ECON National Debt tops $40 Trillion

20Gauge said:
My contention is that we in the good old USA have access to more meat than the rest of the world combined, but even with that, beef has always been expensive.
Click to expand...
True.. there has always been less costly protein. But in the big picture, $4 a lb or $7 a lb, for ground beef, in relation to the monthly budget, is a nothingburger.. Unless the MSM wants people to THINK it is.... "Perception is Reality".

20Gauge said:
That is why hamburger helper was so popular 30 years ago.
Click to expand...
Hold on there... I still eat it NOW!! LOL... (it's still pretty good)...
 
King Samson said:
True.. there has always been less costly protein. But in the big picture, $4 a lb or $7 a lb, for ground beef, in relation to the monthly budget, is a nothingburger.. Unless the MSM wants people to THINK it is.... "Perception is Reality".


Hold on there... I still eat it NOW!! LOL... (it's still pretty good)...
Click to expand...
LOL

Yes perception is everything.....

I also contend that as long as people are too busy with their phones etc, then the deficit, national debt, price of beef etc is not that big of a thing until it is......
 
King Samson said:
Of course you do..

Just what the Boomers and less fortunately rely on...
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What is your solution then?

Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are not welfare because it supports the "less fortunate" demographic you are part of, but any welfare or support for others is waste, fraud and due to laziness?

Its quite convenient.

Give us a list of what your spending priorities are if you are calling the shots. Here's a general breakdown of the 8 of the biggest line items.

#1 Social Security
#2 Medicare
#3 Health (other than medicare, including health benefits for Fed employees and retirees, Medicaid, CHIP, NIH, CDC, FDA)
#4 Payment on interest of the national debt
#5 National Defense
#6 VA benefits and Services
#8 Transportation
 
King Samson said:
We were discussing ground beef prices TODAY, in 2026, not in the 80's.

But, since you brought it up, I've posted this before, from my area:

1974 Ground beef, $1 a pound, minimum wage $1.75 an hour, so 1.75 lbs for an hour of work.
2025 Ground beef, $6.90 a pound, minimum wage $15.00 an hour, so 2 lbs for an hour of work.


Looks like it still is.

View attachment 617444
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Tell that to the workers earning the current $7.25 an hour federal minimum wage.

And, about this time, West might chime in with payroll deductions, which you have failed to mention in your post.
 
rondaben said:
Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are not welfare because it supports the "less fortunate" demographic you are part of, but any welfare or support for others is waste, fraud and due to laziness?
Click to expand...
Two out of three on your list, are NOT welfare, as they are paid into by the individual while working, for a future benefit.

How many people do you know today, are regularly paying the Medicaid tax?

But the dude you're protecting, hates Boomers, so anything related to them "is bad".

rondaben said:
Give us a list of what your spending priorities are if you are calling the shots. Here's a general breakdown of the 8 of the biggest line items.


#3 Health (other than medicare, including health benefits for Fed employees and retirees, Medicaid, CHIP, NIH, CDC, FDA)
#4 Payment on interest of the national debt
#5 National Defense
#6 VA benefits and Services
#8 Transportation
Click to expand...
What if all the fraud and waste are cut out of those programs, how much better would it be for the national debt?
 
King Samson said:
Two out of three on your list, are NOT welfare, as they are paid into by the individual while working, for a future benefit.

How many people do you know today, are regularly paying the Medicaid tax?
Click to expand...
Ultimately all of them are welfare--paid out by the current taxpayers to fund the current recipients. The money your generation paid in funded your parents, My generation pays for your generation and our kids pay for ours. Without taxation that whole system collapses, but its treated as an "entitlement" for some unknown reason. Dollars that Washington seizes from us doesn't really matter where they are spent, do they? And when the government spends dollars that they CAN'T seize by issuing new debt and instead obligating everyone to pay interest on (now 1.3 Trillion dollars annually) it has the same effect. Ultimately you have to cut the spending out of everything to first bring the deficit to zero and then further if you want to reduce the debt in any meaningful way. There isn't anything sacrosanct in a situation where either of those become a priority. Because they aren't a priority you are guaranteeing a future default, currency devaluation, and destruction of the US (and thus world) economy. The question is just how far down the road you can kick that can.

But the dude you're protecting, hates Boomers, so anything related to them "is bad".


What if all the fraud and waste are cut out of those programs, how much better would it be for the national debt?
Click to expand...

Its likely more about frustration I believe, but he can speak for himself and I won't derail the thread further.

As far as fraud and waste, we are likely on the same page. THAT is exactly what Trump promised when he ran for office--to focus on the domestic agenda and work on the fraud and waste side of the equation. That was short lived, and instead has resulted in more of a reshuffling of spending than outright cuts. The 2026 budget proposal looked to cut $163 billion out of non defense spending. Too small in my opinion as that only covers 27 days of new debt issuance. Even then it moved that money into a 13 percent increase in Defense and Border Security essentially reprioritizing spending and not cutting it in any meaningful way. THAT is a large part of the frustration that I have with Trump--and anyone can believe it or not I voted for the guy 3 times because of WHAT he promised he would do. He promised no new wars but instead is now in the 6th month of Iran with no tangible offramp or resolve to definitively end it. He is losing support consistently--that can be argued--but IF he loses midterms in either the house or senate his overall agenda is dead. If he loses both you can bet RINOs and democrats will impeach and very possibly convict to remove him. I don't know what he does to reverse this in the little time that is left.
 
West said:
Wait a minute,

Aren't you a rich independent individual- business owner?

You should be eating steak at least twice a week, like our destitute EBT friends.

JK
Click to expand...
I thought about this for a bit ......

To begin with, I do not wish to pick out any single individual regarding the comment. Rather my reply is regarding things in this nation in general. I wish to be clear on that issue.

1) Yes I own a business. 80% of all jobs come from those who a small business. "Rich and independent" are adjectives that are not needed in a thought full discussion. They bring forth emotion and are distractions at best and demonstrate envy at worst.

2) The word "destitute" is also improper as it describes a condition that most do not have. Lower in the economic scale often described as "poor"? Perhaps. Yet using the word is just another way of inflicting emotion where it is not needed.

A bit of background.....

23 years ago, I had a GF and a total of $350 in cash, a car and a 1980s RV that leaked.

During the years between then and now, we took jobs that were minimum wage, educated ourselves for new jobs, invested, avoided spending whenever possible, we built things ourselves to avoid the cost of paying someone else and have lived within our means that entire time.

As a result, we are now in a position to have a bit saved, invested and except for our house debt free.

I make no excuses or apologies for that.

What bothers me is the way society is moving. Wealth and its creation is now considered evil. Something that should be taken instead of encouraged.

An example is Musk / Bezos who have done things that are amazing and world changing. We now have a trillionaire for the 1st time in history who is not a government leader. Yes, we have had others, but all were part of the government in one form or another.

Bezos is not one now, but I expect he will be at some point.

These are both individuals who make the lives of billions so much better.

So instead of celebrating, we are going the other way.

We fall into the trap of "greed" and "envy"

I believe both can be good if used correctly, but we are not. Instead of motivation, we turn to violence. Yes, violence towards others. We propose and in some cases pass laws demanding more. As it is government doing this, refusal always ends in men with guns coming to your home at some point. Thus my comment about violence

Next, the EBT portion.....

EBT is slavery. This is not a case of using an adjective to describe something. But in reality it is slavery just of a new form. People are told they will be taken care of .... they accept perpetual handouts and in exchange, they accept rules to govern their lives. ( debt can be taken in the same form )

These rules trap them ( for the most part ) into positions where they can never do any better. They must commit crimes to do better. Examples, drug dealing or not reporting income ( side gigs ). Yes not reporting income is a crime.

Yes there are those who need it, but I also believe that those needs can be covered by the community, either by churches etc.

This nation is in decline, and it will end badly. We will morn what we lose and will never recover. For the world as a whole will never allow another nation that has the freedoms we were born with under God.

I am not hopeful.....
 
rondaben said:
Ultimately all of them are welfare--paid out by the current taxpayers to fund the current recipients. The money your generation paid in funded your parents, My generation pays for your generation and our kids pay for ours. Without taxation that whole system collapses, but its treated as an "entitlement" for some unknown reason. Dollars that Washington seizes from us doesn't really matter where they are spent, do they? And when the government spends dollars that they CAN'T seize by issuing new debt and instead obligating everyone to pay interest on (now 1.3 Trillion dollars annually) it has the same effect. Ultimately you have to cut the spending out of everything to first bring the deficit to zero and then further if you want to reduce the debt in any meaningful way. There isn't anything sacrosanct in a situation where either of those become a priority. Because they aren't a priority you are guaranteeing a future default, currency devaluation, and destruction of the US (and thus world) economy. The question is just how far down the road you can kick that can.



Its likely more about frustration I believe, but he can speak for himself and I won't derail the thread further.

As far as fraud and waste, we are likely on the same page. THAT is exactly what Trump promised when he ran for office--to focus on the domestic agenda and work on the fraud and waste side of the equation. That was short lived, and instead has resulted in more of a reshuffling of spending than outright cuts. The 2026 budget proposal looked to cut $163 billion out of non defense spending. Too small in my opinion as that only covers 27 days of new debt issuance. Even then it moved that money into a 13 percent increase in Defense and Border Security essentially reprioritizing spending and not cutting it in any meaningful way. THAT is a large part of the frustration that I have with Trump--and anyone can believe it or not I voted for the guy 3 times because of WHAT he promised he would do. He promised no new wars but instead is now in the 6th month of Iran with no tangible offramp or resolve to definitively end it. He is losing support consistently--that can be argued--but IF he loses midterms in either the house or senate his overall agenda is dead. If he loses both you can bet RINOs and democrats will impeach and very possibly convict to remove him. I don't know what he does to reverse this in the little time that is left.
Click to expand...
Paying a tax to receive a future benefit is not welfare.
 
20Gauge said:
I thought about this for a bit ......

To begin with, I do not wish to pick out any single individual regarding the comment. Rather my reply is regarding things in this nation in general. I wish to be clear on that issue.

1) Yes I own a business. 80% of all jobs come from those who a small business. "Rich and independent" are adjectives that are not needed in a thought full discussion. They bring forth emotion and are distractions at best and demonstrate envy at worst.

2) The word "destitute" is also improper as it describes a condition that most do not have. Lower in the economic scale often described as "poor"? Perhaps. Yet using the word is just another way of inflicting emotion where it is not needed.

A bit of background.....

23 years ago, I had a GF and a total of $350 in cash, a car and a 1980s RV that leaked.

During the years between then and now, we took jobs that were minimum wage, educated ourselves for new jobs, invested, avoided spending whenever possible, we built things ourselves to avoid the cost of paying someone else and have lived within our means that entire time.

As a result, we are now in a position to have a bit saved, invested and except for our house debt free.

I make no excuses or apologies for that.

What bothers me is the way society is moving. Wealth and its creation is now considered evil. Something that should be taken instead of encouraged.

An example is Musk / Bezos who have done things that are amazing and world changing. We now have a trillionaire for the 1st time in history who is not a government leader. Yes, we have had others, but all were part of the government in one form or another.

Bezos is not one now, but I expect he will be at some point.

These are both individuals who make the lives of billions so much better.

So instead of celebrating, we are going the other way.

We fall into the trap of "greed" and "envy"

I believe both can be good if used correctly, but we are not. Instead of motivation, we turn to violence. Yes, violence towards others. We propose and in some cases pass laws demanding more. As it is government doing this, refusal always ends in men with guns coming to your home at some point. Thus my comment about violence

Next, the EBT portion.....

EBT is slavery. This is not a case of using an adjective to describe something. But in reality it is slavery just of a new form. People are told they will be taken care of .... they accept perpetual handouts and in exchange, they accept rules to govern their lives. ( debt can be taken in the same form )

These rules trap them ( for the most part ) into positions where they can never do any better. They must commit crimes to do better. Examples, drug dealing or not reporting income ( side gigs ). Yes not reporting income is a crime.

Yes there are those who need it, but I also believe that those needs can be covered by the community, either by churches etc.

This nation is in decline, and it will end badly. We will morn what we lose and will never recover. For the world as a whole will never allow another nation that has the freedoms we were born with under God.

I am not hopeful.....
Click to expand...

Right.

I was being a smart arse. Because as a fellow independent individual, "we didn't earn that, someone else did."

Remember that BS?
 
rondaben said:
Ultimately all of them are welfare--paid out by the current taxpayers to fund the current recipients. The money your generation paid in funded your parents, My generation pays for your generation and our kids pay for ours. Without taxation that whole system collapses, but its treated as an "entitlement" for some unknown reason.
Click to expand...
The first two on your list, are NOT entitlements, as people pay into them, to receive a future benefit.

Do you also consider these, to be an entitlement too?

Car insurance
Homeowners insurance
Life insurance
Health insurance
Business liability insurance
Workers Comp insurance
Unemployment insurance

20Gauge said:
Paying a tax to receive a future benefit is not welfare.
Click to expand...
Yep... you'd think he'd know that, by now.
 
rondaben said:
As far as fraud and waste, we are likely on the same page. THAT is exactly what Trump promised when he ran for office--to focus on the domestic agenda and work on the fraud and waste side of the equation. That was short lived, and instead has resulted in more of a reshuffling of spending than outright cuts.
Click to expand...
Be careful, your TDS is showing...

rondaben said:
I don't know what he does to reverse this in the little time that is left.
Click to expand...
STOP listening to Liberal media, it would help.

Here's a few, for starters (in the last handful of months):


The White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud is moving to shut off the money, crush criminal networks, and deliver swift justice. Since the Task Force began its work, it has uncovered nearly $230 billion in fraud, stopped $56 billion in fraudulent payments that would have gone into the pockets of criminals, enforced more than $55 billion through indictments, settlements, and civil penalties, and secured hundreds of indictments and convictions.

Track the Trump Administration’s Relentless War on Fraud​


Here are some of the Task Force’s key actions and victories to date:


  • February 25, 2026: The Trump Administration halted nearly $260 million in Medicaid payments to Minnesota over rampant fraud allegations and demanded full cooperation with federal investigators.
  • March 19, 2026: Federal prosecutors charged 11 individuals in a major real estate and loan fraud ring targeting elderly Americans in California.
  • March 25, 2026: The Trump Administration suspended dozens of high-risk hospice and home health providers in the Los Angeles area.
  • March 30, 2026: The Trump Administration launched a new national fraud whistleblower program empowering everyday Americans to expose waste and abuse.
  • April 2, 2026: The Trump Administration suspended hundreds of additional high-risk hospice and home health providers across California.
  • April 3, 2026: Federal prosecutors charged more than a dozen individuals in a $50 million hospice fraud scheme.
  • April 7, 2026: The Department of Justice secured a guilty plea from a California fraudster accused of submitting $270 million in false reimbursement claims.
  • April 8, 2026: The Department of Justice confirmed it has 8,000 active, ongoing fraud cases.
  • April 8, 2026: The Task Force uncovered $6.3 billion in suspected fraudulent government contracts and immediately launched a sweeping investigation.
  • April 15, 2026: The Trump Administration suspended 447 hospices and 23 home health agencies in Los Angeles, with estimated fraud exceeding $600 million.
  • April 16, 2026: The Trump Administration served criminal warrants and administrative charges on 20 Minnesota businesses suspected of SNAP fraud.
  • April 17, 2026: The Department of Justice announced its newly established National Fraud Enforcement Division took enforcement action in schemes totaling over $340 million in its first week alone.
  • April 24, 2026: The Small Business Administration referred 562,000 fraudulent or delinquent pandemic-era loans — totaling $22 billion — for aggressive collection.
  • April 28, 2026: The Department of Justice conducted targeted enforcement operations at nearly two dozen Minnesota childcare centers suspected of systemic fraud.
  • April 30, 2026: The Department of Justice launched a West Coast Strike Force team targeting healthcare fraud across Arizona, Nevada, and northern California.
  • April 30, 2026: The Trump Administration deferred an additional $91 million in federal Medicaid funds from non-cooperating Minnesota.
  • May 12, 2026: The Trump Administration identified over 10,000 suspected fraud cases in immigration student work programs.
  • May 13, 2026: The Trump Administration suspended $1.4 billion in home health and hospice funding nationwide.
  • May 13, 2026: The Trump Administration deferred $1.3 billion in federal Medicaid reimbursements for California.
  • May 13, 2026: The Trump Administration halted all new Medicare enrollments for hospice providers nationwide until the fraud crisis is brought under control.
  • May 13, 2026: The Trump Administration launched audits of Medicaid Fraud Control Units in all 50 states.
  • May 20, 2026: The Department of Justice charged a Minneapolis daycare owner featured in Nick Shirley’s viral video.
  • May 21, 2026: The Department of Justice expanded its Health Care Fraud Strike Force program, adding additional prosecutors to combat Medicaid fraud nationwide.
  • May 21, 2026: The Department of Justice charged 15 individuals in a wide-ranging Minnesota healthcare fraud scheme — including the highest loss amount ever charged in a Medicaid case in the state and the largest autism fraud scheme ever prosecuted.
  • June 4, 2026: The Department of Justice charged four Ohio residents — including two state employees — in a $30 million Medicaid billing fraud scheme and seized 14 luxury vehicles; charged four more in a $1.4 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme; busted five suspects who scammed over $15 million from elderly Americans via dating sites; and suspended dozens of high-risk home healthcare providers in Ohio and imposed a six-month moratorium on all new home healthcare and hospice services.
  • June 8, 2026: Vice President Vance referred Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison to the Department of Justice’s Fraud Division for criminal investigation over allegations of negligence and complicity.
  • June 10, 2026: Federal authorities apprehended a fugitive wanted for his role in the wide-ranging Feeding Our Future fraud scandal — the first individual on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list captured.
  • June 11, 2026: The Trump Administration suspended payment to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority pending a review of its long history of noncompliance, conflicts of interest, and failed audits.
  • June 16, 2026: The Trump Administration sued the State of New York for siphoning millions of dollars in Medicaid funding to a handpicked company.
  • June 17, 2026: A Texas woman was sentenced to prison for fraudulently obtaining FEMA disaster relief funds.
  • June 19, 2026: The Department of Justice apprehended a fugitive accused of orchestrating a $1.2 billion Medicare fraud conspiracy — the second individual on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list.
  • June 22, 2026: Federal authorities apprehended a fugitive accused of masterminding a $3.7 billion Medicare fraud scheme.
  • June 23, 2026: The Department of Justice announced charges against 455 defendants across 45 states and territories in healthcare fraud schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims — the largest such takedown in history.
  • June 23, 2026: The Trump Administration suspended billing privileges and Medicaid payments for thousands of Ohio providers suspected of fraud.
  • June 24, 2026: The Department of Justice secured a guilty plea from a North Carolina man who orchestrated a $60 million Medicare fraud scheme.
  • June 26, 2026: The Trump Administration sued multiple states over their failure to provide SNAP applicant data for compliance purposes.
  • June 27, 2026: The Trump Administration captured a Minnesota fugitive in Somalia facing charges related to orchestrating the massive Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.
  • June 30, 2026: The Trump Administration forced Minnesota to disenroll nearly 60% of its Medicaid providers for failure to meet compliance standards and high risk of fraud.
  • June 30, 2026: The Trump Administration secured a lengthy prison sentence for the owner of two telemedicine companies who was conspired to submit more than $136 million in false and fraudulent Medicare claims.
  • July 2, 2026: The Department of Justice charged two New York individuals in a multi-million-dollar Medicaid fraud scheme.
  • July 8, 2026: The Small Business Administration suspended nearly 8,000 Wisconsin borrowers connected to $375 million in suspected fraudulent pandemic-era loans.
  • July 8, 2026: The Trump Administration announced it stopped $220 million in fraudulent skin substitute claims and suspended billing privileges for over 800 providers complicit in Durable Medical Equipment fraud.
  • July 9, 2026: The Department of Justice charged six New Jersey individuals in connection to a $20 million healthcare fraud kickback scheme.
  • July 9, 2026: The Department of Justice secured a guilty plea from a woman who orchestrated in a $1.7 million urine drug testing scheme in North Carolina.
  • July 12, 2026: The Trump Administration announced it blocked 53,000 fraudulent student loan applications in just the first months since deploying enhanced screening, preventing more than $200 million in fraudulent financial aid from being disbursed.
  • July 20, 2026: The Trump Administration suspended funding for the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority pending a comprehensive investigation into its lengthy history of mismanagement.
  • July 21, 2026: The Trump Administration paused more than $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota due to suspected fraud and noncompliance.
  • July 21, 2026: Federal authorities apprehended a fugitive wanted for his role in a $547 million Medicare fraud scheme — the third individual on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list captured.
  • July 27, 2026: Federal authorities apprehended a fugitive wanted for her role in a $32 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme — the fourth individual on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list captured.
  • August 4, 2026: The Department of Justice announced criminal charges against 19 defendants involved in a fraudulent home healthcare scheme targeting Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program.
  • August 4, 2026: The Trump Administration announced a total of 1,076 hospices have been removed from the Medicare program in California alone due to fraud.
www.whitehouse.gov

Fraud.gov: Track the Trump Administration’s Relentless War on Fraud

President Donald J. Trump and Vice President JD Vance are waging war on the fraudsters and scammers who have looted hardworking Americans for far too
www.whitehouse.gov www.whitehouse.gov

I'd suggest Bookmarking that link, so you can check back in the future...
 
20Gauge said:
During the years between then and now, we took jobs that were minimum wage, educated ourselves for new jobs, invested, avoided spending whenever possible, we built things ourselves to avoid the cost of paying someone else and have lived within our means that entire time.

As a result, we are now in a position to have a bit saved, invested and except for our house debt free.

I make no excuses or apologies for that.

What bothers me is the way society is moving. Wealth and its creation is now considered evil. Something that should be taken instead of encouraged.
Click to expand...
Absolutely agree!!

There's not a better feeling then having hard times.... then taking a really hard look at "WHY", and then putting in the effort and time, to turn it around, and become successful in your own right.

Sadly, that's a really foreign concept to so many, who won't put in the effort, and expect others or .GOV, to bail them out, and provide for them...

Then, when you accomplish that goal, you have others that want to call you evil, and want to take it away from you..

I too, don't have a warm and fuzzy hope for the country. It's going to take some painful lessons, to wake a few more up...
 
I will simply contribute some practical things, people can do right now to make things easier if and when some form of financial collapse arrives (again) on the horizon. I am including supply chain issues, and petroleum derived products.

Fill your freezers; add additional stocks to the pantry
Spare parts that wear out on a regular basis on your vehicles - including the fluids (if you're feeling flush and find a good deal, add a spare set of tires, especially if an unusual size

Take care of as many repair/maintenance/replacement jobs around your place as you can afford (putting it off guarantees you'll pay more when you really NEED it)

Make sure you have the tools you need to do what you need to do - and things like nails & screws never go bad

Yes, to stocking extras of finite supplies - hygiene, cleaning, paper products (or washable reusable rags)

Take advantage of seasonal sales, clearance sales, thrift stores etc to put back clothes that are cool/warm, different sizes if you're losing weight, etc

If you have no current backup for power - shop sales now, and ongoing for portable batteries (with solar charging ability) and generators. Propane is high for me, but I regularly see people posting prices/gal that are 1-2 dollars cheaper than where I am. Non-ethanol gas, when propane doesn't make sense.

All of this isn't getting any cheaper and the sooner you CAN make those investments (instead of spending elsewhere except debt) the better off you'll be in the long run.
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/2091104548110872995
View: https://x.com/macropaperr/status/2091104548110872995?s=61



THE U.S. BOND MARKET IS STARTING TO LOOK SERIOUSLY BROKEN.

The 30-year yield crashed from 5.337% to 5.18% after Treasury announced it would double long-term bond buybacks.

Just 48 hours later, it is already back above 5.27%.

The U.S. is stuck between surging borrowing costs and a bond market that increasingly needs support.

If yields keep pushing higher, Treasury faces an ugly choice: tolerate higher borrowing costs or provide even more support to the bond market.

This is the same kind of pressure we’ve been watching build in Japan.

Except now it’s happening in the world’s biggest bond market.
 
Hognutz said:
THE U.S. BOND MARKET IS STARTING TO LOOK SERIOUSLY BROKEN.

The 30-year yield crashed from 5.337% to 5.18% after Treasury announced it would double long-term bond buybacks.

Just 48 hours later, it is already back above 5.27%.
Click to expand...
LOL...

Just getting back into the normal, historical ranges:

1787427559024.png

Or, is this just a NEW point of OUTRAGE, that the sheep need to be discussing this week?

it's getting tough to keep up with all these new MSM Outrage posts.
 
King Samson said:
The banks are ALWAYS sitting on defaulted loans, that they refuse to dump, so they don't have to show the loss. This is nothing new.
Click to expand...
Yeah, from what I am gathering this time, it is worse than the 80s, 90s, 08 combined. Like they will go out of business kind of losses. Like they will tank the economy as they will not get bailed out this time sort of bad.

Partly why I am thinking the student loan forgiveness thing was such a big platform point. Those college loans should have never been made due to the low rate of return on investment. Those same loans are unrmittable with the insane cost of living increases.

And I think the cost of living increases are a more difficult fix than giving up starbucks. Fast food is hurting, badly. What is now considered convenience foods are now luxery foods for many. We are having a whole new generation being forced to learn how to cook from scratch. And in all honesty EBT will need to goback to being given staples, not a card to really fix the longer term multigenerational issue of health and cooking.
 
Knoxville's Joker said:
Yeah, from what I am gathering this time, it is worse than the 80s, 90s, 08 combined. Like they will go out of business kind of losses. Like they will tank the economy as they will not get bailed out this time sort of bad.
Click to expand...
I've also seen that the banks are sitting on a ton of defaulted commercial loans too, for vacant buildings. That's some big ticket loans.

Knoxville's Joker said:
And I think the cost of living increases are a more difficult fix than giving up starbucks. Fast food is hurting, badly. What is now considered convenience foods are now luxery foods for many. We are having a whole new generation being forced to learn how to cook from scratch.
Click to expand...
It's worse..

Here's just one example. Look at Door Dash revenue, and think about how much money is being pissed away daily, by consumers.

But, but, but...."inflation" is making everything more unaffordable.... LOL...

DoorDash Revenue​

DoorDash had revenue of $4.45B in the quarter ending June 30, 2026, with 35.63% growth. This brings the company's revenue in the last twelve months to $15.89B, up 33.59% year-over-year. In the year 2025, DoorDash had annual revenue of $13.72B with 27.93% growth.

1787429745910.png


Now add in:

Uber Eats
InstaCart
GrubHub
Local delivery

Big numbers, right?
 
Last edited:
King Samson said:
I've also seen that the banks are sitting on a ton of defaulted commercial loans too, for vacant buildings. That's some big ticket loans.


It's worse..

Here's just one example. Look at Door Dash revenue, and think about how much money is being pissed away daily, by consumers.

But, but, but...."inflation" is making everything more unaffordable.... LOL...

DoorDash Revenue​

DoorDash had revenue of $4.45B in the quarter ending June 30, 2026, with 35.63% growth. This brings the company's revenue in the last twelve months to $15.89B, up 33.59% year-over-year. In the year 2025, DoorDash had annual revenue of $13.72B with 27.93% growth.

View attachment 617549


Now add in:

Uber Eats
InstaCart
GrubHub
Local delivery

Big numbers, right?
Click to expand...
I looked at door dash costs and fees and holy crickets is it costly. Some people are better served just driving their but to get a pickup themselves.

I think a lot of the issues along the lines of that idiocy is where folks were never taught what a budget is.

Then we have folks like Dave Ramsey who has taught many folks budgeting fundamentals and how you can turn your income into a wealth building tool instead of a lifestyle tool.
 
King Samson said:
I've also seen that the banks are sitting on a ton of defaulted commercial loans too, for vacant buildings. That's some big ticket loans.


It's worse..

Here's just one example. Look at Door Dash revenue, and think about how much money is being pissed away daily, by consumers.

But, but, but...."inflation" is making everything more unaffordable.... LOL...

DoorDash Revenue​

DoorDash had revenue of $4.45B in the quarter ending June 30, 2026, with 35.63% growth. This brings the company's revenue in the last twelve months to $15.89B, up 33.59% year-over-year. In the year 2025, DoorDash had annual revenue of $13.72B with 27.93% growth.

View attachment 617549


Now add in:

Uber Eats
InstaCart
GrubHub
Local delivery

Big numbers, right?
Click to expand...
I would guess at least half of the monies spent on those expenses food delivery services is from government employees or people on government assistance. Lawyers, actors, artist and banksters. And people born into money. Some college kids even use their school loan monies on those services.

I don't know anyone who use those services, in my AO.

I bet.
 
Knoxville's Joker said:
I looked at door dash costs and fees and holy crickets is it costly. Some people are better served just driving their but to get a pickup themselves.

I think a lot of the issues along the lines of that idiocy is where folks were never taught what a budget is.
Click to expand...
Exactly...

And the word "budget", is a nasty word to many, like 4 letter words are to most.

And like I said, they use the excuse of "inflation", why they can't afford to live, versus pissing away money, needlessly.

West said:
I would guess at least half of the monies spent on those expenses food delivery services is from government employees or people on government assistance. Lawyers, actors, artist and banksters. And people born into money. Some college kids even use their school loan monies on those services.
Click to expand...
I think it's more the general public, who are just plain lazy...

And it's a lot:

Monthly Usage of DoorDash​

Active Users​

Approximately 42 million consumers place orders on DoorDash each month. This high number indicates a significant level of engagement and frequent usage among its active users.

Total Orders Processed: DoorDash processed over 2.6 billion orders in 2024, reflecting the platform's popularity and the frequency of orders placed by users.

This data highlights that many users rely on DoorDash for their food delivery needs, contributing to its status as a leading food delivery service.
backlinko.com
 
Hognutz said:
R/T 1:30



https://twitter.com/x/status/2091071547985351114
View: https://x.com/glenn_diesen/status/2091071547985351114?s=61



No cost-cutting. No spending cuts. Scott Bessent says the U.S. will simply have to “grow our way out” of $40 trillion in debt. It’s over.
Click to expand...

I’ve watched some of his interviews. His eyes are blinking a lot and his body language implies that he doesn’t believe what he is saying. Everyone should act accordingly to make sure their house is in order.
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/2091301621032505425
View: https://x.com/armstrongecon/status/2091301621032505425?s=61



It's not just the interest rates, but the fact we are approaching a debt crisis globally, and that is sending warning signs already.

Countries end up in these Ponzi schemes, nobody pays off any debt. They just keep rolling it. We're still paying interest, for World War I.

This is all coming to a major crisis, probably maybe early next year, but we definitely see the stress building up here going into September.
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/2091281541259575793
View: https://x.com/leshka_eth/status/2091281541259575793?s=61



THE U.S. BOND MARKET COULD BREAK AT ANY MOMENT

RAY DALIO SAYS AMERICA HAS ALREADY PASSED THE POINT OF NO RETURN

A DEBT CRISIS IS NOW INEVITABLE

U.S. DEBT → $40 TRILLION

INTEREST PAYMENTS → NOW ABOVE DEFENSE SPENDING

FEDERAL DEFICIT → STILL WIDENING

Washington is now pressuring the Bank of Japan not to dump its U.S. Treasury holdings

Because if Japan starts selling, the shock could spread through the entire global liquidity system

Meanwhile, China is preparing for a completely different monetary future

The yuan is strengthening against the dollar

China has accumulated gold for nearly two years

And Hong Kong and Shanghai have created a dollar-free gold settlement network

YUAN-DENOMINATED GOLD TRADING IS COMING

THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS ALREADY LIVE
China is building a system where gold can be traded and settled without touching the U.S. dollar

If the Treasury market finally breaks, paper money will not weaken slowly

Gold could be repriced overnight

STOP IGNORING WHAT CHINA IS BUILDING
 
R/T 16 sec.


https://twitter.com/x/status/2091493446661869758
View: https://x.com/cryptonobler/status/2091493446661869758?s=61



TOMORROW WILL BE THE WORST DAY OF 2026 FOR MARKETS!!

You MUST read this before August 24.

Japan is dumping $5.5 TRILLION in U.S. Treasuries.

China is dumping $650 BILLION in U.S. Treasuries.

The U.S. just admitted the economy is collapsing and DOUBLED buybacks to cover the damage.

If you own any assets today, you MUST know this:

Japan and China are forcing capital back into their countries.

And the biggest carry trade in history is now starting to unwind.

This is NOT normal.

For decades, Japan kept interest rates near zero.

That turned the yen into the world's cheapest funding currency.

Investors borrowed trillions of yen.

Then they poured that money into U.S. Treasuries, stocks, real estate, crypto, and markets around the world.

That trade is now breaking apart.

Japan is facing soaring government debt.

A rapidly aging population.

Massive pension obligations.
And years of pressure from a weak yen.

Now policymakers want that capital back home.

And now China is adding another layer of pressure to the U.S. Treasury market.

China has been steadily reducing its holdings of U.S. Treasuries.

Chinese Treasury holdings just fell to $633 BILLION, the lowest level since 2008.

At the same time, China continues to build its gold reserves.

→ U.S. Treasuries get reduced
→ Gold holdings increase
→ Demand for U.S. debt weakens
→ Pressure on Treasury yields increases

Japan and China were both among the major sources of the latest decline in foreign Treasury holdings.

And when two of the world's biggest holders reduce their exposure at the same time...

Someone else has to absorb that supply.

That means higher yields are required to attract buyers.

And U.S. bond yields are already surging.

The 30-year Treasury yield recently pushed above 5.3%, reaching levels not seen since 2007.

The U.S. Treasury is now forced to buy back its own debt because no one else wants it.

Read that again.
This is the part most people are missing.

Japan is pulling capital toward Japan.

China is reducing Treasury exposure and increasing its strategic gold position.

→ Foreign Treasury demand weakens
→ Treasury prices fall
→ U.S. bond yields rise
→ Borrowing costs increase
→ Liquidity tightens

This creates another feedback loop.

Higher U.S. yields increase the cost of financing the enormous U.S. government debt load.

Higher Japanese yields make Japanese assets more attractive.

And China's continued diversification adds another structural source of pressure to the Treasury market.

Pay attention.

Most people won't understand why markets are collapsing until it's already happening.

I’ve studied markets for over 12 years and called nearly every major top and bottom.

If you want to survive the 2026 cycle, follow and turn notifications on.

I warned you before.

And I'll warn you again soon.

A lot of people will wish they paid attention earlier.
 
Hognutz said:
R/T 16 sec.


https://twitter.com/x/status/2091493446661869758
View: https://x.com/cryptonobler/status/2091493446661869758?s=61



TOMORROW WILL BE THE WORST DAY OF 2026 FOR MARKETS!!

You MUST read this before August 24.

Japan is dumping $5.5 TRILLION in U.S. Treasuries.

China is dumping $650 BILLION in U.S. Treasuries.

The U.S. just admitted the economy is collapsing and DOUBLED buybacks to cover the damage.

If you own any assets today, you MUST know this:

Japan and China are forcing capital back into their countries.

And the biggest carry trade in history is now starting to unwind.

This is NOT normal.

For decades, Japan kept interest rates near zero.

That turned the yen into the world's cheapest funding currency.

Investors borrowed trillions of yen.

Then they poured that money into U.S. Treasuries, stocks, real estate, crypto, and markets around the world.

That trade is now breaking apart.

Japan is facing soaring government debt.

A rapidly aging population.

Massive pension obligations.
And years of pressure from a weak yen.

Now policymakers want that capital back home.

And now China is adding another layer of pressure to the U.S. Treasury market.

China has been steadily reducing its holdings of U.S. Treasuries.

Chinese Treasury holdings just fell to $633 BILLION, the lowest level since 2008.

At the same time, China continues to build its gold reserves.

→ U.S. Treasuries get reduced
→ Gold holdings increase
→ Demand for U.S. debt weakens
→ Pressure on Treasury yields increases

Japan and China were both among the major sources of the latest decline in foreign Treasury holdings.

And when two of the world's biggest holders reduce their exposure at the same time...

Someone else has to absorb that supply.

That means higher yields are required to attract buyers.

And U.S. bond yields are already surging.

The 30-year Treasury yield recently pushed above 5.3%, reaching levels not seen since 2007.

The U.S. Treasury is now forced to buy back its own debt because no one else wants it.

Read that again.
This is the part most people are missing.

Japan is pulling capital toward Japan.

China is reducing Treasury exposure and increasing its strategic gold position.

→ Foreign Treasury demand weakens
→ Treasury prices fall
→ U.S. bond yields rise
→ Borrowing costs increase
→ Liquidity tightens

This creates another feedback loop.

Higher U.S. yields increase the cost of financing the enormous U.S. government debt load.

Higher Japanese yields make Japanese assets more attractive.

And China's continued diversification adds another structural source of pressure to the Treasury market.

Pay attention.

Most people won't understand why markets are collapsing until it's already happening.

I’ve studied markets for over 12 years and called nearly every major top and bottom.

If you want to survive the 2026 cycle, follow and turn notifications on.

I warned you before.

And I'll warn you again soon.

A lot of people will wish they paid attention earlier.
Click to expand...
I just paid another bill from the IRS, they said I still owe that from 2025, FINE!

Just made the check out Friday. Payable to the United States Treasury. Had the post office stamp the date I mailed it and digitally photo shot it for proof!

So I'm at least part of the problem and doing my part to pay the slave taxes. It is what it is! Caesars fake coin is Ceasers after all.

Its all fake currency anyway.
 
Hognutz said:
R/T 16 sec.


https://twitter.com/x/status/2091493446661869758
View: https://x.com/cryptonobler/status/2091493446661869758?s=61



TOMORROW WILL BE THE WORST DAY OF 2026 FOR MARKETS!!

You MUST read this before August 24.

Japan is dumping $5.5 TRILLION in U.S. Treasuries.

China is dumping $650 BILLION in U.S. Treasuries.

The U.S. just admitted the economy is collapsing and DOUBLED buybacks to cover the damage.

If you own any assets today, you MUST know this:

Japan and China are forcing capital back into their countries.

And the biggest carry trade in history is now starting to unwind.

This is NOT normal.

For decades, Japan kept interest rates near zero.

That turned the yen into the world's cheapest funding currency.

Investors borrowed trillions of yen.

Then they poured that money into U.S. Treasuries, stocks, real estate, crypto, and markets around the world.

That trade is now breaking apart.

Japan is facing soaring government debt.

A rapidly aging population.

Massive pension obligations.
And years of pressure from a weak yen.

Now policymakers want that capital back home.

And now China is adding another layer of pressure to the U.S. Treasury market.

China has been steadily reducing its holdings of U.S. Treasuries.

Chinese Treasury holdings just fell to $633 BILLION, the lowest level since 2008.

At the same time, China continues to build its gold reserves.

→ U.S. Treasuries get reduced
→ Gold holdings increase
→ Demand for U.S. debt weakens
→ Pressure on Treasury yields increases

Japan and China were both among the major sources of the latest decline in foreign Treasury holdings.

And when two of the world's biggest holders reduce their exposure at the same time...

Someone else has to absorb that supply.

That means higher yields are required to attract buyers.

And U.S. bond yields are already surging.

The 30-year Treasury yield recently pushed above 5.3%, reaching levels not seen since 2007.

The U.S. Treasury is now forced to buy back its own debt because no one else wants it.

Read that again.
This is the part most people are missing.

Japan is pulling capital toward Japan.

China is reducing Treasury exposure and increasing its strategic gold position.

→ Foreign Treasury demand weakens
→ Treasury prices fall
→ U.S. bond yields rise
→ Borrowing costs increase
→ Liquidity tightens

This creates another feedback loop.

Higher U.S. yields increase the cost of financing the enormous U.S. government debt load.

Higher Japanese yields make Japanese assets more attractive.

And China's continued diversification adds another structural source of pressure to the Treasury market.

Pay attention.

Most people won't understand why markets are collapsing until it's already happening.

I’ve studied markets for over 12 years and called nearly every major top and bottom.

If you want to survive the 2026 cycle, follow and turn notifications on.

I warned you before.

And I'll warn you again soon.

A lot of people will wish they paid attention earlier.
Click to expand...

Getting to the point where it is every man (central bank) for himself. While they work in concert with each other their #1 goal is, always, and will be self preservation. Whether it is tomorrow, next week or next month we’ve become toxic and thanks to recent debacles it has become clear the emperor has no clothes and some of the actors on the world’s stage are getting ready to act on it.
 
The one-third of the $40 trillion U.S. national debt has been identified.

The Federal Reserve CONFIRMS: The U.S. Congress has built the single largest racket empire on the planet:

U.S. NGOs have combined assets totaling $14.2 trillion of your tax money.

“India’s and Japan’s GDPs are each just over $4 trillion, Germany’s is $5 trillion, and together they total about $13.5 trillion. Guess what? The combined assets of U.S. NGOs equal $14.2 trillion of your tax money—and that of your children, grandchildren, and great-great-great-great-grandchildren.”

In other words, the root of all corruption—the racket—is the U.S. Congress. It has funneled as much as one-third of the U.S. national debt to the planet’s most profitable organizations: NGOs.

And you know what? As of 2026, the American taxpayer is paying roughly $1.2 trillion per year in interest on the racket.

Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell oversaw approximately $30 trillion of the racket alone.

By the way, Democrats have spent approximately $1 trillion on illegal aliens over the last six years in an effort to overthrow the constitutional republic of the United States.

If an NGO takes government money, that means they are being hired to do something the government is unable or not allowed to do. It also means they are no longer a non-governmental organization. Their IRS 501c3 status should be terminated or certainly audited as no longer being qualified for that status.

Note that it's much more than just the assets. All of the taxpayer's dollars that was spent on "programs" was also fraudulent.
We should freeze the assets of every one of these NGOs, then liquidate it all to pay down the debt.
Then have a look at their CEOs and board members for the same...
RT 1min
https://twitter.com/x/status/2091323868845855140
View: https://fxtwitter.com/ArtWebb7/status/2091323868845855140
 
I swear some of these self-appointed financial experts get paid by the word. And the number of people they can panic.

Things ARE bad; we all know that. But exaggerating changes per a very short timeline of perspective doesn't help anyone make rational decisions for themselves. I laughed myself silly over the "DOOM-Y" horrendouse mortage rates of less than 7%; I lived through the 80s as a single mom - fully remember mortgage rates in some cases exceeding 20%. I think that depended on what part of the country one was in. NYC, DC, NVa are NOT the country as a whole.

Things ARE iffy; almost any unforeseen black swan can smash the global house of debt cards; the bill is coming due - and what is being planned for WHEN that happens hasn't been leaked - only speculated on. I don't feel comfortable making a decision for an uncertain/unseen future based on speculation; and certainly not on some self-proclaimed guru's "advice".

I also don't think there is any one "right" way to protect oneself. It has to be one from column A, one from column B, etc. Simply because NO ONE will know, where we sit right now, what will work in the future.
 
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