Poli-Sci: Enduring the Coming Progressive Apocalypse

[RJ]

The current and previous Administration both have their plans for making major change stymied at the first midterm election mark.

Thus assuming we do lose all three branches, we should waste no time going back on the offense and trying to retake part of Congress if not all of it. Due to the way the powers are balanced the Senate is the most important of the two.

Which brings up my main question though, if Trump does lose, then where does the Republican party go? Who becomes its standard-bearer?

Do we go back to more moderate Republicans? Are there some more conservative ones out there who aren't insane appearing and have the type of baggage the current leader does?

That's an interesting question.

From my perspective, Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, or Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas in the House, are the types of people I would like to see assume a greater role on the National Stage on the right, absent Trump. Actually, now I think about it, I would like that combination running for President in 2024.

[RJ]

@RJ

I'd stay the course assuming I had a financial plan in place that I was comfortable with in both fair weather and foul.

For us that means that we only take as much risk in the market, (equities), as I am comfortable with given our need and circumstances. The rest is safely ensconced in treasuries, CDs and other stable investments (despite the low interest rate environment).

However, we are in a fortunate position since my pension more than covers our spending needs, carry no debt, and are able to put off my wife's filing for social security benefits for several more years so that she will be entitled to a larger payout.

By having a relatively low exposure to the equity market, I don't have to obsess over what the market does over any short or relatively long term period.

Knowing your risk tolerance and your needs will go a long way to helping you settle the matter to your satisfaction.

Administrations come and go. The sky is still not falling. (Yet.)

Similar to Blues on the investment question. While we have enjoyed the ride up with Trump, now most of our retirement funds and much of our savings are in treasury bond funds and conservative investments that don't yield much but won't go away like the great recession where we saw a 50% drop in the value (it all eventually came back but we are too old to ride that roller coaster anymore) of our retirement savings. The portion still in equities is the "gambling money" at this point.

Mrs. Fatdog has her USAF retirement check and will reach her "full" SS benefit and start drawing that before the end of this year. While she could hold out 4-5 more years and draw more, we are going to take it and put it in the bank. I am holding off on mine until there is no longer a penalty for continuing to work, which happens in a few more years under the current plan.

On the real estate front I don't know. However I do remember this very serious proposal from the Dem's called "imputed income" that Clinton and that particular band of commies proposed. It was a piece of pure socialism that basically said if you own your own home, and you don't pay rent, well that is like practically an income stream and we are going to tax you more based on what it would cost to rent your home and add that to your income calculation.

No shit, they pushed that hard before he lost control of congress for the rest of his term in '94. I am sure the Dem/commies have not forgotten that plan.

Thanks, points to ponder. I'll have a good think about it, discuss it with my wife, then make a decision. (*)





*I'll tell ya what. When we got married, I put my foot down. "Dear," I said, "In our marriage, I'm going to be making the big decisions, and you of course, as the wife, are going to be making the little decisions."

But you know what?

In nigh on ten years of matrimony, there haven't been any big decisions.

[jh9]

Would you take out all, some, or none of your securities value at this time, in light of a possible collapse engendered by a Tax and Spend Democratic led establishment?

In an alternate timeline where Democrat presidents coincided with market downturns, maybe. However, in this timeline I wouldn't because that's not an accurate assessment of what's happened with the market over the past 40 years.



The 1988 S&L crisis, the post 9/11 slash dot-com bubble, the global financial crisis of 2008 were not Democrat led market downturns. The subsequent recoveries / market gains were mostly under HW Bush, Clinton and Obama.

I'd stay the course assuming I had a financial plan in place that I was comfortable with in both fair weather and foul.

For us that means that we only take as much risk in the market, (equities), as I am comfortable with given our need and circumstances. The rest is safely ensconced in treasuries, CDs and other stable investments (despite the low interest rate environment).

However, we are in a fortunate position since my pension more than covers our spending needs, carry no debt, and are able to put off my wife's filing for social security benefits for several more years so that she will be entitled to a larger payout.

By having a relatively low exposure to the equity market, I don't have to obsess over what the market does over any short or relatively long term period.

Knowing your risk tolerance and your needs will go a long way to helping you settle the matter to your satisfaction.

Administrations come and go. The sky is still not falling. (Yet.)

This is always perfect advice. Your exposure to risk should match your age / retirement goals, regardless of who's sitting in the White House.

The people that got hosed the worst in 2008 were Retirement Age People that shouldn't have been exposed as they were but wanted Them Gainz (tm). Bulls take the stairs. Bears take the window.

[blues]

The people that got hosed the worst in 2008 were Retirement Age People that shouldn't have been exposed as they were but wanted Them Gainz (tm). Bulls take the stairs. Bears take the window.

Hosed only if they pulled out of the market and didn't wait the short time it took to come roaring back. Timing the market is a fool's game...for most of us.

I actually took some capital losses in various funds during that period and then immediately took all of the proceeds and reinvested them with Vanguard which I had been wanting to do to consolidate our holdings. Didn't miss out on the bull that was just waiting in the wings.

We were at an all time high (portfolio-wise) as of close Friday. I am very thankful. But also cautious with our overall equity exposure.

[fixer]

So the premise of this thread is not to complain or whine about whether this might happen, the point is to assume it does.

What then?

What strategic decisions can you make now, ahead of the election, to put yourself in a better position?

What financial choices can you make ahead of time?

What should you do, or what should you not do, to be better prepared to live in the coming Progressive Utopia?

Your Thoughts? Or are we just all fucked if this happens?

Wife and I started this about a year ago when the MSM was practically fellating the DNC candidates...

It looked to me like a hardware ban wasn't just speculative.

Then after the pandemic and Floyd-19 riots and the concomitant social decay we are changing a number of things.

Strategic

Move to single stacks...1911s specifically.
Long guns are shotguns and lever actions.
Stock up on ammo, mags, holsters, spare parts.

We have triple-downed on our plans for homeschooling

I have stopped looking for and refused all offers of employment anywhere near a major metro area. I'm going to force myself to like my oilfield job. Besides the unrest in a large metro area, I'm not going to get into a situation where every thing I do is managed according to a Mao's little redbook of SJW bs.

Retirement plans are downgraded, yet moved up in time.

Cash savings are going up and the little debts we have are being paid off.

Next car is cash purchase.

Get into better shape.

Figure out the college landscape for my kid. Not to sound like a total luddite, but at the current pace of technology, my kid will need an engineering degree to work at burger king...as a programmer for 3d printed meat.

Important point---even if Trump wins and a Republican majority is maintained, its a speed bump on the Left's insurrection project.

Stretch goals

Learn and move to more off grid living.
Fix up two older cars

[Borderland]

Get ready to reload.

Is that build your own ammo or replace an empty magazine.

[deputyG23]

Two postscripts.

For one, see Avatar. I like the image of the Professional Cat, putting down the paper, and realizing, it's about personal performance. So, get to training, Rich, it's a better use of your time than posting random crap on the Internet.

Second, and I forgot to mention, but this has been on my mind. I am pondering getting back into Scouting, as an Adult Leader. I am trained through to Wood Badge, and have been on a National High Adventure trip (Philmont, 2010). Plus serving 8+ years at both the Cub Scout and Boy Scout committee roles. Plus teaching at my local University of Scouting. Bottom line is it is a program I know, and I feel brings benefit to our youth. Especially in these times, we need to focus on offering better ways for our children to make ethical decisions. I'm just worried that the horrible negative press regarding Scouting and child abuse is so pervasive in today's counter culture, I am hesitant to even get started becoming vetted / background checked by a local committee. Sad, that would be. I do plan to be on the lookout for other ways to give back, though, whether it be from Church or other youth groups. Or even teaching or volunteering as a Math or Physics tutor at the middle or high school level. I seriously doubt I would ever run for office, I'm much too much of an introvert to do that.

Scouting always needs good men and women to serve. I was a registered ASM from 2006-2012 and still help with the Troop shooting weekends twice a year. My son and I went with our Council to Philmont in 2011 and did trek #29. Would go again in a heartbeat...

[deputyG23]

Since both children are married and self-sufficient financially now, our expenses have decreased significantly over the past few years. Bride is disability retired from pharmacy practice and I have nearly forty years service in the Virginia Retirement System. One of my main concerns is future tax liability if the Progressive manifesto comes to full fruition. We have some money set aside in tax deferred vehicles and the plan is not to draw from them until RMDs become mandatory at age 72 or extraordinary expenses, such as nursing/convalescent care, rear their ugly head. A "wealth tax" as some Progressives have advocated for, scares me.
I am a little concerned about the long term funding of VRS and SS if a prolonged economic downturn, caused by Progressive policies, cuts significantly into our eventual monthly income.
The current state of politics in the Commonwealth scare me as a citizen and a LE officer. Our Progressive GA killed a raise for the sheriffs and deputies because many of them were publically critical of their gun control agenda. I am not aware of any of them condemning the violence Richmond has endured since May. I suspect they are complicit.
Firearms wise, I am selling off my older Glocks and have recently purchased my two alloted LE Gen 5 Glocks for the calendar year. I have sufficient manually operated firearms to last my probable lifetime and enough ammo/components to get me through for a few years if managed carefully.
Health for both of us, overall, has improved. We have lost ninety pounds between the two of us in recent years and have embarked on a modest exercise program. We have had our first vegetable garden in our married life this year and it has been mostly successful. Next year will be an emphasis on vegetables that can be preserved by canning.
Part of me wants to leave suburbia for a ranch house in the country with room for a decent garden and maybe raising a little poultry or livestock for food production. However, my wife is a stroke survivor with health concerns that make it important to stay close to above average or superior medical care, which the Richmond area has in abundance.

[Sig_Fiend]

Some random thoughts beyond what's already been stated:

• The leftist apocalypse will be live-streamed on social, guaranteed. Things can happen a lot faster these days than you might think. Never underestimate the competition.
• Post less and less (or not at all) about your preps on an open forum.
• Learn more about digital search tech and how to find things online. These are the same strategies that will be used against you...
• Learn to take advantage of better and more secure communication options (chat, email, etc.).
• Shrink the group of people you trust and speak with more openly.
• Learn to use more digital tech. Leftists practically own the means of communication at this point. DNS, domain registrars, domain hosting, social platforms, ISPs, email providers, CDNs, certain encrypted chat platforms, all major social platforms... They even create and run most of the underlying tech used to build these things. As far as I can tell, over here on our side (gun owners, generally non-leftists; leftists = Communists, Marxists, and other zealots, not classical Liberals), we're practically in the stone ages for the most part.

[blues]

Some random thoughts beyond what's already been stated:

• The leftist apocalypse will be live-streamed on social, guaranteed. Things can happen a lot faster these days than you might think. Never underestimate the competition.
• Post less and less (or not at all) about your preps on an open forum.
• Learn more about digital search tech and how to find things online. These are the same strategies that will be used against you...
• Learn to take advantage of better and more secure communication options (chat, email, etc.).
• Shrink the group of people you trust and speak with more openly.
• Learn to use more digital tech. Leftists practically own the means of communication at this point. DNS, domain registrars, domain hosting, social platforms, ISPs, email providers, CDNs, certain encrypted chat platforms, all major social platforms... They even create and run most of the underlying tech used to build these things. As far as I can tell, over here on our side (gun owners, generally non-leftists; leftists = Communists, Marxists, and other zealots, not classical Liberals), we're practically in the stone ages for the most part.