Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

Honestly, some of you people are living in a total fantasy land. Sure, anyone could launch a decent little startup anywhere in America; what we’re actually missing is the collective mindset, because everything else is already right here at our fingertips.

If you actually attempt to run a small private business in the States while following every single regulation and wrestling with the red tape, you’ll quickly realize whether or not you truly possess that American entrepreneurial spirit. And heaven help you if the venture is labor-intensive, because committing any significant amount of capital feels like walking a tightrope over a canyon, especially when you consider how the legal system operates and how deeply entrenched the political cronyism runs in our institutions.

brightpilot6 said:Honestly, some of you people are living in a total fantasy land. Sure, anyone could launch a decent little startup anywhere in America; what we’re actually missing is the collective mindset, because everything else is already right here at our fingertips.

If you actually attempt to run a small private business in the States while following every single regulation and wrestling with the red tape, you’ll quickly realize whether or not you truly possess that American entrepreneurial spirit. And heaven help you if the venture is labor-intensive, because committing any significant amount of capital feels like walking a tightrope over a canyon, especially when you consider how the legal system operates and how deeply entrenched the political cronyism runs in our institutions.

You are absolutely right on that point. At least, from my perspective, I’m talking about finding a job rather than the complexities of launching an entire business. When it comes to that level of economic freedom, the US still feels like it's stuck in a completely different era compared to the modern landscape!

Honestly, when you look at the sheer amount of red tape involved, it’s no wonder the underground economy has become such a massive fixture here. It’s actually staggering to think about—could it really be that an entire third of the American economy is operating entirely off the books?

Jessica Gonzalez said:People are starting businesses and making money. In the small town where my late grandmother lived, they're turning old houses into luxury villas with pools to rent out, and it seems to be doing quite well. I guess it doesn't matter much where you live if you're working in something like IT. You probably just need a laptop and a decent internet connection.

Jessica Gonzalez said:I guess if you had jumped on the Bitcoin bandwagon early enough, you could have just picked up some GPUs at any local Best Buy and started mining. It seems like anyone who doesn't want to put in the work can always find a million excuses as to why they can't.

Look, you actually need some actual expertise for this stuff. You can't just expect someone with nothing more than a high school diploma to run a major Silicon Valley tech firm or start flipping Bitcoin like a pro. It’s the same logic as expecting someone from a tiny rural town in the Midwest to suddenly be out there renting out luxury mansions in Beverly Hills. We really can't just look at everything through our own narrow little lens, can we?

Justin James10 said:I’ve traveled all over the United States, from the small towns to the big cities, and coming from a rural area myself, I have to say I don't quite see eye to eye with ruggedjackal46 on this one. Hardworking people generally don't struggle to find work—whether they're landing a corporate role in Chicago, finding a gig out in the Midwest, or even picking up some freelance side hustles... they make things happen. The ones who stay chronically unemployed are usually just stuck in a state of apathy, almost hoping they won't find anything. Or, you might be looking at folks in their 40s who aren't as mobile or easy to hire as the younger crowd. But even then, most of them still find ways to earn a living under the table.

We want that high Western standard of living, but without actually embracing the full brunt of raw capitalism, right? 🙄

I mean, honestly, everything seems perfectly fine on paper, doesn't it? You can find a job with a decent paycheck anywhere if you look hard enough, and let’s be real—there’s always that reliable option of picking up some under-the-table cash if you want to stay off the radar. So, I have to wonder: why is anyone even bothering to leave America?

I guess at least working for foreign companies gives you options without all the red tape. Anyone with a car can drive for Uber, for instance. Or you could find work for thousands of different clients through sites like Upwork. Even in the hospitality industry, there are basically endless job openings. I suppose it really just comes down to how much someone is aiming for in terms of salary or what kind of lifestyle they want; everyone has their own preferences.

ruggedjackal46 said:Look, you actually need some actual expertise for this stuff. You can't just expect someone with nothing more than a high school diploma to run a major Silicon Valley tech firm or start flipping Bitcoin like a pro. It’s the same logic as expecting someone from a tiny rural town in the Midwest to suddenly be out there renting out luxury mansions in Beverly Hills. We really can't just look at everything through our own narrow little lens, can we?

I mean, honestly, everything seems perfectly fine on paper, doesn't it? You can find a job with a decent paycheck anywhere if you look hard enough, and let’s be real—there’s always that reliable option of picking up some under-the-table cash if you want to stay off the radar. So, I have to wonder: why is anyone even bothering to leave America?

So, everything is great, anyone can find a job with good pay, and there's always that reliable option of working under the table. Why would anyone even leave the US?
Haha, so I guess these people aren't Americans, they're aliens?
https://www.hostelsvetirok.com/
Apparently, this was started by a woman under 30.

ruggedjackal46, I was actually emphasizing the idea of moving abroad. I wasn't just talking about finding work within the States. Why on earth should someone be forced to find a career strictly in their hometown? Mobility is one of the most vital factors for growth, don't you think?

Take a rural area in the Midwest, for instance—there isn't a single family there that doesn't have someone living somewhere in Western Europe, and that’s been the norm for generations. It has become such a standard way of life that nobody even thinks twice about it anymore.

Jessica Gonzalez said:So, everything is great, anyone can find a job with good pay, and there's always that reliable option of working under the table. Why would anyone even leave the US?

Haha, so I guess these people aren't Americans, they're aliens?
https://www.hostelsvetirok.com/
Apparently, this was started by a woman under 30.
Great idea. Why don't the 200,000 unemployed people just open 200,000 hostels each, while everyone else makes a few million on Bitcoin? Problem solved. No issues at all.

Justin James10 said:ruggedjackal46, I was actually emphasizing the idea of moving abroad. I wasn't just talking about finding work within the States. Why on earth should someone be forced to find a career strictly in their hometown? Mobility is one of the most vital factors for growth, don't you think?

Take a rural area in the Midwest, for instance—there isn't a single family there that doesn't have someone living somewhere in Western Europe, and that’s been the norm for generations. It has become such a standard way of life that nobody even thinks twice about it anymore.

The government isn't set up just so we can wave flags and beat our chests in pride; it exists so that through collective tax contributions, we ensure all citizens have decent living conditions. If that isn't happening, then what's the point of having a state, a Congress, the White House, various departments, agencies, and local municipalities? Why do we hand over nearly half our paychecks through federal and state taxes? Is it so the government can tell people in need, "Hey, go look for help somewhere else"?

Jessica Gonzalez said:I guess at least working for foreign companies gives you options without all the red tape. Anyone with a car can drive for Uber, for instance. Or you could find work for thousands of different clients through sites like Upwork. Even in the hospitality industry, there are basically endless job openings. I suppose it really just comes down to how much someone is aiming for in terms of salary or what kind of lifestyle they want; everyone has their own preferences.

I’ll tell you again—you aren't looking at the big picture, and instead, you're stuck in this niche where those of us who are younger and more tech-savvy tend to thrive. We have the luxury of vacation rentals, IT, crypto, freelancing, ridesharing... But who is going to be our auto mechanic, our painter, our plumber, our baker, our construction worker, or our carpenter? These people actually need to own shops and warehouses, hire staff, and either follow every single regulation (which is a fantasy anyway) or live with a constant knot in their stomach, fearing some inspector might show up tomorrow to shut them down just because they didn't pay a little "protection fee" to get someone off their back.

Those trades are the actual fabric of society; they are the roles the majority of people are capable of doing, and for these jobs to exist, they have to be viable and profitable, primarily for the business owner. They simply aren't, because you get screwed at every turn, whether it's through crushing taxes or the government's complete inability to support small businesses or protect them from criminals.

Good grief, we’ll either all end up as freelancers living in the cloud, or we'll all be living in public housing projects. At least until the first bomb drops or an oil tanker spills.

ruggedjackal46 said:Great idea. Why don't the 200,000 unemployed people just open 200,000 hostels each, while everyone else makes a few million on Bitcoin? Problem solved. No issues at all.

The government isn't set up just so we can wave flags and beat our chests in pride; it exists so that through collective tax contributions, we ensure all citizens have decent living conditions. If that isn't happening, then what's the point of having a state, a Congress, the White House, various departments, agencies, and local municipalities? Why do we hand over nearly half our paychecks through federal and state taxes? Is it so the government can tell people in need, "Hey, go look for help somewhere else"?

Do we really need to quote the great Ronald Reagan here? He famously argued that government isn't the solution to our problems—it actually *is* the problem, right?

In my experience, the government has never truly solved a problem or lent a helping hand. In fact, whenever the government gets too deeply involved, it usually just creates an even bigger mess! Isn't the real answer found in a minimal state, fewer regulations, lower taxes, and a heavy emphasis on personal responsibility?

Look at any skilled tradesperson—a solid plumber or painter—making great money strictly under the table. And don't even get me started on the local mechanics...

brightpilot6 said:I’ll tell you again—you aren't looking at the big picture, and instead, you're stuck in this niche where those of us who are younger and more tech-savvy tend to thrive. We have the luxury of vacation rentals, IT, crypto, freelancing, ridesharing... But who is going to be our auto mechanic, our painter, our plumber, our baker, our construction worker, or our carpenter? These people actually need to own shops and warehouses, hire staff, and either follow every single regulation (which is a fantasy anyway) or live with a constant knot in their stomach, fearing some inspector might show up tomorrow to shut them down just because they didn't pay a little "protection fee" to get someone off their back.

Those trades are the actual fabric of society; they are the roles the majority of people are capable of doing, and for these jobs to exist, they have to be viable and profitable, primarily for the business owner. They simply aren't, because you get screwed at every turn, whether it's through crushing taxes or the government's complete inability to support small businesses or protect them from criminals.

Good grief, we’ll either all end up as freelancers living in the cloud, or we'll all be living in public housing projects. At least until the first bomb drops or an oil tanker spills.

But honestly, what happens when your toilet pipe bursts and there isn't a single plumber left in the zip code to fix it? 😁

Justin James10 said:Do we really need to quote the great Ronald Reagan here? He famously argued that government isn't the solution to our problems—it actually *is* the problem, right?

In my experience, the government has never truly solved a problem or lent a helping hand. In fact, whenever the government gets too deeply involved, it usually just creates an even bigger mess! Isn't the real answer found in a minimal state, fewer regulations, lower taxes, and a heavy emphasis on personal responsibility?

Look at any skilled tradesperson—a solid plumber or painter—making great money strictly under the table. And don't even get me started on the local mechanics...

Honestly, there’s zero need to quote him.

The government has never actually solved a single problem or helped anyone. Every time the state sticks its nose in, things just get messier. The answer is simple: minimal government, minimal regulations, minimal taxes, and personal responsibility.

So, let me get this straight. When you head to a free doctor's visit, drop your kid off at a public school, walk on paved sidewalks, drive on maintained highways, turn on a faucet and get running water, or even flush the toilet... was that all you did by yourself? You’re telling me the federal government and local municipalities had absolutely nothing to do with any of that?

Justin James10 said:Do we really need to quote the great Ronald Reagan here? He famously argued that government isn't the solution to our problems—it actually *is* the problem, right?

In my experience, the government has never truly solved a problem or lent a helping hand. In fact, whenever the government gets too deeply involved, it usually just creates an even bigger mess! Isn't the real answer found in a minimal state, fewer regulations, lower taxes, and a heavy emphasis on personal responsibility?

Look at any skilled tradesperson—a solid plumber or painter—making great money strictly under the table. And don't even get me started on the local mechanics...

I'm well aware, and that is precisely my point. For many of these folks, the idea of actually incorporating a business doesn't even cross their minds, or if they do, it’s barely a footnote in their lives. Why bother with the paperwork or the headache of hiring employees through official channels to scale up? If anyone is helping them out, it's almost certainly off the books, which essentially means they're dodging their share of the social safety net.

On top of all that, how can anyone truly sleep soundly when there's always the nagging possibility that an inspector might show up at your door any given day to slap you with a massive fine? It hardly seems like an environment designed to encourage anyone to build a legitimate, lasting enterprise, does it?

ruggedjackal46 said:But honestly, what happens when your toilet pipe bursts and there isn't a single plumber left in the zip code to fix it? 😁

I’ll either download an app myself, or perhaps I'll just hire a freelancer out in Bangalore to walk me through the whole ordeal.

The role of the government shouldn't be to micromanage business or hand out subsidies; rather, its purpose should be to create an environment where people can actually conduct normal business, while ensuring that those who refuse to play by the rules face real consequences. That is precisely what we pay taxes for, and if they actually managed to perform those functions effectively, I wouldn't mind paying even more.

But here in America, the state fails to do either, which makes doing business feel fundamentally schizophrenic no matter how you approach it. Yet, the easiest thing to do is simply blame a lingering collectivist mindset, and we all just accept it as our lot in life.

ruggedjackal46 said:Honestly, there’s zero need to quote him.

The government has never actually solved a single problem or helped anyone. Every time the state sticks its nose in, things just get messier. The answer is simple: minimal government, minimal regulations, minimal taxes, and personal responsibility.

So, let me get this straight. When you head to a free doctor's visit, drop your kid off at a public school, walk on paved sidewalks, drive on maintained highways, turn on a faucet and get running water, or even flush the toilet... was that all you did by yourself? You’re telling me the federal government and local municipalities had absolutely nothing to do with any of that?

What do you mean "free"? Where does this idea come from that any service is actually free? My family and I have already paid for every single one of those things through our taxes. Nothing is ever truly free.

Justin James10 said:What do you mean "free"? Where does this idea come from that any service is actually free? My family and I have already paid for every single one of those things through our taxes. Nothing is ever truly free.

And honestly, he's right. It makes way more sense to pool our income into a collective fund so the government can actually build schools, daycares, hospitals, and proper sewage systems for everyone. Why should we all just sit around waiting for some private entrepreneur to show up offering to dig individual septic tanks in our backyards?

ruggedjackal46 said:And honestly, he's right. It makes way more sense to pool our income into a collective fund so the government can actually build schools, daycares, hospitals, and proper sewage systems for everyone. Why should we all just sit around waiting for some private entrepreneur to show up offering to dig individual septic tanks in our backyards?

Oh, absolutely. Because we all know how incredibly well the government manages our tax dollars, right?

Justin James10 said:Oh, absolutely. Because we all know how incredibly well the government manages our tax dollars, right?

Did I really say they were doing a "stellar" job? My mistake. Let’s be honest—they manage our money about as well as a toddler manages a glass vase. But before you start shouting about dismantling the entire federal government and handing every cent over to some visionary Silicon Valley entrepreneur, can we slow down just a second?

ruggedjackal46 said:Did I really say they were doing a "stellar" job? My mistake. Let’s be honest—they manage our money about as well as a toddler manages a glass vase. But before you start shouting about dismantling the entire federal government and handing every cent over to some visionary Silicon Valley entrepreneur, can we slow down just a second?

I suppose that might be the way to go—just privatizing everything that can possibly be privatized.

ruggedjackal46 said:Did I really say they were doing a "stellar" job? My mistake. Let’s be honest—they manage our money about as well as a toddler manages a glass vase. But before you start shouting about dismantling the entire federal government and handing every cent over to some visionary Silicon Valley entrepreneur, can we slow down just a second?

Oh, I see how it works... so it's better for the government to irrationally blow through our hard-earned tax dollars than to let us actually decide what to do with our own money? Is that really the logic we're following here?

Honestly, America could really use some full-scale privatization 🤣 let’s just hand the keys over to our favorite local entrepreneurs... slash the minimum wage in half, privatize the school system, healthcare, even the airlines.