Posts by Peter Thompson4

brightpilot6 said:I had a feeling this state-sponsored moral police force would eventually make an appearance, 🤣

And honestly, I’m not sure what they think they’ve just revealed that I haven't already pointed out.

It’s a strange coalition, isn't it? You have former hardliners clinging to their old influence, religious traditionalists, and various fringe radicals all joining forces. Instead of building a modern nation or fostering a society with actual potential, they’ve essentially constructed a private playground for themselves. They find a common thread in a single national myth—one that unfortunately exploits the genuine suffering of everyday people—and wrap it in a set of values that no one is permitted to question. Anyone who dares to doubt this mythology or these rigid standards is immediately branded as an outsider, whether they're labeled as a socialist, a globalist, or just someone who doesn't fit the mold. It’s basically "One-Party Rule 2.0." So, here we are, and now I am just waiting for ☕

Charles Chase4 said:In principle, the core issue is that the former federation was clearly communist enough to warp the local mindset for the next ten generations, yet somehow stayed liberal enough to avoid leaving that bitter aftertaste seen in the other mentioned countries. It didn't leave us with that visceral, automatic drive to sever every single tie to that way of life once everything finally collapsed.

Jessica Gonzalez said:Back in 1971, there were 900,000 Americans working in Western Germany just because they didn't see a future at home. I don't want to repeat myself, but this isn't anything new. We've dealt with an excess of labor for a long time, especially in rural areas. Waves of emigration happen periodically; I guess the current one is at least the least damaging.

I think I can address what you're saying quite easily. We had very little, so it was easy to steal; things were sold off too little and way too late; the people have always been somewhat uninformed; the school system hasn't changed much (it lags behind the West, though at least kids aren't bringing wine to class for grades anymore), and those various political committees were run by the same kind of crowd as today. It might have been nicer if the old regime and communism had just bypassed us, but I suppose that's just how history played out... I should probably mention again that industrial and business capital in our region was almost non-existent. That's a huge difference when you talk about something like the recovery of France or Germany after WWII. Those countries were devastated, but over previous centuries, they built up enough knowledge and capital to bounce back. For a long time, our area was just an underdeveloped territory within the Austro-Canadian Empire, which itself wasn't the most industrial powerhouse in Europe. It was essentially the underdog of Europe—a land of poor farmers where, in many places toward the end of the 19th century, life was basically stuck in the 15th century (I'm not exaggerating; experts say the same). As a larger nation riding the wave of general European reconstruction, the former America had more opportunities for rapid progress than the modern US, but that applies to all European nations. You can't really replicate that post-WWII growth anywhere now. Maybe that's what people remember from that era—that sudden shift from a rural to an urban society where changes happened incredibly fast. In cities like Chicago, entire neighborhoods were being built as quickly as single buildings are today. People went from working farms straight into universities. But that happened elsewhere too; it was just that specific post-war boom period. It's probably hard to compare the conditions in Europe during the 1950s to today. What we can do is draw a line and see where the West stood compared to the old regime. And the statistics aren't great, which suggests the state failed its goals. It didn't create a cohesive nation, it didn't become prosperous, and it couldn't maintain peace. I don't mean to be complicated. I'm not saying people were being killed in the streets or that there wasn't running water. I'm just saying that as a communist supra-national project, it failed to survive, and there are objective reasons for that. There were also bad consequences for the states that emerged from it, especially since a state with such a military and repressive apparatus couldn't even manage to preserve peace.

bluebison47 said:A pretty decent rotation, I suppose... if you're into that sort of thing.👍

Jessica Gonzalez said:Check this out; here is another excerpt from a CIA report. This was from twenty years before the modern era of the Democratic and Republican parties or any of the usual political heavyweights:

"The conditions for high social mobility exist in theory and law in the former federation. In reality, connections remain important. Social mobility is greater for those who know the right people, join the party, and contrive to acquire a higher education. Although party membership is no longer the overwhelming criterion for success, it is still a passport to the top of society."

Looking at this today, I think you have to realize that much of what we see now is actually a byproduct of that old system. Its existence, our involvement in it, and its eventual collapse really shaped the framework of how American society operates today. Political figures don't just emerge from thin air; they are products of an environment that has existed for a long time. You could maybe apply that same logic to the U.S. in 2019. Everyone complains about how things were back then, but if that old system created these behaviors, I guess it's hard to say the previous era was any better.

ruggedjackal46 said:My folks grew up in absolute poverty, wearing rags, yet they ended up being the first in their families to actually graduate from college. They managed it because that old centralized system provided a pathway for poor kids from the sticks to move to the city, get an education, find a career, and secure housing. Look, the socio-economic issues are ancient history, sure, but back then there was a system attempting to address them, even if it was flawed. Now? You have a modern America that isn't even trying to tackle the root causes. And don't get me wrong—I'm not sitting here nostalgic for the old days or longing for some bygone era of dictators; I couldn't care less about those personalities. What frustrates me is seeing a modern, democratic, free nation in 2019 unable to offer any viable model to solve obvious problems, when that messy, outdated, heterogeneous union sixty years ago actually could.

And honestly, it's a bit rich to claim there was no "entrepreneurial spirit" or industrial drive when that previous regime basically built an industrial powerhouse out of thin air. We went from a predominantly rural, largely illiterate nation after WWII to an industrial state in roughly fifteen years. How does that happen with a population that supposedly lacks the "mentality" for it?

The war acts as a social glue because the people in charge *want* it to act as glue. Isn't it much easier to keep everyone talking about 1945 than to deal with the reality of 2021?

wiredrider9 said:God, I see this all the time. These people can't even handle a damn grocery bag without making a mess, meanwhile, I always carry my own reusable cloth bag to the store.

Amanda Evans2 said:Exactly which lubricant are we talking about here?

Michelle Palmer6 said:*grams

Anthony Jackson2 said:Maybe look into joining a hiking club—they usually have maps showing all those little cabins tucked away in the more remote parts of the Rockies.

James Anderson5 said:If they're heading out into the woods for the first time, it'd be smarter if they stayed clear of the Rockies and the surrounding areas... just a thought...

Jessica Gonzalez said:Go to Canada.

Larry Fox5 said:I don't know, just weird requests. 🤔

Why does it have to be a tent? Why couldn't it be some cabin in the woods up in the Rockies—somewhere totally isolated?

I mean, if you're really that dense, you could just dig a hole in the ground... honestly, who cares about logic anymore...

Eric Fox7 said:Man, I don't know—how far are you actually planning to go? I mean, I know there are some pretty decent, secluded spots out by Lake Tahoe if you know where to look.

Larry Fox5 said:If you go wild camping in the States, you're looking at a $500 fine plus whatever other headaches come your way... If chilling out in the middle of nowhere far from civilization is worth that to you, then go for it, I guess.

brightpilot6 said:If anyone happens to know where I could pitch a tent with a friend so we can sleep without being bothered by anyone, please let me know.

Larry Fox5 said:Honestly, even looking at GQ, I can't remember spending a single cent on tech in the last few years—doesn't matter if we're talking PC or mobile. Maybe I'm just living in some parallel universe or something...
It’s also weird to me how nobody seems to be rocking the iPhone/Mac combo. In my little bubble, that setup is everywhere.
I guess people in America just don't go for it much.