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

Roger Nelson5 said:It honestly always amazes me how resilient hope can be; it just refuses to quit on people.

The fundamental issue facing America right now is that we’re being led by the very people who caused this mess in the first place. A huge chunk of the current political crowd in Congress seems to have only one goal: securing their own congressional pensions. You see types like that former union boss (I can't even remember his name, what a joke...) who jumps straight into politics with the Republican Party and starts preaching a totally different gospel—that's your textbook example right there. Does anyone here seriously believe that people from this kind of political circle are suddenly going to have an epiphany and say, "Hey, let's actually get serious and fix our country's problems"? To tackle these issues, you need expertise, social responsibility, guts, and actual backbone—things these folks simply don't possess.

What really gets me about this political establishment is just how incredibly timid they are. You've got Đurđa Adlešić meeting with representatives of rowdy hooligans just to "hear their perspective" (seriously??), or Ivo Sanders making major political moves based on protests on Facebook. And then there's those moments where a single farmer rolls a tractor up to a government building and suddenly, miraculously, the money appears... There are so many examples it's impossible to ignore. You could argue about the reasons behind it all, but it's pretty obvious that people acting this way aren't going to pull this country out of its slump.

Even if they suddenly decided to address the real issues, the "challenges" aren't exactly simple. How do you downsize the federal bureaucracy? Do you just hand out pink slips to every tenth or fifth person? What happens if the axe falls on the one guy in the office who isn't some well-connected crony and is actually doing all the work? Do we really expect the heads of these agencies, departments, and bureaus to forget about all the favors they owe their political mentors and fire the people who were hired solely because of political connections? Plus, even if they had the best intentions and the brains to fix the massive government overspending, it's going to take a long time.

What’s actually coming is a general economic collapse, which will drag the whole country down with it. First, citizens' incomes shrink due to new taxes, which kills off purchasing power. Private companies will have to lay people off (which is already happening), and some will have to cut wages, which hits consumer spending and dries up tax revenue. As cash gets tighter, the government will likely try to find new ways to grab more money, like maybe a new property tax. The ripple effect of people getting squeezed will lead to massive trouble with mortgage and loan repayments. People who lose their jobs won't be able to pay their loans, and those seeing pay cuts will struggle too—especially if they were reckless with debt in the first place. Initially, you'll see people selling off cars, which will probably tank car prices. If someone has both a mortgage and a car loan and can't keep up, they'll likely sell the car first to scrape together some cash rather than moving out. Of course, if the economy bounced back in six months, that might work as a temporary fix until they find a new job. But that’s not how this works; next on the chopping block will be housing. People will start selling homes at rock-bottom prices, real estate values will crater, and banks will demand even more collateral for loans, adding even more pressure. Naturally, as home prices drop, the revenue from real estate transfer taxes drops too, and banks will become extremely stingy with lending. As for the banks, they haven't got a clue what's coming. If anyone wants proof, just look at the macroeconomic forecasts from JPMorgan Chase from November of last year signed by Jamie Dimon. The projections for the U.S. GDP movement in 2009 are particularly telling.

This is what you'd call a negative feedback loop: one set of parameters starts sliding downward, which triggers a fall in other areas, which then feeds back into the first set, creating a downward spiral that ultimately leads to a change in leadership.

Once the mass demonstrations and violence kick in and this political crew finally gets pushed out, I expect some "new leader" to emerge claiming to be the savior who can pull the nation out of the crisis. That person will hold onto power for three months, then a new one will step in, and so on. We'll keep selling off whatever we have left until we eventually go bankrupt.

Wages are going to drop, employment is tanking, pensions are taking a hit... but honestly? The thing that keeps me up at night is the social unrest. For instance, if they start auditing veteran benefits or digging into every single PTSD diagnosis on record, we could see that old, dangerous rhetoric resurface—all that talk about "traitors" and people "disrespecting our heroes." It’s classic, nasty demagoguery, but it's incredibly risky. Bottom line: things are going to get wild, and I have a feeling we're in for some heavy rock 'n' roll next year.

Until then, I just hope there's one more big spectacle in NYC to keep it feeling like the "center of the universe," and I truly hope Ivo Sanders stays in good health.

That particular sellout goes by the name of Boris Kunst—I haven't forgotten him, because I distinctly remember his rhetoric back before he held office, and now he’s crawling his way into this administration just to ensure he reaches retirement age comfortably.

There is an old saying: "If you can't beat them, join them." Well, of course, that's easy to say when you're part of the Republican Party. 😍

Where is America actually headed? It’s a tough question to answer. Honestly, who could possibly predict what comes next in this day and age... but with this "who am I to judge" mentality we've all fallen into, we probably aren't going to get very far.

Roger Nelson5 said:It honestly always amazes me how resilient hope can be; it just refuses to quit on people.

The fundamental issue facing America right now is that we’re being led by the very people who caused this mess in the first place. A huge chunk of the current political crowd in Congress seems to have only one goal: securing their own congressional pensions. You see types like that former union boss (I can't even remember his name, what a joke...) who jumps straight into politics with the Republican Party and starts preaching a totally different gospel—that's your textbook example right there. Does anyone here seriously believe that people from this kind of political circle are suddenly going to have an epiphany and say, "Hey, let's actually get serious and fix our country's problems"? To tackle these issues, you need expertise, social responsibility, guts, and actual backbone—things these folks simply don't possess.

What really gets me about this political establishment is just how incredibly timid they are. You've got Đurđa Adlešić meeting with representatives of rowdy hooligans just to "hear their perspective" (seriously??), or Ivo Sanders making major political moves based on protests on Facebook. And then there's those moments where a single farmer rolls a tractor up to a government building and suddenly, miraculously, the money appears... There are so many examples it's impossible to ignore. You could argue about the reasons behind it all, but it's pretty obvious that people acting this way aren't going to pull this country out of its slump.

Even if they suddenly decided to address the real issues, the "challenges" aren't exactly simple. How do you downsize the federal bureaucracy? Do you just hand out pink slips to every tenth or fifth person? What happens if the axe falls on the one guy in the office who isn't some well-connected crony and is actually doing all the work? Do we really expect the heads of these agencies, departments, and bureaus to forget about all the favors they owe their political mentors and fire the people who were hired solely because of political connections? Plus, even if they had the best intentions and the brains to fix the massive government overspending, it's going to take a long time.

What’s actually coming is a general economic collapse, which will drag the whole country down with it. First, citizens' incomes shrink due to new taxes, which kills off purchasing power. Private companies will have to lay people off (which is already happening), and some will have to cut wages, which hits consumer spending and dries up tax revenue. As cash gets tighter, the government will likely try to find new ways to grab more money, like maybe a new property tax. The ripple effect of people getting squeezed will lead to massive trouble with mortgage and loan repayments. People who lose their jobs won't be able to pay their loans, and those seeing pay cuts will struggle too—especially if they were reckless with debt in the first place. Initially, you'll see people selling off cars, which will probably tank car prices. If someone has both a mortgage and a car loan and can't keep up, they'll likely sell the car first to scrape together some cash rather than moving out. Of course, if the economy bounced back in six months, that might work as a temporary fix until they find a new job. But that’s not how this works; next on the chopping block will be housing. People will start selling homes at rock-bottom prices, real estate values will crater, and banks will demand even more collateral for loans, adding even more pressure. Naturally, as home prices drop, the revenue from real estate transfer taxes drops too, and banks will become extremely stingy with lending. As for the banks, they haven't got a clue what's coming. If anyone wants proof, just look at the macroeconomic forecasts from JPMorgan Chase from November of last year signed by Jamie Dimon. The projections for the U.S. GDP movement in 2009 are particularly telling.

This is what you'd call a negative feedback loop: one set of parameters starts sliding downward, which triggers a fall in other areas, which then feeds back into the first set, creating a downward spiral that ultimately leads to a change in leadership.

Once the mass demonstrations and violence kick in and this political crew finally gets pushed out, I expect some "new leader" to emerge claiming to be the savior who can pull the nation out of the crisis. That person will hold onto power for three months, then a new one will step in, and so on. We'll keep selling off whatever we have left until we eventually go bankrupt.

Wages are going to drop, employment is tanking, pensions are taking a hit... but honestly? The thing that keeps me up at night is the social unrest. For instance, if they start auditing veteran benefits or digging into every single PTSD diagnosis on record, we could see that old, dangerous rhetoric resurface—all that talk about "traitors" and people "disrespecting our heroes." It’s classic, nasty demagoguery, but it's incredibly risky. Bottom line: things are going to get wild, and I have a feeling we're in for some heavy rock 'n' roll next year.

Until then, I just hope there's one more big spectacle in NYC to keep it feeling like the "center of the universe," and I truly hope Ivo Sanders stays in good health.

🙏

I really hope there's some kind of miracle that pulls us through, but honestly? I'm terrified that we've already reached the end of the line. 😢

Yeah... but here’s what really keeps me up at night.

They say when two armies clash, the winner isn't necessarily the one with more soldiers, but the one with better logistics. It makes perfect sense to me that on a national level, economic muscle is what actually dictates how a country holds its own in the political arena. Economic cycles come and go—this situation feels like an extreme outlier, sure—but the real danger is when a weakening economy starts to erode the actual strength of the state itself.

Now, I know this is an economics forum, not a politics board (sorry if I'm drifting off-topic!), but there’s a real chance that once things hit a breaking point, the country might be forced into making massive concessions. We're talking about stuff like handing over 100-year leases on vital water resources—deals so lopsided that even the most brilliant, capable leader wouldn't be able to undo them later. Those concessions would just make fixing our economic woes even harder, creating a vicious cycle. We've seen plenty of concessions lately if you follow the news; just look at the EPA regulations, which aren't just political theater, they have huge economic implications.

Anyone who’s spent even a little time studying history knows why Josip Broz Marshall chose to build his retreat specifically on the islands of Brijuni. After annexing the Istria region, he set up shop right there just to flex his muscles and show them exactly who was in charge. That archipelago isn't just beautiful or ecologically unique; it carries massive political weight. There was even news floating around about the sale of Brijuni (whether it's true or not), and it made headlines even in foreign media. I saw a comment on CNN that said, "Well, Americans, you lasted a long time." I'm bringing up that specific comment just to illustrate how heavy this news is and how deep the trouble goes if people are even discussing it. Plus, stories like this show how economic weakness can be used to apply subtle political pressure on a nation—especially since this rumor apparently started in English-language media rather than coming from the US Government.

When I watch our politicians, I honestly wonder if they feel even a shred of embarrassment. Do they ever stop to think about how they'll be described in the history books? Or is this all just the same old game we've seen before: grab the cash and run?

Henry Wright6 said:That particular sellout goes by the name of Boris Kunst—I haven't forgotten him, because I distinctly remember his rhetoric back before he held office, and now he’s crawling his way into this administration just to ensure he reaches retirement age comfortably.

There is an old saying: "If you can't beat them, join them." Well, of course, that's easy to say when you're part of the Republican Party. 😍

Kunst, you hit the nail on the head. This guy is something else. He'll look you straight in the eye, lie to your face, and actually laugh about it. But hey, give him credit—he was definitely a pioneer of pure audacity. And honestly? Expanding those parking zones in Los Angeles is practically an anti-recession move!

Until we see a different breed of people stepping into the US Government and the US Congress—people who aren't just party zealots or hopelessly tethered to some corrupt, backroom political maneuvering—we aren't moving an inch. We're stuck. Until then, I suppose all we can do is sit here on forums like this and vent our frustrations. But honestly? Nothing changes until those individuals responsible for everything from the aftermath of the American Civil War up to this very moment are finally exposed. They’ve gutted this country and lined their own pockets through decades of theft; they need to be stripped of their ill-gotten assets and sent to a federal prison for good. Otherwise, we are just spinning our wheels. I fear we really are.

Honestly, I couldn't care less if they’re strictly partisan... as long as those parties actually stick to their own platforms, I’d be a happy man because at least then you’d know what you're getting into, like how
the Democrats push socialism and expanded social safety nets
the Republican Party sticks to right-wing or Christian values
liberals actually advocate for liberalism
and the agrarian types focus on empowering farmers
instead of having some liberal sitting in the administration passing labor bans or restrictive reproductive laws and stuff like that
it’s just nonsense when you see farmers being passed over for the Ministry of Agriculture while they end up running Tourism instead... total absurdity

And can we please just move on from anything that happened more than ten years ago?
I am so incredibly done talking about the American Civil War, WWII, the old extremist factions, partisans, and all that other garbage—look, we shouldn't forget history, but we really need to stop dwelling on it
I truly don't give a damn if someone wants to wear certain symbols on a hat, or if someone is singing old songs about historical atrocities, or if they head out to some rural town wearing a cap with a star on it
It’s never worked to try and ban things, because history just shows us that whenever you try to prohibit something, it usually just makes it more popular
Because even if you issue a hundred bans, you aren't going to lobotomize the public... people are always going to think what they want and say what they want

sorry for the off-topic rant

America is eventually going to hit a wall and be forced to fix its power dynamics, whether it’s due to some massive crisis or whatever else happens. You’ve got all these little power players and elite cliques running wild, bleeding the country dry, doing whatever they want, spending blindly, and calling all the shots. The US Government is weak, corrupt, and has basically spent years selling off everything worth having while drowning us in debt. It can't keep going like this.
The administration is out here trying to patch budget holes by cutting pay, taking on more debt, and people are even talking about selling off assets like Brijuni... but let's be real, it won't cut it. They should probably implement a wealth tax, but those corporate titans are still untouchable...

Bottom line: our future depends on whether the current ruling class manages to scrape through this crisis with just some superficial fixes—keeping the status quo intact—or if we see a total overhaul of American society. And honestly, that change doesn't necessarily mean things will get better.
🤷

America really ought to take a page out of Ireland's playbook and try something similar there.
Honestly, we’d probably see even better results given our own geography, since Ireland basically acts like a massive gateway for the rest of the Western world.

In five or six years?

Good grief, where on earth would we even be?

The only way we’re ever going to fix things here in America is if outsiders step in and take over our politics entirely. Honestly, I think we need a complete vacuum where not a single American holds a political office. Imagine if some people from Scandinavia just moved in and started running the show... that might be our only shot. As it stands, we are absolutely screwed—worse than ever, actually. The collective mindset is completely broken. It feels like we'd rather have some Swedes handle all the hard work while Americans just focus on playing soccer and calling it a day. That's basically the extent of our ambition lately.

Gregory Williams7 said:Some people lived quite comfortably for a very long time. Now, they will slowly have to get used to relying on food pantry handouts again.

Because if we are being realistic, absolutely nothing in this country has changed since those days. Everything remains exactly the same, yet we all live like we're on easy street. Is it not strange that nobody has stopped to ask where all this wealth actually comes from? But once the overdraft fees start hitting, followed by foreclosures and evictions... well. That is when I, who saved diligently back when I could buy a house for a reasonable price, will be ready. Meanwhile, those who are currently bragging about how they bought their own homes at age 25 will find themselves sitting on the curb in front of my place, praying for enough change to feed their children.

In Darwinian terms, this is simply called "survival of the fittest."

Give me a break. Nobody making three bucks an hour is doing that.$1667 Being a doctor here isn't exactly hitting the jackpot, especially if you're grinding for some private equity firm. You're pulling in maybe a third of what they make overseas, yet the cost of living is just as insane as anywhere else in the Western world.

Prices here actually feel higher than they do back in the UK—especially when you look at groceries, clothing, or shoes... the only thing that seems cheaper is service work. It’s honestly pretty wild.

"Living like a doctor," they say, with a $1000 salary that lets them sit around waiting for someone to go bankrupt just so they can snag an apartment for $430 a square foot. Then they get to watch that person beg for scraps. Paper can handle anything, and I guess online forums can take it too.

Donna Davis8 said:"Living like a doctor," they say, with a $1000 salary that lets them sit around waiting for someone to go bankrupt just so they can snag an apartment for $430 a square foot. Then they get to watch that person beg for scraps. Paper can handle anything, and I guess online forums can take it too.

I honestly don't think he has even begun to grasp what went wrong here.

Honestly, folks, I gave up on patriotism the moment they shaved 4% off my paycheck just to fund some incompetent clerk at the IRS who gave me flat-out wrong answers to a simple inquiry, forcing me to $3333 hand money over to the government.

I don't care about any of it anymore. It’s all the same to me. All I want is my own little patch of land under the sun and a quiet life. And an opportunity to make that happen is finally appearing before me.

Does this mean a few Americans who overextended themselves on debt will end up on the streets? So be it.
Does it mean their children will grow up without a home? So be it.
Will my conscience gnaw at me because they are hungry or homeless? You can bet your life it won't.😉

And just to set the record straight, since people seem to be putting words in my mouth... the average American net salary (based on the last data I have from before the crisis and all these taxes) was roughly $1767 (I have no idea where you got that 3000 figure from). Supporting two people on that amount is $3533. Of course, if you had those wages, you could live like a surgeon. As for those who took out massive loans just because they saw the department head driving a better car... well, don't lose sleep over it. Gregory Williams7 is buying up property for 400 euros a square. Just reach out if you're interested. 😁

If the administration actually decides to serve the people for once and votes accordingly—like launching some serious tech hubs, cutting through the red tape, and trimming the fat in the federal bureaucracy—maybe this country won't be such a disaster.

The government works for the voters.
Put together a group of retirees, doctors, professors, judges, cops, farmers, railroad workers, actors... you’ll start seeing those voters in a whole different light.😁

ambersailor51 said:Give me a break. Nobody making three bucks an hour is doing that.$1667 Being a doctor here isn't exactly hitting the jackpot, especially if you're grinding for some private equity firm. You're pulling in maybe a third of what they make overseas, yet the cost of living is just as insane as anywhere else in the Western world.

100%👍

I just don't get how some German apprentice or intern in a machine shop—you know, someone just hand-cutting threads or whatever—can pull in the same dough as our best veteran technician who's been at it for like 10 years.
And then you've got them constantly freaking out about being flooded by cheap labor from Asia, which seems to be their favorite way to scare everyone every single day.

It basically turns out we're even stingier when it comes to paying people than the Germans themselves, I guess... 🙂