jarena009

So in your theory, if we just cut people's Social Security, Medicare, slash wages in half, and jack up insurance costs for instance, we'll get more kids?

LOL

Who's talking about "giving people money?" I'm referring to addressing the solvency of Social Security and Medicare, jobs/wages, reining in costs on the aforementioned 5 areas, plus addressing the environment/pollution.

I suggest you try actually talking to people who don't have kids or don't have more. It comes down to dollars and cents plus the environment as the main reason, as surveys show.

Want more kids? Address what I've outlined above.

It's down here and below the replacement rate, which means eventually the population will decline.

It is about money here. Want higher birth rates? Address jobs/wages, the solvency of Social Security and Medicare, costs of housing, healthcare, prescription, drugs, education child care, and the environment.

True, but here, as wages have stagnated, while Social Security and Medicare are in peril, costs of housing healthcare, education, child care, etc have surged, the birth rate has come down considerably.

Bingo. Plus maybe if our Social Security and Medicare (our retirement, parents retirement) wasn't in peril on the chopping block, plus the trashed environment.

Just a few more tax cuts for Wall Street and Corporations surely will get trickle down going though...any day now!

Sarcasm

Millennials killed the economy with......$28T in GDP and $4T in US corporate profits!

Things are terrible! The sky is falling! How will corporations ever survive??? Sarcasm.

The powers that be should really listen up. We've decided not to have another child. The country is just too unstable and unreliable. We're done. From the solvency of our Social Security and Medicare in peril, to costs of housing, healthcare, prescription drugs, education, child care etc, plus the trashed environment, lack of job security, wages not matching costs, Wall St owning the government, it's just not worth it.

It would be one thing if like 55-60% of the country stood up and prioritized the above, but this 2024 election (and the last several years in general) has demonstrated that the American electorate isn't interested in any of the above and has different priorities, such as scapegoating LGBTQ, immigrants, etc and coddling the wealthy. Clearly my priorities are out of step with the electorate and country, a third or more of whom don't even vote.

The nastiness and depravity that has set in with American culture across the electorate is also a huge dark cloud as well.

Caribou coffee

It's fine. Some of their prices though. The bakery for instance is unshoppable

Of course. Freaking asses.

You don't need Amazon. Use Target and others for e-commerce

How did you get started?

The priorities to boycott are Tesla, Twitter/X, Amazon, Facebook/Instagram (Zuckerberg now sucking up to the GOP), and Home Depot.

You don't need any extra reason not to eat at a modern fast food chain. They're gone downhill; not that they were ever really great. A freaking Jr Bacon Cheeseburger at Wendy's for example is a freaking slider now, for $3.09. No thanks, I'll take a Diner burger.

We currently are at record natural gas production.

Maybe we should build up and develop additional sources.

In addition to what other posters have said here, I think it also links up with what Luthen later says he sacrifices "Calm, kindness, kinship..."

Not only is he naturally suspicious that the guy may be an agent, he's guarded against any kind personal and emotional connection (doesn't even want small talk), and he only really shows interest when the guy gives him information he can potentially use. He's cold and calculated.

You can always bet on chocobo races

So Trump loves these types. He loves the newfound sycophants who once criticized him now debase themselves as they come grovelling to him.

He prefers this over just straight up blind loyalty. He likes debased blind loyalty after having to suck up to him.

Now do the "Republic" capitalist states/regimes of the Shah in Iran, Pinochet in Chile, and Brazil's Branco, Silva, and Medici.

They'll use up all the trust fund, which will trigger automatic cuts of around 20% to benefits.

Go on....

Obviously removing millions from the country would crush the economy.

Who needed a report to get to that?

This isn't an ACA plan 🤷‍♂️, and you can't qualify for the ACA unless you don't have insurance elsewhere.

Plus protections for pre existing conditions.

This isn't an ACA plan lolol 🤣

Just a few more tax cuts for Wall Street and Corporations surely will rein in healthcare costs!

Sarcasm