Political Correctness
- Thread starter Rhino78
- Start date
PrinceVegeta
Well-known member
a-mart
Well Liked Pager Technician
PrinceVegeta
Well-known member
osubuckeye4
Well-known member
I hate these 'debates' so much because everyone just cherry-picks their stat of choice and raises their hand in victory like they accomplished something by regurgitating said stat.
"This is from the Fed, ok... wages rose in the last decade 46%. Food prices, 34%."
Someone needs to explain mean vs median vs average to BIll. Yes, wages are up.. but not across the board. People who were doing 'fine' (like me) are largely holding serve. People who were kicking ass are kicking even more ass and becoming egregiously wealthy. People who were struggling are getting absolutely crushed.
Additionally, while across the board inflation is 'nominal'.. inflation of unavoidable expenses is astronomical. Insurance (can't opt out of auto insurance while still obeying the law, unless you live in New Hampshire), property taxes, gas, food, shelter (rent) and other unavoidable expenses are surging.
My wages have gone up 25% or so since COVID, but my property taxes are up 80%. My auto and homeowners insurance is up well over 75%. My food is up about 35%. Gas is $4.70 a gallon here again. Apartments in my area have gone from $1200 a month to $2800-3100 for the same exact apartment (largely driven by insurance, upkeep and property tax increases... mixed with a healthy dose of greed with some regulatory burden baked in)
At the same time, no one in America is starving to death because they can't afford to feed themselves enough to survive. My family has adjusted to the above mentioned increases by cooking more and eating out less. We've switched from steak once a week to steak once a month and are eating a lot more chicken instead. We ditched bags of chips for apples. I ditched lox and bagels with cream cheese for eggs in the morning.
You can still eat 'cheap' (relative to wages, not to 1990s food prices) and healthy in America, you just can't eat whatever you want... instead of lobster or king crab you might have to downgrade and go with shrimp or monkfish. You're still eating healthy though and getting enough calories to survive.
ABB
Mega Ultra Ultimate Magnificent Chief Moderator
fuck man I drove to Oregon over the weekend and was ecstatic to see gas under $5/gal. Saw a truck stop massive gas station at $4.73 and filled up even though I already had over half tank.I hate these 'debates' so much because everyone just cherry-picks their stat of choice and raises their hand in victory like they accomplished something by regurgitating said stat.
"This is from the Fed, ok... wages rose in the last decade 46%. Food prices, 34%."
Someone needs to explain mean vs median vs average to BIll. Yes, wages are up.. but not across the board. People who were doing 'fine' (like me) are largely holding serve. People who were kicking ass are kicking even more ass and becoming egregiously wealthy. People who were struggling are getting absolutely crushed.
View attachment 1189
View attachment 1190
Additionally, while across the board inflation is 'nominal'.. inflation of unavoidable expenses is astronomical. Insurance (can't opt out of auto insurance while still obeying the law, unless you live in New Hampshire), property taxes, gas, food, shelter (rent) and other unavoidable expenses are surging.
My wages have gone up 25% or so since COVID, but my property taxes are up 80%. My auto and homeowners insurance is up well over 75%. My food is up about 35%. Gas is $4.70 a gallon here again. Apartments in my area have gone from $1200 a month to $2800-3100 for the same exact apartment (largely driven by insurance, upkeep and property tax increases... mixed with a healthy dose of greed with some regulatory burden baked in)
At the same time, no one in America is starving to death because they can't afford to feed themselves enough to survive. My family has adjusted to the above mentioned increases by cooking more and eating out less. We've switched from steak once a week to steak once a month and are eating a lot more chicken instead. We ditched bags of chips for apples. I ditched lox and bagels with cream cheese for eggs in the morning.
You can still eat 'cheap' (relative to wages, not to 1990s food prices) and healthy in America, you just can't eat whatever you want... instead of lobster or king crab you might have to downgrade and go with shrimp or monkfish. You're still eating healthy though and getting enough calories to survive.
osubuckeye4
Well-known member
I paid $4.69 the other day, but I've been passing a bunch of stations that are $4.99 and $5.09.
At the end of the day, it all is what it is and things are going to cost what they cost. I'm not trying to bitch or persuade anyone of anything.
I just grow so bored of friends and acquaintances out here regurgitating their talking points from social media, legacy media, podcasts... whatever, and trying to explain to me why things are either better than ever, or, the apocalypse has already started.
Things are what they are... as they always have been.
a-mart
Well Liked Pager Technician
So we can declare Hormuz as the 51th state now
cmvideo75
Music Idol Champion & Super Idol 3 Champion
52nd. Greenland was 51.
osubuckeye4
Well-known member
a-mart
Well Liked Pager Technician
He wasn't far off of how things work
bconcrete
VolksFAGGIN
The problem with the graphs you're posting is that EVERYONE is doing better and improving. That's not K-shaped, like the initial graph claims, not at all. That would require the poor to be doing worse OVERALL, not worse relatively. The graphs and data are all clear, EVERYONE is doing better. It's just that those who were already doing well are doing even better, but those who are poor aren't suffering more, they're just improving at a lower rate than those at the top. Which.... honestly makes sense. The more disposable income you have, the more you can get your money to work for you, the better you can improve your position, it's a self-fulfilling cycle. Shit, just look at what investing straight in the Dow and S&P would do to your money. And the lower you are on the income scale, the more replaceable you are (obviously not universally, but a good rule of thumb), so you already have the replaceability factor weighing down wage growth (why pay you more if I can just replace you?)I hate these 'debates' so much because everyone just cherry-picks their stat of choice and raises their hand in victory like they accomplished something by regurgitating said stat.
"This is from the Fed, ok... wages rose in the last decade 46%. Food prices, 34%."
Someone needs to explain mean vs median vs average to BIll. Yes, wages are up.. but not across the board. People who were doing 'fine' (like me) are largely holding serve. People who were kicking ass are kicking even more ass and becoming egregiously wealthy. People who were struggling are getting absolutely crushed.
View attachment 1189
View attachment 1190
Additionally, while across the board inflation is 'nominal'.. inflation of unavoidable expenses is astronomical. Insurance (can't opt out of auto insurance while still obeying the law, unless you live in New Hampshire), property taxes, gas, food, shelter (rent) and other unavoidable expenses are surging.
My wages have gone up 25% or so since COVID, but my property taxes are up 80%. My auto and homeowners insurance is up well over 75%. My food is up about 35%. Gas is $4.70 a gallon here again. Apartments in my area have gone from $1200 a month to $2800-3100 for the same exact apartment (largely driven by insurance, upkeep and property tax increases... mixed with a healthy dose of greed with some regulatory burden baked in)
At the same time, no one in America is starving to death because they can't afford to feed themselves enough to survive. My family has adjusted to the above mentioned increases by cooking more and eating out less. We've switched from steak once a week to steak once a month and are eating a lot more chicken instead. We ditched bags of chips for apples. I ditched lox and bagels with cream cheese for eggs in the morning.
You can still eat 'cheap' (relative to wages, not to 1990s food prices) and healthy in America, you just can't eat whatever you want... instead of lobster or king crab you might have to downgrade and go with shrimp or monkfish. You're still eating healthy though and getting enough calories to survive.
And I think your area is definitely skewing your perceptions. Nationwide, cumulative inflation is under 10% (9.5%) since 2023. Using those percentages listed in the graph (assuming they're not already net) you're looking at a minimum net improvement of ~7% for the poorest earners. Additionally, I'd also argue your industry is skewing your perceptions. I work in a very similar one, and let's be real: they completely fucked it during the COVID years, with insane overhiring and pay packages. Now, there are still a ton of new grads and offshore workers for it, keeping downward pressure on our wage growth AND they're still correcting from their COVID era stupidity, and guys like you and me are the ones catching it right in the paycheck every goddamn raise cycle.
The problem isn't income. The problem IS spending imo. People just spend too much money on dumb, unnecessary shit. Loo kat cumulative credit usage trends since 2023 in addition to the income trends. Usage has also trended up! People are making more, and spending more. I will bet you my mortgage payment, you pull 100 of those statements, 98-99 will be just littered with unnecessary bullshit., Gas station stops for energy drinks, fast food, DoorDash, subscription services they don't need, video games, sports gambling, etc etc. Those aren't necessities, those are luxuries, and I'm sorry... but people don't get to live a life of luxury and excess if you're on the bottom of the earning pyramid. That's just not how it works. You're supposed to be tight with your money, and that drive you to improve your life so you CAN get the finer things. I have sympathy for those genuinely being crushed under the cost of living, but too many claim to be getting "crushed" while stopping by Wendy's everyday and spending $1k a month on stupid bullshit.
Have things gotten more expensive? Undoubtedly. But the data does not back up that that alone is what is crushing people, since all wages are growing more than the inflation. The data indicates that it is their spending habits and constantly living above their means that is causing the majority of the pain being felt amongst the lower-earners, paired with just STUPID performative policies in individual states like Commiefornia. Especially with debt no longer being essentially free, the interest rates on debt have teeth now, unlike back in like 2022 and before.
Bankruptcy is theft.
osubuckeye4
Well-known member
Can't disagree with, "people are foolish with their money" when Ticketmaster exists and you can see in real time just how much idiots are spending on concerts and sporting events.
I just grow tired of the "if you want to own a house, stop going out and buying avocado toast!" nonsense, which is largely from the right and 'Boomers'.
I equally grow tired of, "Americans can't afford to feed themselves, burritos cost $20!", which is largely coming from the left.
Truth is, there are key aspects of our society that are broken... and the solutions are much deeper than 'stop buying Taylor Swift tickets and DoorDashing', or, 'Millennials are dumb with money'.
That said, the fact that some things, like the cost of higher education and housing, are broken doesn't mean that people who are gainfully employed (even in shit paying jobs) can't afford to meet their daily caloric needs and will starve to death if the socialists don't take power.
Last edited:
osubuckeye4
Well-known member
How is defaulting on something that isn't backed by anything theft?
By that logic, the printing of money in and of itself is theft.
The existence of money is theft
cmvideo75
Music Idol Champion & Super Idol 3 Champion
osubuckeye4
Well-known member
Breathing is theft
a-mart
Well Liked Pager Technician
Theft is getting by in a white privileged world
PrinceVegeta
Well-known member