I am a Cynical person

You know what; I've decided I am a very cynical person. I seldom believe in good anymore. Advertisements make me crazy. I think nearly everyone is driven by an agenda. I'm not paranoid; I don't believe there are people hiding behind every bush, but I do believe we "citizens" are being manipulated, and complacency is our downfall. We allow it to happen, little bit, by little bit.

I drive my wife crazy because I have an opinion on seemingly everything. I see through lies. Case in point; my MD has been telling me for years I'm borderline diabetic. Every single time I go to see him I get the same story. So, I decided to go see another physician (a TEAM of them actually), at the best university hospital in the region. They did the most thorough testing, blood work and analysis imaginable...no issues...none at all. WHY? Why is my doctor telling me I'm borderline diabetic (????)...unless he wants to sell me all the drugs, tests and treatments that come with diabetes. (?)

Why am I so cynical?

In 2008 the motgage bankers in this country STOLE most of our savings, but then the government bailed them out. Sure, it didn't seem too "painful" for us peons who are still a few years from retiring, heck it was only 25% of our savings...it'll all be okay, right? NO, DAMMIT, THEY STOLE OUR MONEY!!! They should go to JAIL, but they didn't! Who won? They did! Who lost...WE DID!

I don't trust anyone with my money...NO ONE! Banks are increasingly making it harder to withdraw your money; social security retirement age keeps climbing. Hell, when I get ready to retire (15 years from now), I wouldn't be surprised if the "retirement age" for social security is 95 years old.

One day, my father (now deceased) asked me if I believed I'd ever collect social security. I told him flat out.."NO". He got super mad at me, telling me how he fought in WWII to see this through, and how weak I was to not believe in what he fought for. Sadly, I tried to explain how our government has corrupted EVERYTHING he fought for...and we all LOSE.

Am I cynical? Yes, yes I am! I don't believe anymore. I just don't. It's a shame, but I don't.

I'm sorry, Dad...I'm sorry you risked your life from 1941 to 1945 in B-17's over Europe, but they STOLE even your legacy, those greedy bastards!!

Am I cynical, do I believe in the goodness of man when there isn't one good thing to find in the deeds of man these days besides GREED?

DAMN STRAIGHT I'M CYNICAL!!

I'm just flat out MAD!!! (and I don't think I'm going to get over it any time soon...but I do know one thing; I'm gonna' DO something about it!!)

Sincerely,

Mr. CYNICAL!!

Since when did calling it the way the way it is define one as cynical?

I want in on this action (before I'm too old). What are you planning to do and when?

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I think to a point, we are all cynical, Flying... My grandfather served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam; I am certain he hasn't rolled overy in His grave. He continues to rotate 360 degrees daily.

A sweet old man, who thought the world he was leaving, would be a better place........

Im with ya Flying....sadly.....

I'm going to speak. I've already started. I hold community meetings for those interested to listen to what I have to say. Sadly, only the older generation show up. The younger generation are too tied up in FailBook and their pseudo-existences to care.

I'm contemplating running for office in the state Senate, but I'll likely never be elected, my views are too conservative...too radical in their eyes.

Even if I lose, at least I tried. I'm 53 years old, and I see no hope for the younger generation(s); this "life" is just NOT sustainable, it can't go on. I don't understand why so many intelligent people of the younger generation just refuse to see what's REALLY happening. It's like the music in their headphones just makes everything okay. I don't know...

Makes me sad really. This just can't go on!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

The way I see it, is that there's not a damn thing any of us peons can do about it.

All we can do is sit back in our lawn chairs holding an ice cold bubbly... and watch the world burn.


Other than that, prep you and yours as best as you can for when it all comes crashing down.

Seriously, it's all any of us can do.

A revolution of the masses is not going to happen in today's apathetic world... or at least not until it's too late... assuming that they don't bomb us all into oblivion first.


So why put yourself into an early grave about it ?!

The history of mankind has been one corrupt war-death-march after another since the days cavemen where pissing on trees.

Stop, smell the roses, and get the best out of life as much as you can... while you still can.

To hell with the rest of it.

I've served for years as the President of our HOA. I've been on the local City Council. I've run for the County commission, but was soundly defeated in favor of far more liberal candidates who seemingly believe money grows on trees.

I do believe in the election process and voting. My next campaign will start on a more grass-roots level, hopefully garnering support locally and regionally without any fundraising elements...just speaking (no fees, no partisanship...just trying to get the facts out there). From my perspective, I don't want ANY money; in my mind elections shouldn't be about money and who has the most of it. In fact, it is my sound belief this is a BIG part of the problem...money politics.

Perhaps I am misguided, but I can honestly say I AM principled. I WILL try.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Are you Cynical?? Yes, yes you are.

Are you Angry?? Yes, yes you are.

Are you seeing things clearly?? Yes, yes you are.

That third one perfectly explains the first two IMO. Many of us are right there with your too.

a reply to: CranialSponge

It is so very hard for a warrior to watch Rome burn!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

It is so very hard for a warrior to watch Rome burn!

Yes it is.

But at some point you have to accept the situation, step back, and let the fire run its course.

Can you have a positive impact in your own life, those around you, and maybe even your own community ? Absolutely !



But the bigger picture ? Not a hope in hell.

The world is on a speeding train with no brakes...

Sigh...

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

You mentioned Social Security. Our wonderful politicians used some of that money for general funds. If you or I took money out of an account that was owned by people that have deposited money into it, that would be considered embezzlement! We would be sent to jail!

Our government is actually stealing money out of an account that millions of Americans have paid into their entire lives! Now they give hand-outs from that account to immigrants or people who never contributed a cent into it! Our government screwed us out of money which every American counted on when they reached retirement! What right to they have to cut our benefit amount or cut the program altogether! Imagine a bank telling you, sorry we had to take 25% of money from your balance because the bank needed it to pay some operating expenses. Or sorry, you know that savings account you've been automatically depositing money in from your paycheck for the last 35 years? You no longer have any money in your account because we spent it all, we suggest you save your money elsewhere. We all would go ballistic!

American's know our government is threatening to bankrupt Social Security, yet we have people who shrug their shoulders and accept it! Our government never has a hard time finding Trillions of dollars to invest in our military, numerous overseas bases, foreign aid, overseas conflicts, increasing and supporting career politician salaries and pensions, and their self serving government projects. Yet when it comes to Americans who pay 20-30% of their hard earned money toward taxes to finance our government, they turn around and give us the middle finger when it comes to providing programs that are a benefit to all their citizens!

Is it any wonder why congress' approval ratings is only at 14 percent and why American voters are now supporting non-establishment candidates? I would love to see Americans vote every career representative out of office.

In my life, my career and just my existence, I have always hoped I would find those who "see" and those who "believe", but in reality what I have found is almost abject apathy (hopelessness).

Is there no one left? Is there no one who believes we can right these wrongs? We can stop this train before it crashes???

...or is everyone just so apathetic and self absorbed to just enjoy the ride while it lasts?????

a reply to: WeRpeons

And then there was the whole sub-prime debaucle...and the "derivatives" which caused it. It was too complicated to understand for most, so they just went to Starbucks and ordered a Latte' and hoped it would end.

Name one person you know who understands what a Collateralized Debt Offering (CDO) is, or what it even means. Before 2008, and even now, most people have no comprehension of what a "Credit Default Swap" is, and how it works in a hedge fund environment. Heck, most people don't even understand what hedge fund is, let alone the things they leverage.

Nope, everybody just sat at their desk or computer and waited for the federal government to come along and seemingly "bail out" the guys who were in trouble. "Too BIG to fail"...remember that? They were only too big to fail because the federal government knew they could borrow more of the people's money and dupe them into thinking they got great deal by only losing 30% of their investments. THEY ROBBED THE MIDDLE CLASS!!!!! ....AND THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING!!

How can people not see this???????!!!!!

The only money left in this country is the middle class. The super-rich have insulated themselves against the raiders with all their hedge fund investments. The super-elite RUN the hedge funds. They've sucked the poor dry, they have nothing left to give; they are only consumers at the teet at this point.

The only money left to steal (and it's a LOT) is the middle class. There are TRILLIONS of dollars, and 2008 was just a test case to see what the tolerance of the people was to the theft of their funds.

Mark my words; 2008 was just the beginning!!! AND, what's happening now is FAR more subtle than that event.

Just go try to remove some of your funds from the bank, or from your investments...and see how hard it is. You don't own your money, the money you've worked so hard for...THEY do!!

Am I cynical(?)...DAMN STRAIGHT I'M CYNICAL!!!!

a reply to: WeRpeons

If I could give you 500 stars and 50 flags, I would.

Nail...meet hammer!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

The only reason this is all possible is because they made it so hard to LIVE.

Since the 1980's prices have steadily climbed, requiring BOTH parents to work, often times two jobs just to make ends meet.

Just to pay the mortgage, put food on the table, and pay the utilities, the car payment, insurances, and occasionally indulge in something nice, like a new refrigerate.

Now add the hype over the last 8 years about college, going into debt like never before.

People are so burnt out just making ends meet, they don't have time to research, and look into all the horse-pucky that is going on locally, not to mention globally or else-where but inside their own immediate home.

It's all designed to keep the rats running on their wheels until they die, or until the whole lab burns down around them, as long as they keep running in their wheels.

Yes, I'm a cynic, and I'm mad as hell TOO!

In 2008 I lost $245,000 dollars of my retirement. Two HUNDRED and forty five THOUSAND dollars! (not a lot to most, but a whole lot to me and my wife!!) My investment drones said not to worry, I still had the shares; they'd come back, they said. These were low risk investments, very conservative; low yield / long term stuff. Sure they'd come back...after I poured tens of thousands of dollars back into them and was frozen from moving any of them...even though numerous funds folded / dissolved into other funds. Think Mutual Funds are safe? Think again!!

They say an average couple needs $1M to retire (no less). We live on a working ranch so it will take at least 2x to 3x of that. So, in '08 I lost fully one QUARTER of the worst case amount! Now, it will take another 5 years to recover (and it's already been EIGHT years). They LIE! These were company sponsored, very conservative investments...doesn't matter; they stole it!

I trust NO one!

Our biggest leverage against the banks is land; we've got a lot of it, it doesn't depreciate and we OWN it outright. We bought it, we paid for it, and we OWN it. (this is not some BLM leased deal here...we're not Bundites) Sadly, many cannot say this. However, everyone deserves the same leverage, at least those willing to work for it. Yes, we've worked hard (raising cattle is not an easy business).

In the span of four (4) days in 2008 the hedge funds liberated nearly one TRILLION dollars out of the American economy. You know how they did it? They did it by betting AGAINST all the low-lifes the finance companies borrowed money to; the people who had no prayer of ever paying it back, but were approved for their loans. THEN, they packaged these same loans into larger loan buy-out packages coupled with collateral backed loans which had much higher ratings (i.e. people who could actually pay). The appearance to the investment market was the whole "package" was a good a good investment, but it was a ruse.

The hedge funds saw through all of this and realized the packaged loans were full of high risk loans no one would ever be able to pay. So, like Vegas, they took out bets (called "short positions") betting on people losing over winning. Because the loans were "packaged" with other loans, when the bad loans failed they took EVERYONE down with them. And guess who won??? The guys who bet against the market! But you know what? They weren't the villains really...it was the big banks who were. They were the ones who KNEW the good loans were packaged with an overwhelming amount of bad ones, and yet represented these 'packages' as good investments to the mutual fund market. They KNEW it! And they did nothing about it. The hedge funds just used these banks blind, greedy, selfish, ignorance against them....and wiped out half of Wall Street!! ...in four (4) DAYS!!!

So, yes, it's a "rant" I guess.

I would like to think it's a rant for an entire nation, but unfortunately it's not.

So, at the end of the day...I'm Cynical.

(I wonder why?)

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk
I experience a huge wave of cynicism when I read posts like this. Seriously, I heard on Newstalk Radio this morning about the shocking state of ignorance in this country. A man wrote in, someone who owned a hairdressing salon, and he said that the young woman he was interviewing and who had just finished her hairdressing education at college and who passed with flying colours, didn't know how to tell the time. Also, she couldn't fill in a form and didn't know what he meant by the BC and AD. He asked her how many coins there were in a dozen and a half. She had no clue. Simple things - but they floored her and left her in a state of ignorant panic. I mean, what's that all about? Here's another story, a true one. It comes from my own life. I am an old guy, a old codger who loves literature. One day at McCafe, a new assistant arrives. I like her. She is about 25 or so, right out of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. Anyway, turns out she is a school teacher. Fair enough, we're doing well so far. I ask her what kind of books she reads. Lee Child was her reply. Mmm. I ask her what's her favourite Charles Dickens' books. "Who's he?" she asked in earnest. I looked into her eyes, scanning them with nervous anticipation in case she was having me on. She wasn't. This school teacher had never heard of Charles Dickens. That's like members of Congress never having heard of Thomas Jefferson. But I guess that, at the end of the day, nothing matters anymore. God help us.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I really believe there is hope. Truly.

As it stands though, we are all trapped in our story. Sure, some use(abuse) the situation more than others, but that is the story we have decided to write for generations.

I think the only difference now is that technology allows the same behaviors to manifest a bit differently.

It seems most look at things solely in the parameters of currency, but as a mere economic middle-man, it will never be able to provide the answers or solutions necessary. Its a tool, like a hammer, that I'm not sure we have ever really learned how to use.

Anyway, the "abusers" and the "abused" carry on in the same way as always, mainly because we simply don't know any better. Any possible change is examined from the parameters of a broken system. Everything looks like a nail, so to speak, and has for so long that a screw baffles us endlessly.

I have my own ideas for solutions, but I think the first step is learning how to use the tools we already have. I'm not sure how to do that, exactly, but I'm certain it involves all of us learning how to interact more deeply and meaningfully without that endless need to make everyone think exactly alike on everything. In short, we need to realize the value in actual diversity, instead of just paying the concept lip service.