The Real timschochet

I say it is. I have read economists I respect warn about a Great Depression or worse. I don’t think it’s irrational at all to consider this a real possibility if these tariffs stay in place.

I’ve been pretty clear: the tariffs are the problem. The rest of Trump’s economic policies are OK- not what I would do, but not especially disastrous either. The tariffs are going to drive us into the ground. They’ve already done lots of damage, enough so that we will all feel some pain this summer. They will accomplish nothing good. If Trump backs down soon things will be OK. If he doesn’t, we’re going to be in big trouble. You can call this panicking if you want. I call it reasonable analysis.

Only partially. I’ve done very well in the last couple of years. And that’s all I’ll say on it. Unlike Tony and a few of the other knuckleheads around here I’m not one to brag. Let’s just say that since my dad passed I’ve taken his business and done very well, and leave it at that.

Well let’s just say my bank account says otherwise.

Well..:I don’t like to compare. Not necessary to insult you.

I’m talking about Trump’s motivation. It absolutely is true. If he wanted more people he would simply let more immigrants in. Open up our southern borders, that will give us all the people we need. But Trump and his most devout followers don’t want THOSE people. Gotta be white.

Lol. Your description of me might pertain to other, more “woke” topics. But in this case I’m thinking like a realtor and a businessperson, because I am one. I do appreciate the sub average intelligence part. I sure hope that I can someday, perhaps with your help, rise at least to mediocrity. Smirk.

These are all reasonable concerns. Even so I think the good outweighs the bad.

What liberal wanted companies to have smaller profits? None that I know. Link?

Here is a brief summary of what I have in mind from the NAR: https://www.nar.realtor/student-loan-debt

Sorry if I wasn’t clear. I would like to tie loan forgiveness directly into home ownership. This has been proposed before by the National Association of Realtors. You can replace your student loan with a first mortgage on a home.

Well first I dispute the idea that it’s some sort of direct transfer. We are a society that subsidizes private entities all the time- so much so that seems hypocritical, or absurd, to focus on this one subsidy. Second you continue to focus on issues of justice, which is not my concern. You claim that these people have not “earned the right” and have “learned poor lessons.” Have oil companies “earned the right” to the billions of dollars we give them every year? Have the corporations like Elon Musk’s “learned poor lessons?” Frankly I don’t care if they have or haven’t. I am not for cutting off the oil companies or Musk so long as it benefits us. That is my sole concern. So if you want to argue that forgiving student loans would not benefit American society as a whole that’s one thing; I disagree and we can debate that point. But if you’re going to continue to argue that we shouldn’t do it because it’s unjust or unfair or they “haven’t earned the right” I’m going to continue to point out that this is both irrelevant and hypocritical (unless you are in favor of cutting off ALL government subsidies and a purely libertarian society- I can respect that position.)

And the MAGA folks have no problem putting that imagination hat on if the killer is white. They can find 1,000 excuses when that is the case.

Just stupid head in the sand argument. Unfortunately most MAGA folks think this way.

Because you see it as an absolute rule. It isn’t. Of course forgiving all debt makes no sense. I’m not for that. I’m for forgiving it in this instance. Using your logic if someone suggested cutting taxes then you would counter with why not cut ALL taxes down to zero? Thats just silly. Sometimes it makes sense to cut taxes, sometimes it makes sense to forgive debt. There’s no general rule and no fairness. It just depends on the situation.

Me: I can’t argue fairness. Of course forgiving these loans isn’t fair. But it makes good business sense. You guys: But it’s NOT FAIR!!

This is the problem: you’re looking at it emotionally. So do most people. I strongly believe that forgiving almost all student loans would be the best possible investment we could make into our economy: far far more productive than the tax cuts Trump is trying to push through. It would stimulate the housing industry which is the key to everything else. But this is an argument based on reason and business- it’s got nothing to do with fairness and what people deserve. I can’t argue with those emotional topics.

Some of you trying to lecture me about business is both amazing and amusing to me.

I forgive leases all the time. During Covid I lost an entire year of rent. Some other landlords I know refused to renegotiate terms and the result of that is that now they have vacancies and I do not. These things depend on circumstances, there are no set rules except try to look at the big picture.

Yes he was absolutely treated as white by those who defended him. Were you one of them?

My point is he got off, and was defended by conservatives, because he was white. Same with Rittenhouse, same with the policeman who shot Michael Brown, same with several other cases I could name. This kid will not receive that same treatment; he will not be regarded as a victim, because he is black.

The tariffs have hurt me. The other stuff is hurting incident people all the time. But it’s not accomplishing any of the things you think it is.

There should have been no spinning in the Zimmerman case either. Yet there was. And he was acquitted.

I offered more than one already. George Zimmerman.

This is a generalized statement that sounds good on paper but I’m not at all sure it’s true in real life.