Two guys work on our condo deck, the one that's leaked off and on into the downstairs for 25 years now; they're putting the final coat of paint and sand down. The boss owns a Tesla, which starts him talking about how there won't be credits for electric vehicles any more. The other guy, a "local haole" (you understand this if you understand this), doesn't think that matters. He starts talking about the "Big Beautiful Bill." I come to the sliding door and note that the BBB will get rid of social safety nets and health care. "I got health care," says guy #2; "I'm not worried." "How about when you're old?" asks guy #1. "How about other people?" ask I. Guy #2 starts talking about how he's going to make a killing on crypto. I suggest that perhaps a country that can spend a billion dollars on a bombing run might be able to afford health care for its citizens.
"You didn't care for the bombing?" said #2, which made #1 chuckle at his polite language.
Deportations come up. Yeah, that guy had MS-13 on his knuckles, says #2. They're criminals. I tell him about the landscaper with three sons in the Marines who was beaten by ICE. Brow furrows; he hadn't heard about that.
Boss: "we don't talk religion or politics!"
Me: "I do."
As #2 leaves on a ladder, he thanks me for the carton of Stella Artois we gave him the other day. "Don't step on the deck until tomorrow," he adds.
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