Where is America headed in the next 5-6 years?

Gregory Williams7 said:Every single levy they pile onto the economy acts as a direct stranglehold on productivity. If you impose a 4% burden on businesses, you are effectively stifling economic activity by 4%. A 1% hike in sales tax translates directly to a 1% suppression of consumer spending.

I am certain the Federal Government cannot afford to allow this under current conditions. The issue isn't capability; it is simply a lack of awareness.

Let's be real here—these hikes aren't going to break the back of the economy. Things will get tougher, sure, but a tax hike isn't what keeps an employer up at night; it's the employee who ends up feeling the squeeze.

The real kicker is that this extortion won't even fill the coffers. We're still going to be staring at a massive hole, wondering where to find $10 billion just to keep the lights on this year—especially since these proposed measures might only bring in a measly $1 or $2 billion. It's pathetic...

And yet, the government refuses to touch the bloated public sector.....

The whole country is heading straight for a 3 PM crash, mark my words.

Anyway, I noticed they’ve folded under public pressure—or let's be honest, just because the morning news cycle decided to go after them—and shut down the Office of Regulatory Efficiency Coordination.

Now, look, I'm not saying that office was some groundbreaking institution, but I happen to know they were deep into prepping paperwork to snag some federal funding from the EU, specifically through an IPA grant. And we're talking real money here, maybe around a million bucks.

But hey, whatever. When the big headlines say something is useless, the Federal Government just pulls the plug.

Honestly, I'm kind of dreading what's going to hit the stands this Saturday, but at least we'll get a clear preview of the Federal Government's next moves for the week.

Folks, I swear, this country is starting to fall apart at the seams.

With this kind of mindset—this desperate thirst to possess things without actually putting in the work—we aren't going anywhere. Sure, we want success, but we’re sprinting in the wrong direction. It might sound cliché, but thanks to all those empty reality shows, celebrity worship, and "influencer" culture, an entire generation has been effectively lobotomized; they genuinely believe they can live a lifestyle of luxury without lifting a finger, much like those bottom-feeders you see chasing clout online. You can see the symptoms everywhere, from high schools to universities. There is absolutely no rush to enroll in technical colleges or trade schools. Instead, everyone's dream is to be a manager, sit in a corner office, drive a luxury car—and they want it all immediately after finishing some quick certificate course or a business degree. They want the cash upfront without the prerequisite of grit, practice, or actual experience. That just isn't how the world works. I suspect that starting next year, we'll see a massive drop in sales for gadgets, smartphones, and all that other junk the younger crowd is addicted to. The reason? Parents are going to see their paychecks shrink significantly—assuming the Federal Government even decides to release funds at all. And since the primary employer in our country tends to be anyone on the public payroll, the fallout is going to be fascinating. I truly wonder how your average American parent is going to afford something like a driver's license $2333? Or field trips?
Looking back at my old alma mater—a maritime academy—there’s no rush to get in. There are plenty of spots available, but let’s be real: you actually have to finish the degree first, and then move out from under your mother's roof to earn a living. That’s just not "in" right now. It's hard to stay cool when you're stuck on a vessel working in grueling conditions. Most kids would rather wait for a windfall to fall from the sky than bother finishing a legitimate degree after already landing a decent-paying job.
With a collective mentality like this, progress is nearly impossible—especially when the ruling political establishment has been the same breed of opportunists for the last two decades, focused solely on how to screw over the public and line their own pockets and those of their cronies.

ironstag8 said:With this kind of mindset—this desperate thirst to possess things without actually putting in the work—we aren't going anywhere. Sure, we want success, but we’re sprinting in the wrong direction. It might sound cliché, but thanks to all those empty reality shows, celebrity worship, and "influencer" culture, an entire generation has been effectively lobotomized; they genuinely believe they can live a lifestyle of luxury without lifting a finger, much like those bottom-feeders you see chasing clout online. You can see the symptoms everywhere, from high schools to universities. There is absolutely no rush to enroll in technical colleges or trade schools. Instead, everyone's dream is to be a manager, sit in a corner office, drive a luxury car—and they want it all immediately after finishing some quick certificate course or a business degree. They want the cash upfront without the prerequisite of grit, practice, or actual experience. That just isn't how the world works. I suspect that starting next year, we'll see a massive drop in sales for gadgets, smartphones, and all that other junk the younger crowd is addicted to. The reason? Parents are going to see their paychecks shrink significantly—assuming the Federal Government even decides to release funds at all. And since the primary employer in our country tends to be anyone on the public payroll, the fallout is going to be fascinating. I truly wonder how your average American parent is going to afford something like a driver's license $2333? Or field trips?
Looking back at my old alma mater—a maritime academy—there’s no rush to get in. There are plenty of spots available, but let’s be real: you actually have to finish the degree first, and then move out from under your mother's roof to earn a living. That’s just not "in" right now. It's hard to stay cool when you're stuck on a vessel working in grueling conditions. Most kids would rather wait for a windfall to fall from the sky than bother finishing a legitimate degree after already landing a decent-paying job.
With a collective mentality like this, progress is nearly impossible—especially when the ruling political establishment has been the same breed of opportunists for the last two decades, focused solely on how to screw over the public and line their own pockets and those of their cronies.

Calling a university where you have to study 1,000-page exam guides a "liberal arts degree" is just plain moronic.🙄👎

It’s heading down that path where the poorest nations in South America end up becoming our blueprint.

loneowl39 As specified by:
To claim that a university course is fundamentally flawed simply because the syllabus spans over a thousand pages of material is absurd. Is volume truly an indicator of quality? One must wonder if we are measuring intellectual depth or merely the capacity to endure endless paperwork.🙄👎

You could have a million pages of exam notes and still come up empty. Does it actually matter? I would have to agree with you; unfortunately, most universities here structure their entire curriculum around this exact issue.

Let’s be realistic for a moment. Just look at how many lawyers and economists graduate from universities here every single year. Then, take a hard look at the actual state of our legal and economic systems. The connection should be obvious, shouldn't it?

Gregory Williams7 said:

loneowl39 As specified by:
To claim that a university course is fundamentally flawed simply because the syllabus spans over a thousand pages of material is absurd. Is volume truly an indicator of quality? One must wonder if we are measuring intellectual depth or merely the capacity to endure endless paperwork.🙄👎

You could have a million pages of exam notes and still come up empty. Does it actually matter? I would have to agree with you; unfortunately, most universities here structure their entire curriculum around this exact issue.

Let’s be realistic for a moment. Just look at how many lawyers and economists graduate from universities here every single year. Then, take a hard look at the actual state of our legal and economic systems. The connection should be obvious, shouldn't it?

It is blindingly obvious that you’ve never actually sat through an exam like that; if you had, you wouldn't be peddling such nonsensical nonsense.
The justice system isn't broken because of a lack of knowledge among judges and attorneys; it's broken because of corruption.

Honestly, I can see a lot of those "just moving money around" companies, along with their jobs and positions... even the bureaucrats and desk jockeys... finally having to ditch the ties, roll up their sleeves, and actually get some dirt under their fingernails.

But hey, that’s not a bad thing; it’s actually what this country needs. We need to get back to valuing actual work instead of just living off margins.

If we don't, the whole damn thing is going straight down the drain.

loneowl39 said:Calling a university where you have to study 1,000-page exam guides a "liberal arts degree" is just plain moronic.🙄👎

I'm with you on that.

Gregory Williams7 said:

loneowl39 As specified by:
To claim that a university course is fundamentally flawed simply because the syllabus spans over a thousand pages of material is absurd. Is volume truly an indicator of quality? One must wonder if we are measuring intellectual depth or merely the capacity to endure endless paperwork.🙄👎

You could have a million pages of exam notes and still come up empty. Does it actually matter? I would have to agree with you; unfortunately, most universities here structure their entire curriculum around this exact issue.

Let’s be realistic for a moment. Just look at how many lawyers and economists graduate from universities here every single year. Then, take a hard look at the actual state of our legal and economic systems. The connection should be obvious, shouldn't it?

It’s not even about the sheer volume of pages in a textbook or the number of people getting degrees. It’s about the fundamentally broken approach to education and the massive lack of hands-on experience. That gap in practical knowledge leads to a whole generation of lawyers and economists who don't actually know how things work in the real world. When you mix that with corruption and that classic "I don't want to work, but I definitely want to get paid" attitude, you end up with the mess we're seeing today.
😉

loneowl39 said:Calling a university where you have to study 1,000-page exam guides a "liberal arts degree" is just plain moronic.🙄👎

Look, I don't want to offend anyone here—really, I don't—but let's look at the reality of things. You see massive crowds of applicants for Law, Economics, Philosophy, and those types of majors, while technical programs don't see nearly the same level of interest. Sure, memorizing a 1,000-page textbook is a grind, but you can't compare that to something like Calculus, Mechanical Engineering, or advanced Physics—subjects where you either grasp the fundamental logic or you don't. If you have the brain for it, those 1,000 pages are just a matter of time and sheer persistence (and I won't even go there regarding certain professors, because frankly, our education system seems designed to cater to mediocre individuals who somehow landed professorships).
It is objectively harder to graduate from an engineering school than most other majors—with the exception of Medical School—and the enrollment numbers alone prove that point. Now, that doesn't mean we don't need lawyers or economists; it just means that without the actual labor and production generated by technical professionals, you don't have a functioning economy or a legal system to support it.
Take my own degree as an example. You have a guaranteed career path waiting for you once you finish. Granted, you might have to grind through the first couple of years to get your footing, but you end up earning more than most high-ranking government officials (and much more later in your career). Because of this, there's been this massive, staggering drop in enrollment for technical colleges over the last decade or so. To me, that looks like a symptom of a younger generation being a bit too spoiled—they expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter. Well, the country has spent decades living beyond its means, and now we’re heading toward a very painful reality check.

loneowl39 said:It is blindingly obvious that you’ve never actually sat through an exam like that; if you had, you wouldn't be peddling such nonsensical nonsense.
The justice system isn't broken because of a lack of knowledge among judges and attorneys; it's broken because of corruption.

My friend... during my graduation ceremony a few months ago, Vedran Mornar stated:
"We taught you very little information at this university, and that is our success and our pride..."

If that sentence doesn't make things clear to you, then I understand why you are right and why you defend him. In that case, I will say nothing more.😉

P.S. This is merely an addition to your thousand pages; nothing personal.😉

It all comes down to the Federal Government—whichever party is in power—and our own collective mindset.

The way I see it, our mentality is stuck in this loop where we’d rather sit idle for $3,000 than actually put in the work for $5,000.
I'm worried that won't trigger the shifts we need in that sector, which means nothing else will change either...
Americans really need to start stepping up and getting to work.

brisktinker15 said:Honestly, I can see a lot of those "just moving money around" companies, along with their jobs and positions... even the bureaucrats and desk jockeys... finally having to ditch the ties, roll up their sleeves, and actually get some dirt under their fingernails.

But hey, that’s not a bad thing; it’s actually what this country needs. We need to get back to valuing actual work instead of just living off margins.

If we don't, the whole damn thing is going straight down the drain.

Look, if there wasn't such high demand for those "money-shuffling" roles, there wouldn't even be any supply.

The fact that these types of jobs—and bureaucracy in general—are being fueled by federal intervention and regulation is an entirely different issue altogether...

Gregory Williams7 said:My friend... during my graduation ceremony a few months ago, Vedran Mornar stated:
"We taught you very little information at this university, and that is our success and our pride..."

If that sentence doesn't make things clear to you, then I understand why you are right and why you defend him. In that case, I will say nothing more.😉

P.S. This is merely an addition to your thousand pages; nothing personal.😉

Are they still playing that Sunscreen video at graduations?

Sunscreen is still here 😁 and Cifrek keeps reciting that Latin oath along with that video about the university's history. It was a truly unique experience for me; I had never actually attended a graduation ceremony before, mostly due to the massive crowds at other schools

Gregory Williams7 said:Sunscreen is still here 😁 and Cifrek keeps reciting that Latin oath along with that video about the university's history. It was a truly unique experience for me; I had never actually attended a graduation ceremony before, mostly due to the massive crowds at other schools

Look, if that doesn't happen, my MIT degree doesn't count.🧐
He’s just slathering on the lotion...😬

Here’s my take. First, we need to fix this ridiculous mindset where we constantly try to prove ourselves to the world. You see things like hosting massive, overpriced global events just to show off—who are we actually trying to impress? Will they respect us more? I don't think so. We need to start by doing a real inventory of our country. Right now, we don't even realize how much trouble we're actually in. Until we face those numbers, we can't do anything. Personally, I don't believe this or any future Federal Government can move the needle unless the way Americans think changes completely. To put it simply: my brother-in-law used to call me in Germany every single day. I kept telling him to just send a text instead, but he’d just laugh at me and ignore it because, in his eyes, I was just some "clueless American" (regardless of my actual job, expertise, or success living abroad). Eventually, the calls and texts just stopped. My dear brother-in-law doesn't have a single cent saved up on that fancy iPhone of his—which, by the way, costs as much as two of his goats. That's the point. It's the software running in people's heads. They mock everything, downplay reality, and act like they're the smartest or best when, in reality, only about 8% of the population holds a degree, and only about 38% are highly qualified within the EU. We need a massive reset. An update. Only then will things get better. Believe me, if I didn't care about this country, I wouldn't bother writing a single word. So, I'm asking everyone—the press, the media, and even people here on this forum—please give more space to positive, high-quality people. Give us good examples so others can actually learn from them.

M-m-m-m-mmm.
What does a cow drink? Milk.

Wh-wh-where is America headed?
The logical answer—straight into the cor-cor-corn.

Right now, we’re sitting in a banana split. In five or six years, that banana is going to rot, and whatever is left inside that mushy mess? That’s where America is heading. And what can you do with a rotten banana? Well, if there’s any milk left—assuming Luka Rajić hasn't sold the whole dairy industry off to the Frenchmen—you might be able to whip up a frappe before it completely decomposes.

They’ve got plenty of corn in Guatemala—a constitutional democratic republic in Central America, home to the Nobel laureate Asturias—the guy who wrote People of the Corn (Hombres de maiz, 1949), which basically tears into how multinational corporations colonize Latin American countries. Besides corn, Guatemala has coffee, tea, tourism, a few volcanoes, mountains, and some jungle. Infant mortality sits at about 30 per 1,000 births. The currency is the quetzal. The president is Álvaro Colom Caballeros. The indigenous people were the Maya.

That’s essentially our roadmap for the next 5-6 years: a bit of tourism, some corn, wheat, olives... the money used to be called the dollar—well, let's just say we have our own version—the "indigenous" roots go back to ancient tribes and those Iranian Harahvat folks, birth rates are tanking, maternity wards are a disaster, we don't have volcanoes, just some islands (for sale!), no jungle, just forests. Our former president was Stipe Mason. We're a constitutional democratic republic and a perpetual candidate for the EU.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107596.html

Interesting topic.

crimsonhound10 said:Dammit🙂

That would be my professional assessment as well.