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Why we can kiss the US economy goodbye

RDS

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Your thoughts?
I don’t mean to say, “I told you so.” But I told you so.
In my latest book, “The Ultimate Obama Survival Guide: How to Survive, Thrive, and Prosper During Obamageddon
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” I listed hundreds of statistics proving that the U.S. economy was headed for total collapse. But that was all written months ago. Unfortunately, the worst was yet to come


Read more: Why we can kiss the US economy goodbye | Fox News
 
Your thoughts?
I'm sure that there can be any number of people who think that their plan is the 'ultimate survival guide' to any major issue.

Reality is unless you're going to actually attempt to do something to correct the situation, then survival is about preparing for the basic necessities of life and realizing that YOU are going to be the only thing you should depend on. Which is the way it should have been even without some supposed crisis for someone to write a book about.

Call it Cliff Notes for life... :wink:
 
I'm sure that there can be any number of people who think that their plan is the 'ultimate survival guide' to any major issue.

Reality is unless you're going to actually attempt to do something to correct the situation, then survival is about preparing for the basic necessities of life and realizing that YOU are going to be the only thing you should depend on. Which is the way it should have been even without some supposed crisis for someone to write a book about.

Call it Cliff Notes for life... :wink:

Survival guides aside, how about the figures?
 
Your thoughts?

I would say, you are probably right that Obama has been less than a blessing for the economy. He has also done the US little good on the international front. But what could one expect from a man of that little experience. But we took a chance in him.

Would someone else have been better? I mean the hand he was dealt, was not very good. US finances were not in good shape and there was a financial crises going on. Obamacare was probably a major blooper that has made things worse in the short term and nobody can judge for the long term.

So what now?
 
I read the book but its depressing and is again kinda just a list of the problems. (not that the problems arn't real)
I always balance this with type of story with things like Ray Kurzweil. And stories about new technology that used to be Sci-Fi but are now becomeing realilty
 
Survival guides aside, how about the figures?

The statistics, if to be believed, are a really sad statement regarding people's ability to take care of themselves in any event. Too many people rode the wave thinking it would never hit the shore, and have now found themselves to be in a tide pool with no way out.

I have limited sympathy, since it was rather easy to read the signs from the beginning.
 
Maybe we should have taken Obama's word as fact...Fundamentally Change America.

He NEVER said it would be for the better.
 
Maybe we should have taken Obama's word as fact...Fundamentally Change America.

He NEVER said it would be for the better.

That one statement was what shut me down on Obama in Round 1.
 
I would say, you are probably right that Obama has been less than a blessing for the economy. He has also done the US little good on the international front. But what could one expect from a man of that little experience. But we took a chance in him.

Would someone else have been better? I mean the hand he was dealt, was not very good. US finances were not in good shape and there was a financial crises going on. Obamacare was probably a major blooper that has made things worse in the short term and nobody can judge for the long term.

So what now?

We took a chance on him because we were collectively feeling, rather than thinking. That was our big mistake. In the wake of a huge financial crisis, we were looking for someone to save us, and not someone who would step out of the way, and let us save ourselves. The biggest problem I have with Obama is his desire to control and micromanage, where the best strategy would be to back off and let the creators and innovators of our society do their thing. A leader who has a need for control stifles creativity, and hinders growth. It's like a parent who wants to control the life of their child. It makes the child inhibited and stunts his ability to flourish.
 
Yup, until we decide to get serious about dealing with the income disparity issue in the US, we are doomed to 2% economic growth jobs just barely keeping up with population growth, and stagnant wages for the bottom 90%. Thats what the article was really about (every single economic indicator that it pointed to was a direct result of growing income disparity).

Unfortunately, in our current political climate, no one is willing to tackle the issue of income disparity, and virtually every time that O' mentions anything that would reduce disparity, he is blown off, as much by his own party as the republican party. I expect that late this fall or early winter, this climate may start to change.
 
"This is the best book I've ever read." said Chicken Little.
"I was blown away." said Cash bin Laden.
"A must read." said The Paranoia Times.
 
Yup, until we decide to get serious about dealing with the income disparity issue in the US, we are doomed to 2% economic growth jobs just barely keeping up with population growth, and stagnant wages for the bottom 90%. Thats what the article was really about (every single economic indicator that it pointed to was a direct result of growing income disparity).

Unfortunately, in our current political climate, no one is willing to tackle the issue of income disparity, and virtually every time that O' mentions anything that would reduce disparity, he is blown off, as much by his own party as the republican party. I expect that late this fall or early winter, this climate may start to change.

Exactly my thoughts.
 
Yup, until we decide to get serious about dealing with the income disparity issue in the US, we are doomed to 2% economic growth jobs just barely keeping up with population growth, and stagnant wages for the bottom 90%. Thats what the article was really about (every single economic indicator that it pointed to was a direct result of growing income disparity).

Unfortunately, in our current political climate, no one is willing to tackle the issue of income disparity, and virtually every time that O' mentions anything that would reduce disparity, he is blown off, as much by his own party as the republican party. I expect that late this fall or early winter, this climate may start to change.

I don't believe the government should involve itself in anything to do with income, disparity or not. If they can mandate who makes how much, then the statement 'you can't make everybody rich, so make everybody poor' may be more truth then we, as Americans, want to imagine.
 
I hear today he wants the get rid of Frannie and Freddie and give the big banks more control over loans while insisting on giving deals on mortgages to low wage earners. (again) Might as well just sign the houses over to them at closing.

He's a complete puppet of the NWO globalist thieves who want control of everything and everyone.
 
I don't believe the government should involve itself in anything to do with income, disparity or not. If they can mandate who makes how much, then the statement 'you can't make everybody rich, so make everybody poor' may be more truth then we, as Americans, want to imagine.

If you believe that, then don't blame policy makers when the economy doesn't fix itself. The most needed thing will not be done because so many deem it to be against some misguided principle. And then they will blame the president, whoever that is at the moment.

Making things more even increases the general prosperity due to increased "churn". It doesn't make everyone poor, unless taken to extremes.
 
We took a chance on him because we were collectively feeling, rather than thinking. That was our big mistake. In the wake of a huge financial crisis, we were looking for someone to save us, and not someone who would step out of the way, and let us save ourselves. The biggest problem I have with Obama is his desire to control and micromanage, where the best strategy would be to back off and let the creators and innovators of our society do their thing. A leader who has a need for control stifles creativity, and hinders growth. It's like a parent who wants to control the life of their child. It makes the child inhibited and stunts his ability to flourish.

Obama largely did step out of the way.

No elected politician was going to take the change that our economy totally collapsed, without making some sort of an attempt to save it, no matter how pathetic or wrong that attempt might be. Obama did pretty much the exact same thing that any politician from any party (including libertarians) would have done. While it didn't really totally have the desired results, it did prevent a total economic free fall.

The Great Bush Recession was pretty much at it's worse point during the span of time which started at the peak of campaign season and ended shortly after the transition between presidents. I really don't know what anyone would have expected, we had two guys in a heated campaign, an election, then a dead duck president, then a brand new POTUS with no real experience. Quite frankly, as deep at the economic doodoo was, it's amazing that the recession ended just three months or so after the new POTUS took office.

The outcome was probably the best outcome that was realistically possible under the circumstances.
 
If you believe that, then don't blame policy makers when the economy doesn't fix itself. The most needed thing will not be done because so many deem it to be against some misguided principle. And then they will blame the president, whoever that is at the moment.

The government has intruded already to an extent that has slowed/stunted the recovery.

While many businesses struggled to remain viable, throwing the unknown (and still not solidified) weight of a mandated healthcare insurance program on top of it not only caused many small businesses to give up, but worried enough larger businesses to put any plans of expansion on hold.

Those factors, among many others, hamstrung what could have been a better/faster recovery. And that IS the fault of the policy makers.
 
Obama largely did step out of the way.

No elected politician was going to take the change that our economy totally collapsed, without making some sort of an attempt to save it, no matter how pathetic or wrong that attempt might be. Obama did pretty much the exact same thing that any politician from any party (including libertarians) would have done. While it didn't really totally have the desired results, it did prevent a total economic free fall.

The Great Bush Recession was pretty much at it's worse point during the span of time which started at the peak of campaign season and ended shortly after the transition between presidents. I really don't know what anyone would have expected, we had two guys in a heated campaign, an election, then a dead duck president, then a brand new POTUS with no real experience. Quite frankly, as deep at the economic doodoo was, it's amazing that the recession ended just three months or so after the new POTUS took office.

The outcome was probably the best outcome that was realistically possible under the circumstances.

To the bolded: No, he didn't. Regulations, regulations, regulations. A huge health care bill which we will pay dearly for, special favors to his pet organizations, while demonizing those he deems his enemies. Creating an atmosphere of animosity among the population, and the list goes on. He has been front and center, and many of us don't believe a word he says. He couldn't have come along at a worse time in our history.
 
....The biggest problem I have with Obama is his desire to control and micromanage, ....


It is said Carter liked to micromanage the country.
 
Your thoughts?

my thoughts are that if Romney had won, Fox's take on the economy would be quite different; same for MSNBC and to a lesser degree, CNN.

in reality, the economy would be doing about the same thing it's doing now : a lukewarm, semi-"recovery." there aren't enough good paying jobs because we're entering a post-labor economy in which we don't really need everybody working 40 hour weeks. there's an excess of labor, and workers aren't organized and can't sell their labor at a higher price.

we could keep everybody working for a while; there's plenty of infrastructure that needs fixed / built, and i would support a massive upgrade of our electrical grid. of course, that takes public money, which pisses off half the country.

i guess we're just going to have to get used to our kids having to work two ****ty jobs with no benefits if they're lucky enough to find those two ****ty jobs.
 
Your thoughts?
Trying to pin all of this on Obama is quite ridiculous.

It is more aptly named a "neoliberal economy". A focus on maximizing shareholder profits, proliferating wages and pensions, and an attack on unions participation and forced globalization.
 
I don't believe the government should involve itself in anything to do with income, disparity or not. If they can mandate who makes how much, then the statement 'you can't make everybody rich, so make everybody poor' may be more truth then we, as Americans, want to imagine.

I'm not a huge believer in government mandating anything either, but it's reality. Everything that our government does, or fails to do, have effects, some good and some bad, and something or other is "mandated". As long as we can agree that we should have government, and that some form of democracy is superior to most other forms of government. Assuming this, then we should agree that the purpose of government is to benefit the majorityof the population being governed (thats what democracy is about - the majority).

There are certain actions that the government can take, which probably wouldn't normally be considered outright mandates on income distribution, but which influence income distribution. One of my favorite ways of doing this would be to lower the bottom few tax brackets to zero percent. But thats one of many.
 
Ahhh yes, redistribution of wealth, that ALWAYS works.:lol:

In any capitalistic free market economy, wealth pools over time in the hands of the few. Without sufficient mechanisms of redistribution, ultimately economies fail due to a lack of income and wealth being acquired by the consumer class. When the consumer class have little income or wealth, their consumption falls, businesses start to loose money, jobs disappear, and we end up in a depression. Just prior to both the Great Depression and the Great Recession, disparity of income and wealth reached peak points, I don't believe that to be a coincidence (although it wasn't the only contributor to poor economies).

Redistribution of wealth constantly happens in a healthy economy, we currently have redistribution, although it is inadequate.

And by the way, creating mechanisms of redistribution doesn't have to be the direct "rob from the rich to give to the poor" that we have now, it can be sensible tax policy, proper regulations (which doesn't imply more regulations), etc.
 
I'm not a huge believer in government mandating anything either, but it's reality. Everything that our government does, or fails to do, have effects, some good and some bad, and something or other is "mandated". As long as we can agree that we should have government, and that some form of democracy is superior to most other forms of government. Assuming this, then we should agree that the purpose of government is to benefit the majorityof the population being governed (thats what democracy is about - the majority).

There are certain actions that the government can take, which probably wouldn't normally be considered outright mandates on income distribution, but which influence income distribution. One of my favorite ways of doing this would be to lower the bottom few tax brackets to zero percent. But thats one of many.

A smaller government is my personal belief. Think about how much it actually takes to 'run' our government, how much is paid to everyone involved in that government, including lifetime benefits for some, and realize that all comes off the top of the taxes, which reduces what is actually used for the benefit of the people. The more they 'mandate' programs and laws, the more the government grows to administer those programs. More comes off the top.

With a flat tax, and an absolute budget that must be adhered to, there is no need to keep upping the tax percents or finding new ways to tax. The budget should be based on what the revenue is, not basing the tax on what budget they decide it is this week. But I digress.

Unfortunately, those who benefit the most from 'correcting' the disparity will say aye to anything that gives them more of what someone else makes, which would be that majority. It would force even more money/businesses overseas, loss of intellectual property, and IMO, the perfect solution to collapse this country.
 
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