"I am one of those who do not believe that a national debt is a national blessing, but rather a curse to a republic; inasmuch as it is calculated to raise around the administration a moneyed aristocracy dangerous to the liberties of the country."-- President Andrew Jackson - (1824)
"Of all forms of tyranny the least attractive and the most vulgar is the tyranny of mere wealth, the tyranny of plutocracy."
~ Theodore Roosevelt
Self-pinging for later, when a Dem's in the White House and suddenly the selling out of the American worker becomes a problem again.
"more fresh college graduates filing bankruptcy than ever and increasing numbers of the middle class economically sinking."
Sigh... I think the fundamental underlying problem is more that people's mouths are getting bigger than their wallets. Consumer spending as been increasing, luxury brands have become mainstream while the prices havent, and Americans are falling more and more into credit card debt. Ever seen a poor black woman in sweatpants or that college girl on student loans carrying a $500 Louis Vuitton purse or wearing Chanel sunglasses? See those people next door to you in that large McMansion (that are being built in record numbers) with the nice new car and speedboat? He's up to his eyeballs in debt.
The national debt of course is a macroeconomic reflection of what people are doing in their own lives. We live in a very instant gratification materialistic celebrity driven culture so how of course thats going to lead to people buying more than saving. Americans have some of the worse savings rates in the world. It seems like all the indicators he gives for why the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poor can stem from this problem.
The American Dream is still alive. My parents and myself are proof that you can work hard, provide for all of your needs, and live a comfortable life if you make the correct decisions with your money (save, invest wisely, get an education, think towards the future). The inlaws on the other hand who make more money than my dad and have a nicer house with a pool and better dressed children are living paycheck to paycheck with no retirement money because they never saved or invested.
It's a commie plot. They're after our precious bodily fluids I tell ya.
In other news, I've just received via urgent email report that chemtrails have been spotted over Las Vegas:
This is no sh...
Fw: Chemtrails Are Over Las Vegas (part 2)
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 4:23 PM
Subject: Chemtrails Are Over Las Vegas (part 2)
Chemtrails Are Over Las Vegas (part 2)
http://www.airapparent.ca/library/full_text/chemtrails_lasvegas2.htm
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Checked by AVG Free Edition.
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Awk! What happened to part 1? They left me out again!
Sooner or later, this is how it wil be.
Exporting technology & jobs coulped with the mass importation of poverty will drive us all (except the very rich) into the ditch.
Hard to believe this is the policy of our businessmen and politicians.......
Ooops, sorry for slipping a bit, time for a Wall Street booster shot and then bow before the almighty WAL*MART idol.
The only reason we have economic problems is regulations. Deregulate and you'd have refineries popping up, oil drilled, new drug companies etc.
Liberals, by attacking the productivity and thus the wealthy, invariably want an untennable situation where there's more work to be done, less time to do it, less money to gain...and yet they still claim for more free money for the unproductive too.
How can you have free money at all if liberals attack productivity because they do not want a competitive US of A? It's impossible. This is why we have so much debt, by the way.
Debt is not bad, it's the kind of debt we have. When Joseph warned Pharoh to borrow grains before the 7 year famine, it were a wise thing to do, because then Pharoh repaid the debt in stored grain which had become much more valuable as a result of the severe drought.
Our debt, unfortunately, has a value dependent on future happenings. It could be very valuable in the future or very costly.
He discarded the propaganda but provided no facts of his own.
The good news here is that as soon as I see that Willie Green posted it, I know to stop reading and go on to something else of value.
Eamil message received from the author:
Responding to my posted article comments
Wow! I'm impressed that so much discussion was generated from my article "Outsourcing the American Dream for a nightmare."
Being a journalist, I have thick skin, so critiques don't bother me, but I would like to respond, but I don't want to become a member.
Again, I'm flattered to have even been influential enough to receive this level of response. Thanks!!
To:
in hoc signo vinces ("Houston, TX...a waiting quagmire for jihadis.")
And from the Sydney Herald no less...a great empirical resource on all economic happenings within the US.
It's the Sidney Herald - not Sydney. It really is a great empirical resource for the oil industry economics as we're producing upwards of 70,000 barrels of oil a day of the nation's sweetest crude. But I'm sure you are smart enough to know all that.
and To:
Good god what nonsense. Does the writer have any facts?
20 posted on 01/17/2006 8:39:20 AM PST by agere_contra
-Yes I have facts. This was an "opinion" piece.
Living in the most productive oil field currently in the U.S., interviewing international energy executives, climbing the oil rigs with special badges, having coffee with some of the largest high quality black angus beef producers in America, hanging out in my off-time with president of the American Beef council who just got back from a 3 week political summit in Japan; here in the bread and beer basket of the nation we do know a little bit about the current economic crisis.
As the nation's Sugar Beet capital, we've been hit hard by CAFTA and NAFTA as have other agriculture producers.
Wheat farmers were getting $9 a bushel in 1996 and in 2006 are lucky if they can scrap $3 a bushel. At that rate it costs more to produce wheat than the return. This is an example of the continuation of the forces that are pushing farmers and ranchers off the land.
No we don't know anything about outsourcing since my partner was a "miss-placed knowledge worker" after the IT bust in the Pacific Northwest. Watching the very real economic collapse and the massive layoffs of white collars in Los Angeles County in post 9/11, could possibly give some real life insight to a journalist and a Seattle native IT geek.
And yes, even journalists who write "opinion" pieces make mistakes such as "who is" instead of the correct "whose." But hey, I bet those who notice things like that are perfect in every way, never making syntax errors, or mistakes at work, even late on Fridays. I'm sure they are 100 % perfect in all that they do at their job all the time.
One last question; since I've never considered myself a "commie" - is it "commieish" to be against outsourcing?
Thanks again for even reading my article. I like what you guys have going here. Keep up the good discussions.
Thanks!
Ellen (;
Ellen Robinson
Journalist
ping
I have been trying to figure out a way to outsource our American railroads. I suppose that we could hire the Irish or Chinese to run them (considering that's who built them), but I can't figure out how to physically move the tracks and rolling stock offshore. Any ideas?