Is America doomed

[Lacessit]

11 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

My beef with jeans is the lack of proper pockets. The ones they have don't hold much and all those people walking around with their phones poking out of their back pockets are just begging to lose them.

 

They were invented as hard wearing farm clothing, and somehow became an icon of the youth movement, and the most stupid fashion statement of all times is the ripped jeans look, where perfectly good clothing is destroyed.

Most jeans are fashion statements.

 

The best farm clothing I have seen are moleskin trousers made by Morrison's of Euroa. I understand they were originally developed for gold miners, which is even tougher on clothing than general farming.

 

A dense weave of cotton, they have a soft suede feel.

[jas007]

29 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I have owned jeans when I cared about what other people thought of me- fitting in with the sheeple. When I wore holes in the legs I cut the legs off and used them as shorts. Eventually they had more mends than not so they were consigned to landfill.

Haven't had jeans since the 80s. Been wearing bog standard shorts I bought for 100 baht each in Thailand since the 90s. They have proper pockets. They'll see me out, I'm sure.

That's makes sense, in Thailand, in a tropical climate, at the beach.  

 

I once lived at the beach in California, and I could totally get by with shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops, so long as I didn't leave the immediate beach area.  Long pants not necessary.  I did work occasion, and I did have to look somewhat presentable at times, and so that's when shorts would no longer work.  

 

I notice people in Bangkok are more inclined to wear long pants, especially at night.  Some places might not let you in if you're wearing shorts. 

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Well I'm not sure if doomed is the correct word for it, but America has been on the decline for at least 30 years, it's a much lesser version of itself than it used to be, the quality of life is diminishing by the day, prices are skyrocketing, and unless you own a home free and clear you are completely screwed in America. 

 

America has the highest number of homeless and houseless nomads in the entire world. What does that say about the nation? 

 

 

 

 

 

Based on my observations of the American steel industry, I would say it is more like 40 years.

 

I visited the research laboratories of US Steel in the early 80's. It employed 3000 scientists and engineers. By the early 90's, that number was 300, and more cuts were on the way.

 

You could also ask what it says about a nation, when it historically has the highest number of gated communities in the world. It's a pretty good measure of wealth inequality and paranoia.

[scorecard]

25 minutes ago, jas007 said:

That's makes sense, in Thailand, in a tropical climate, at the beach.  

 

I once lived at the beach in California, and I could totally get by with shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops, so long as I didn't leave the immediate beach area.  Long pants not necessary.  I did work occasion, and I did have to look somewhat presentable at times, and so that's when shorts would no longer work.  

 

I notice people in Bangkok are more inclined to wear long pants, especially at night.  Some places might not let you in if you're wearing shorts. 

 

 Keep in mind that in Thailand there's strong cultural / behavioral rules that indicate 'low class' and 'hi-so class'. 

 

For some activities many would not wear shorts (which may actually be more comfortable in regard to the weather) because that would be seen as 'low class', which is to be avoided at all cost'. 

[Presnock]

On 3/28/2025 at 11:22 PM, Nomoneynohoney said:

Good for Trump with all his tariffs but all over Europe we see boycotting of American produce.this ain’t going to go away quickly,on the contrary,Europeans will get used to buy and replace American products and will not go back too buy American.On the other hand Trump

tarrifs on cars will raise the price of car repairs and second hand sales and car salesmen of European cars will go out of business.I won’t even mention other businesses who will loose custumors,ie MC Donald,americas great export😂 is one example.bye bye America

yeah gree.  Trump began saying that yes, Americans at first will have higher costs but that will be short lived, uh very short lived, now that short time he mentions a YEAR! but then says just a very short period and then golden riches for all  (but he forgot to add ...for all the rich people that are still backing my tariff plan with their lower tax rates) IMHO..  This will be along side the new Americans cousins, you know from greenland, canada and panama canal areas as new "states" I guess.  (wonder how to measure stupidity?

[Presnock]

5 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

 Keep in mind that in Thailand there's strong cultural / behavioral rules that indicate 'low class' and 'hi-so class'. 

 

For some activities many would not wear shorts (which may actually be more comfortable in regard to the weather) because that would be seen as 'low class', which is to be avoided at all cost'. 

Yessir you are correct on that.  Long pants should be worn to any official office i.e. immigration yet I note a lot of grubby people so no wonder they don't like us much.  I have lived here as a retiree, wearing long pants (4 pair in my closettttt) and only wear going to immigration so once a year only!  Women of course need to dress appropriately visiting any wat s also and at some the locals even have a wrap around if a tourist female is wearing shorts.

[Serenity_Now]

i can just see JD volunteering for this ride

 

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

 

 Keep in mind that in Thailand there's strong cultural / behavioral rules that indicate 'low class' and 'hi-so class'. 

 

For some activities many would not wear shorts (which may actually be more comfortable in regard to the weather) because that would be seen as 'low class', which is to be avoided at all cost'. 

If they don't like it, I tend to want to do it, never really been into social norms, never been into dressing to impress, especially when it comes to strangers and even more so when it comes to the supposed "hi-so", who in my opinion are the true dregs of Thai society. 

[spidermike007]

3 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

I always owned my own home fully paid off but it was never free and clear - it barely felt like ownership as the taxes could be raised out of sight at any time... as well as energy costs.

A friend of mine was looking at a condo in Miami Beach recently, and if he paid cash for it, the homeowners association fee and property taxes would be $4,500 per month. Insanity? A massive balloon filled with helium, on the verge of explosion? An economy that could not be sustained in the long term? Many of us think so. 

 

And many of the economic policies of the creep are only making America weaker, less influential and less dynamic. Woe is America. 

 

 

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

A friend of mine was looking at a condo in Miami Beach recently, and if he paid cash for it, the homeowners association fee and property taxes would be $4,500 per month. Insanity? A massive balloon filled with helium, on the verge of explosion? An economy that could not be sustained in the long term? Many of us think so. 

 

And many of the economic policies of the creep are only making America weaker, less influential and less dynamic. Woe is America. 

 

 

When State Government is imposing mandatory upgrades which may cost more than 50% of the property's value, it's a form of financial suicide to be buying a condo in Florida. Which can be encumbered with said upgrades, at the stroke of a pen by a faceless bureaucrat.

 

Florida's coastal counties are exceptionally vulnerable to storm surges, which are only going to get worse with climate change.

 

Not much point to being 20 floors up, if the basement generators are flooded. Unless one is an exercise junkie.

 

"Condominium" by John D MacDonald was published in 1977. It predicts most of what is happening now, except compulsory upgrades.

[PomPolo]

The Americans voted for him so when it happens only themselves to blame so no sympathy the best option would be to indict him for all his previous crimes and get themselves a new president but not that JD Vance weirdo

[worgeordie]

Throughout time there's always been a country that is top,

Greeks , Romans,Mongols, Spanish , Chinese ,Germans for a short

while ,British ,thats some of them ,America is the latest top dog ,

but one day it too will ,give way to an up and coming country,that's

how it goes , like The Buddha said nothing is permanent , has it's

downfall started already  ? with a Megalomaniac in charge maybe.

 

regards worgeordie

[advancebooking]

8 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Most jeans are fashion statements.

 

The best farm clothing I have seen are moleskin trousers made by Morrison's of Euroa. I understand they were originally developed for gold miners, which is even tougher on clothing than general farming.

 

A dense weave of cotton, they have a soft suede feel.

only suitable for cold climates?

[advancebooking]

On 3/29/2025 at 8:55 PM, Lacessit said:

You have just under a million homeless people. 40% of Americans are obese. You have the world's highest prison population. Thanks to the Second Amendment, mass shootings have become routine.

 

Thanks to god Im not American....

[Lacessit]

43 minutes ago, advancebooking said:

only suitable for cold climates?

Very good against windchill.

 

Probably too hot for the tropics.

[Briggsy]

https://logwork.com/countdown-h5o4

[thaibeachlovers]

22 hours ago, KannikaP said:

The track Green Onions was by Booker T and the MGs. It is an instrumental featuring Hammond organ and a great guitar solo.

What has that got to do with the OP please?

Too lazy to use google then?

 

Had you done so you'd have found this

 

( PS that was one of my favourite songs back in the early 70s )

 

Green Onions

Song by The Blues Brothers ‧ 1980

Lyrics

 

All right people.
The rest of the hard working all star Blues Brothers are gonna be out here in a minute, including my little brother Jake.
But right now, I'd like to talk a little bit about this tune you're hearing.
This is of course the Green Onions tune.
It was a very big hit in the early sixties in this country.
And of course it was composed and recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, Rright here in the United States Of America.
You know, people, I believe that this tune can be acquainted
with the great classical music around the world.

Now you go to Germany,
You've got your Bach, your Beethoven, your Brahms...
Here in America you've got your Fred McDowell,
Your Irving Berlin, your Glenn Miller,
And your Booker T & The MG's, people.
Another example of the great contributions in music and culture
That this country has made around the world.
And as you look around the world today
You see this country spurned.

You see backs turned on this country.
Well people, I'm gonna tell you something,
this continent, North America, is the stronghold!
This is where we're gonna make our stand in this decade!
Yeah, people, I've got something to say to the State Department.
I say Take that archaic Monroe Doctrine,
And that Marshall Plan that says we're supposed to police force the world, and throw 'em out!
Let's stay home for the next ten years people!
Right here in North America and enjoy the music and culture that is ours. Yeah, I got one more thing to say.

I'm just talking about the music, people, and what it does to me.
And that is, as you look around the world,
You go to the Soviet Union or Great Britain or France,
You name it, any country...
Everybody is doing flips and twists
Just to get into a genuine pair of American blue jeans!
And to hear this music and we got it all here in America,
The land of the Chrysler 440 cubic inch engine!

[Woke to Sounds]

Nope.

 

Never.

 

Never bet against the United States.

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, worgeordie said:

with a Megalomaniac in charge maybe.

 

Decades too late. The decline started on the day Johnson sent the Marines into combat in Vietnam. That war tore the US asunder and it's never recovered from the trauma.

IMO.

[Woke to Sounds]

18 hours ago, Lacessit said:

When State Government is imposing mandatory upgrades which may cost more than 50% of the property's value, it's a form of financial suicide to be buying a condo in Florida. Which can be encumbered with said upgrades, at the stroke of a pen by a faceless bureaucrat.

 

Florida's coastal counties are exceptionally vulnerable to storm surges, which are only going to get worse with climate change.

 

Not much point to being 20 floors up, if the basement generators are flooded. Unless one is an exercise junkie.

 

"Condominium" by John D MacDonald was published in 1977. It predicts most of what is happening now, except compulsory upgrades.

 

The climate is actually cooling.

 

The so called warming narrative is a 1000% psyop that empowers the Elites to extract whatever mound of bills they see fit from your bank account.

 

Many properties in Florida are a great buy right now.

 

Waiting for the uptick, as usual.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 minutes ago, Woke to Sounds said:

Nope.

 

Never.

 

Never bet against the United States.

The US is divided, and a house divided against itself can not stand. It's just a matter of time. Took the Roman empire hundreds of years in decline before the end. I'm sure it'll be by the end of 2025 for the US.

[jas007]

20 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

A friend of mine was looking at a condo in Miami Beach recently, and if he paid cash for it, the homeowners association fee and property taxes would be $4,500 per month. Insanity? A massive balloon filled with helium, on the verge of explosion? An economy that could not be sustained in the long term? Many of us think so. 

 

And many of the economic policies of the creep are only making America weaker, less influential and less dynamic. Woe is America. 

 

 

Miami Beach seems to be a world of its own. Sort of like Palm Beach, but condo ownership there now presents a new set of problems with required  re-inspections and mandatory upgrades if necessary.  Higher insurance rates, as well, if you can find it available. 

 

A lot of the real estate in Miami Beach is foreign owned.  Money "parked" there from South and Central America., mostly. 

 

I'd say that area is sustainable, at least the high end properties.  As for all the regular people in smaller older condos and houses?  Maybe not so much. 

 

Your friend's $4500 a month condo fees and taxes sounds about right.  Half of that is probably the HOA fee. 

[jas007]

13 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The US is divided, and a house divided against itself can not stand. It's just a matter of time. Took the Roman empire hundreds of years in decline before the end. I'm sure it'll be by the end of 2025 for the US.

So you think the USA is finished before the end of 2025?  I hope not, or we're all in trouble.

 

Between the economy and all the wars that are getting ready to happen, you might be right, though. 

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Too lazy to use google then?

 

Had you done so you'd have found this

 

( PS that was one of my favourite songs back in the early 70s )

 

Green Onions

Song by The Blues Brothers ‧ 1980

Lyrics

 

All right people.
The rest of the hard working all star Blues Brothers are gonna be out here in a minute, including my little brother Jake.
But right now, I'd like to talk a little bit about this tune you're hearing.
This is of course the Green Onions tune.
It was a very big hit in the early sixties in this country.
And of course it was composed and recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, Rright here in the United States Of America.
You know, people, I believe that this tune can be acquainted
with the great classical music around the world.

Now you go to Germany,
You've got your Bach, your Beethoven, your Brahms...
Here in America you've got your Fred McDowell,
Your Irving Berlin, your Glenn Miller,
And your Booker T & The MG's, people.
Another example of the great contributions in music and culture
That this country has made around the world.
And as you look around the world today
You see this country spurned.

You see backs turned on this country.
Well people, I'm gonna tell you something,
this continent, North America, is the stronghold!
This is where we're gonna make our stand in this decade!
Yeah, people, I've got something to say to the State Department.
I say Take that archaic Monroe Doctrine,
And that Marshall Plan that says we're supposed to police force the world, and throw 'em out!
Let's stay home for the next ten years people!
Right here in North America and enjoy the music and culture that is ours. Yeah, I got one more thing to say.

I'm just talking about the music, people, and what it does to me.
And that is, as you look around the world,
You go to the Soviet Union or Great Britain or France,
You name it, any country...
Everybody is doing flips and twists
Just to get into a genuine pair of American blue jeans!
And to hear this music and we got it all here in America,
The land of the Chrysler 440 cubic inch engine!

No need for the personal insult about Google.

This was the speech they made over the Green Onions track.

 https://youtu.be/JfWfF57OYPE

 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, KannikaP said:

No need for the personal insult about Google.

This was the speech they made over the Green Onions track.

 https://youtu.be/JfWfF57OYPE

 

and that is what made it relevant, which you would have known if you twigged what the clue "Blues Brothers" meant, and looked it up. Took 30 seconds to do so.

[thaibeachlovers]

56 minutes ago, jas007 said:

So you think the USA is finished before the end of 2025?  I hope not, or we're all in trouble.

 

Between the economy and all the wars that are getting ready to happen, you might be right, though. 

I absolutely think the US is over by the end of the century- place is a political madhouse, and I can't see that improving.

IMO their only hope is to split it into 3. California, middle America, and East coast ( less Florida ). California and east coast can keep all the illegals and descend into insignificance, while middle America survives somewhat intact.

[KannikaP]

55 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

and that is what made it relevant, which you would have known if you twigged what the clue "Blues Brothers" meant, and looked it up. Took 30 seconds to do so.

If some dialogue made up for a movie 45 years ago convinces you that the OPs question is answered, good on you.

[1FinickyOne]

22 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

A friend of mine was looking at a condo in Miami Beach recently, and if he paid cash for it, the homeowners association fee and property taxes would be $4,500 per month. Insanity? A massive balloon filled with helium, on the verge of explosion? An economy that could not be sustained in the long term? Many of us think so. 

 

And many of the economic policies of the creep are only making America weaker, less influential and less dynamic. Woe is America. 

 

 

my brother had one of those big old mansions in Pelham and was paying $45k, per year in taxes in the 90s... he sold out partly because of the taxes and I think the school district was so bad that he had to send his kid to private schools.. it sure is an easier life here... 

[Wrwest]

So many thoughts rush at me from my study of history, being an American growing up in the multi-ethnic Philly area and having spent my working life as an educator in Western Kentucky (I was introduced to culture shock going off the college there at age of 18). Having additional study in seven countries but ... sorry, an deep and exhausting topic ... and it is time for a nap ...

[Serenity_Now]

On 3/29/2025 at 10:27 AM, Serenity_Now said:

the rest of the world has a longer attention span thats why basketball USA football and rounders dont really catch on

Basketbal= Netball its what we let the girls play
Baseball- Rounders its what we let the kids play
Cricket its like Baseball but with a ball that will kill you
American Football = Rugby without the padding
Soccer = from a time when we needed to control where working class males spent their saturdays because sunday was the day of worship
just another form of social engineering but in USA you just do it with more Adverts  and merchandising