Tractors and (upcoming) tariffs?

[jyoutz]

And then the American people can decide if Congress is operating on their behalf

The American people say they’ve unhappy with Congress, but keep re-electing the same people. Everyone says the problem is the members of Congress from other districts/states.

 

[Citydude]

So since we are producing more today than 2019, are we independent under your definition today?

Are the number of American consumers the same today as in 2019? That stat always gets lost in translation.

 

[Hay Dude]

I wonder how long it will take until the recent post-Covid years become "The Good Old Days"?

Yes progress has it's virtue...and also has a signal of it as well.

I suspect 'the good old days" to have a wide and varied opinion on when or if? I'm an old guy so lived through good and bad. Maybe it's human nature to always want something better or more attuned to their chosen lifestyle?.... Moments in time..... and I have more history to look back on than future to look forward to. Looking back, plenty of room for the "good old days" looking forward not so much.

These last 4 years “post covid” do not feel like “good ol days”.
I see things improving, altough we should all realize we can only control so much. Events out of our control will continue.

Covid was a test run.

 

[Hay Dude]

Are the number of American consumers the same today as in 2019? That stat always gets lost in translation.

And in 2019, what major world event was just about to shake things up like we haven’t seen since world war II? 2020 was a disaster once it got going.
20-24 were rough years, even post-covid.

I think the future suddenly looks brighter.

 

[sunandsand]

In effect, we do have term limits. If a politician displeases enough of their constituency, they get voted out next election.

The biggest problem is that the only requirement to be a politician is to get elected. They don't have to know anything, they don't need any educational qualifications, no training, no certificate, no test or exam (other than collecting enough votes).

I've been peripherally involved in our local government for over a decade, outlasted four mayors, five city administrators, at least a dozen commission members, two or three city attorneys, and the one constant I have noticed is that the freshly elected people have NO "institutional knowledge" and very, very small or even non-existent "networks". They don't know anyone in surrounding jurisdictions, and they have no idea of how government functions. As a result, until they've been around for six months or so (sometimes more), very little gets accomplished because they are learning (or not learning) the ropes. In the meantime, the problems and issues continue to pile up.

Small example - we do a Christmas parade here, throw candy at the kiddies, make floats, wave to everyone. It's very nice. Nobody in the current city government has ever done this before, so they wind up calling me - remember, I don't get paid - and ask where do we get XYZ, who has ABC, what do we do about JKL, how do we do QRS and so on. I'm the only one they know who has done this before, so yes, I help out, and am happy to so for the good of the community.

(One of the local car dealers is lending us some cars for the parade, everything was all set up EXCEPT how and when to return the cars after the parade. Hey, minor detail, does this mean we can keep them? Stay tuned.)

But back to term limits . . . I've seen politicians who are termed out (yes, we have some of them), and they either move horizontally to another office, or vertically to a county, state or federal office. They take their foibles and the skeletons in their closets (of which there seem to be MANY) with them, so effectively they are back in business except at a different stand, but still in government.

Incumbents are difficult to unseat. They get replaced when they die, get sick, decide they are done, or get caught with their hands either in the cash drawer or in someone else's drawers. Sometimes even that isn't enough.

Unfortunately, intelligence isn't additive. Putting 535 idiots in a room doesn't add up to make a genius. We won't have better governance until we elect better candidates - and that seems to be exactly what politicians DON'T want to happen.

The first step in solving a problem is recognizing that we HAVE a problem. I am encouraged because we all pretty much agree that ongoing governmental disfunction is not in our best interests.

Best Regards,
Mike/Florida

 

[jyoutz]

Are the number of American consumers the same today as in 2019? That stat always gets lost in translation.

IDK. Look at population trends. The U.S. hasn’t had a large population increase.

 

[Citydude]

IDK. Look at population trends. The U.S. hasn’t had a large population increase.

Um, millions in the last four years?

 

[bvanek]

I agree also on term limits also, as long as you can find a way (and I don't have an answer for this personally) to prevent politicians from making legislative decisions while in office that are meant to set them up for when they are no longer in office.

yes term limits may help

It's the DC swamp and donor money that moves these people away from the voters. Soon they become part of it. It's an entrenched system and will be a tough one to break down.

Transparency and an informed voting public vs politically tainted opinionated journalism. "News" just being an extension of a political party is the norm now-days. Agencies owned by corporations with "targeted" information that tells people what to think is not journalism. The news you get is what they want promoted instead of a check on government like it was originally intended.

Maybe light has been turned on? I guess it finally got bad enough?

 

[Ricn]

fees make money without the public getting a say. Any and all political boards can put on a fee for just about anything. If votors would stop electing these fee mongers we could have way less of them. They have set us up by where anything can be judged an enviormental issue theyby adding a fee to have it, just big brother at work.

 

[jyoutz]

Um, millions in the last four years?

“The population of the United States in 2020 was 331,449,281, as recorded by the 2020 Census.

As of January 1, 2024, the population of the United States was estimated to be 335,893,238. This figure includes the 50 states and Washington, D.C., but excludes the population of five unincorporated U.S. territories.”