car, no computer, etc.

As a rule of thumb, I suggest you take a closer look on your finances if you bitch about living paycheck to paycheck but:

• have a non-cheap smartphone (Iphones...) or other useless technological gadget
• have a car (unless absolute necessity)
• live in a big city like London, NYC, LA, Paris (unless absolute necessity)
• have someone to clean your place
• rent or pay a flat in the center of the city
• rent without roomies or have a non-small flat
• go out to eat or party more than once per two weeks
• go on vacation more than once per year (preferably in your home country)
• ...
  

So, maybe you're just a bit entitled after all, no?
Pro tip: to learn to manage money and increase your wealth, I highly suggest you start reading Rich dad, poor dad

Post: #125

Quality thread and posts. A lot of smart guys we have here.