Political Economy

Full A

Chill Political Economy

I feel sad for people who have defined themselves by their career and then how hard it hits them psychologically when they get laid off. I do well, but my job defines me not at all. And I mean that sincerely, with no snark, about being sad for them. It seems horrible.

So it’s good that I’m full awesome unemployed, employed, does not matter.

Watching my dad get laid off from Occidental Chemical when I was a kid cured me of ever wanting to identify myself with any job.

Glad that was a lesson learned early.

Becons

Chill Annoying, Clowns, Political Economy

Every major industry that has been developed anywhere ever has been government-subsidized all the way back to ancient times. It’s funny when idiots are like, “Buh-buh-buh, Tesla gets government subsidies! That makes it faaaaaake!” Or on the right, “Solar power got subsidized! That means it can’t worrrrrrrk!”

Meanwhile, oil companies and auto manufacturing incumbents receive dozens of billions in direct subsidies and tax breaks a year and no one says shit1. Makes no sense. If you object, at least be consistent. But no one any side ever does that. And the clown show continues.

  1. A rough calculation is that worldwide, oil companies since their inception have received somewhere around $1 trillion in direct subsidies in today’s dollars.

Cheapen

Chill Political Economy

People attempt to deny it for some reason, but I recall when fast food used to be cheap food. It’s not anymore. I bet that has had more of an effect on poorer people than we are capturing (because no one gives a crap).

No Say

Chill Political Economy

Social media and phone addicts should have no say in deciding the fate of smartphones and not be allowed any input on social media policy.

If you use your phone more than 30 minutes a day for non-work purposes, sorry, your voice is not needed.

I use my phone maybe 2-5 minutes a day for non-work purposes. Sometimes none.

Live Like

Chill Annoying, Political Economy

Even though many US idiots will says it’s “impossible,” we could have good universal health coverage like other developed countries.

When I told a UK friend of mine how health insurance works in the US and how bad it is, she thought I was pulling her leg. She truly believed I was lying and trying to make her laugh or playing a prank (she was not at all familiar with US politics). Then she looked it up and said something like, “People actually live like this?”

And that is the reaction of people from sane countries when told how the US handles health care. People cannot believe it. Because no other developed country does it as crappily as we do.

Housing

Chill Political Economy

And that is how you do it. At least 60% of the Polish economic miracle is due to the fact that they did not artificially constrain housing supply.

We could do the same here. But we probably will not.

Shelved

Chill Annoying, Political Economy

Store shelves will start being empty in 3-5 weeks, depending on how much hoarding there is when people realize what’s happening.

Luckily most food that Americans consume is grown and packed in the US, so food shortages won’t be particularly bad. But everything else…well, that all comes from China. And it ain’t comin’ no more.

We’ve already prepped and are ready. Hope you all did too.

Sectorized

Chill Annoying, Clowns, Political Economy

The private sector isn’t efficient. It’s just better at marketing the illusion.

Dead on. The efficiency of private sector companies is a libertarian fucking myth. I was in the army for five years and yeah there were inefficiencies (mostly foisted on us by others), but we did far more with far less than any private sector company I worked for after that.

And that’s pretty typical. There’s just so, so much waste, corruption, graft and utter clownishness in private sector corps. It’s absurd to think most of them are at all efficient. It is simply false.

Calam Down

Chill Clowns, Evil, Political Economy

Most Americans alive today have not experienced an era of extended decline. I haven’t either, but was around people commonly as a kid who had struggled to survive through the Great Depression. I suspect the upcoming calamity will be one that most people are totally unequipped to deal with.

It’s hard to know specifics now, of course, but I expect the Trump Depression to last 8-ish years (though it could be as much as 20), at the peak to have about 40% unemployment and to result in a decrease in US GDP of 20-30% in real dollar terms.

And that’s the most likely but far from how bad it could get. Worst case could be even more horrifyingly terrible. The middle-bad case is locked in now; it’s coming, like it or not. (And no one should like it, not even the most MAGA-addled doofball.)