America is just completely broken

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Imagine the possibilities if we cut Israel from our teet.

It's not just Israel. There is a global right wing authoritarian takeover happening. They all have their various scapegoats they are using to convince the ignorant masses to give them more power.

Use your brains. More hate is not and has never been a solution to anything. Immigrants are not your enemy. Muslims are not your enemy. Jews are not your enemy. Trans people are not your enemy. Our collective enemies are the ones trying to collect everything of value for themselves, leaving the rest of us to fight for scraps, while they knowingly destroy what remains of the planet.

You can decouple Jews from Israel. Jews are not our enemy. Netanyhu is.

Immigrants are not our enemy. However, adding massive quantities of immigrants who have no intention of assimilating into the greater culture, and who have little in common with each other, and who are taking up resources is just plain dumb. Half of them are on welfare, using up taxpayer money as if money grows on trees. In the meantime, taxpayers are all struggling to make ends meet. This is why the Democrats lost to Trump. Do better, Democrats. Get rid of your stupid Progressive agenda if you want to save this nation from further chaos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In America, you can't even have a kid these days and get bent over the barrel when they want to play a sport because private equity keeps getting more and more involved and is buying up fields, courts, arenas and leagues. Fees constantly go up, because this wouldn't be America unless you couldn't privatize and profit as much as you can off youth sports and activities as a PE firm. Parents who can barely afford to keep things together vecause wages never rise now have to stop signing their kids up to play sports since it is unaffordable. But yeah, let's blame those illegals.

US has declined into a cyberpunk dystopian hellscape because of greed, pure and simple.

+1 Private equity has also been buying up vet practices driving the costs up as much as 50%. Dogs and other animals can bring so much joy to ours lives but it is getting to the point people can't afford to own and properly take care of their dogs due to rising costs.

Vet costs are out of control. I’d be surprised if it were just 50%, actually. It feels like costs have tripled in the last decade.

Yes, private equity sucks. Parasitic ghouls.

Yeah, vet costs are through the roof. I was quoted $4-5000 for a procedure for my cat from a big glossy new PE practice that my regular vet can perform for $700. I’m praying they don’t get bought out.

Our family no longer skis, now that private equity firms are taking over resorts and making the sport unaffordable. In 1990, a lift ticket at Vail cost $38. Now at some of the locations it’s over $300. Even where we live, a day on the slopes including rentals would set us back about $600.

Private equity is invading every space. They’re buying up gyms and dental offices and grocery stores and nursing homes, looting them, taking the profits, and shifting the risks and the costs to consumers. It’s predatory capitalism on steroids.

I think this is because at $38 a ticket, the lifts were overrun by people. Traveling is much more common and nearly a necessity for some people, so they increase the price hoping fewer people will show.

Please. Blame it on popularity when the revenue from jacking up lift ticket prices doesn't even pay ski patrol a living wage. Literally the people that prevent law suits and deaths.

And the sad thing is, we're probably losing a great number of Olympic athletes because kids can't get on the slopes.


How Vail Destroyed Skiing

How Corporate Consolidation is Killing Ski Towns

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In America, you can't even have a kid these days and get bent over the barrel when they want to play a sport because private equity keeps getting more and more involved and is buying up fields, courts, arenas and leagues. Fees constantly go up, because this wouldn't be America unless you couldn't privatize and profit as much as you can off youth sports and activities as a PE firm. Parents who can barely afford to keep things together vecause wages never rise now have to stop signing their kids up to play sports since it is unaffordable. But yeah, let's blame those illegals.

US has declined into a cyberpunk dystopian hellscape because of greed, pure and simple.

+1 Private equity has also been buying up vet practices driving the costs up as much as 50%. Dogs and other animals can bring so much joy to ours lives but it is getting to the point people can't afford to own and properly take care of their dogs due to rising costs.

Vet costs are out of control. I’d be surprised if it were just 50%, actually. It feels like costs have tripled in the last decade.

Yes, private equity sucks. Parasitic ghouls.

Yeah, vet costs are through the roof. I was quoted $4-5000 for a procedure for my cat from a big glossy new PE practice that my regular vet can perform for $700. I’m praying they don’t get bought out.

Our family no longer skis, now that private equity firms are taking over resorts and making the sport unaffordable. In 1990, a lift ticket at Vail cost $38. Now at some of the locations it’s over $300. Even where we live, a day on the slopes including rentals would set us back about $600.

Private equity is invading every space. They’re buying up gyms and dental offices and grocery stores and nursing homes, looting them, taking the profits, and shifting the risks and the costs to consumers. It’s predatory capitalism on steroids.

I think this is because at $38 a ticket, the lifts were overrun by people. Traveling is much more common and nearly a necessity for some people, so they increase the price hoping fewer people will show.

Please. Blame it on popularity when the revenue from jacking up lift ticket prices doesn't even pay ski patrol a living wage. Literally the people that prevent law suits and deaths.

And the sad thing is, we're probably losing a great number of Olympic athletes because kids can't get on the slopes.


How Vail Destroyed Skiing

How Corporate Consolidation is Killing Ski Towns

I love to ski but the world will continue to spin without skiing.

[Anonymous]

As professional, upper middle class, South Asian Muslim expats turned citizens, I feel its easier to assimilate if you are coming with western style education and some money. However, most immigrants tend to assimilate in one to two generations. You can't expect struggling people to assimilate quickly into a new culture, language and system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Imagine the possibilities if we cut Israel from our teet.

It's not just Israel. There is a global right wing authoritarian takeover happening. They all have their various scapegoats they are using to convince the ignorant masses to give them more power.

Use your brains. More hate is not and has never been a solution to anything. Immigrants are not your enemy. Muslims are not your enemy. Jews are not your enemy. Trans people are not your enemy. Our collective enemies are the ones trying to collect everything of value for themselves, leaving the rest of us to fight for scraps, while they knowingly destroy what remains of the planet.

You can decouple Jews from Israel. Jews are not our enemy. Netanyhu is.

Immigrants are not our enemy. However, adding massive quantities of immigrants who have no intention of assimilating into the greater culture, and who have little in common with each other, and who are taking up resources is just plain dumb. Half of them are on welfare, using up taxpayer money as if money grows on trees. In the meantime, taxpayers are all struggling to make ends meet. This is why the Democrats lost to Trump. Do better, Democrats. Get rid of your stupid Progressive agenda if you want to save this nation from further chaos.

This is simply not true. You are falling for propaganda meant to distract and divide us. A progressive agenda is literally the only reason we have the good things we have/had in this country. You can thank progressives for the weekend, the 40 hour work week, minimum wage, social security, public school, etc. Democrats and progressives are not one in the same. Learn what words mean before putting your ignorance on display. Democrats fight tooth and nail against the progressive wing of the party. The democratic establishment is a center right party.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As professional, upper middle class, South Asian Muslim expats turned citizens, I feel its easier to assimilate if you are coming with western style education and some money. However, most immigrants tend to assimilate in one to two generations. You can't expect struggling people to assimilate quickly into a new culture, language and system.

The problem is that most people in this country are not amenable to immigrants even when immigrants make a good faith effort to fit in. Contrast that to most other places in the world where the locals will often be more welcoming unless people are deliberately trying to be a nuisance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As professional, upper middle class, South Asian Muslim expats turned citizens, I feel its easier to assimilate if you are coming with western style education and some money. However, most immigrants tend to assimilate in one to two generations. You can't expect struggling people to assimilate quickly into a new culture, language and system.

This. All this hand wringing about assimilation is just more racism. First Gen immigrats don't always assimilate. Their kids and grandkids absolutely do. And the way some of you talk about assimilation, it's very clear that you mean adopting what you see as white western culture. America has always been a melting pot of cultures. Get over yourselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In America, you can't even have a kid these days and get bent over the barrel when they want to play a sport because private equity keeps getting more and more involved and is buying up fields, courts, arenas and leagues. Fees constantly go up, because this wouldn't be America unless you couldn't privatize and profit as much as you can off youth sports and activities as a PE firm. Parents who can barely afford to keep things together vecause wages never rise now have to stop signing their kids up to play sports since it is unaffordable. But yeah, let's blame those illegals.

US has declined into a cyberpunk dystopian hellscape because of greed, pure and simple.

+1 Private equity has also been buying up vet practices driving the costs up as much as 50%. Dogs and other animals can bring so much joy to ours lives but it is getting to the point people can't afford to own and properly take care of their dogs due to rising costs.

Vet costs are out of control. I’d be surprised if it were just 50%, actually. It feels like costs have tripled in the last decade.

Yes, private equity sucks. Parasitic ghouls.

Yeah, vet costs are through the roof. I was quoted $4-5000 for a procedure for my cat from a big glossy new PE practice that my regular vet can perform for $700. I’m praying they don’t get bought out.

Our family no longer skis, now that private equity firms are taking over resorts and making the sport unaffordable. In 1990, a lift ticket at Vail cost $38. Now at some of the locations it’s over $300. Even where we live, a day on the slopes including rentals would set us back about $600.

Private equity is invading every space. They’re buying up gyms and dental offices and grocery stores and nursing homes, looting them, taking the profits, and shifting the risks and the costs to consumers. It’s predatory capitalism on steroids.

I think this is because at $38 a ticket, the lifts were overrun by people. Traveling is much more common and nearly a necessity for some people, so they increase the price hoping fewer people will show.

Please. Blame it on popularity when the revenue from jacking up lift ticket prices doesn't even pay ski patrol a living wage. Literally the people that prevent law suits and deaths.

And the sad thing is, we're probably losing a great number of Olympic athletes because kids can't get on the slopes.


How Vail Destroyed Skiing

How Corporate Consolidation is Killing Ski Towns

I love to ski but the world will continue to spin without skiing.

It's an example genius.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In America, you can't even have a kid these days and get bent over the barrel when they want to play a sport because private equity keeps getting more and more involved and is buying up fields, courts, arenas and leagues. Fees constantly go up, because this wouldn't be America unless you couldn't privatize and profit as much as you can off youth sports and activities as a PE firm. Parents who can barely afford to keep things together vecause wages never rise now have to stop signing their kids up to play sports since it is unaffordable. But yeah, let's blame those illegals.

US has declined into a cyberpunk dystopian hellscape because of greed, pure and simple.

+1 Private equity has also been buying up vet practices driving the costs up as much as 50%. Dogs and other animals can bring so much joy to ours lives but it is getting to the point people can't afford to own and properly take care of their dogs due to rising costs.

Vet costs are out of control. I’d be surprised if it were just 50%, actually. It feels like costs have tripled in the last decade.

Yes, private equity sucks. Parasitic ghouls.

Yeah, vet costs are through the roof. I was quoted $4-5000 for a procedure for my cat from a big glossy new PE practice that my regular vet can perform for $700. I’m praying they don’t get bought out.

Our family no longer skis, now that private equity firms are taking over resorts and making the sport unaffordable. In 1990, a lift ticket at Vail cost $38. Now at some of the locations it’s over $300. Even where we live, a day on the slopes including rentals would set us back about $600.

Private equity is invading every space. They’re buying up gyms and dental offices and grocery stores and nursing homes, looting them, taking the profits, and shifting the risks and the costs to consumers. It’s predatory capitalism on steroids.

I think this is because at $38 a ticket, the lifts were overrun by people. Traveling is much more common and nearly a necessity for some people, so they increase the price hoping fewer people will show.

Please. Blame it on popularity when the revenue from jacking up lift ticket prices doesn't even pay ski patrol a living wage. Literally the people that prevent law suits and deaths.

And the sad thing is, we're probably losing a great number of Olympic athletes because kids can't get on the slopes.


How Vail Destroyed Skiing

How Corporate Consolidation is Killing Ski Towns

I love to ski but the world will continue to spin without skiing.

It's an example genius.

We're losing important things like jobs and healthcare and billions and billions of dollars to corruption. No one wants to hear about skiing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the US is being stripped for parts, like we've been purchased by a private equity firm. Assume the us average citizens are going to be left with only the debt.

Yes, that is more or less how the Democrat platform works. It goes like this. They are opportunistic. They wait until something destabilizes the political system. The great recession and Covid come to mind. They then take on large donations and make big promises. Then they implement things for their donors but only make superficial or temporary changes that people want. Historically a good example is the Federal Minimum wage, it was probably a good deal for little while. Biden ran on I forgot what, but they spent four years trying to pass amnesty, then they fell on their swords because they didn't get enough votes instead of enacting anything we wanted, or they promised to their large donors. Biden spent more time and issued more executive orders on immigration than anything else. That was the big problem for the Democrats, Trump did well enough that they didn't get a return on their political investments, so no one wants to invest in the Democrats anymore, because they are too expensive. Kamala ran the most expensive campaign and failed; no one is going to fund that again. These people are capitalists, they expect returns, but there isn't anything there anymore.

This is laughable. How do you explain this?

The Trump Administration Is Quietly Gutting Minimum Wage Protections for Millions of Workers
"The administration has already cut minimum wage protections for hundreds of thousands of federal contract workers and halted plans to require companies to pay disabled workers at least $7.25 per hour; this Labor Day, it will advance plans to eliminate federal minimum wage protections for millions of child care and home care providers."
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-trump-administration-is-quietly-gutting-minimum-wage-protections-for-millions-of-workers/

On April 30, Senate Republicans refused to allow a debate on increasing the federal minimum wage by blocking consideration of the Minimum Wage Fairness Act (S. 2223) by a vote of 54-42 (60 votes were required). Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) was the only Republican to join Democrats and Independents in support of the procedural vote.
https://www.chn.org/articles/chn-minimum-wage-increase-stalls-senate/

Blue states have the highest minimum wages, with DC at the top (so it doesn't seem to be a failure for Dems to pass, when they're not blocked by GOP).
https://www.bluebookservices.com/minimum-wages-blue-and-red/

Also the funds raised for Kamala have no bearing on what actually transpired this election.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Imagine the possibilities if we cut Israel from our teet.

It's not just Israel. There is a global right wing authoritarian takeover happening. They all have their various scapegoats they are using to convince the ignorant masses to give them more power.

Use your brains. More hate is not and has never been a solution to anything. Immigrants are not your enemy. Muslims are not your enemy. Jews are not your enemy. Trans people are not your enemy. Our collective enemies are the ones trying to collect everything of value for themselves, leaving the rest of us to fight for scraps, while they knowingly destroy what remains of the planet.

You can decouple Jews from Israel. Jews are not our enemy. Netanyhu is.

Immigrants are not our enemy. However, adding massive quantities of immigrants who have no intention of assimilating into the greater culture, and who have little in common with each other, and who are taking up resources is just plain dumb. Half of them are on welfare, using up taxpayer money as if money grows on trees. In the meantime, taxpayers are all struggling to make ends meet. This is why the Democrats lost to Trump. Do better, Democrats. Get rid of your stupid Progressive agenda if you want to save this nation from further chaos.

MAGA wants to make serfs out of all of us, and you're whinging about the progressives who will actually install safety nets (that will cost less than war and corruption). New Deal, lady?

[Anonymous]

The commoditization of housing played a big role in the affordability crisis Americans are enduring.

The entire health care system needs an overhaul.

I don’t have the energy to lobby for more affordable health care for pets or ski lift tickets, but I love how dcum fixated on such things. Don’t ever change, dcum ;0)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As professional, upper middle class, South Asian Muslim expats turned citizens, I feel its easier to assimilate if you are coming with western style education and some money. However, most immigrants tend to assimilate in one to two generations. You can't expect struggling people to assimilate quickly into a new culture, language and system.

If you have to work in America, you will assimilate quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Biden administration and its open borders policy destroyed so much of this country.

LOL...sure

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree OP. It feels like everything is falling apart and there's very little we can do to fix it. It took everyone too long to realize what was happening. I'm struggling not to resent the older generations around me who let it get this bad. I'm grieving the children I will never have because I cannot afford it and because it feels morally wrong to bring a child into this just so I can experience motherhood.

I mean this kindly:
Get a grip. Read history. Look at all of the wars, famine, disease. There is nothing new under the sun. If you want to have a kid, have one. It is no worse now than 99% of human history. It is not objectively worse to have kids now than at any other time in history except maybe the 50s but would you really want to be a woman back in the 50s?

And also with the “I can’t afford kids”. Stop being brainwashed into thinking you have to have all of your financials figured out and perfect before you have a kid. Believe me, DCUM would have judged me quite harshly for having a kid when our HHI was 45k back in 2007, with no house, a crappy old car, and not being able to afford daycare. We did it anyway, and had two. Now they are in HS. I figured out my career once the kids were school aged. We were able to buy a house and sending DC1 to college next year. It hasn’t all been perfect - they didn’t do all the fancy activities, didn’t get the fancy Disney vacations or lots of expensive toys, but I would absolutely do it again, even if it meant using welfare and food stamps and living in a tiny apartment. There is really nothing else that gives life purpose as much as having kids.

I'm probably older than you, PP, and I agree with the first PP. Daycare and college costs have exploded, and wages have not kept up with those costs.

I have one DC about to graduate undergad and one about to go to college.

We have made six figures for a while, but we lived way below our means. And it was still expensive to send the kids to daycare and save for college. We don't drive expensive cars; we don't own name brand anything. My only expensive jewelry is my engagement ring, and a not that expensive necklace/earring set DH has bought me throughout our 20 years of marriage.

I don't blame women now a days for not wanting kids one bit.

It sounds like you have the same tunnel vision then, unable to see different possibilities and ways of doing things. Neither daycare nor college are/were the norm for 99% of human existence. But few people are willing to think outside of the box or go against the grain, which is also how we got here in the first place.

I stand by my point that if you want to be a parent, stop making excuses and don’t worry about doing it the “proper” way with a SFH, daycare, college, and expensive “family” car. Don’t let other people tell you what’s important. It sucks that there isn’t really a road map for this, but it’s doable.

Eh, yes and no. As a mom to two kids who lived much of my younger years in a sh*t 90 year old fixer upper with roaches and mice (thanks hoarding neighbor!), with a one percent down payment, in a crime ridden neighborhood where I learned to tell the difference between gunshots and fireworks....

This really ignores the issue of SUBSTANTIAL.wage suppression, explosion of housing costs making living on a single income plus a kid very difficult even in a one bedroom. Oh and at least I did have a college education that afforded me the ability to pull myself to a much higher income! In today's housing market, couldn't have done it again.

All of you are missing the point. Unless you are a 1 percenter, life is tough. Always has been. The challenges we face in 2026 are tough, but they are not uniquely awful. Most of humanity throughout history has been poor, has had to make difficult choices, has not had everything ideal. All of you seem to be under this spell where you think that there was this time in recent history where everything was great, and now it’s 100 percent horrible and will never be good again.

It may be that I think the way I do is because for me personally, even with the current events, things are still a thousand times better than when I was growing up, at least materially speaking. I went from a childhood of relative poverty to an adulthood where I worked upwards and have a great standard of living now. I can understand how downwardly mobile people might see the current situation as the worst, but they are objectively wrong.

Life is tough, but it is tougher when a corrupt government is willfully making it tougher and less safe.

Yup welcome to 2026.