Who can afford a new truck anymore?

[KiwiBro]

I envy you folk who live where salt is not spread on the roads. Then again we don't have fire ants either.

Only a week or two ago some parts of the country down South were hitting record lows (and panel-beaters record highs). Here in the North of the country, we got a few frosts that killed off about a dozen of my tamarillos, darn it.

No fire ants, termites nor nasty snakes. Plenty of sheep to...ummmm...shear. Fishing and hunting is pretty good.

But we drive on the wrong side of the road and our cheese tastes funny.

 

[buickanddeere]

Only a week or two ago some parts of the country down South were hitting record lows (and panel-beaters record highs). Here in the North of the country, we got a few frosts that killed off about a dozen of my tamarillos, darn it.

No fire ants, termites nor nasty snakes. Plenty of sheep to...ummmm...shear. Fishing and hunting is pretty good.

But we drive on the wrong side of the road and our cheese tastes funny.

The Land of Kiwi is on our to do list. We have a friend on the South Island we are supposed to visit and stay at her place. She was up her for a week last year and we toured around looking at anything of interest.
Our Pine River Cheese is among the better dairy products on the market.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

A few years ago, I would have agreed. Now, I'm not so sure.

Our economy is held up by smoke and mirrors. There is NO possible way it will not collapse. The national debt, stated around $18T, is actually many times higher - just off the books. Inflation is running much higher than claimed - they changed the formula, much like with unemployment. Entitlements are completely out of control. The interest on our debt is consuming more and more of our resource. Only an idiot would say the national debt will EVER be repaid.

The can has been kicked down the road so many times, we've reached the end of that road. MAJOR trouble is ahead.

 

[KiwiBro]

Our economy is held up by smoke and mirrors. There is NO possible way it will not collapse. The national debt, stated around $18T, is actually many times higher - just off the books. Inflation is running much higher than claimed - they changed the formula, much like with unemployment. Entitlements are completely out of control. The interest on our debt is consuming more and more of our resource. Only an idiot would say the national debt will EVER be repaid.

The can has been kicked down the road so many times, we've reached the end of that road. MAJOR trouble is ahead.

Amen.
It's been a fascinating and highly frustrating watch over the last few years. Every time I have felt like it can't possibly continue, it does. The way I see it, great octopuses are locked in a battle where the chances of all parties dying from their injuries before sucking the life out of the others are pretty high. If one prevails, it will be a hollow victory and take decades to recover from.

 

[houstonscott]

Our economy is held up by smoke and mirrors. There is NO possible way it will not collapse. The national debt, stated around $18T, is actually many times higher - just off the books. Inflation is running much higher than claimed - they changed the formula, much like with unemployment. Entitlements are completely out of control. The interest on our debt is consuming more and more of our resource. Only an idiot would say the national debt will EVER be repaid. The can has been kicked down the road so many times, we've reached the end of that road. MAJOR trouble is ahead.

The only question is when, 2022 is when it starts getting real interesting, can't cover it up after that, have to start taxing bigger, cutting benefits and government, or all three. At this point I can't wait! Melt it down. Like to see a nation with post office and military and not much more. HS

 

[houstonscott]

Our economy is held up by smoke and mirrors. There is NO possible way it will not collapse. The national debt, stated around $18T, is actually many times higher - just off the books. Inflation is running much higher than claimed - they changed the formula, much like with unemployment. Entitlements are completely out of control. The interest on our debt is consuming more and more of our resource. Only an idiot would say the national debt will EVER be repaid. The can has been kicked down the road so many times, we've reached the end of that road. MAJOR trouble is ahead.

The only question is when, 2022 is when it starts getting real interesting, can't cover it up after that, have to start taxing bigger, cutting benefits and government, or all three. At this point I can't wait! Melt it down. Like to see a nation with post office and military and not much more. HS

 

[MossRoad]

The only question is when, 2022 is when it starts getting real interesting, can't cover it up after that, have to start taxing bigger, cutting benefits and government, or all three. At this point I can't wait! Melt it down. Like to see a nation with post office and military and not much more. HS

Yeah, we certainly don't need any streets or sewers or police and stuff like that.

 

[MossRoad]

The only question is when, 2022 is when it starts getting real interesting, can't cover it up after that, have to start taxing bigger, cutting benefits and government, or all three. At this point I can't wait! Melt it down. Like to see a nation with post office and military and not much more. HS

Yeah, we certainly don't need any streets or sewers or police and stuff like that.

 

[RollingsFarms]

Yeah, we certainly don't need any streets or sewers or police and stuff like that.

The ironic thing is we pay more in taxes now than we ever have and our streets are in horrible shape.

 

[MossRoad]

The ironic thing is we pay more in taxes now than we ever have and our streets are in horrible shape.

Yep. There was a story on the news just tonight about that and talk of raising the gasoline tax. Some study said the raise in taxes would be less to the average person than the damage done to their cars by driving on bad roads on an annual basis.... I kinda think they're taking some averages there. Like one person getting a thousand bucks in damage will offset 10 people paying $100 more per year in gas tax. Anyhow, no free lunch... or roads.