America is too delusional to fix economy

Town hall meetings, documentary films galore, news coverage, solemn speeches. America certainly seems to be aware of its problem. But for all the self-examination and soul searching, there has yet be any sober identification of the fundamental flaws that have evolved in the American character since the declaration of independence.

Foremost among them is a foolish and all-pervasive American pride that precludes the first step in the recovery of any junkie whose behavior has become a threat to themselves and those around them, which is an unqualified admission and acknowledgement of destructive behavior. Calling it addiction is disingenuous and coats it in the absolution of disease. The inherent implication is that this claim negates responsibility.

Here’s what American leadership needs to say:

“Our values have been corrupted so thoroughly by the deification of the dollar above all else, that we lack the objectivity and sincerity required to formulate responsible fiscal policy. We need help.”

But my God! Can anyone imagine the United States collectively biting off and swallowing such a gigantic piece of Humble Pie? The American ego is simply too swollen. Actually, bloated would be the appropriate term.

www.midasletter.com...


So does this mean the hippies had it right?

Make love, live simple and dwell in peace.

Or did Michael Douglas get it right “Greed is good.”

Is Greed an American value or a Tecumseh type curse?

I question the idea that greed is not an American value as it seemed that America was founded and conquered by the Europeans because of gold and "free stolen land".

Nevertheless, whatever the outcome of the evolved obsession toward pictures of dead presidents on cotton paper, the whole of this earth will be able to view it.

It brings to mind the sayings of the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos .."Babylon the Great is fallen and all of the merchants of the earth mourn."

it's not that the naughty criminals have ruined it all, the very system is wrong.

i would say it's the american dream which is flawed - it works on the premise that everyone should earn loads of money and become rich -this simply isn't possible!

People get a free card to do whatever they want in pursuit of this dream, people who make money are hailed as hero's to the american way whatever they've done -Steve Job's and Bill Gates have wasted trillions of tons of the worlds production potential advertising their products, locking people into their systems and making huge sums of money on pointless wastes of time -yet they are some of the most highly respected people on the planet while linus torvalds and Richard Stallman (RMS) are barely even recognized.

America has become a nation of Patrick Batemans, the illusion of wealth is all that matters and the continual pressure to excel has created some real psychotic tendancys - Shoppers crushing someone to death as they storm after bargains, shootings in toy's are us over who gets the last fad toy on the shelf, maddoff being able to lie to everyone he ever meets, etc, etc.

People seem to think that having the best flashest new things defines who they are - If you had two suits one of which was strong, comfortable and well styled and a suit which was tacky, poorly made and ill fitting but cost two hundred dollars more then the majority of the population would desire the worst suit the most. This is pure insanity and its endemic.

Rappers moving from the ghetto into the hollywood hills and show off their many millions of dollars of tat on MTV because if they're seen as an overly opulent money waster they'll become even more popular!

We need to stop the desperate love of money and start to respect sensible things like, pragmatism, quality and effectiveness. We should buy items made to last, made to be repaired and upgraded -items made by companies who aren't obsessed by market share and huge profits but who just want to make a good product and pay their staff a reasonable wage for doing so.

Life has become a game of king of the hill, we waste all that energy getting to the top of the hill only to be pushed back down again and all for nothing - no one ever wins anything, being on top of the hill isn't even as nice as wondering in the low lands poeple are always jostling and pushing you -yet very few people are content to have their picnic at the bottom of the hill.

Well said Nature Boy.

I view the current landscape as a hazard.

We have so much interest as a nation with juggling payments that we have forgotten how our forefathers carved a wilderness into a place where both man and beast can thrive. Poetic way of saying farming! lol

Some of the interests that may need to be addressed in the near future would be" How to survive beyond Goverment and Organizational structure" or as the hippie said "turn on, tune in and drop out".

Reminds me of the bible verse "To everything is a season...turn, turn."

The idea of a John Lennon peacenik reveloution may be on the horizon.

People are by and large True human beings: empty inside.

Sure, they spew love and brotherhood, pretend like they're so knowledgable; but a twilight wind is blowing, coming their way.

They'll rethink their huffed-up attitudes when it arrives, not before. You see, they can take death, and lots of it. Some can even take their own. No change.

Until the Twilight Wind gets here, and shows even these crass, gross beings, that they have souls, and the true meaning of fear. I live amongst them; I know. I work for them: gods, everyone of them! Ask them, if you don't believe me. Puffed up perfection: no mind to think, to see.

They are empty, and will be erased as leaders. How far the high-n-mighty fall! They just don't see it coming...the Twilight Winds of Renewal .

peacenik revolution?lol

he idea of a John Lennon peacenik reveloution may be on the horizon.

go ahead , your govt will throw you into death camps when NWO takes over, and they won't mind using neutron bombs against you and the other peaceniks ...

we are generally both deluded and manipulated by the aware.


for instance... It's pretty well extablished that Pres. Obama,
in an attempt to bring the economy under control, will soon
attempt to Push Through legislation to drastically reduce
annual expenditures for Medicare and Social Security

.... these entitlements will be reduced to help reduce the annual deficit,
for the purpose of funding the "Economic Recovery And Reinvestment Plans" he has in mind for the masses.

He just can't have retirees and indigents getting expensive health care
and retirees receiving a larger income than the average working person
will be paid in the Gov't stimulus, 'works programs'.


but here's the hidden catch... the Gov't legislation to reduce Medicare/SS
will really accellerate the 'Deflation' process, it will be result in the
average National wage not just stagnating(as it has for the last 20 years)... but actually being reduced.

-> let's say the new annual high-paying job, for those who have one might be $20k yearly... with the average Joe/Jane making $9-10k yearly.


Right now there are 2.7 million people working with Pension schemes
and Defined-Benefit plans in which the 'Pay-Out' is based on a certain
percentage of one's wage/salary at the time of 'retirement' (forced or elsewise)

So, as wages Deflate, so will future retirement benefits, & so too will
Government capital outlays.. We are the frogs in the pot on the stove.
and this is just one instance of how the masses are being squeezed
but just do not realize their situation.


thanks,

I agree that the Peacenik thing may get trampled on but if you look at the last few decades of social change you see "peace style change" popping up in places like Iceland, Britain and China.

I guess it really depends upon how fast the barn burns or even if the barn burns down at all. (barn being the economy...fire and barn burning equels response time in view of the economy)

Read this bearish response from an investor.www.kiplinger.com...

The rationale from Americans was a bit different from what I heard in Asia. It went like this:: In the U.S., waves of young immigrants feed demand for housing, which never falls in price (at least not nationwide), etc., etc. Apparently, Americans are as capable of getting drunk on their own bubbly as the Japanese and Chinese.

Now, residential prices in the U.S. have retreated 25% from their peak in mid 2006 and are still falling fast. Less than a year ago, UBS's forecast of systemic credit losses totaling $600 billion sounded outlandish. Now, Goldman Sachs's $1.8-trillion projection, which is equivalent to more than the entire equity capital of the U.S. banking system, sounds reasonable. The vastly overleveraged financial system has imploded like a busted pyramid scheme.

With Clinton type control of the new Paradigm shifts I think we will see a new economic situation....a mixture of inflation and stagflation.

Originally posted by whiteraven
I agree that the Peacenik thing may get trampled on but if you look at the last few decades of social change you see "peace style change" popping up in places like Iceland, Britain and China.

I guess it really depends upon how fast the barn burns or even if the barn burns down at all. (barn being the economy...fire and barn burning equels response time in view of the economy)

Read this bearish response from an investor.www.kiplinger.com...

The rationale from Americans was a bit different from what I heard in Asia. It went like this:: In the U.S., waves of young immigrants feed demand for housing, which never falls in price (at least not nationwide), etc., etc. Apparently, Americans are as capable of getting drunk on their own bubbly as the Japanese and Chinese.

Now, residential prices in the U.S. have retreated 25% from their peak in mid 2006 and are still falling fast. Less than a year ago, UBS's forecast of systemic credit losses totaling $600 billion sounded outlandish. Now, Goldman Sachs's $1.8-trillion projection, which is equivalent to more than the entire equity capital of the U.S. banking system, sounds reasonable. The vastly overleveraged financial system has imploded like a busted pyramid scheme.

With Clinton type control of the new Paradigm shifts I think we will see a new economic situation....a mixture of inflation and stagflation.

agree that the Peacenik thing may get trampled on but if you look at the last few decades of social change you see "peace style change" popping up in places like Iceland, Britain and China.

peacenik agitation only become fruit if elites want it ,if elites don't wnat and people keep agitating , then police and military will be used to deal with it

Originally posted by st udio

-> let's say the new annual high-paying job, for those who have one might be $20k yearly... with the average Joe/Jane making $9-10k year
So, as wages Deflate, so will future retirement benefits, & so too will
Government capital outlays.. We are the frogs in the pot on the stove.
and this is just one instance of how the masses are being squeezed
but just do not realize their situation.


thanks,

Your point of view is pretty bleak.

I certainly hope we are not entering into a prolonged economic downturn of a decade or more.