Are American Adults Losing Faith?

1. 84

   tsmogposted 6 months ago

   
   
   Congress is in disarray for the second time electing a House Speaker. The first time took how many weeks? I don’t know, but I know it was fifteen rounds of voting to get McCarthy at the podium to lead the House. Abruptly, about ten months later he was ousted as Speaker in October of ’23.
   
   So, far, today, 10/23/23 there still is no speaker of the house. There were three rounds of voting with Jim Jordan from the Freedom Caucus as the bid. His losses led to a secret ballot to remove him from future voting. So, the House is in limbo, paralyzed, and ‘not’ conducting business.
   
   Do you have faith in our esteemed institutions?
   
   Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey is facing charges of bribery
   
   Republican U.S. Representative George Santos charged With Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, False Statements, Falsification of Records, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Credit Card Fraud.
   
   53% of adults have “hardly any confidence at all” in the people running Congress
   
   About 4 in 10 adults (39%) have hardly any confidence in the executive branch of the federal government (Not the president, the Branch, though one party or the other occupies it.)
   
   About a third of adults (36%) say they have hardly any confidence in the conservative-majority Supreme Court
   
   One-third of U.S. adults (33%) continue to have low levels of confidence in the Justice Department, with Republicans having less confidence than Democrats
   
   45% have little or no confidence that the news media is reporting the news fully, accurately, and fairly
   
   64% say social media have negative effects
   
   17% say they have hardly any confidence in the military.
   
   Only 10% of U.S. adults say they have high confidence in the nation’s banks and other financial institutions
   
   30% of U.S. adults claim no religious affiliation and that segment of the population is growing
   
   Though some of the numbers shared may not seem alarming by population statistical standards, they are significant enough to take notice. Especially since there has been a trend with our institutions over a decade or more.
   
   ** Is it a matter of faith?
   ** Is it a matter of trust?
   ** Is it a combination of the two?
   ** Is it because there is a downward trend with religion as an institution of faith/trust?
   ** Why do you think Americans are losing faith/trust in our institutions?
   
   If you don’t mind sharing, have you lost faith/trust in our institutions or some of them? 
   
   Americans’ faith in institutions has been sliding for years. The chaos in Congress isn’t helping
   https://apnews.com/article/congress-ins … ubscribers
   
   Americans’ faith in banks low after failures: AP-NORC poll
   https://apnews.com/article/bank-failure … 5df2463d18
   
   America’s nonreligious are a growing, diverse phenomenon. They really don’t like organized religion
   https://apnews.com/article/nonreligious … 7ad64b03f8

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      Sharlee01posted 6 months agoin reply to this

      Oh, wow, the GOP is just doing fantastic, aren't they? I mean, who doesn't love a good old-fashioned internal civil war? It's like they're playing a game of "Who Can Ruin Things Faster?" and I'm on the edge of my seat!
      
      And let's not forget the current administration. They're doing such an amazing job that I've lost faith and trust in them faster than you can say "incompetence." It's almost like they have a secret plan to make everything fall apart, and they're doing it with a smile.
      
      Americans are losing faith and trust because we're treated to a daily dose of lies and deception, and it's like a never-ending circus of poor decisions and cover-ups. But hey, who needs to worry about the border when we've got a new war (a second War)  to distract us, right? And don't even think about looking at stats or charts on the economy – we've got drug overdoses, a failing education system, and a  military that is declining in numbers, but who cares?  Just remember up is down, and down is up, and you will be fine. What is troubling we have tons of Americans who believe that.
      
      So, in a nutshell, Americans are losing faith and trust because everything's just rainbows and unicorns in our lovely, well-run government. I mean, who needs a functioning country, anyway?
      
      We are toast, just buy some jelly.

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         tsmogposted 6 months agoin reply to this

         Giggle + giggle
         
         I just did a quick peek before heading for some lunch and saw your post, Sharlee. Thanks for your view. Though with a sense of humor, it just may speak a well-rounded barrel of truth. I think so!
         
         One element that caught my attention was the growth of 'nones' in a supposed Christian nation. From NPR comes; " Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they "seldom" attend religious services, and 29% of respondents said they "never" attend religious services. A decade ago, those figures were 22% and 21%, respectively".
         
         There are conflicting studies as to what the numbers are and if 'nones' are growing, declining, or stabilized. Gallup says it has been stable over the last six years. However, in 1950 'nones' were about zero. It has risen to 21%.
         
         The reason I mention this is that has perspectives of what faith is changed and/or is not being instilled in the younger demographics. Losing faith in our institutions I would think gives cause for individuals to reexamine what faith means. In other words, lack of faith means "to believe that (someone or something) does not deserve to be trusted".
         
         So, has the decline in religion been a factor in the lack of faith and trust in our institutions? In other words, faith is no longer second nature.
         
         Slowdown in the Rise of Religious Nones by Gallup on Dec 9, 2022
         https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling … nones.aspx

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            Sharlee01posted 6 months agoin reply to this

            Changing Perspectives on Faith is a very serious subject. So I will take off my sarcastic cap.
            
            As your stats provide it is apparent more of our society has evolved and become more secular, and the traditional understanding of faith shifted.  Faith, traditionally associated with religious belief, may have taken on new forms in our more diverse society.  People seem to have chosen to place their faith in different institutions, ideologies, or concepts. 
            
            The decline in trust in institutions, such as the government or even the media, I think is a complex issue with multiple contributing factors. Economic, political, and social factors can also play a significant role in shaping people's attitudes toward institutions. While the decline in religiosity could be one of the factors, I don't think it's the sole cause. 
            
            The decline in religious faith may lead to a reexamination of values and principles. People may seek alternative sources of meaning and community. This could, in some cases, lead to a more negative evaluation of established institutions.
            
            In more secular and diverse societies, faith can take on a more secular or inclusive character. It appears today some people may place faith in principles like democracy, human rights, or scientific progress. This is not necessarily a bad thing; it can reflect the adaptability of human belief systems.
            
            In my own view, trust is a fundamental pillar of a stable society. So, did our great social split in the past few years come from a lack of faith, and trust?   The erosion of trust in institutions is a great matter of concern, and addressing it goes beyond just religious factors. Rebuilding trust requires efforts from both institutions and the public, including transparency, accountability, and effective communication.
            
            So. while the decline in religious faith may be one element in our changing landscape of faith and trust, it is not the sole cause. Multiple societal, political, and cultural factors interact in shaping people's views on faith and trust in institutions.

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   2. 78

      Credence2posted 6 months agoin reply to this

      So, over the last say 50 years what changed?
      
      The differences between Republicans and Democrats were not as stark. Whatever extremes on either side that existed were much less influential relative to the entire body the whole. Moderation was the rule as intended by the Founding Fathers, such is hardly the case today.
      
      There is more allegiance to party over compromise. All Democrats or Republicans now vote as a block, with no one daring to cross the "picket line"
      
      Bonefide Republicans and Democrats are quite different.
      
      As for religion, organized religion is losing support as it deserves to. What religious faith that I associate with stresses the scriptures and not politics. The Religious Right hides behind the "God" label, while being much more of a political cult, where their very purpose has been compromised and even discounted. Anyone from the outside can clearly see the hypocrisy and have been determined to stay away.
      
      So yes, I have lost confidence when grown people continue to behave like children in a sandbox instead of actually earn their six figure salaries and getting on with the people's business for which they elected.

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      Castlepalomaposted 6 months agoin reply to this

      Ha ha ha, overloaded questions.
      
      I see my soul through the eyes of other strong individuals.  And solved some problems that gives happiness. No matter they are religious or of colour or country.  I certainly wouldn't depend on Politicans or the American dream because you have to be asleep to experience it. I love the strong individuals Americans with adult attitude and child like humor. Who are good examples for many as an wonderful guilding light. Not the US Corp.
      Simplified Simplified and Simplified.

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   4. 76

      Ken Burgessposted 6 months agoin reply to this

      Institutions are only as good as the people running them.
      
      
      
      Do you trust that person?
      
      
      
      Do you have faith in that person?
      
      Do the people you see running the "institutions" today represent what you believe, what you think is responsible, or exemplary of what you feel should be?

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         Credence2posted 6 months agoin reply to this

         Cmon, Ken, Your biases are loud and clear, why would I give any credibility to things that you say?

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            Ken Burgessposted 6 months agoin reply to this

            One is a mentally impaired lunatic that cannot string together a coherent sentence.  That such a person got elected to make decisions regarding the direction our country goes in tells you a lot about where our country is at, this moment.
            
            The other in polar opposite to him, is quite capable, and has a background of struggle worth noting as it is a place from which strength and wisdom can be drawn from.  However...
            
            “Israel has hypnotized the world,” Omar tweeted in 2012, “may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.”
            
            Omar has a long list of such comments, a few derogatory ones for white people as well.
            
            Then in June 2021, Omar equated alleged American and Israeli “atrocities” with the genuine atrocities committed by Hamas and the Taliban. More than a dozen Jewish Democrats in the House publicly called Omar’s statement “as offensive as it is misguided”.
            
            They said that the “false equivalencies” in equating the US and Israel with “contemptible organisations that engage in terrorism” suggested “deep-seated prejudice”, and asked Omar to “clarify her words”.
            
            Omar replied that this criticism was “Islamophobic” and “offensive”, as well as “harassment and silencing”.
            
            I would say her positions are somewhat radicalized against a fair portion of the population of America and certain religions.
            
            I just picked out two... of a great many incompetent and ill-thinking individuals that are in Congress today... people I wouldn't want to be associated with, or seen with, which is rather a sad state for the country IMO... and it most certainly shows in what is going on in the world, and our country, today.
            
            There are those like...
            
            
            
            That I don't fell any better about... especially this jerks comments made in Kyiv, describing U.S. military support to Ukraine as the "best money we've ever spent," after noting that "Russians are dying" during a meeting with Zelensky.
            
            With prominent Senators like that contributing to our international relations, its no wonder war is breaking out the world over.

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            1. 84

               tsmogposted 6 months agoin reply to this

               ha, ha! Yeah, they are vile! I am in agreement.
               
               I just did a search in my browser. I do odd ones occasionally. I typed in what Republicans in Congress are F***ed up today, Oct 24, 2023? I won't bother posting the Google landing page. You can do your own search.

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               Credence2posted 6 months agoin reply to this

               It is all a matter of opinion, I believe that Republican characters are the far greater threat to an effective government. Why do you try to sell me on this "uniparty" stuff when you are so far right that there is nothing left? Your comments which I have been following do not match the opinions that you share with me. So, I am naturally suspicious and justified in being so. True, you have your opinions but I have mine as well. Right now, my bulls*it detector is sounding off like an air raid siren.

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                  Ken Burgessposted 6 months agoin reply to this

                  I suspect that you support the goals of the Uniparty, a world controlled by corporations and detached bureaucrats on an international level that have no loyalty to a country or its citizens.
                  
                  I suspect that you are fine with the slaughter of hundreds of thousands in Ukraine, with millions more crippled or cast out of their country,  because you believe that America has a right to force the people of Crimea back to being part of Ukraine, despite the fact that-
                  
                  No one died in Crimea's succession, and that Crimea has been incorporated into the Russian Republic since 2014.
                  
                  The rest of the world didn't care... Ukrainians didn't care... the lunatic Neocons, the Biden Administration, wanted this war... that's why we have war in Ukraine today.
                  
                  There is no excuse for supporting this war like we supported our war against Iraq.
                  
                  Back then there was reason to believe, Iraq had just invaded Kuwait, Iraq warred against Iran for a decade... back then we had the likes of Powell and Rice selling us on how it was necessary.
                  
                  There should be no doubt in any sane person's mind now, that has been around the block like you and I have... you cannot trust our government to tell you the truth... especially about war.
                  
                  You support this evil regime... not I.  You support the lies and deception... not I.  I try to expose it.  You rant against all who do so.

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         Readmikenowposted 6 months agoin reply to this

         When I look at these pictures, I try to imagine the thought process involved to vote for them.  Fetterman beat "Dr. Oz" so, I think him not being from Pennsylvania that mattered to the voters.  Pennsylvania also voted in a dead guy into office.  He died before the election and they still voted him into office.  This tells me all I need to know about those Pennsylvania voters.
         
         The other one will be in office as long as the Somali people dominate her congressional district. I believe it's possible they didn't look beyond her ethnicity to her politics.

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            Sharlee01posted 6 months agoin reply to this

            You can’t make this up, America’s elections are a real mess.  Dead people are voting for dead people. Hey, he had a D beside his name, that's all that mattered.
            
            I am with Ken on this one...

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   5. 84

      gmwilliamsposted 6 months agoin reply to this

      Yes, the political sphere is in shambles.  Unfortunately, we have people who are psychologically/emotionally at the adolescent level running the country.  Where is their maturity & logic?  They act as if politics is chess.  They refuse to acknowledge that their actions are adversely affecting the American public.   
      
      Let's face it, inflation is becoming out of control because the politicians refuse to be realistic about spending.  Spending is beyond exorbitant.   A housewife with 10 children would have a better budget.  She doesn't spend money that she doesn't have.  She knows how to budget-cutting out things that are superfluous.  America doesn't need to accept countless immigrants who have already taxed our socioeconomic infrastructures.   
      
      There are Americans who refuse to see the detriment that the American politicians are creating.  The Democratic Party is ruining America by its needless & exorbitant spending.  Because of the Democratic Party, America is becoming more & more debt ridden.   The Democratic Party is going to lead America into an unheard of socioeconomic catastrophe. 
      
      Politicians are so out of touch w/middle class Americans that it is beyond shameful.  What is needed is a grassroots party of everyday individuals who are in sync with reality.   Politicians are no longer in sync with reality nor do they care.  Their attitude is well, let them eat caviar.
      
      To respond to the third post regarding religion.  Religion has become irrelevant since the late 1960s.  More Americans are becoming less religious because religion is far behind the times.  Although many Americans are of a religious, they are religious only nominally.  They don't see the point of being religious.  Then there are those who refuse to be hypocrites belonging to a religion that they no longer believe in.  Yes, the nones are growing in population.   Only a small percentage of people are religious.   With the advancements in the 20th century, religion is no longer relevant.  Now that we are in the 21st century, there is an evolution in spiritual consciousness w/people deciding to be spiritual instead of religious.

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         Castlepalomaposted 6 months agoin reply to this

         The unbelievers is the fastest growing group. Second the Muslims, and Christian are the 6th fastest growing religion in the world. Still no atheist in US Congress. They need someone to keep them grounded, or their abstract thinking will float them away in space.

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      2. 84

         tsmogposted 6 months agoin reply to this

         Thank you, Grace! Yup, problems that need solutions, not back-and-forth squabbling for powers, thought though policies tempered with common sense, and importantly as you said, a strong connection to the middle-class constituents.
         
         Yes, the richest of the rich invest in our economic system which trickles down a little. But today the small investors whose main goal is retirement tools are threatened. In other words, those politicians threaten the lives of the constituency rather than support it, right?
         
         I am a 'none' living following Christian principles learned early in life. I profess to be spiritual these days. However, it was politics in the last three Church fellowships that led me to leave one for another and finally abandon organized religion altogether.
         
         Yet, I continue to do daily devotion with a prayer life. I am happy and feel I am experiencing growth in my spiritual life. One of the Eight Dimensions of Wellness taught in colleges and universities is the element of a spiritual life defined by the individual, not an organization with doctrine and dogma.
         
         8 Dimensions of Well-Being The one shared is from Colorado State University - Pueblo. But, there were many to select from.
         https://www.csupueblo.edu/health-educat … being.html

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2. 78

   Kathryn L Hillposted 6 months ago

   Got Trust?
   Ever?
   
   No.

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      Castlepalomaposted 6 months agoin reply to this

      The word God is not in the American Constitution. It is on the money, (We trust in God). Is God the Government?, must all others pay cash? Or is Corporationism God,?  like US Corp. They better earn my trust first, or I won't pay.

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3. 78

   Credence2posted 6 months ago

   "The fight is exposing a serious split in the GOP, Harvard political scientist Danielle Allen writes. On one side are those who "communicate no basic regard for the Constitution," because they see democracy as an impediment to their own power and "a desire to impose cultural homogeneity by fiat." Then there are those who, either out of genuine regard for democracy or fear of the chaos that would follow a fascist takeover, are trying to keep basic government functions on the rails. In Congress, at least, the latter group is shriveling into a non-entity."
   
   In the face of this, I am prepared to fight the rightwinger, tooth and nail...

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      DrMark1961posted 6 months agoin reply to this

      Yes, I agree that the Biden cabal has no regard for the constitution, sees democracy as an impediment to his power, and claims anyone who votes for his opponent is not black.
      
      In the face of that reality, you should be on the other side.

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      1. 78

         Credence2posted 6 months agoin reply to this

         If this was your interpretation of what I had written then you need to consider a remedial reading program, Doc.
         
         It is as I say, the Right continues in a state of lies and denial, but remove the head of the serpant and rest will die naturally. And I am not talking about Biden.
         
         Only the Republicans and their associations have been exemplary of blatant bigotry. We (Blacks) will work with through our disagreement with fundamental allies before giving an inch to a stark enemy

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         1. 94

            DrMark1961posted 6 months agoin reply to this

            Haha, yeah, I am looking into getting those socialist glasses that will prevent me from reading the truth when I see something!!!
            
            Are you familiar with Malcolm X? You might want to look into what he said about how the Dems were manipulating the blacks by pretending to care, and this was all of those years ago. Didnt you hear your hero Biden telling us how the black rapper was a good boy?
            
            Those people are not your allies.

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            1. 78

               Credence2posted 6 months agoin reply to this

               Well, Doc, I don't know if your qualified to tell me who my allies are and who they are not. Malcolm X spoke of a corrupt and race baiting American system, and it was, and unfortunately at the "pressure points" that may well not have changed much.
               
               But there remains the concept of degree and extent, knowing that I cannot have ShangriLa, I am going to select the groups and advocates that are the least offensive. During the Malcolm X period, would  I have voted for LBJ or Goldwater? There is a distinction there, Doc. There is a difference. There again are the subtle nuances and difference that conservatives like to ignore in favor of the broad brush.
               
               It is irritating for white folks to present their ideas as to a situation that we live with daily, as if somehow they would know better.
               
               The people that you are advocating are from my perspective several magnitudes worse. I have been around long enough to know better, not just happened to fall from a turnip truck.

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                  DrMark1961posted 6 months agoin reply to this

                  I did not say that you just fell off the turnip truck, but disagree and think you are still wearing those socialist glasses that make you blind to the truth.

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                     Credence2posted 6 months agoin reply to this

                     The truth is that laissez faire unregulated Capitalism is by its very definition is exploitive and abusive, certainly not anything that I favor. That much, I do know....
                     
                     Knowing how impossible for most of you to live without some underlying bias and resentment, I select those that do it the least and whose actual policies align with my values. That may well be as good as it gets.

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      2. 75

         Castlepalomaposted 6 months agoin reply to this

         Trudeau get along with Biden well, Trudeau has done a few black face to get votes.  I've had a few black girlfriend, only problem was I couldn't touch their hair.  I wish Trudeau and Biden would get out of my hair

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            Credence2posted 6 months agoin reply to this

            I never get past the idea that whites and conservatives seem to think that our political allegiance to liberals and Democrats is based upon slight of hand, black face, minstrel shows and the like? While everyone else have valid reasons to make the political choices they make. I am surprised that Canadians have this problem, I visualized them as more evolved in these matters than their cousins at their Southern Border.
            
            While I still had a thick bush of Afro hair, I did not want anyone touching
            "messing it up" either. But today, alas, those old locks do not exist as they once did.

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               Castlepalomaposted 6 months agoin reply to this

               Didn't know you were African American, GM is also, I enjoy his views. I see you have a golden retrievers, best all round dog there is. How come I don't ever see a brother with a cat?

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                  Credence2posted 6 months agoin reply to this

                  Matter of fact, I do have a cat or my wife has a cat.... our golden retrievers, AKA "the Three Stooges" have died since. We do have one male golden that is almost 10. Pedigree? 50 percent golden retriever, 50 percent spoiled rotten....

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                     Castlepalomaposted 6 months agoin reply to this

                     Cheaper than kids.

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                        Credence2posted 6 months agoin reply to this

                        Cheaper? Not with the gourmet pet food the Missus insists that her "baby's" deserve that she makes me buy.
                        
                        I am personally not keen on cats because they are finicky, nosy, presumptuous and take liberties that are not authorized by the Lord of the Manor.
                        
                        For a little fun, I will share this with you.... a kitty's life in Hawaii
                        
                        https://hubpages.com/animals/Xena-the-W … -Potpourri

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                           Castlepalomaposted 6 months agoin reply to this

                           https://youtu.be/zQyKZ0sfpaU?si=OfyX39Lol7U0waMW

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      tsmogposted 6 months agoin reply to this

      Off-topic, I am never able to keep the definition of hegemony and homogeneity squared away confusing the two. I keep a window open for dictionary purposes, ha-ha

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         Credence2posted 6 months agoin reply to this

         I believe that "hegemony" would have been a more appropriate word for that sentence. Even though either word could work.

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   Ken Burgessposted 6 months ago

   Are American adults losing faith?
   
   Perhaps the question should be: 'how many American adults are paying attention'.
   
   With the many wars and heartbreaking loss of life around the world today, few noticed the financial bomb the Treasury Department dropped.
   
   The deficit for fiscal year 2023 was almost TWO trillion, growing 23 percent in a single year.
   
   Our Treasury used almost ONE trillion just to service the federal debt.
   
   Try to let that sink in... the interest on our debt is only going up from here.
   
   That means, theoretically if the system doesn't collapse, we will be spending more than a trillion next year just on interest.  And we are borrowing more to continue funding wars that will only bring more death and destruction... not peace or resolution.
   
   I can't stress enough how this is the Biden Administration's doing, it isn't past Administrations, it isn't Trump, or Obama, the coming disaster resides on this Administration's decisions and actions ALONE.
   
   Bidenomics means the worst is yet to come, and multi-trillion-dollar deficits are the new normal... just like endless war now seems the new normal.
   
   These massive deficits in federal government spending topped SIX trillion last year.
   
   SIX Trillion!!!
   
   The government took in less than 4.5 trillion last year... that being their positive, fudge the numbers in our favor, estimate. Do the math.
   
   Even worse, the deficit in the last fiscal year was really a TWO trillion deficit.
   
   It was reduced only because the Supreme Court blocked Biden’s $300 Billion student loan handout scheme.
   
   But don't worry, these figures are before all the new emergency spending for his Ukraine war effort, so that money should probably be factored back in.
   
   Folks, when I hammer away that this Administration is run by warmongering lunatics and using words like evil to describe them... its only because I can't think of anything more denigrating, they literally haven't come up with words to describe something worse that can encompass the detrimental effects these people are having on the world.
   
   The breakneck pace of borrowing is increasing daily with the Treasury borrowing $500 billion just in the first three weeks of the current fiscal year, which began October 1.
   
   Three weeks... half a Trillion.
   
   Since Biden took office, American households effectively lost $7,300 in annual income. The monthly mortgage payment on a median price home has more than doubled. Food and energy costs have gone up more than 30%.
   
   And it is only going to get worse... Biden can't spend money he doesn't have fast enough.
   
   That looming storm on the horizon, isn't a summer squall, its the world's largest hurricane.

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      gmwilliamsposted 6 months agoin reply to this

      Well said.   Biden is ruining America.   I have spoken to friends & relatives who voted for Biden.  They have remarked that America has gotten SO MUCH WORSE because of Biden.   New York City has the unfortunate experience of Eric Adams as Mayor.   New Yorkers are experiencing the double whammy of extreme liberalism.   My cousin informed me that things will get MUCH WORSE before it become better.
      
      I haven't seen so much inflation that I have seen under Biden.  Under Trump, there was no inflation.  Prices were reasonable.   Living conditions were comfortable.  Solidly middle class people are suffering under Biden.  The only people not suffering are the upper middle & upper classes.  The Democratic Party has become increasingly leftist in scope.

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         Sharlee01posted 6 months agoin reply to this

         so well said ---

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         Ken Burgessposted 6 months agoin reply to this

         Trump refused to start new wars... he did the opposite, he met with our adversaries and calmed things down.
         
         There are a lot of powerful people in DC and in the MIC that despise him for that more than anything.  He snuffed their excuse to go to war with Iran, he halted all their plans for war with Russia, he even calmed down the tyrant in North Korea.
         
         The two factions in control of the Biden Administration today are the lunatics looking to escalate the war with Russia, throwing Iran in for good measure, a world war would only make them happy.
         
         The other is this ESG, Social Deconstruction... aka far-left ideology that is pushing for everything from child sex changes to men in women's sports to reality is what the individual believes it to be.  In other words, they are pushing insanity onto the greater public, targeting children most of all.
         
         As someone else said regarding this Administration:
         A common denominator that explains why previously successful societies implode is their descent into fantasies. A collective denial prevents even discussion of existential threats and their solutions. Something like that is happening in the United States.
         
         Biden praises this three-year effort to borrow $6-7 trillion, and spike interest rates threefold to 7% on home mortgages—even as prices on essentials like food and fuel have spiked 25-30% since he entered office.
         
         The more that Biden brags about what he did to the economy, the more people poll—over 60%—dissatisfaction with his alternate reality of “Bidenomics.”
         
         Do we remember the humiliation in August 2021 in Afghanistan?
         
         The more Gen. Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and Joe Biden assured that the American military presence was stable, the more swiftly it crumbled and descended into the worst mass flight of an American army since Vietnam.
         
         Consider natural gas and oil. The Biden administration waged war on both by canceling pipelines, drilling on federal lands, and entire oil fields.
         
         When the price soared and the 2022 midterms neared, Biden suddenly begged formerly shunned illiberal regimes like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Venezuela to pump all the hated oil they could to lower the price.
         
         A desperate Biden drained much of the strategic petroleum reserve—he has yet to refill it—simply to lower the price of gasoline and thus win voters back to the Democratic Party.
         
         When the midterms passed, Biden resumed his attack on once bad, then good, and now bad again fossil fuels—at least until the 2024 election.
         
         Stranger still is the denial of the current crime wave in our major cities. Predators and thugs have turned once iconic downtowns into either war zones or ghost towns or both.
         
         Smash-and-grab swarming of stores and matter-of-fact shoplifting are destroying commerce in our major cities.
         
         Unsustainable stores either leave or shut down. Communities who vote for politicians who defund the police blame the stores for leaving—but not the criminals whose brazen thefts made it impossible to do business in the inner city.
         
         Now modern-day pirates with impunity storm, sink, and rob boats of all kinds in the Oakland marina and estuary.
         
         Leftwing journalists and activists, and even Democratic politicians, who all supported defunding the police, now cannot escape the resulting street violence and unleashed murderous predations.
         
         Full Article link:
         https://victorhanson.com/our-establishm … realities/

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            tsmogposted 6 months agoin reply to this

            Thanks for providing the excerpt and reference to the article, Ken! The changes politically and culturally for me are overwhelming while I know to be an informed citizen attention needs to be paid. The article you shared is informative from a reliable source too. Yet, I ponder the average Joe and Jill.
            
            They, in general only have 2 - 3 hours of time not being spent on work, domestic chores, or taking care of kids. I know, I know there is the time of avail, yet to be informed to the extent you are how much time do you dedicate to it? 
            
            Unfortunately, most get their info today on social media sites, so we can question the veracity of that information. I do!! Both my FB and X feed are littered with trash.
            
            I know that because of my time here in these forums getting a good semblance of truth as well as being retired I have time to do my own research. Propaganda is spread with 160 characters and memes. I have been deleting followers and those I follow because of the s*** they post.
            
            A little bit of a rant. Oops!

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               Ken Burgessposted 6 months agoin reply to this

               FB I went away from long ago, I only keep those pages up to drop the occasional family photo or event, not a place for discourse, especially of the political nature.
               
               X is another matter, it is a hotbed for political posts, I try to keep mine informative and relevant and take what others post with a grain of salt (and my own research).
               
               That said, you can find news and information on X you will not find easily anywhere else today...as Elon Musk said, he wants to make X a place for citizen journalists to report on what is really going on.
               
               As for my ranting about the budget and this Administration, even CNN is parroting the same things I have been saying... if they are saying what I am saying, you might want to take it to heart, that is like the antelope agreeing with the lion that something bad is coming.
               
               Federal deficit effectively doubled in fiscal year 2023
               https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/20/politics … index.html

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                  tsmogposted 6 months agoin reply to this

                  Ken, I was implying I was ranting, not you!
                  
                  I read your other post about the trillions being spent and take heed. However, for me, they are definitely warning signs of what will come forward with time. I mean, Biden has taken being a debtor nation too far, right? He definitely has proved what it is.
                  
                  All I can do is tighten my belt, which I have been doing for what 2 - 3 years now. I used to be able to save a measly 100 bucks a month. I had to draw from savings a couple of times during those years. That is not good!!
                  
                  FB and HP are my second homes. For FB family, friends from where I used to work, friends from HP that abandoned it years ago when it became less community-minded, and once in a while a view or two from sharing an article there. That is about it.

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            tsmogposted 6 months agoin reply to this

            Off-topic, yet related a tiny bit. It was in the statement shared I remember at the end where 'modern-day pirates' was mentioned. I read an article and that came to mind I thought you might find interesting and maybe a little bit of a chuckle too. It is:
            
            The Only Navy Warship Authorized to Fly a Pirate Flag at Sea
            https://www.military.com/history/only-n … n=20231027

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               Ken Burgessposted 6 months agoin reply to this

               I'll admit, if I served on it, I would have gotten a tattoo as well.

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               GA Andersonposted 6 months agoin reply to this

               And further off-topic . . . The author gained a lot of credibility with the mention of 'never washed Navy coffee cups."
               
               I never thought of it as a tradition (then) but I guess it was. We never bothered to wash our 'station' cups. We rinsed them but didn't wash them.
               
               GA

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                  tsmogposted 6 months agoin reply to this

                  Hello, GA! If I remember right you mentioned you were in the Navy? Unsure. I never wash my coffee cup for about a week, anyway. I got a kick out of the story where they ransomed downed pilots for ice cream. I can believe that. Enterprising! I am sure it was a delight, too.

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                     GA Andersonposted 6 months agoin reply to this

                     Yep, I was. I would start and finish a 6 month Med cruise with the same unwashed cup.
                     
                     GA

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                        tsmogposted 6 months agoin reply to this

                        

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      Sharlee01posted 6 months agoin reply to this

      Ken, 
      In today's society, there are numerous individuals who struggle to absorb the wealth of information you've presented. The current administration has sparked unprecedented turmoil, leading many to lose their capacity to perceive the reality in front of them. They now embrace what was once considered good as bad and vice versa. This shift in mindset is, in a single word, astonishing.

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         Castlepalomaposted 6 months agoin reply to this

         In an apocalypse and an Aquarius age. There is many outrageous spins of what is Good is bad and vise versa. And it all their weapons of mass distraction of divide and conquer for now.  Wail the head of the snake financial institutions walk to the bank. Stress is vey deadly and  it's healthy to take life, not so seriously. I'm just keen on my sticktoativeness plans, to my own truth and good sense. Don't have to worry about my daughter having kids and don't care who gets selected. Privately I care alot about affordable tiny houses and urban farming. Loving my art and love ones. If someone doesn't like my life,  they can go  F- off

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