Why not housing? Capital has commodified all sorts of other things where we thought it didn't belong: news, health care, education. What could go wrong? Sigh!
Even in Gaza a population where everyone is homeless, they are provided decent tents. In America the cops raid and knock down tent cities
As regards Housing, there is a company or two that prints houses, and they can print tiny houses, the problem is provision of plumbing, electricity and waste disposal, as well as security
You have google. I'm not his agent. 50 years ago I represented a township where " prefab" builders hired Amish wotkers. Houses were sold nationally, went up in a couple of days.
Elon Musk lives in a prefabricated, foldable, 375-square-foot home from Boxabl, called the Casita, which is located in Starbase, Texas. While not designed by Musk, he purchased a unit from the company, which specializes in advanced prefab homes according to Boxabl. The Casita is designed to be energy-efficient and can be assembled in under an hour.
I am familiar with boxable.com via medium.com. I'm a subscriber, lots of interesting stuff.
There is another housing source. ConEx's, The shipping containers that lie acquiring rust all over the planet. There are some problems with them though
However as housing for the homeless, there is a huge problem, waste disposal, especially human waste, and safety. Water can be had from a central pump. Kind of like when I was a child. Go out the back, hang a bucket and pump the handle., and my grandparents didn't have electricity, kerosene lamps.
There are some policies that could help reduce the demand side of the housing market:
Ban foreign ownership of single-family dwellings. This contributes nothing to the American economy and only puts up housing prices.
Tax land speculation, especially house flipping. This also puts up housing prices without adding any benefit. It is purely extractive.
Prohibit corporate, or any form of business ownership, of single-family dwellings. Ownership should be restricted to individuals and no individual can own more than three of such properties.
Local Governments used to stipulate that homeowners be residential. Then these laws were over ridden by State laws. Like gun control..! Business lobbies for real estate investment portfolios... swayed State lawmakers. Airbnb has lobbies that target State lawmakers to pass laws to over ride Local rules. Rules that limit Airbnb quotas or number of nights per booking or impose fees or seeming them illegal. Business lobbies change our laws for us... often in the dark of night.
Off topic, but timely. Of the three sites bombed, the Iranians consider Isfahan the heart of Iran, with Tehran the head, Qom the soul. Qom is the holiest site in Shia Iran, it is also a leading center for Shia religious scholarship, attracting millions of pilgrims annually. It is where the mullahs are made. If it was attacked it really would be war.
Of that this bombing is bound to prove disadvantaged and disruptive to Putin. Iran produces drones and missiles for Putin, and my guess is that the reason that Putin Assets like Bannon, Carlson, Flynn, Gabbard were against bombing Iran is because it would result in the disruption of war supplies to Putin.
Now Iran has to divert it's resources and energy to cleaning up and rebuilding, shifting them away from missile and drone production.
It was Israel and the U.S. that voted against the UN resolution that condemned Putin for invading Ukraine.
The United Nations resolution that condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which the US and Israel voted against, was Resolution ES-11/7, "Advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine". This resolution, proposed by Ukraine and co-sponsored by several European countries, called for Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine and reaffirmed Ukraine's sovereignty. The US and Israel were among 18 countries that voted against it, while 93 voted in favor and 65 abstained, according to the United Nations
We know that Trum;p is led by the nose, and that he is chosen to surround himself with traitors, but what was Bibi thinking?
It seems that Bibi has more influence over Trump than Vlad, and that should disrupt somewhat Vlad's logistical support.
On May 20th, the European Union made a big move — it blacklisted 342 Russian oil tankers in one day. That’s more than twice the number from before. These tankers aren’t just ships. They’re a major part of how Russia sells oil and earns money for its war in Ukraine.
This is the EU’s strongest sanctions move since the war started. Along with the tankers, they also hit Surgutneftegaz — one of Russia’s biggest oil companies — and many vessels in what’s called Russia’s “shadow fleet.”
Because that’s how Russia has been sneaking oil around the world. These ships don’t follow the rules. They turn off tracking devices, hide who owns them, and switch flags often. At ports, they mix Russian oil with other oil so no one knows where it came from. It’s all to get around the EU’s price cap.
This trick has helped Russia keep selling oil and funding the war. But now, the EU is making a smart move — if a port or a buyer uses these tankers, they might get sanctioned too. Most countries can’t take that risk. Even oil sold to India could be blocked this way.
The truth is, they knew about these tankers for years. They just didn’t act. Western countries were scared of disrupting the global oil supply. Russia exports around 10 million barrels a day — cutting that off suddenly could cause big problems. So instead of stopping it completely, they tried to reduce Russia’s profits slowly. The EU’s price cap helped — Russian oil income dropped by over 13% compared to last year, and more than 20% compared to 2022. Altogether, Russia has lost about $38 billion from sanctions. But Europe was playing it safe. And Putin took advantage of that.
This time, they’re not just going after the ships. They’re going after the companies and the money behind them. Surgutneftegaz is now under sanctions because it sends a lot of money to Russia’s government.
Europe is starting to hit both the oil and the people who profit from it. This didn’t come out of nowhere — the shift started last year when the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office. He pushed to go after the shadow fleet and helped convince the U.S. to join in. In January, the U.S. blacklisted 183 tankers. That was the first big step.
Did Trump’s Actions Change Anything?
Yes — and not in a good way for Ukraine. Last week, Trump told Ukraine to start peace talks “immediately.” Ukraine agreed and sent a team. Russia showed up, demanded total surrender, and walked away. Then Trump praised Putin and removed himself from the peace process. Europe saw this and stopped waiting. The very next day, they hit Russia with the biggest oil sanctions yet. Trump’s move was a wake-up call — and Europe didn’t hesitate. For once, they acted quickly.
Countries Are Now Sending More Weapons Too:
Yes, and that’s a big change. Italy, which usually stays quiet, is sending 400 armored vehicles to Ukraine and sharing access to one of its military satellites. There’s even talk about giving Ukraine a powerful air defense system. Australia is sending 49 Abrams tanks. This isn’t just small support anymore — these are serious weapons. Europe and its allies are starting to back Ukraine in a real way.
If Trump blocks future U.S. military aid, Europe can still buy American weapons and send them to Ukraine. And it’s unlikely U.S. arms companies like Raytheon or Lockheed Martin will stay quiet if their biggest buyers are being shut out. Even if Trump tries to block deals, money talks. Europe could step up and keep the flow of weapons going. And when it comes to sharing intelligence, Trump’s isolation stance makes it harder for him to interfere. It could actually give Europe more freedom.
One word: Starlink. Ukraine depends on it for battlefield communications. But it’s controlled by private companies, and we’ve seen signs that pro-Russia groups could try to interfere if Ukraine starts winning again. That’s a risk Europe hasn’t fixed yet. Until they find a better solution, it remains a weak spot.
Russia’s oil business is finally feeling the heat. The tankers are being blocked. The money pipeline is under attack. Weapons are moving faster. Even Italy is stepping up. Just a week ago, things looked slow and uncertain. Now, momentum is on Ukraine’s side. Europe doesn’t need to wait for the U.S. anymore. They just need to stay strong. If they do, this won’t be another win for Putin. It could be the start of his downfall.
Good ol’ capitalism! It doesn’t discriminate when there’s a buck to be made. In producing housing that inflates 6%, then 10%, and upwards, eventually no one but 10% of the population can afford it, but who cares! Just lower wages, and keep raising the price and make more money!
Here’s another money making scheme:
We are the largest armaments manufacturer in the world, and insist we SAVE lives by protecting people!
Manufacturers have four choices:
Sell armaments to our citizens in order for them to protect themselves by killing our citizens and destroying property.
Sell armaments to other countries and or terrorists in order for them to protect themselves by killing people and destroying property.
Start wars with other countries and sell our armaments for us to use to protect ourselves by killing people and destroying property.
Or, do all four!
All roads lead to our armament
manufacturers making a fortune while people suffer and die on both sides. Yet, one thing’s a constant, our billionaires clean up after the fact (paid for by taxpayers), buy up cheap property, and at the same time, insist that we are merely protecting ourselves and the world from aggression and war.
Here in Baghdad By the Sea, whereas our real estate market used to be driven by foreign buyers, now virtually none due to Trump policies. Although the marklet has shrunk, prices have not.
Spot on. I'm part of your choir. In Agrarian Justice, Thomas Paine laid out a pretty good framework for this problem in 1784, or around. This was after his stint in a French prison and almost facing the guillotine.
Captain, my Captain you are right. Affordable Housing is hard to find. The rich can come in and buy homes and make the rent so outrageous that nobody can afford them in the first place. What? Everything, seems to work for people who already have the money to screw over others who really just need a break, and a place to live. It’s unfortunate that it works this way only not fortunate for people who really need affordable housing. Thank you Captain, my Captain only nothing works for the have nots.
One of the functions that most Americans would like to see is that something DOES work for the have nots; especially in the wake of the increasing cataclysmic climate event that have been occurring, large companies are swooping in to buy (multiple) properties on the cheap because their previous owners can no longer afford them.
Yes, houses cost more today. However, Thom's numbers appear to be inaccurate. According to Google, the median US income in 1950 was $3K and the median house cost was about $7.4K - a ratio of about 2.5:1 In contrast to 2025, - the median income today is $80K and the median cost of a house is $418K - a ratio of 5.2:1 a bit more than double 1950 cost of home ownership.
HOWEVER, in 1950, the median house square footage was 983 sqft. OR $7.40/SQFT The median square footage of a house today is 2,200 sqft OR $190/SQFT. Adjusting for dollar inflation and median house sizes, things have not changed quite so badly as Thom's numbers suggest.
Why not housing? Capital has commodified all sorts of other things where we thought it didn't belong: news, health care, education. What could go wrong? Sigh!
Even in Gaza a population where everyone is homeless, they are provided decent tents. In America the cops raid and knock down tent cities
As regards Housing, there is a company or two that prints houses, and they can print tiny houses, the problem is provision of plumbing, electricity and waste disposal, as well as security
Musk has all that covered. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zSyVnWMWQs
Watched the video Daniel. Another one of Elon's scams. Never heard of it, what units have been built, where are they? Pictures please.
The printed tiny house are printed using concrete
https://www.amazon.com/30ft-House-Bathroom-Container-Foldable/dp/B0D8BSW56C/ref=asc_df_B0D8BSW56C?mcid=df135e5388e635c7b880c9e6ce9a58e5&hvocijid=6664621572458617942-B0D8BSW56C-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6664621572458617942&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011916&hvtargid=pla-2281435177418&th=1
You have google. I'm not his agent. 50 years ago I represented a township where " prefab" builders hired Amish wotkers. Houses were sold nationally, went up in a couple of days.
Elon Musk lives in a prefabricated, foldable, 375-square-foot home from Boxabl, called the Casita, which is located in Starbase, Texas. While not designed by Musk, he purchased a unit from the company, which specializes in advanced prefab homes according to Boxabl. The Casita is designed to be energy-efficient and can be assembled in under an hour.
https://www.boxabl.com/
I am familiar with boxable.com via medium.com. I'm a subscriber, lots of interesting stuff.
There is another housing source. ConEx's, The shipping containers that lie acquiring rust all over the planet. There are some problems with them though
https://www.buildwithrise.com/stories/container-homes-are-exactly-what-they-sound-like-homes, but with money they can be overcome.
However as housing for the homeless, there is a huge problem, waste disposal, especially human waste, and safety. Water can be had from a central pump. Kind of like when I was a child. Go out the back, hang a bucket and pump the handle., and my grandparents didn't have electricity, kerosene lamps.
When I was in Vietnam, we burned it -- converts to fuel. WETSU - we eat this shit up.
I represented townships that resisted -- but there's a lot of newer technology that is like alchemy...potable water from shit.
There are some policies that could help reduce the demand side of the housing market:
Ban foreign ownership of single-family dwellings. This contributes nothing to the American economy and only puts up housing prices.
Tax land speculation, especially house flipping. This also puts up housing prices without adding any benefit. It is purely extractive.
Prohibit corporate, or any form of business ownership, of single-family dwellings. Ownership should be restricted to individuals and no individual can own more than three of such properties.
Local Governments used to stipulate that homeowners be residential. Then these laws were over ridden by State laws. Like gun control..! Business lobbies for real estate investment portfolios... swayed State lawmakers. Airbnb has lobbies that target State lawmakers to pass laws to over ride Local rules. Rules that limit Airbnb quotas or number of nights per booking or impose fees or seeming them illegal. Business lobbies change our laws for us... often in the dark of night.
Off topic, but timely. Of the three sites bombed, the Iranians consider Isfahan the heart of Iran, with Tehran the head, Qom the soul. Qom is the holiest site in Shia Iran, it is also a leading center for Shia religious scholarship, attracting millions of pilgrims annually. It is where the mullahs are made. If it was attacked it really would be war.
Of that this bombing is bound to prove disadvantaged and disruptive to Putin. Iran produces drones and missiles for Putin, and my guess is that the reason that Putin Assets like Bannon, Carlson, Flynn, Gabbard were against bombing Iran is because it would result in the disruption of war supplies to Putin.
Now Iran has to divert it's resources and energy to cleaning up and rebuilding, shifting them away from missile and drone production.
It was Israel and the U.S. that voted against the UN resolution that condemned Putin for invading Ukraine.
The United Nations resolution that condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which the US and Israel voted against, was Resolution ES-11/7, "Advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine". This resolution, proposed by Ukraine and co-sponsored by several European countries, called for Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine and reaffirmed Ukraine's sovereignty. The US and Israel were among 18 countries that voted against it, while 93 voted in favor and 65 abstained, according to the United Nations
We know that Trum;p is led by the nose, and that he is chosen to surround himself with traitors, but what was Bibi thinking?
It seems that Bibi has more influence over Trump than Vlad, and that should disrupt somewhat Vlad's logistical support.
According to Tousi, the Iranian parliment just ordered the military to close the Hormuz straights...thus oil prices will spike. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjJec0wv1EUomjrBNt1xCTA
Putin craves high oil prices above else. The entire GDP of Russia is based on oil.
Meanwhile, Trump, the consumate material man, may have a big payday when the markets open tomorrow.
There is an article on medium (paywall) https://medium.com/the-strategic-lens/what-happens-when-you-blacklist-342-russian-tankers-in-one-day-74af7aacf6e4
On May 20th, the European Union made a big move — it blacklisted 342 Russian oil tankers in one day. That’s more than twice the number from before. These tankers aren’t just ships. They’re a major part of how Russia sells oil and earns money for its war in Ukraine.
This is the EU’s strongest sanctions move since the war started. Along with the tankers, they also hit Surgutneftegaz — one of Russia’s biggest oil companies — and many vessels in what’s called Russia’s “shadow fleet.”
Because that’s how Russia has been sneaking oil around the world. These ships don’t follow the rules. They turn off tracking devices, hide who owns them, and switch flags often. At ports, they mix Russian oil with other oil so no one knows where it came from. It’s all to get around the EU’s price cap.
This trick has helped Russia keep selling oil and funding the war. But now, the EU is making a smart move — if a port or a buyer uses these tankers, they might get sanctioned too. Most countries can’t take that risk. Even oil sold to India could be blocked this way.
The truth is, they knew about these tankers for years. They just didn’t act. Western countries were scared of disrupting the global oil supply. Russia exports around 10 million barrels a day — cutting that off suddenly could cause big problems. So instead of stopping it completely, they tried to reduce Russia’s profits slowly. The EU’s price cap helped — Russian oil income dropped by over 13% compared to last year, and more than 20% compared to 2022. Altogether, Russia has lost about $38 billion from sanctions. But Europe was playing it safe. And Putin took advantage of that.
This time, they’re not just going after the ships. They’re going after the companies and the money behind them. Surgutneftegaz is now under sanctions because it sends a lot of money to Russia’s government.
Europe is starting to hit both the oil and the people who profit from it. This didn’t come out of nowhere — the shift started last year when the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office. He pushed to go after the shadow fleet and helped convince the U.S. to join in. In January, the U.S. blacklisted 183 tankers. That was the first big step.
Did Trump’s Actions Change Anything?
Yes — and not in a good way for Ukraine. Last week, Trump told Ukraine to start peace talks “immediately.” Ukraine agreed and sent a team. Russia showed up, demanded total surrender, and walked away. Then Trump praised Putin and removed himself from the peace process. Europe saw this and stopped waiting. The very next day, they hit Russia with the biggest oil sanctions yet. Trump’s move was a wake-up call — and Europe didn’t hesitate. For once, they acted quickly.
Countries Are Now Sending More Weapons Too:
Yes, and that’s a big change. Italy, which usually stays quiet, is sending 400 armored vehicles to Ukraine and sharing access to one of its military satellites. There’s even talk about giving Ukraine a powerful air defense system. Australia is sending 49 Abrams tanks. This isn’t just small support anymore — these are serious weapons. Europe and its allies are starting to back Ukraine in a real way.
If Trump blocks future U.S. military aid, Europe can still buy American weapons and send them to Ukraine. And it’s unlikely U.S. arms companies like Raytheon or Lockheed Martin will stay quiet if their biggest buyers are being shut out. Even if Trump tries to block deals, money talks. Europe could step up and keep the flow of weapons going. And when it comes to sharing intelligence, Trump’s isolation stance makes it harder for him to interfere. It could actually give Europe more freedom.
One word: Starlink. Ukraine depends on it for battlefield communications. But it’s controlled by private companies, and we’ve seen signs that pro-Russia groups could try to interfere if Ukraine starts winning again. That’s a risk Europe hasn’t fixed yet. Until they find a better solution, it remains a weak spot.
Russia’s oil business is finally feeling the heat. The tankers are being blocked. The money pipeline is under attack. Weapons are moving faster. Even Italy is stepping up. Just a week ago, things looked slow and uncertain. Now, momentum is on Ukraine’s side. Europe doesn’t need to wait for the U.S. anymore. They just need to stay strong. If they do, this won’t be another win for Putin. It could be the start of his downfall.
Good ol’ capitalism! It doesn’t discriminate when there’s a buck to be made. In producing housing that inflates 6%, then 10%, and upwards, eventually no one but 10% of the population can afford it, but who cares! Just lower wages, and keep raising the price and make more money!
Here’s another money making scheme:
We are the largest armaments manufacturer in the world, and insist we SAVE lives by protecting people!
Manufacturers have four choices:
Sell armaments to our citizens in order for them to protect themselves by killing our citizens and destroying property.
Sell armaments to other countries and or terrorists in order for them to protect themselves by killing people and destroying property.
Start wars with other countries and sell our armaments for us to use to protect ourselves by killing people and destroying property.
Or, do all four!
All roads lead to our armament
manufacturers making a fortune while people suffer and die on both sides. Yet, one thing’s a constant, our billionaires clean up after the fact (paid for by taxpayers), buy up cheap property, and at the same time, insist that we are merely protecting ourselves and the world from aggression and war.
Always a win / win with capitalism!
Here in Baghdad By the Sea, whereas our real estate market used to be driven by foreign buyers, now virtually none due to Trump policies. Although the marklet has shrunk, prices have not.
Location, location. For the same price of a property in say, NY or LA or SF, you can buy 10-15 equivalent properties in my 'ol home town. https://www.zillow.com/lawrence-county-pa/3_p/?utm_content=288743522|20832636722|dsa-112168818242|198292473820|&semQue=null&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=288743522&gbraid=0AAAAADhq15dm9_-2j4B20t5_RXbD28UEQ&gclid=Cj0KCQjw097CBhDIARIsAJ3-nxf-mM21Ru6ChFA1uxfxJ8x8helnF7t1hOivHv8gv87h-Lyv4bKVpU0aAsA4EALw_wcB
Spot on. I'm part of your choir. In Agrarian Justice, Thomas Paine laid out a pretty good framework for this problem in 1784, or around. This was after his stint in a French prison and almost facing the guillotine.
Captain, my Captain you are right. Affordable Housing is hard to find. The rich can come in and buy homes and make the rent so outrageous that nobody can afford them in the first place. What? Everything, seems to work for people who already have the money to screw over others who really just need a break, and a place to live. It’s unfortunate that it works this way only not fortunate for people who really need affordable housing. Thank you Captain, my Captain only nothing works for the have nots.
One of the functions that most Americans would like to see is that something DOES work for the have nots; especially in the wake of the increasing cataclysmic climate event that have been occurring, large companies are swooping in to buy (multiple) properties on the cheap because their previous owners can no longer afford them.
It is essential to address this issue .. governors in every state hold a key to fixing if they have the courage to do it ..
Yes, houses cost more today. However, Thom's numbers appear to be inaccurate. According to Google, the median US income in 1950 was $3K and the median house cost was about $7.4K - a ratio of about 2.5:1 In contrast to 2025, - the median income today is $80K and the median cost of a house is $418K - a ratio of 5.2:1 a bit more than double 1950 cost of home ownership.
HOWEVER, in 1950, the median house square footage was 983 sqft. OR $7.40/SQFT The median square footage of a house today is 2,200 sqft OR $190/SQFT. Adjusting for dollar inflation and median house sizes, things have not changed quite so badly as Thom's numbers suggest.
You are sooo smart.