US / World Economy in Trouble

Discussion in 'Politics' started by Administrator, Feb 20, 2008.

  1. LionLoves420

    LionLoves420 Lazy Days In The Sun

    Amen. No Credit cards here to pay on, and somehow I am not in the gutter. They've made up all this hysteria surrounding this "crisis," but I hate to tell people, other than gas problems here in the south, not due to this at all, there is very little problems caused to people like me: almost-middle class/working class. The problems are going to befall on the people who caused all this bullshit: 1. The Companies, 2. The borrowers (wasn't us in my class, we can't afford shit), 3. The government (not in the same sense as the others, but more as, their asses are all out of there who helped this along). They can tell me the world is ending tomorrow, but I am pretty sure I am going to wake up in my same bed.


    Why the hysteria? Because they wanted this bill to pass, fast (They meaning the administration and other higher ups who have friends/stakes in these companies). People don't understand how the economy works, they see the stock market plunge and freak out. Fuck the stock market, my money aint there. Fuck the big insurance companies, I barely got insurance as it is. They wanted to make it seem like the "people on the streets," would all of a sudden, I think they predicted next Tuesday at 12:45 a.m., lose the clothes on their backs and the food in their fridge. Oh, it could happen, but....really?


    If all the big businesses failed, little businesses would come back into style. If the giant insurers fail, the little ones lower their prices to attract more customers so to increase capital and keep going. Mcdonalds can't get a loan, fuck them, Little-Jimmie's down the street don't need a loan to get his meat, or at least in the same way.


    But, the bill has fallen at this point, though to be picked up again tomorrow. If they actually get some wording in there, where it is a high interest LOAN to the companies, where we are PROMISED to get the money back, fine. If it's not, don't pass it.


    But if it is not passed? We might still be fucked....the feds have enough power to give some money away without congress.....nice system. :smoke2:
     
  2. LionLoves420

    LionLoves420 Lazy Days In The Sun

    One great thing about our system: He can pass all the bills he wants, we have an amendment dictating term limits. Good luck to Bush, or any other, that tries that shit.
     
  3. ClayStreet

    ClayStreet Gypsy

    anyone want to go back to the barter trade system before money when you used to do something for someone to get something?


    grow me some weed, I'll mow your lawn and fix your computer.


    fix my toilet and I'll fix your car.


    we gotta watch out for ourselves, America's been sold out for so long the chickens are finally coming home to roost.


    Viva la Revolution!
     
  4. SuperCropper

    SuperCropper Supersizing our future

    Reminds me of a famous quote from PPPP(Plumbers Putting Power in the People)


    Fix a mans tiolet, he will shit for a week, but teach a man to fix his toilet, and he will shit for the rest of his life.


    I think some other jackass hi-jacked that quote.


    anyway we should all panic and save a few overspenders asses by spending a whole bunch more of our hard earned money...it always works.


    I mean come on, this is the peoples fault too. I almost got a loan for a $200k house about five years ago, and would have had a big payment, and little to no equity in the collapse along with having no investment money left after initial purchase. It was tempting, but instead I bought a 50k fixer upper, fixed it, lived in it for years and flipped it and made 20k profit after everything including payments considered. Now I own two properties worth 250k total and I still have loads of equity after the collapse. Plus, now I get to live in one unit for free and the other rents cover all costs and give me cashflow.


    I know that is not for everyone, but my point is I could have stroked my ego and bought a big shiny house, but looking back I don't regret turning down that big loan. Now instead of net-debt, I have a net worth.
     
  5. brand

    brand Begun Flowering

    It has become obvious that the politicians are just using scare tactics. I am so tired of hearing about people's 401k. 401k is a 30-40 year investment, no need to worry whether its up or down. If you are ready to retire, and have your money in high risk you deserve to lose you money. Nothing but old time scare tactics.
     
  6. Administrator

    Administrator Administrator

    I agree with everyone here....this is simply a scare tactic to get a bill passed that would reward those that have made this mess to begin with. Those of us 'small guys' who can actually make ends meet without relying on a credit card to do so will be the next generation of people to move forward and pioneer a new beginning. Clay's right...barter is coming back...love it!


    What most people don't realize is that every 'end' ushers in a new 'beginning'. Life doesn't simply stop...it changes. Those that can adapt will survive....those that can't.....SEE YA! I've had a motto for some time now.


    ADAPT OR DIE


    We shall see who does which very soon now. :suave:


    AP.....there's plenty of room here buddy. Matter of fact....the g-friend's ex's family is moving back to Wales so they've made some room for ya here in this county. :beerchug:
     
  7. Administrator

    Administrator Administrator

    It's nice to have some dialog on this topic for once....still...I have to continue providing links for those less willing to do their research. :tongue:


    Here's a good article which provides a little bit of history on what's happening right now and how we got into this mess. As they say.....those that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Lets educate ourselves, our friends, and our loved ones so we don't make the same mistakes again.


    Financial tsunami: The end of the world as we knew it


     
  8. Administrator

    Administrator Administrator

    Love this one. :ebert:


    Fight the bailout; stop the hostile takeover of the United States








     
  9. Administrator

    Administrator Administrator

    Update on what's happening currently.....


    [​IMG]


    Congress leaders optimistic on revived bailout

     
  10. Dazechain

    Dazechain Cured Fat Sticky Bud

    ...listen to watt the man said...


    ...Thanks for all the links, 'Erb...


    ...Without sounding righteous, I would just like to add here...


    ...This scenario playing out was on my radar some time ago...


    ...something to be said for the vigilant type...


    ...:tvlaugh: ...


    ...DC...:XXsunsmile::new_scatter:
     
  11. brand

    brand Begun Flowering

    I just seen in the paper, that TVA is raising 20% increase in electricity rates starting soon. God damn!!!!! That is a whole damn lot, especially since they went up 8% a few months ago. Cost of coal is the reason. Are we running out of coal anytime soon in this country? Any one from West Virginia here? Or are people on the commodities market running up the prices.
     
  12. ClayStreet

    ClayStreet Gypsy

    I heard the religious version of that. " Give a man a fish he eats for a day, teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime. Teach a man religion, he starves to death praying for a fish. " There must be a lot of those out there.


    Well I'd be happy to accept some blame for the current state the world is in, but the problem is I'm a product of the environment and all my life I've realized that many times it's necessary to get things in life you just can't quite afford. But then again, why is it so expensive?


    So to me the blame is simple.. Greedy fucks at the top have been lining their pockets with the hard earned money off the sweat of our backs for years, and how many years have they been making us sweat harder, for less money to spend on their crap? When we have someone in this country who works 60-80 hours a week with two jobs, trying to support a family that never sees his family, can't afford a house or a decent car, and then you have some basketball star who gets a multimillion dollar deal just to dribble a ball and sits on the sidelines most of the year and eventually gets a show on MTV cribs showing off his solid gold HUMMER and shower stall bigger than most people's living rooms, I think there's something fucked up. When a new drug comes out we need, it's so overpriced that we have to pay prices that would require a whole week or month's paycheck to afford, or worse. People invent and create services and products we need or want everyday, but they stick such a high price on them many of us have to do without. And worse yet, the people who own the materials charge more towards the people who make the stuff, then in turn want to charge more to sell it to the stores we buy it, and they slap the even higher price on it, because everyone wants a piece of the action. At the bottom you have people like me, people like us, who have to pay for everyone else's greed.


    What would happen if for one week everyone in the US who makes less than say $50,000 a year just quit for one week? All jobs, everywhere. I think you might see the greedy fucks on top fumbling all over themselves trying to figure out what happened to their slaves.


    Or how about if you go into a store, and when you check out you only pay about 65% of what they tell you that you owe them, because you have the reasoning to know that something's coming up this week like a doctor's visit, and you just know that you need the rest of your money for something else? Sound absurd? Well how about when gas prices go up 75 cents over night because people *THINK*... that hurricane *MIGHT* hit an oil refinery and in the end prices go back down because it didn't really do anything to it? Or everytime the wind blows in IRAQ or a bomb goes off, prices of gas go up. Somehow I would think we should have the power to set prices on the goods and services that we need or want too.


    I also think it's funny how people from other nations are blaming Americans, yea like I from birth decided on ruining world economics and look forward to it everyday. I struggle to make ends meet and work shitty jobs to make it happen I'm a fucking victim to greedy corporations too. As was my father, and grandfather, so on so forth. Some of us just happened to be born wealthy or have the mental capacity to make money, can't say I'm not jealous.


    I like the idea Star Trek has about how mankind does away with money, and everyone works towards the common goal of bettering mankind. However there's just too many people at the top who want their power and lifestyles to ever let go and accept such an idea.
     
  13. Administrator

    Administrator Administrator

    I like that idea too, but it would take people actually caring about others rather than just caring about themselves to make it work...as you pointed out Clay. :ebert:


    Problem is we have too many greedy, selfish people in positions of power. :angry:


    I hear ya on everything else too Clay. I too go without many things in life simply because I can't afford them. On the other hand.....I try to think back 100 years...or even a 1000 years and wonder how those people got by without the things we feel we 'need' in this day and age. Really.....all we need are food, shelter, and water....everything else is nothing more than a 'want'. People would be surprised at how many things they can live without....they just can't seem to get past being spoiled and greedy is all.


    I try to live my life with the notion that if I have food in my belly and a warm dry place to sleep every day I'm truly blessed because my needs are being met. I'm not jealous of things other people have that I don't because they too have their problems. Rich people aren't happier than poor people. Many times it's just the opposite. :)
     
  14. ClayStreet

    ClayStreet Gypsy

    yea.. imagine trying to leave your house without your cell phone now a days.


    FUCK!


    or come home and turn on the computer.. to find you have no internet.


    FUCK FUCK FUCK!


    these will be the horror movies of the next generations..
     
  15. Administrator

    Administrator Administrator

    :roll:


    We will adapt I'm sure.
     
  16. EvilSkuzzi

    EvilSkuzzi Sweet Guy

    I like making money. Im good at it and i enjoy it. Does that make me greedy?


    I look after my family and friends and im nice to everyone. If i won the lottery say a few million pounds my next goal in life would be to turn that into 100 million then 1 billion. I dont think that makes me a bad person. Its just fun.


    (not to mention the fun you can have with the spoils of that money!)
     
  17. Administrator

    Administrator Administrator

    Nope...making money doesn't make you greedy Scuzz....what makes a person greedy is when they are willing to take that money out of someone elses mouth in order to put it into their own. In other words when it's done at the cost of someone elses well-being it becomes greed. Least that's how I see it.


    Here's a question for everyone...how much money does one person actually need? There are people out there that have so much money that they could never hope to spend it all. So what good is it doing them to horde it all? Why not allow everyone to have some? That too is an example of greed IMO. Keeping something you don't need from someone else who does need it simply because you don't want them to have it. That's greedy and selfish.
     
  18. Administrator

    Administrator Administrator

    Here ya go Scuzz.....

     
  19. EvilSkuzzi

    EvilSkuzzi Sweet Guy

    People who have a lot of money shouldn't have to share it with anyone. We live in free countries where everyone has a chance of making their own way in life.


    Unfortunately there are a lot of lazy ppl out there (im not saying anyone on here) who are only too happy to sit on their lazy arse and take every bit of free shit their given. To me their the greed ones. They sit and take take take (benefits) then cry that they dont have much money. Or they dont have this or that. Get a fucking job!


    You have to work for what you have in this life. Money is just a modern form of barter. Some ppl are born into money and some make it for themself. Both types of rich ppl have to work HARD to maintain their wealth!


    Now in saying that, it make me sound like im a pure american capitalist. Im not. Im not far off it, but im not quite there. Im all for the state supporting those out of work or legitimately claiming benefit due to illness ect...


    I think the american system sucks. You dont have any regulation for shit! You really need to sort that out.


    These ppl at the top of these firms are mostly hard working ppl. Fair enough some have taken the piss, but the FBI is supposed to be looking into that.


    Without these ppl the world would not work. Period! You would not have pensions, government, health care. No one would be there to wipe your arse when you get old and forget how to do it yourself. These ppl in wall street supply the money for everything. If they were not there you would not have no ferts or lights to grow, nothing.


    I know im not ready to go back to the stone age!
     
  20. Administrator

    Administrator Administrator

    You may not have a choice pretty soon. ;)


    I agree Scuzz.....laziness pisses me off more than most things. I deal with a lazy teen here at home on a daily basis and I want nothing more than to choke it out of her....they say choking makes them do better. :pottytrain1:


    In any case....I too feel that if you want something....earn it. On the other side of the coin....If I had a shitload of money and someone with less was willing to earn some of it from me...I give them a way to do so. No free rides here whatsoever! I just don't feel it's right to horde it all away and lock that 'wealth' up. There's only so much money to go around and when a few have it all....the rest of us suffer for it. People such as Clay and myself who are WILLING to work our asses off and earn our own piece of the pie are denied the means to do so by wealthy 'fucks' who can't get past their own greed and let go of money they have no need for.


    I can't agree with you on the fact that you feel these people work hard for their money though...that's not being realistic. Maybe you do personally, but many of those in the 'elite' class earn what they have by standing on the backs of other people who DO work hard. I myself will work side by side with anyone and show them what I'm about...I'm not afraid to work for what I have and to hell with lazy bastards that want to sit on their asses and collect welfare. If they have a legitimate need for it that's one thing.....to take advantage of a system is bullshit. :angry: Same applies to those at the top though...they take advantage of a system in which they get richer and we get nothing. 'Take take take' works at both ends of the spectrum.
     

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