The only place a free market exists is in the minds of those who believe in it. Just like communism, it is a fantasy, that belongs in books that start with "Once upon a time".

In order for a market system to work efficiently, these has to be competition, to establish a system which competes, there has to be an evenly enforced fair set of rules (regulation which are laws which serve good purposes), just like in professional sports. When one team is allowed to cheat, then the competive nature is destroyed, and you get the kind of mess that currently exists.

I feel for you man.

Banks & insurance companies are the biggest crooks on the planet, but it seems the way of our world that most corporations the bottom line is greed - not product.

We are in the Computer age - where all transactions can pretty much happen in a few seconds - sometimes minutes - depending on how many systems they have to hand off data and post times are determined by the software. Banks always set their software to post much later than necessary in order to manipulate your money and fees.

Instead of providing an honest service they play a sophisticated shell game with your money in order to mask their true cost to the consumer.

Not only do banks play games with when they post deposits or process withdrawals, but big ones like BOA have double accounts setup for the purpose of extracting extra fees from their customers. Now you'd think that the computerized accounts would be setup to benefit the customer by giving you real time information - nope they have a real account - one that only the bank has access to and a fake account that you interact with when you log on or access an ATM.

They claim its your benefit to allow you to pump a few extra dollars more gas or whatever, but the reality is they know exactly how much money is available and they want to charge you the $30 overdraft fee - so that's why they don't provide you with real time information. You have to carry that old fashioned check book around and constantly keep track of what the bank pretends to keep track of for you, to get you not to pay attention. Even then once somebody charges you more than you expected or a mistake is made all the whole account collapses, because they bank has set it up to do so. Wouldn't it be nice if a Bank actually let you use it's computers to give you real time information on your account so you don't over draft?

The Banks are not even safe - with ATM's and computer banking, fraud is rampant and the bank has provided easy access for thieves, but does not cover your loss if somebody steals from your account unless you catch it within 60 days - Not easy if you have a large sum of money and lots of transactions and are expecting the bank to look out for you.

People set up fake readers at gas stations & ATM's and often the banks don't even inform their customers of the loss even after they have discovered it. If you don't catch it they just keep quiet so they don't have to pay for their poor security that shouldn't allow such easy card copies to be made, but they don't want to spend money for a more secure system using finger prints or eye scans.

No doubt our government has been bought and paid by these lobbyist in order to defraud us as they're doing.

Our true enemies are not in caves wearing sheets, they're wearing suits and they give us a fake smile when we do business with them.




[edit on 9-1-2009 by verylowfrequency]

Another small business owner here, for the past 15 years. I have consistently made money by ignoring the experts, following my gut, and remaining flexible.

When some situation came along to screw things up, I was able to adapt and change my approach because I ran a tight ship and I ran it lean. I constantly looked for ways to save minutes and seconds in my work day, how to save a few bucks here and there on office supplies.

Whatever it took and that approach proved to be highly successful for me. My work days got shorter and my earnings grew.

Now, it's like we woke up and the rules have all changed. That's because the US economy and the entire world has changed. Undertstand that, because none of us will make money like we did in the past.

Just last week, I was complaining about how I followed all the rules, I did things the way I should have, and I got burned just like you. Today, I have a different outlook.

As a fellow business owner, I'd like to remind you that you didn't get where you are today by affixing blame to someone else for your situation. You took the reins and steered your ship. That's not to say that what has happened doesn't suck, it's just that focusing on it won't change your situation. You know that.

Oh, it feels good to rail against the nameless, faceless tuckfards in banking, insurance and politics, but in the end, it doesn't do anything toward improving your situation. And let's face it, it isn't us little guys who are walking in front of trains or leaping out of buildings.

So, if you're done, I'd like you to join me in finding a way to thwart the system and make money despite of them. I've got a few pots on the stove, and one really wild idea that may be a big money maker if shipping completely stops.

I suggest you do the same thing. Take a guess what is going to happen the next two years and how your services will be needed.

You say you owned a body shop and did insurance repairs. Well, it seems to me that the money won't be coming from big insurance companies, but the little guy is going to want to keep his beater car going for as long as possible. In a contracting economy, people tend to fix what they have.

Perhaps you could establish your business in a different location, with lower overhead and start smaller? Instead of being a big operation, maybe you contract like the economy, get small and appeal to people's new found sense of frugality. Instead of just specializing in body work, do all kinds of general repairs and capitalize on your good reputation.

The point is that the big house, the big money, the great lifestyle we all experienced is now GONE. It's over, baby. It's a new paradigm and one where everyone is on the bottom floor. Like the woman making soap and bath items -- great idea. It may not be a big boomimg asphalt business, but it's something.

So pull yourself up by your bootstraps, fella, and do what you do best. Which is to take advantage of opportunity and create a fortune for yourself. You did it before, you can do it again. You have the same great business mind, the same skills and greater experience. You just need to apply it differently.

I have to start on my new endeavor, so I must end now. Best of luck to you, but somehow, I don't think you need it.

Sounds like soar apples to me.

Many of the most successful people in the World have had numerous failures before becoming successful. The difference between them, you and 99% of the rest of the population is they didn't complain about it, they dusted themselves off and moved on.

I've experienced failure in the past, but I dusted myself off and have had the most successful years of my life over the last 5 years. I can find many people who agree. Only those who wish to complain about things are doing poorly.

Opportunities are abound. There were more millionaires made during the Great Depression than any other time in our history. With difficulties and change come great opportunities for those who look.

At the end of the day, a lot of people overextended themselves and they're paying for it now - bout time, too.

I can't help but wonder if this a blessing in disguise. When tax time comes, what are you guys gonna do? How can we let congress know that we are going to pay for their F# ups anymore? In this system of Monopoly that nobody wins, the rich get rich and the poor get poor? Where does the line get drawn? Could it really be that eventually these people will have so much money that they will wake up and realize that they have no economy left to spend their money? We are the ones that build their highways, pump their oil, serve them food, buid their homes, make their appliances etc. The wealthiest 1% just can not live without us. We are the ones who have become hard workers and skilled craftsman. Not them. Without us they would not be able to do anything.

So where do we go from here? Do we accept their Amero, or do we say hell no? Do we stand up and say no longer will the blind lead the blind? Robinhood steals from the rich and gives to the poor, but greedy corporations steel from the poor and give to the rich. So what if we just refuse to play? I for one do not wish to put any more money in their pockets, for they have already taken everything.

So they have removed our natural resources from our grasps and replaced it with worthless paper and a system of money that was destined to fail, now they want to take away our worthless papaer money and turn it into a system of credit to where they control the markets 100%. Hell no. Their financial system is a complete failure, it is time to go back to the original system, where mother earth determines the market. She provides us with precious minerals and herb yielding seeds and so fourth. She is balance. Our governments have removed her from our lives.

I ran a small mining company in Calif and the government put me out of business with there rules and regulations.

It was to the point in Calif that any tree-hugger can file a complaint that you are polluting any you have to go to court any prove to the government that you are not.
They don't need any evidence, just the complaint.

Then the regulations are crazy in what business can the government come into and enforce Workman's safety rules to the max even though you have no employees.

We had a two year period where the mine was running that just the partners in the mine were doing the work and we had 4 safety inspection 2 by the state and 2 by the feds. and we got a write up for not having some safety equipment that we did not need because we were not working in that part of the mine.

We also had to pay fees for some things that we did not do just because it was easier then spending days in court trying to prove we were not doing what they claimed we were doing.

Finely in 2003 they put new rules in effect that our small operation could not afford and we went out of business.
so i went and filed for disability and got it in two months.

I have been on disability ever since and the government sends me a check for not working.
and all you taxpayer pay me for not working.

Thank you government for the money.

Thank you taxpayers for putting me out of work.

I did not want to go on disability and i could work this mining job because i could work at my own pace.

But no employer would hire me for the same job or any other job because i was too disabled.

By the way it was a service connected disability from my time in the navy.

The problem is that most of us are ridiculously dependent.

Dependent on predatory agribusiness conglomerates that grow our food with cheap, illegal labor.

Dependent on construction workers to build our homes.

Dependent on banks to conjure money out of thin air to finance our homes.

Dependent on engineers and technicians to build and operate our power grid.

Productivity is increasing steadily and standard of living is decreasing rapidly. We are being taxed, regulated, and fined to absolute death. And nobody seems to care.

I would say become self sufficient! But that is impossible due to countless illogical statutes and limitations placed upon us by governments, corporations, homeowners' associations, banks, and other parasitic bureacracies.

We are SCREWED.

Some people just don't like the idea of capitalism. So let them all work for the government. Actually capitalism by itself can be pretty brutal. Survival of the fittest and the weak die by the side of the road. The rich in our country have it all figured out. They are getting the best of both worlds. Support from the government while harvesting more rewards for producing more for less in a capitalist culture.

We should all start the year with a government bailout check and be able to add to it throughout the year by our own efforts. Hooray for Semi-SocialCapitalism. How do I file to become a government supported business?

Obviously there is enough for everyone. They'll just print us all up some free cash. Let's march on Washington and each loudly demand our own free bailout check.

[edit on 10-1-2009 by In nothing we trust]

Originally posted by poet1b
Heck, if we all get bailed out the way the corporate CEOs get bailed out, then we will all be rich, and we won't have to work no more.

That's right we can all be rich. We all just need government checks and then no one will have to work anymore. Let the chinese and indians do all the work. We'll just sit around all day, do nothing and collect money.

And if the goberment won't give us any money, we'll just hire us some lawyers and sue 'em.

[edit on 10-1-2009 by In nothing we trust]

Why would the admins of GW and Arnold be so concerned about your small mining operations, while allowing giant corporations to skl fk our entire country.

Why because in screwing with the little guy they show there friends in the environmental movement they are doing something.

All the while the big companies just pay off the politicians.
Or have a lot of high priced lawyers that the lowly government lawyers know they can not beat so the don't try to go after the big corporations.