Jspelts

"Isms" tend to end badly for everyone. All of them.

We (the middle class) went from capturing 25% of GDP in the 60's and 70's to capturing 7% today. Wealth inequality is the highest it's been since 1929. The only metals getting purchased now are the ones going into datacenters, which will likely only get paid off by a further reduction of our GDP capture once these companies go belly-up.

I hear you on that one. Retirement savings? I don't really know what that is and in all honesty I think it's an urban legend...

What really gets me is the debt tranching. Same game as '08 just with datacenter loans instead of mortgages and much bigger numbers. These guys have over $662 billion in debt OFF BOOK, which is 113% of their on-balance-sheet debt. That's according to Moody's. But other numbers are even more disgusting, Meta's hidden debt is around $420 billion -- three times its transparent debt. Who's going to get stuck with all this debt once it pops? The same people who got stuck with the MBS bill. You and me.

Both parties make their money by serving their puppet masters who steal money from us. The middle class used to capture 25% of GDP back in the 70's. Now we're lucky to capture 7%. And we've had plenty of politicians from both sides that just made the problem worse. It's not Dem's vs. Rep's, it's the rich enslaving the poor. Always has been, always will be.

There's tons of value! Venture capitalists and tech firms sinking their last dimes into circular debt... The government changing finance rules so investment firms can sink your 401k retirement funds into unregulated private equity firms so they can sink YOUR last dime into AI... Investment banks tranching bad AI debt and reselling it just like they did back in '08 with mortgage-backed securities... There's tons of value. You just need an Enron mindset...

Right now I don't think either side is looking out for the average American citizen or the longevity of the country. My next vote is no confidence.

Yeah it can be tricky here in the States as well. Bank accounts are easy enough (any residential address will do), but for your driver's license or voting registration it gets more difficult -- you have to have "proof of residence". Which means you need to provide 2 documents. Lease agreement (in your name), utility bill (in your name), insurance bill (in your hame), mailed bank statement (unopened) less than 30 days old, etc. For a homeless person, that's impossible so losing an ID is a huge issue. Many states now will allow for a letter from a shelter and/or proof of homelessness as proof of residency, but that also brings up issues with insurance and benefits because 200 people will use that address for their ID's. So the insurance companies know it's a shelter (ergo higher rates) and many Federal benefits get denied because it sets off their fraud flags.

Yeah it's totally hosed. I had a friend (electrician) whose wife had MS. He had to turn down any amount of overtime even though they really needed it, because anything over his 40 hours would cancel her benefits and really put them in a bind. And that's without counting the monthly asset cap. I finally got all my documents in one spot (Google Drive) -- stenosis stuff, CES stuff, PTSD stuff... Makes it a lot easier. I submitted it all to SSA just to find out they have you sign a document giving them access to all of your doctors anyways. But at least it's all there for any other entities that might be able to help but need the records.

I'll ride out what's left on SSVF. I've been in touch with American Warrior Partnership, they said they might be able to help extend my stay since the SSI claim is pending. But as usual, "no promises" on that one. Hope for the best, plan for the worst!

Yup. You have to have less than 2k in assets to apply. Then the application process can draw out into years. My case literally sat on a desk for 9 months until I finally got an attorney. If you have to go the SSI route, make sure you have plenty of medical documentation and get a lawyer first.

Yeah I think my limit is $2k for all assets minus a vehicle. So I'll never be able to have more than $1,100 in savings because the monthly $924 deposit would put me over the limit and they'd kick me off. First, last and deposit to rent a place cost way more than they'll allow me to save.

Similar position here, I'm 52. My best case scenario is SSI, which only pays $900 per month plus back pay from November of 2025. If it goes through, great, I'll be getting a used vehicle and going campsite-to-campsite with it. If not, I'll hitchhike down to Houston and set up at my old camp and see how long it takes the police to sweep again. Those are my only two options, and one of them I have zero control over. The frustrating part is you spend a majority of your life paying into all these "safety nets" that seem to evaporate when you need them most. At this point, I'd rather Uncle Sam just refunded every dime I've paid in taxes and call it even. I'd likely be better off!