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When Do Millennials Think They Become Adults?

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  • #31
    Originally posted by Darth Executor View Post
    You'd be a skid mark on the underpants of the pacific if the threat of US military retaliation didn't keep just about any country that can field a navy from curbstomping you.
    Centuries ago, an army could ride in, steal the gold, and ride away again with a profit. But today, in most Western countries, ~50% of the wealth is in the urban housing market, and ~50% of the wealth is in the share market, and everything else together is a rounding error, and the government is in debt and runs deficits and the balance of trade runs at a loss. That presents a problem to a potential invader because (a) you can't 'carry off' housing or businesses shares, (b) the housing and business markets will collapse the moment you destabilize the government and economy so by setting military foot in the countries their wealth vanishes making it even harder to steal, (c) if you take control of the country to try and rule it you'd saddled with the national debt and running at a loss so that's not economically attractive, (d) you're probably making money by trading with the country and that trading will falter due to the invasion and business disruption so you will lose money, (e) the people of the country will peskily whine for democracy and be very uncooperative with any authoritarian rule, (f) other countries will put serious sanctions on you, collapsing your own economy and making you lose heaps of money. So invading a modern Western country is just not in any way an attractive proposition economically, which explains why nobody at all has tried to do it in the last 70 years.
    Last edited by Starlight; 03-28-2017, 05:56 PM.
    "I hate him passionately", he's "a demonic force" - Tucker Carlson, in private, on Donald Trump
    "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism" - George Orwell
    "[Capitalism] as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of evils. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy" - Albert Einstein

    Comment


    • #32
      You don't have to carry off anything, just exterminate/enslave the locals and take the whole place for yourself.

      So invading a modern Western country is just not in any way an attractive proposition economically, which explains why nobody at all has tried to do it in the last 70 years.
      Nukes is what explains why nobody has tried to do it in the last 70 years.
      "As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths." Isaiah 3:12

      There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

      Comment


      • #33
        Originally posted by seer View Post
        I can't wrap my head around this, I was out of the house by 17, a Marine by 18 and a Tank Commander by 19. I mean who wants to live with their parents until they are 30?
        You lived at a time when it was much cheaper to live, when college was free or very cheap, when you could drop out of high school and live on your own at 19 or 20 on 2 dollars an hour.

        Those days are long gone thanks to the free market and conservative economic policies.

        Do you know that more than 50% of Americans make less than 30k a year? 66% make less than 45k. With rent in big cities like NY, SF, LA, Chi over 1k a month, and closer to 2k a month, it is just impossible to live on your own at 20 unless you join the military, or you somehow manage to make at least 50k a year in most parts of the country, which less than 30% of Americans make!

        median income.jpg
        Blog: Atheism and the City

        If your whole worldview rests on a particular claim being true, you damn well better have evidence for it. You should have tons of evidence.

        Comment


        • #34
          Originally posted by Leonhard View Post
          I think for many of the Millenials its from them going to college, and college is expensive in the US. They wind up with 20k worth of debt before they set a foot even in a STEM job.
          I think 20k debt would be low for a US degree, $20k per year looks like it's more common from the data I'm seeing.

          Sadly, unlike Denmark, university here in NZ isn't free, but at least the government gives a ~2/3rds subsidy and interest-free student loans to cover the rest, so at least the ~30k debt that students here end up with is interest-free as long as they remain in the country afterward.
          "I hate him passionately", he's "a demonic force" - Tucker Carlson, in private, on Donald Trump
          "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism" - George Orwell
          "[Capitalism] as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of evils. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy" - Albert Einstein

          Comment


          • #35
            Originally posted by Starlight View Post
            Centuries ago, an army could ride in, steal the gold, and ride away again with a profit. But today, in most Western countries, ~50% of the wealth is in the urban housing market, and ~50% of the wealth is in the share market, and everything else together is a rounding error, and the government is in debt and runs deficits and the balance of trade runs at a loss. That presents a problem to an potential invader because (a) you can't 'carry off' housing or businesses shares, (b) the housing and business markets will collapse the moment you destabilize the government and economy so by setting military foot in the countries their wealth vanishes making it even harder to steal, (c) if you take control of the country to try and rule it you'd saddled with the national debt and running at a loss so that's not economically attractive, (d) you're probably making money by trading with the country and that trading will falter due to the invasion and business disruption so you will lose money, (e) the people of the country will pesky whine for democracy and be very uncooperative with any authoritarian rule, (f) other countries will put serious sanctions on you, collapsing your own economy and making you lose heaps of money. So invading a modern Western country is just not in any way an attractive proposition economically, which explains why nobody at all has tried to do it in the last 70 years.
            And this is why you're too stupid to know what you're talking about. Do you seriously think ISIS cares about just plundering or any other aggressive expanding power? If you seriously think wars are fought purely for economic gain, your too stupid to even bother with.
            "The man from the yacht thought he was the first to find England; I thought I was the first to find Europe. I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy."
            GK Chesterton; Orthodoxy

            Comment


            • #36
              Originally posted by Trout View Post
              I had a full time job when I was 6.
              I had no idea you were Mexican.
              Blog: Atheism and the City

              If your whole worldview rests on a particular claim being true, you damn well better have evidence for it. You should have tons of evidence.

              Comment


              • #37
                Originally posted by Darth Executor View Post
                Nukes is what explains why nobody has tried to do it in the last 70 years.
                I'm doubtful. But I guess that means we could all abolish our armies and just have a couple of nukes each.

                Iceland abolished their army a while ago, they don't have nukes. Frankly the army here in NZ is so underfunded that ten people with hunting rifles could probably beat it, and we not only don't have nukes we literally have a legal ban on nuclear weapons or nuclear warships being in our waters. Nobody seems to have invaded us yet except penguins.
                "I hate him passionately", he's "a demonic force" - Tucker Carlson, in private, on Donald Trump
                "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism" - George Orwell
                "[Capitalism] as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of evils. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy" - Albert Einstein

                Comment


                • #38
                  Originally posted by Starlight View Post
                  I'm doubtful. But I guess that means we could all abolish our armies and just have a couple of nukes each.

                  Iceland abolished their army a while ago, they don't have nukes. Frankly the army here in NZ is so underfunded that ten people with hunting rifles could probably beat it, and we not only don't have nukes we literally have a legal ban on nuclear weapons or nuclear warships being in our waters. Nobody seems to have invaded us yet except penguins.
                  Good thing the US military still exists, eh?
                  "The man from the yacht thought he was the first to find England; I thought I was the first to find Europe. I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy."
                  GK Chesterton; Orthodoxy

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    Originally posted by lilpixieofterror View Post
                    Good thing the US military still exists, eh?
                    No. I agree with the plurality of the world in viewing the US as the biggest threat to world peace. US militarism is the primary problem, not the primary solution.
                    "I hate him passionately", he's "a demonic force" - Tucker Carlson, in private, on Donald Trump
                    "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism" - George Orwell
                    "[Capitalism] as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of evils. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy" - Albert Einstein

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Originally posted by Starlight View Post
                      No. I agree with the plurality of the world in viewing the US as the biggest threat to world peace. US militarism is the primary problem, not the primary solution.
                      And this is why you're too stupid to even bother with. US military intervention is why South Korea currently exists as an independent nation and the reason the USSR didn't take the rest of Europe was again because of US military intervention. Please do yourself a favor and stop talking, you're embarrassing yourself while blabbing on about things you clearly don't understand. I don't care what an opinion poll, taken by stupid people like you says. I care about history and actual facts. The reason WW3 has yet to occur is due to the fact that the Soviet Union was kept in check. I know you believe that nonsense you posted, but everyone of those points could have been made in 1914 and it didn't stop either world war from happening. Likewise, the only reason some countries exist without strong militaries is a lack of aggressive neighbors who want to conquer them. Do you think India, South Korea, or Israel could eliminate their military and stay independent? Why not? Do keep trying and I'll keep bringing up facts that refute your nonsense.
                      Last edited by lilpixieofterror; 03-28-2017, 06:40 PM.
                      "The man from the yacht thought he was the first to find England; I thought I was the first to find Europe. I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy."
                      GK Chesterton; Orthodoxy

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Originally posted by Starlight View Post
                        I'm doubtful. But I guess that means we could all abolish our armies and just have a couple of nukes each.

                        Iceland abolished their army a while ago, they don't have nukes. Frankly the army here in NZ is so underfunded that ten people with hunting rifles could probably beat it, and we not only don't have nukes we literally have a legal ban on nuclear weapons or nuclear warships being in our waters. Nobody seems to have invaded us yet except penguins.
                        As I keep (pointlessly) explaining nobody invades you because NZ is a western country and it would trigger American retaliation. Same with Iceland. It doesn't matter if you don't have nukes because the US does.
                        "As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths." Isaiah 3:12

                        There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          Originally posted by Zymologist View Post
                          I'm pretty young for my age.
                          A very unfortunate thing happened to me when I was an itty boy. I was born.
                          -- Ruckus Roboticus
                          I'm not here anymore.

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Originally posted by Darth Executor View Post
                            As I keep (pointlessly) explaining nobody invades you because NZ is a western country and it would trigger American retaliation. Same with Iceland. It doesn't matter if you don't have nukes because the US does.
                            Not only that, but nobody currently wants to invade their tiny island nations. Give them an aggressive neighbor, that wants to conquer them, their attitude would quickly change. There's a reason Israel, South Korea, and India have no plans to eliminate their military.
                            .
                            "The man from the yacht thought he was the first to find England; I thought I was the first to find Europe. I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy."
                            GK Chesterton; Orthodoxy

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              Originally posted by lilpixieofterror View Post
                              And this is why you're too stupid to even bother with. US military intervention is why South Korea currently exists as an independent nation and the reason the USSR didn't take the rest of Europe was again because of US military intervention. Please do yourself a favor and stop talking, you're embarrassing yourself while blabbing on about things you clearly don't understand. I don't care what an opinion poll, taken by stupid people like you says. I care about history and actual facts. The reason WW3 has yet to occur is due to the fact that the Soviet Union was kept in check. I know you believe that nonsense you posted, but everyone of those points could have been made in 1914 and it didn't stop either world war from happening. Likewise, the only reason some countries exist without strong militaries is a lack of aggressive neighbors who want to conquer them. Do you think India, South Korea, or Israel could eliminate their military and stay independent? Why not? Do keep trying and I'll keep bringing up facts that refute your nonsense.
                              Whine and rant and gibber all you like. Doesn't change the fact that I view US militarism as a serious problem, and view it as immoral to serve in the military. Yes, I think you're a bad person for serving in the military. But don't worry, I think you're an awful person anyway for plenty of other reasons due to seeing your behavior and views extensively on this forum.
                              "I hate him passionately", he's "a demonic force" - Tucker Carlson, in private, on Donald Trump
                              "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism" - George Orwell
                              "[Capitalism] as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of evils. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy" - Albert Einstein

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Originally posted by Starlight View Post
                                Whine and rant and gibber all you like. Doesn't change the fact that I view US militarism as a serious problem, and view it as immoral to serve in the military.
                                In other words, you can't refute the facts given, but don't care because your hatred isn't based in fact.

                                Yes, I think you're a bad person for serving in the military.
                                Good thing the opinion of a fool means absolutely nothing to me eh? When will you refute the reality of US military intervention keeping the people of South Korea free? Or refute the reality that US military power kept WW3 from happening? Also when will you refute the fact that every point you made to why no major world war has happened in 70 years could equally apply to 1914, but didn't prevent either world war? That's right you can't refute anything, but don't care because you're hatred is in control and not reality.

                                But don't worry, I think you're an awful person anyway for plenty of other reasons due to seeing your behavior and views extensively on this forum.
                                So says the psychopath that would have allowed North Korea to conquer the south or wants to legally execute children . Sorry, but I'm glad you do because getting approval from you would like getting approval from Hitler. I'm glad you hate me, but don't worry we'll still keep you from being beheaded by ISIS because even a degenerate like you can be saved.
                                "The man from the yacht thought he was the first to find England; I thought I was the first to find Europe. I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy."
                                GK Chesterton; Orthodoxy

                                Comment

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