Whats happening with the economy?

[BarredBuff]

I mean they say we are out of the recession and we are doing better then they talk about the dollars decline, the greek debt crisis, etc. What is REALLY happening?

 

[Beekissed]

Don't know but folks are still spending like drunken sailors in my neck of the woods....when that stops, I'll start looking around and noticing an economic decline.

 

[THEFAN]

It's like in the movie Independence Day. When everyone was on top of the building in L.A. and then the big laser fire ball cannon thingy blew everyone up. It's like that. Party right til the end.



But all seriousness Rome is buring and the majority in this country don't care or see it. If the 2012 election turns out like they want it to then we are done. Can only hope for a real anti establishment, Independent person to win and for people to boot the crooks out of office. If not were done. Checkmate. The globalists plans are set in stone. The people need to wake up and not like the OWS way. God save us and America! IMHO

 

[Wannabefree]

Chicken Little says the sky is falling. I think he may be right this time

 

[Leta]

The Economy: The Blondie and Dagwood Version (In Leta's Opinion, At Least):

1. Capitalism, the dominant economic system of planet Earth, is based on perpetual growth. It is a fact. I am not against capitalism; it has enabled human progress like no system before it, but it's clearly not a sustainable system. Perpetual economic growth is based on perpetual human population growth (more workers = more wealth created = more money in circulation = higher standard of living for everyone). The first world countries (i.e., capitalistic countries) have been at zero to negative population growth for a while now. The countries that still have population growth are not going to have it forever, or even very long- world population is going to start declining, big time, in about 50 years.

2. The theory of supply side economics spawned the neo-conservative movement. Neo-con foreign policy is a direct reflection of the idea that wars are fought over trade and/or resources. (And they are, but wars are also fought over other stuff, too.) The problem with these notions- supply side econ, trickle down theory, free trade, etc.- is that it has hurt local economies all.over.the.world. Think about NAFTA for a minute. The Americans who were put out of work by NAFTA weren't unemployed because the products they made were no longer needed- they were made in Mexico, where the workers were paid pennies on the dollar. Those south of the border factory jobs didn't lift the Mexican workers out of poverty, and NAFTA was never designed to do that. It allowed the corporate masters to become more profitable, rather than allowing the workers to become more prosperous. The net result wasn't cheaper cars (or clothes, or widgets, or whatever), it was more profitable cars. So instead of money being spent locally, it went into Bill Ford, Jr.'s trust, where it sat, and earned him more money, but didn't contribute to overall prosperity in any meaningful way.

3. Standard of living and credit. The average U.S. family now earns less, in real terms, than in the 1970s. The stagflation '70s! Hardly boom years. The reason that our standard living has continued to rise or at least stayed the same, is, in a nutshell, because we've been running it on credit. We as individuals and this country as a collective have been racking up credit card bills for 30 years. This is not sustainable. Sooner or later, that house of cards (tax cuts + same ol' or even increased spending; trickle down a.k.a. voodoo economics) is going to collapse. It is inevitable.

4. The end of manufacturing/resource depletion. When you turn raw materials- let's say trees- into finished goods- let's say furniture- you are literally creating wealth. We don't really do that in this country anymore. We treat ourselves like a colony: we take our wood, ship it to Asia, and ship furniture back home, because it's cheaper than paying Americans to do it. Other countries do this, too, and it is bonkers. It is one of the many ways that money ends up in multinational's hands, just chilling in a Cayman bank account somewhere rather than increasing overall prosperity.

5. Obsession with finance (moving money around to make a profit) rather than wealth creation (turning wood into furniture). All you really need to know about finance is this: it isn't real. It's paper. That's it.

6. Utter lack of political will. Both parties have blood all over their hands looking at this economic carnage. As do European and Asian leaders. George H.W. Bush, who I think is a decent and intelligent man, he is the one who dubbed trickle down economics "voodoo economics". And you know what GHWB's nickname was when he was in Congress? Rubbers. Rubbers Bush, because he was constantly agitating for more funding to be put toward family planning. He sold his soul to run with Reagan, and a voice of reason was silenced forever, in a way that we are still watching play out. It makes me terribly sad.

There is more, oh man, is there more, but these are the biggies. This is why this is such a complicated problem to solve- it's not any one thing, it's many things, all of which are coming to a head at more or less the same time. We haven't had this type of economy for very long, only since WWII, really, but it's like we've completely lost sight of what life was like 70 or 80 years ago, or for most of human history for that matter. We don't teach history in school anymore (I minored in history in college, entirely because of one singularly brilliant teacher, so I have a bias here, I admit) and I can't help but think that that's part of it.

Long story short: Capitalism and this standard of living is a tsunami, not a river. There will a break in the wave, and we are watching it happen.

 

[FarmerChick]

Barred you will hear so much on the internet, radio, tv news etc. One day a recession, the next day we never had a recession.
One day this happens, the next day it never happened

The world changes very fast every second. Right now we are spiraling out of control. Where is the bottom? Will there be a bottom?

Big changs will happen or be forced to happen concerning welfare, health care costs, global resources etc. Everyone knows this has to happen. These systems can take so much fraud, mismanagement etc and then they start to fall apart.

I truly think life and socieity will not change 'that much' for the good old USA, but we will feel troubles. We are in them right now. It will be more expensive to survive if you want resources and convenience. Job market will take a very long time to recover.

Economies are fragile. They can take alot of punches and then they do fall.


hang in there tho. there are great days, great life opportunities out there. It 'isn't over' by a long shot

 

[justusnak]

I have to agree with FC. I mean....every days its a new story on the news. " The economy is getting better.....no wait...its getting worse...ooops, my mistake, its better again. "
As long as we, as a collective group, can feed ourselves, and deal with the inconveniences of loss of modern day conveniences we will be OK. I listened to a guy the other day on the internet...jeesh, can't remember his name...but he was reputable...an economics type. He was saying" in 12 months the collapse of our financial institutions will be astronomic "
Well....I will just keep on, keeping on. Batten down the hatches as one would say...but just keep on with my every day life. Do I worry?? Sure! Not enough to make myself sick about it....Not for myself so much, but I worry about all of our brothers and sisters out there that are clueless...and how will they and their children survive and how will it effect me and mine?

 

[FarmerChick]

It is funny but us farmer types 'were' frowned upon. Like, hmm...get into the big city and get a real job ya know...HAHA

well now us farmer types will be the survivors with less extreme adaptions. Those city folks are in for a hell of a surprise maybe...

I was a city type long ago. Now I am a farmer type and truly I am glad I downgraded out of the conveniences/less to the dirt type living.

Now people want our organic/local produce. Our fresh cheeses...etc. There is a huge market for our services actually.

"Our type" will do OK. I truly believe that!! Cause we are the type that gets thru the crappola in life!!

 

[BarredBuff]

We are fine. I find myself closer to self sufficiency almost daily.......

 

[FarmerChick]

I think also Barred it is a 'true frame of mind'. Like I know I can live without alot of things. I can do it, now, don't get me wrong, I don't wanna lose certain things, but if I did I could get thru. Cause my 'mind' is more into the SS way of things. I would easily jump on board and say, WOW NOW I MUST use some of my old timey skills etc. Other folks not in our frame of mind will find it a 'wider and mucher' harder swing to change and adapt.

So that frame of mind is important and you being on step closer to being more SS you are way ahead of alot of others.
That is a good thing!!