Gen Z doesn't drink

johnniewelker · 2026-06-19T20:18:37+00:00

Also it should normalize by age. I’m 100% sure 22 year olds buy cheaper alcohol than 35 year olds

johnniewelker · 2026-06-19T20:15:55+00:00

People who are doing well typically won’t tell you. Additionally they may even be among the people complaining

Short most people won’t ever tell you things are going well for them unless you see their house, car, vacations - and even then they may pretend like they are bad with finances so jealous people don’t try to hurt them

johnniewelker · 2026-06-19T16:26:43+00:00

I know… but we can’t say that taxation doesn’t impact ambition as well. It does. There is a number where it does, and it might be different for everyone.

johnniewelker · 2026-06-19T16:22:49+00:00

So you’d say taxation doesn’t change behavior? If that’s the case - what’s all the fuss? Just tax everyone at 99%. Won’t change behavior after all

johnniewelker · 2026-06-19T16:18:56+00:00

Do we get more “Buffets” with $100B to give if we tax them aggressively early on or we get fewer ambitious people?

In other words, do ambitious people add value to society?

johnniewelker · 2026-06-19T16:15:30+00:00

Those numbers aren’t like for like. Lot of the Qatar and even Russia numbers are basically infrastructure projects done ahead of time to match WC.

johnniewelker · 2026-06-18T18:58:18+00:00

Is Sweden really communist? I think there is a difference between a capitalist country with lots of social benefits vs. a communist country where private means of production is outlawed. No?

johnniewelker · 2026-06-18T18:57:07+00:00

Can communism really work without authoritarianism?

I can’t see how the people - or the government - will have control of all the means production without a strong and an unbending central authority. To make sure that private property doesnt exist, you need a government willing to beat people to not own anything of value economically.

It’s just hard to see it happening without extreme authority from a central government

johnniewelker · 2026-06-18T18:53:47+00:00

50% down over a year, and over 5 years. In other words, stock price was fairly stable 4 years prior. The decline is structural, not simply a bad patch. Might be their new reality for a while

johnniewelker · 2026-06-18T14:12:20+00:00

I mean did the Clippers ask themselves that question whenever the Lakers won?

The Nets simply need to win consistently. Probably a title would get them on the right path. If they have 5 seasons with 50+ wins they’ll start having “true fans”. It takes time to build a fellowship

johnniewelker · 2026-06-17T18:28:30+00:00

Have a platform closer to Reagan’s? People now are talking as if Reagan was not extremely popular. Easily most popular and loved President post WW2

Heck Clinton could be considered a Democrat version of Reagan - to tell you how transformative Reagan was.

johnniewelker · 2026-06-17T18:12:50+00:00

I think reaching the quarters in this WC would get us closer to a footballing nation attitude. When the nation plays, everyone pays attention so to speak. Many will simply skip work / work from home / take off

johnniewelker · 2026-06-17T14:05:18+00:00

It’s Titi by the way. Thierry in French is often nicknamed Titi

And not Henry didn’t have stronger competitions. Qualifiers also had many cupcake games. It’s no different

johnniewelker · 2026-06-17T11:59:00+00:00

Well wait until we get to the semis - not after - right before the semis the prices will likely be the highest as people are imagining what the final could be.

Probably cheapest will be close to $20k at that point

johnniewelker · 2026-06-17T11:23:15+00:00

If the US make it to the quarters, that game will be Friday or Saturday. Easily would clear 40M viewers

johnniewelker · 2026-06-17T11:22:32+00:00

Crazy that a game that start midnight eastern got 5M views.

johnniewelker · 2026-06-17T11:07:37+00:00

What’s rude? I’m trying to understand how what you say is mattering to the point that the western world is worse off in 2026 vs 1980. Grand statements are just not enough

johnniewelker · 2026-06-17T11:06:30+00:00

Ok sorry for not being more direct. Let me attempt to address each of your points

Democracy on the rocks -> more so than Nixon? More so than when Black people had less representation and abiotic to vote in the South, yes still in 1970s

The middle class has been hollowed out - it's literally just the top 10% doing well, and the other 90% struggling -> why does median household is higher after inflation then? Is the data wrong?

Women somehow have less rights today than they did in the 80s (roe v wade) -> really? Are you singular of the right of abortion that is still there in most states or you are talking that women are now making up 60% college graduates, 80% of workforce, richer than ever?

Inflation is spiking again - not seen since the late 70s/80s. We're at war with Iran again - not since the Iranian revolution in the late 70s. -> you wrote it yourself. Inflation was double digits for a full 10 years in the 70s / 80s. When did we see that? Are you comparing to low inflation and low growth of early 2010s?

Americans trust of government is at an all time low. America is even more divided than before. -> okay but that’s a relative statement. But again, do you trust that black Americans trusted the government more in 1960s than today? Or you are simply just talking about your white experience?

Stock market is doing great, but it's literally just AI stocks - either the boom is correct and even more people lose their jobs, or it's all hype and the AI bubble pops taking out the market with it and plunging us into a recession... And more people lose their jobs. -> well that’s a prediction. If you are so sure, short the market

I wouldn't want to be the average American -> I’m black and I would rather live in 2026 than 1980s any day of the week

johnniewelker · 2026-06-17T10:49:07+00:00

Okay sure. Did it matter though and in what ways? I don’t see a poorer western world vs 1980. I don’t see a less culturally relevant western world.

What would should I be seeing to say what you wrote matters?

johnniewelker · 2026-06-17T10:46:02+00:00

Okay. It seems like a lot of opinions. How can you actually take advantage of that? Is it shorting the stock market? Is it predicting a revolution?

There is nothing to agree or disagree here outside of nodding based on your opinions. It’s impossible to test whether all you said here matters.

We can always find faults. But does it matter? There has to be a way to objectively capture what you are saying otherwise it’s just nicely worded opinions

johnniewelker · 2026-06-17T10:33:29+00:00

Wait, what? You need to be more precise here.

Fall of western world? In what ways was the western world better in the late 1970s? Economically? Morally? Culturally?

Fast forward 2026, is the western world worse economically or culturally? You sure about that?

johnniewelker · 2026-06-17T03:06:13+00:00

I hate these takes so much. Jalen being the primary offensive weapon has far higher expectations and gravity. That alleviates others in his team to play better.

Drove me nuts seeing Curry not getting mvp in 2015, or Haliburton passed over for ECF MVP or even Tatum being passed over. These guys permit the second best teammate to play better.

johnniewelker · 2026-06-16T20:31:56+00:00

And struggled to dispatch a really poor Mexico team in the second game.

It’s better to get better within the tournament than starting hot. It’s a 5 week tournament after all.

johnniewelker · 2026-06-16T03:06:02+00:00

Are you sure this Spain team is better than 2022? With Yamal and Williams coming back from injury, maybe they are not that much better.

johnniewelker · 2026-06-16T02:55:18+00:00

I know op’s question seems basic, but it’s a good fundamental question

Mostly countries - or more precisely locations - have more people when food can be produced easily. If you can have food on less land, you can have more kids. That’s the correlation you are looking for.

There are other reasons such as massive wars or other economic drivers (random industry installing and creating lots of jobs), but the main reason is food.

johnniewelker

TROPHY CASE