Liberal Forum

I’m glad I broke out of the corporate cult mindset. I used to cheer for big business, thinking it showed the free market at work, until I asked who was really benefiting. 

Quick breakdown:
Only a handful of corporations own the buyer and seller market for farmers. Hardly any competition. In fact, some of these corporations merged, so they just compete with each other. The buyers low ball the farmers and the sellers increase their prices. The farmers are the middle guy getting molested on both ends. 

Analogy: Think of a town with only one employer and one landlord. The employer announces that wages will be decreasing and the landlord announces that rent will be increasing. However, because we live in the land of free market capitalism, the employer can just say "well, if you don't like it, then you have the freedom to find another employer." Actually, no they don't. Then the landlord says "well, if you don't like it, then you have the freedom to live somewhere else." Actually, no they don't. 

And before the MAGA crowd starts in with how Trump provided a 115 billion dollar aid package to the farmers, just know that the money only goes through the hands of the farmer. It doesn't stay with them. It goes to pay down their debt to the banks. 

Therefore, in short, The government once again bailed out the banks, supported the choking of competition, and bent over the little man without lube. Shocker. That never happens.
 

And JD Vance had a hand in Acre Trader , a software platform that sells US Farmland globally with "shares" like stocks..

It's very convenient he set them up for foreclosure with policy.

I guess if big corps do the farming, big corps own the land.
 
Yes , The Icon of the American Way is passing away.  We'll be bringing back immigrants to fill labor positions. Maybe even Somalis..
 

JohnnyYou » 29 Dec 2025, 3:43 pm » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2025, 3:43 pm

And JD Vance had a hand in Acre Trader , a software platform that sells US Farmland globally with "shares" like stocks..

It's very convenient he set them up for foreclosure with policy.

I guess if big corps do the farming, big corps own the land.
 
Yes , The Icon of the American Way is passing away.  We'll be bringing back immigrants to fill labor positions. Maybe even Somalis..

This all started in the Ovomit administration.

Vegas » 29 Dec 2025, 5:52 pm » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2025, 5:52 pm

This all started in the Ovomit administration.

Probably Reagan...

PIK was a thing under Reagan - likely long before Reagan. 
 

Vegas » 29 Dec 2025, 5:52 pm » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2025, 5:52 pm

This all started in the Ovomit administration.

Well at least it ain't all Joe's Fault

If we did a who's who in the Trump Admin

It will be different before we could figure out who won.

Is K$sh Poohtell being naughty or nice for the Nanu Nanu?
No exotic flights of fancy?

youtu.be/n3atTP6hqlg?si=HvZgUsucdRoih3Q7
 

Cannonpointer » 29 Dec 2025, 5:58 pm » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2025, 5:58 pm

Probably Reagan...

PIK was a thing under Reagan - likely long before Reagan.

Back in Reagan's day legal and illegal Mexican immigrants were a scant percentage of the skilled labor work force.
The USA was close to 90% White...[and that was before Hispanics became dishonestly lumped in with Caucasians in order to make Negro crime stats look less horrible].

*GHETTOBLASTER » 29 Dec 2025, 7:00 pm » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2025, 7:00 pm

Back in Reagan's day legal and illegal Mexican immigrants were a scant percentage of the skilled labor work force.
The USA was close to 90% White...[and that was before Hispanics became dishonestly lumped in with Caucasians in order to make Negro crime stats look less horrible].

Reagan gave illegal meskins their first mass amnesty...
 
Three million of em. 

Cannonpointer » 29 Dec 2025, 7:37 pm » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2025, 7:37 pm

Reagan gave illegal meskins their first mass amnesty...
 
Three million of em.

 Did 3 million Illegal Aliens enter the USA under Reagan...?

No, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, signed by Ronald Reagan, allowed nearly 3 million immigrants who were already in the U.S. illegally to apply for legal status, rather than permitting new illegal entries. This act aimed to provide a pathway to legalization for those who had been living in the country prior to January
 
It was a gradual build up that most people did not notice...mainly because they had not yet ventured out in mass into the skilled trades
 

*GHETTOBLASTER » 29 Dec 2025, 9:00 pm » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2025, 9:00 pm

 Did 3 million Illegal Aliens enter the USA under Reagan...?

No, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, signed by Ronald Reagan, allowed nearly 3 million immigrants who were already in the U.S. illegally to apply for legal status, rather than permitting new illegal entries. This act aimed to provide a pathway to legalization for those who had been living in the country prior to January
 
It was a gradual build up that most people did not notice...mainly because they had not yet ventured out in mass into the skilled trades

Does Bush get the same pass? How about Obama?

Is reagan the only president who gets to give 3 million illegal aliens amnesty and have excuses made for him?

That raised our population - well, our LEGAL population - by 1.25%.

Were all three million picking vegetables?
 

Cannonpointer » 29 Dec 2025, 9:10 pm » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2025, 9:10 pm

Does Bush get the same pass? How about Obama?

Is reagan the only president who gets to give 3 million illegal aliens amnesty and have excuses made for him?

That raised our population - well, our LEGAL population - by 1.25%.

Were all three million picking vegetables?

I didn't tell you one thing that was untrue.
They were doing landscaping, home maintenance by 1986
Back in the day were you hopping mad when they were given amnesty...?
 I was too busy trying to build my life to notice or to care.
 My Mom was a C span watcher and she used to issue stern warnings about this.....  
 
 

*GHETTOBLASTER » 29 Dec 2025, 9:16 pm » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2025, 9:16 pm

I didn't tell you one thing that was untrue.
They were doing landscaping, home maintenance by 1986
Back in the day were you hopping mad when they were given amnesty...?
 I was too busy trying to build my life to notice or to care.
 My Mom was a C span watcher and she used to issue stern warnings about this.....

I didn't give a **** at the time. I already had seen reagan ship raw timber to japan - sat right there at the dock watching my job and my friends' jobs loaded onto ships. Reagan allowed the jappos to take whole sections of virgin timber and hundred year second growth timber, logs ten or moire feet in diameter, and load em onto ships with only one side planed so they were "manufactured." The jappos just bought em to sink em for the future. And then reagan taught me a new phrase I has never heard before - from his mouth to my ear. That phrase was "service ecopnomy."

His administration saw the first bank bailout in 50 years. It saw America transition to a service economy. It saw a massive increase in the size of government - the suits, not the boots. The folks who attack Americans, not foreigners. It saw the end of five decades or growth for the middle class. I donot hold the man in high regard - though I do consider him to have had an excellent sense of humor and the most affable personality of any president in my lifetime. 

He was likeable. But his record sucks and his legend is a lie. 
 

Cannonpointer » 29 Dec 2025, 11:31 pm » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2025, 11:31 pm

I didn't give a **** at the time. I already had seen reagan ship raw timber to japan - sat right there at the dock watching my job and my friends' jobs loaded onto ships. Reagan allowed the jappos to take whole sections of virgin timber and hundred year second growth timber, logs ten or moire feet in diameter, and load em onto ships with only one side planed so they were "manufactured." The jappos just bought em to sink em for the future. And then reagan taught me a new phrase I has never heard before - from his mouth to my ear. That phrase was "service ecopnomy."

His administration saw the first bank bailout in 50 years. It saw America transition to a service economy. It saw a massive increase in the size of government - the suits, not the boots. The folks who attack Americans, not foreigners. It saw the end of five decades or growth for the middle class. I donot hold the man in high regard - though I do consider him to have had an excellent sense of humor and the most affable personality of any president in my lifetime. 

He was likeable. But his record sucks and his legend is a lie.

In case you're wondering why no politician is running on pushing for a Fed Chair that will raise interest rates and pop the asset bubble, they saw Carter do that with Volcker and Reagan getting all the credit for the "economic boom."

Nobody wants to be Carter and take the blame for something that isn't their fault.

Cannonpointer » 29 Dec 2025, 11:31 pm » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2025, 11:31 pm

I didn't give a **** at the time. I already had seen reagan ship raw timber to japan - sat right there at the dock watching my job and my friends' jobs loaded onto ships. Reagan allowed the jappos to take whole sections of virgin timber and hundred year second growth timber, logs ten or moire feet in diameter, and load em onto ships with only one side planed so they were "manufactured." The jappos just bought em to sink em for the future. And then reagan taught me a new phrase I has never heard before - from his mouth to my ear. That phrase was "service ecopnomy."

His administration saw the first bank bailout in 50 years. It saw America transition to a service economy. It saw a massive increase in the size of government - the suits, not the boots. The folks who attack Americans, not foreigners. It saw the end of five decades or growth for the middle class. I donot hold the man in high regard - though I do consider him to have had an excellent sense of humor and the most affable personality of any president in my lifetime. 

He was likeable. But his record sucks and his legend is a lie.

https://ideas.repec.org/h/spr/sprchp/97 ... 6-0_9.html

On October 15, 1982, President Reagan signed the Garn-St. Germain Act. It was a hallmark piece of Reagan’s agenda to deregulate the banking industry. With the stroke of his pen, Reagan officially removed the regulations governing the Savings and Loan Industry that had been in place since the 1930s. The end result could not have been entirely unexpected: massive failures in the Savings and Loan Industry allowing major banking powers to acquire their weaker counterparts for pennies on the dollar, much as they had during the Great Depression.

Cannonpointer » 29 Dec 2025, 11:31 pm » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2025, 11:31 pm

I didn't give a **** at the time. I already had seen reagan ship raw timber to japan - sat right there at the dock watching my job and my friends' jobs loaded onto ships. Reagan allowed the jappos to take whole sections of virgin timber and hundred year second growth timber, logs ten or moire feet in diameter, and load em onto ships with only one side planed so they were "manufactured." The jappos just bought em to sink em for the future. And then reagan taught me a new phrase I has never heard before - from his mouth to my ear. That phrase was "service ecopnomy."

His administration saw the first bank bailout in 50 years. It saw America transition to a service economy. It saw a massive increase in the size of government - the suits, not the boots. The folks who attack Americans, not foreigners. It saw the end of five decades or growth for the middle class. I donot hold the man in high regard - though I do consider him to have had an excellent sense of humor and the most affable personality of any president in my lifetime. 

He was likeable. But his record sucks and his legend is a lie.

This write up makes Reagan look fairly successful...https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/reaganomics.asp

BTW...the word I got from a local builder is the Japs  get choice lumber these days because they are willing to pay the price. 
I buy local, slow growth Douglas Fir that is about twice as heavy and strong than the flimsy junk you usually find at stores like Lowes.
When looking at the engineering tables for max allowable spans it's nice to know the wood you are using is up to standards/
I think a lot of Pro Builders prefer the lighter stuff for all of the wrong reasons.....  

 

Cannonpointer » 29 Dec 2025, 7:37 pm » wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2025, 7:37 pm

Reagan gave illegal meskins their first mass amnesty...
 
Three million of em.

Nebraska did not give a phook if they were legal or not for the last two decades.

The meat makers jacked themselves.

So many cows and no place to go because the immies split to evade the Homan/Miller Mass Deportation Express.

Thanks for pointing out the immigrant issue is bipartisan and decades old.  Joe may have been too liberal at the border, but the root cause of the issue is not solely on his admin and not solely democrats trying to make voters as MAGA claims.

How many of the Somalians are eligible to vote in Minnesota?  I just don't believe a ticket to ride in the USA is an automatic right to get in a booth and pull levers.

Well, I'll vet my own bias vvvvvvvvvv...Looks like I am wrong..  I don't know the timeline to citizenship or the process. But they can vote and it looks like most of them can.


As of 2025, approximately 95,000 to 102,000 Somali Americans in Minnesota are estimated to be U.S. citizens, which is the primary legal requirement for voting eligibility. 
While there is no single database that tracks "eligible voters" by specific ethnicity, the following breakdown from 2025 census data and community estimates provides a clear picture of the potential voting bloc:
Citizenship and Population Statistics

• Total Population: There are approximately 107,000 to 108,000 people of Somali descent living in Minnesota.
• Citizenship Rate: Community leaders and data analysis estimate that up to 95% of the Somali community in Minnesota holds U.S. citizenship.
• Birthplace Data: Roughly 58% of the state's Somali population were born in the U.S. (automatic citizens). Of those born outside the U.S., an overwhelming majority (87%) are naturalized citizens. 

Factors Affecting Eligibility

• Age: Minnesota's Somali population is generally younger than the state average. Eligibility requires being at least 18 years old on Election Day.
• Non-Citizens: Approximately 5% to 15% of the population may be ineligible due to non-citizen status, including green card holders (legal permanent residents) and those on Temporary Protected Status (TPS). 

Voting Power in Minnesota
The Somali community has become a potent voting bloc, particularly in the Twin Cities. 

• Concentration: Approximately 84,000 Somali Americans live in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, with nearly 50,000 residing in Hennepin County.
• Voter Turnout: While eligibility is high, actual turnout varies. In some key Somali-concentrated neighborhoods like Cedar-Riverside, turnout was reported at roughly 50% in the 2024 general election. 

You can check official voter registration totals (non-ethnicity specific) on the  no spam .

 

JohnnyYou » 30 Dec 2025, 4:54 am » wrote: ↑

30 Dec 2025, 4:54 am

How many of the Somalians are eligible to vote in Minnesota?

They count for EC and congressional apportionment......https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-re ... rtionment/


Giving Illegals the right to vote is something that you people are working on........https://pfluger.house.gov/news/document ... entID=2411
 

*GHETTOBLASTER » 30 Dec 2025, 7:20 am » wrote: ↑

30 Dec 2025, 7:20 am

They count for EC and congressional apportionment.
Giving Illegals the right to vote is something that you people are working on........ pfluger.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2411

And CP pointed out Reagan did the same for 3 Million illegals.

JohnnyYou » 30 Dec 2025, 7:21 am » wrote: ↑

30 Dec 2025, 7:21 am

And CP pointed out Reagan did the same for 3 Million illegals.

That was more than 1/2 a lifetime ago before tens of millions of Illegal Aliens started taking middle class skilled labor jobs away from US Citizens.

JohnnyYou » Today, 1:54 am » wrote: ↑
Today, 1:54 am
How many of the Somalians are eligible to vote in Minnesota?   

They count for EC and congressional apportionment......https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-re ... rtionment/

Giving Illegals the right to vote is something that you people are working on........https://pfluger.house.gov/news/document ... entID=2411