More goodies to enjoy the coming economic collapse:
1.) Eat the Rich - Aerosmith
"BUUUURRRRRRPPPPPP!"
2.) Help! - The Beatles
"Won't you please please help me?" From Yoko.
3.) Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones
"Rape! Murder! It's just a shot away."
4.) Empire - Queensryche
"Got an AK-47 for his best friend. Business the American Way."
5.) Break Stuff - Limp Bizkit
Lotsa gaps in this censored version.
6.) Shock to the System - Billy Idol
"It was a night. Oh what a night. L.A. It really was. Oh what a night." Brilliant lyrics there, Billy.
7.) Just Like Paradise - David Lee Roth
Climb that mountain!
8.) Headed for Destruction - Jackyl
Nice hat. "Hell yeah!"
9.) Harm's Way - Anthrax
"Here comes the biggest asshole the world has ever seen."
10.) Flash - Queen
"Flash, I love you! But we only have fourteen hours to save the Earth!"
11.) My Hero - Foo Fighters
Zombieland Rule #17 - Be a hero.
12.) The Dream is Over - Van Halen
"Dream another dream..."
13.) Beautiful Day - U2
Isn't it ironic? Don't ya think?
14.) It's the End of the World as We Know It - R.E.M.
Gibberish ala Tommy Boy.
15.) Message In a Bottle - The Police
"I'll send an SOS to the world."
16.) Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
One of the creepiest videos of all time.
17.) The End - The Doors
Fitting end to The End.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
My SHTF Mix
The economic collapse is assured, with a following societal collapse a definite possibility. Get out of the system as much as you can. Prepare. Keep these four expressions in mind, and in order, to survive and thrive and remain sane: Buckle Up, Hunker Down, Buck Up, and Buckle Down.
But as you do all these things, and if the grid is still up, you might as well enjoy the coming economic apocalypse! I'm a traditionalist, so the mix comes in at around 80 minutes. Have a brew, kick back, and rock out to My SHTF Mix.
1.) Epic - Faith No More
"You want it all but you can't have it!"
2.) Apocalypse Please - Muse
"This is the end of the world."
3.) Symphony of Destruction - Megadeth
"Swing to the symphony of destruction."
4.) Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
"All aboard! HAHAHA!"
5.) Highway to Hell - AC/DC
"I'm on the highway to hell!"
6.) I'm Not Okay - My Chemical Romance
"I mean this! I'm okay! Trust me."
7.) Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
"Baby take my hand."
8.) Don't Dream It's Over - Crowded House
Nice song accompanying scenes of desolation in Stephen King's "The Stand."
9.) Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies
"Whole world's comin' to an end, Mal." From Natural Born Killers
10.) Preaching the End of the World - Chris Cornell
"Seeking a friend for the end of the world."
11.) The Man Comes Around - Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash goes all Revelation on us.
12.) Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Howl at the moon, baby.
13.) Shelter Me - Cinderella
"We all need a little shelter."
14.) Sometimes Salvation - The Black Crowes
"Sometimes salvation in the eye of the storm."
15.) Santa Monica - Everclear
"Swim out past the breaker. Watch the world die."
16.) There Will Never Be Another Tonight - Bryan Adams
Douchebag Canadian didn't allow embedding his official video, so we get this guy.
17.) Live and Let Die - Guns N' Roses
Killer Axl scream.
18.) Alive - Pearl Jam
"I'm still alive."
19.) Let It Be - The Beatles
Speaks for itself.
But as you do all these things, and if the grid is still up, you might as well enjoy the coming economic apocalypse! I'm a traditionalist, so the mix comes in at around 80 minutes. Have a brew, kick back, and rock out to My SHTF Mix.
1.) Epic - Faith No More
"You want it all but you can't have it!"
2.) Apocalypse Please - Muse
"This is the end of the world."
3.) Symphony of Destruction - Megadeth
"Swing to the symphony of destruction."
4.) Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
"All aboard! HAHAHA!"
5.) Highway to Hell - AC/DC
"I'm on the highway to hell!"
6.) I'm Not Okay - My Chemical Romance
"I mean this! I'm okay! Trust me."
7.) Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
"Baby take my hand."
8.) Don't Dream It's Over - Crowded House
Nice song accompanying scenes of desolation in Stephen King's "The Stand."
9.) Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies
"Whole world's comin' to an end, Mal." From Natural Born Killers
10.) Preaching the End of the World - Chris Cornell
"Seeking a friend for the end of the world."
11.) The Man Comes Around - Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash goes all Revelation on us.
12.) Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Howl at the moon, baby.
13.) Shelter Me - Cinderella
"We all need a little shelter."
14.) Sometimes Salvation - The Black Crowes
"Sometimes salvation in the eye of the storm."
15.) Santa Monica - Everclear
"Swim out past the breaker. Watch the world die."
16.) There Will Never Be Another Tonight - Bryan Adams
Douchebag Canadian didn't allow embedding his official video, so we get this guy.
17.) Live and Let Die - Guns N' Roses
Killer Axl scream.
18.) Alive - Pearl Jam
"I'm still alive."
19.) Let It Be - The Beatles
Speaks for itself.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
I'm reading this on Christmas
It was the middle of December, 1776. The winds and storms of winter had entered the fight on the enemy's side. Washington found little comfort from what remained of his army - if it could be called as such. They were exhausted, barefooted and ragged. Sickness, death and desertion had reduced his force to but 2,000 men; men whose morale was at the lowest ebb.
Thomas Paine was with the Army through all its trials and tribulations. Legend has it that he sat on a stone, immune to the winter's cold with his musket across his knee and wearing Washington's coat, and with a stroke of genius wrote on a drum head "The American Crisis."
Before crossing the Delaware and attacking Trenton on Christmas Day, Washington ordered these flaming words of inspiration read aloud to his freezing soldiers:
THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.
I have as little superstition in me as any man living, but my secret opinion has ever been that God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction who have so earnestly and so repeatedly sought to avoid the calamities of war. Neither have I so much of the infidel in me, as to suppose that He has relinquished the government of the world, and given us up to the care of devils.
I once felt all that kind of anger, which a man ought to feel, against the mean principles that are held by the Tories: a noted one was standing at his door, with as pretty a child in his hand as I ever saw, and after speaking his mind as freely as he thought was prudent, finished with this unfatherly expression, "Well! give me peace in my day." A generous parent should have said, "If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace;" and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty. I am as confident, as I am that God governs the world, that America will never be happy till she gets clear of foreign dominion. Wars without ceasing will break out till that period arrives, and the continent must in the end be conqueror; for though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire.
Quitting this class of men, I turn to those who have nobly stood, and are yet determined to stand the matter out: I call not upon a few, but upon all: not on this state or that state, but on every state: up and help us; lay your shoulders to the wheel; better to have too much force than too little, when so great an object is at stake. Let it be told to the future world, that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet and to repulse it. Say not that thousands are gone, turn out your tens of thousands; throw not the burden of the day upon Providence, but "show your faith by your works," that God may bless you. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
I thank God, that I fear not. I see no real cause for fear.
Thomas Paine - December 23, 1776
Thomas Paine was with the Army through all its trials and tribulations. Legend has it that he sat on a stone, immune to the winter's cold with his musket across his knee and wearing Washington's coat, and with a stroke of genius wrote on a drum head "The American Crisis."
Before crossing the Delaware and attacking Trenton on Christmas Day, Washington ordered these flaming words of inspiration read aloud to his freezing soldiers:
THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.
I have as little superstition in me as any man living, but my secret opinion has ever been that God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction who have so earnestly and so repeatedly sought to avoid the calamities of war. Neither have I so much of the infidel in me, as to suppose that He has relinquished the government of the world, and given us up to the care of devils.
I once felt all that kind of anger, which a man ought to feel, against the mean principles that are held by the Tories: a noted one was standing at his door, with as pretty a child in his hand as I ever saw, and after speaking his mind as freely as he thought was prudent, finished with this unfatherly expression, "Well! give me peace in my day." A generous parent should have said, "If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace;" and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty. I am as confident, as I am that God governs the world, that America will never be happy till she gets clear of foreign dominion. Wars without ceasing will break out till that period arrives, and the continent must in the end be conqueror; for though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire.
Quitting this class of men, I turn to those who have nobly stood, and are yet determined to stand the matter out: I call not upon a few, but upon all: not on this state or that state, but on every state: up and help us; lay your shoulders to the wheel; better to have too much force than too little, when so great an object is at stake. Let it be told to the future world, that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet and to repulse it. Say not that thousands are gone, turn out your tens of thousands; throw not the burden of the day upon Providence, but "show your faith by your works," that God may bless you. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
I thank God, that I fear not. I see no real cause for fear.
Thomas Paine - December 23, 1776
Monday, November 23, 2009
What will happen in the coming years...
I feel like I have to be on the record about what is going to happen in the coming years if we as a nation do not change course.
The problem is very basic: We are spending money we do not have. This happens both as individuals and as a nation. Our national debt now sits at $12 trillion, is projected to climb to $14 trillion next year, and in the next ten years is projected to double to $24 trillion. The interest payments on our debt alone are projected to rise to $700 billion every year in ten years time - in other words, a stimulus plan every year with absolutely zero benefit (not unlike the current results of the economic stimulus). This is money flushed down the toilet.
Compunding the problem, we have $109 trillion dollars in unfunded liabilities looking into the future - these unfunded liabilities are Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, and Prescription Drug benefits paid primarily to the Baby Boomers who are just now beginning to enter retirement. Basically, we (they) have promised the Baby Boomers these benefits, and we (they) do not know how they are going to pay for them.
This fiscal problem does not take into account Health Care "reform," which will only add to the national debt problem and the unfunded liabilities.
The Ponzi Scheme that is Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and all the rest will come crashing down in a dramatic fashion. The US is bankrupt already - we just don't see it yet.
I will not even address the problem of the many pension funds out there, both public and private, that require an increasing population and increasing workforce to remain solvent. These are Ponzi Schemes as well, and they will follow suit.
The current financial situation is unsustainable.
How is the US government going to solve this problem? Will they raise taxes? No, that will destroy the economy and result in the ending of their political careers. Will they cut spending? No, too many people are dependent on the government and making the necessary cuts to remain solvent as a nation would result in the ending of their political careers. So what do they do? They are going to monetize the debt. They are going to print the money needed. They are going to destroy the US dollar.
Think about it. Most people don't understand what the dollar really is - it is mysterious, confusing, and complicated - because it represents nothing. The dollar is worth what it is worth because people believe it is worth something. It is also worth what it is worth due to the simple economic equation of supply and demand. When the US government is trustworthy, the demand for the dollar rises and it is worth more - when the US government is viewed as untrustworthy, its value falls.
It is also worth more when there are less dollars in circulation. It is worth less when its supply increases. And boy, its supply has increased over the last year - by a whopping 130%!
The drop in the dollar has been steady and gradual of late - that is because foreign governments that own US dollars in their reserves, as well as US debts, no longer trust the US government to pay them back and are slowly moving out of the dollar and into other currencies and assets (gold). The Federal Reserve is also keeping lending rates at extremely low levels - when taking inflation into account, they are in fact lending money to banks at negative interest rates! These banks in turn either use this money to shore up their books, or use this money to make money in other assets, such as stocks, bonds, or real assets.
But lets return to the national debt and the unfunded liabilities problem. How are they going to make good on these debts? They are going to pay these debts off with printed dollars - they are going to pay them off with worthless money. The government could pay off the national debt today - just print $12 trillion and pay off the principal. But what happens? You have too many dollars now in the system, and the value of the dollar plummets and we see hyperinflation. Every dollar you have in your savings account, or in stocks and bonds, is now worth nothing overnight. We reset as a country to zero.
China holds the most US debt. They want to be assured that the US is going to make good on its debt and its word and pay them back with money that is actually worth something. They also hold many dollars in their own reserves. When China believes that the US will inevitably be forced to pay them back with worthless money, with printed pieces of paper, they will dump their dollar reserves and get whatever they can get for them. This will start the hyperinflationary cycle. This hyperinflationary cycle is on a razor's edge right now - first one to blink, China or the US, things could change dramatically overnight.
Once China dumps its dollars, other countries will follow suit, and amidst the carnage the US government will decide to just print more money to pay off our debts, because the dollar is crashing with or without the actions of the Federal Reserve and US Treasury. In other words, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do, and right now Rome is burning."
This scenario gives the government the cover to either blame China, or blame some other bogeyman of their choosing, for the fact that every dollar you own is now worth nothing, and every cent the government owes you in Social Security, or Medicare, or any other unfunded liability is now worth nothing. It wasn't their fault! It's a crisis! It's a catastrophe! It's the fault of the rich and powerful!
The system resets, and your net worth is whatever you own in real assets, because real assets rise with inflation. Stocks will rise, but likely not along with inflation. Bank interest rates may rise, your wages may rise, everything will rise, but if it's not a real asset, they will likely not rise with inflation, but behind it. And then, when it takes hundreds of dollars to buy a sandwich, the government will create a new currency, and a new system, and all debts will reset to zero.
Take what you will from this prediction. You respond as you wish - you are responsible for your own decisions or lack thereof, and in no way am I a financial advisor or life coach. But if you want some advice, here are a few common sense suggestions:
1) Pay off your current debts and buy real things you need. Whatever you do, don't borrow money to buy shit you don't need.
2) Invest in yourself, not in others that are not beholden to you - invest in skills, knowledge, and in relationships. Whatever you are doing, make yourself indespensable. Be the best at whatever you do.
3) If you are a Baby Boomer, plan on not retiring. Social Security will not be there for you, nor will any pension plan. Remember, the dollar is going to be worth nothing, and everything promised depends on the dollar. If you do begin your retirement in the next couple years, perhaps do what you've always wanted to do - learn those skills, and be useful and productive even in retirement. It never hurts to be productive.
4) Become self-reliant. Don't keep up with the Joneses, because the Joneses are fucked. Be frugal with your resources, and learn to live with less.
5) A penny saved may be a penny earned - but only if it was coined before 1983. Paper money is worthless - coins have some inherent value based on the metals it is stamped from. Electronic money is worth even less - it is a promise, and promises can be broken. Be careful where you invest your earnings - just riding out the storm and keeping a long-term view only works when the foundation - the currency - is on a firm footing.
6) Make your word solid. Make your handshake firm. When the US government finally is shown to be the dishonorable den of thieves that it is, people of honor will be needed to lead once again. Your word will be worth more than anything else.
The problem is very basic: We are spending money we do not have. This happens both as individuals and as a nation. Our national debt now sits at $12 trillion, is projected to climb to $14 trillion next year, and in the next ten years is projected to double to $24 trillion. The interest payments on our debt alone are projected to rise to $700 billion every year in ten years time - in other words, a stimulus plan every year with absolutely zero benefit (not unlike the current results of the economic stimulus). This is money flushed down the toilet.
Compunding the problem, we have $109 trillion dollars in unfunded liabilities looking into the future - these unfunded liabilities are Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, and Prescription Drug benefits paid primarily to the Baby Boomers who are just now beginning to enter retirement. Basically, we (they) have promised the Baby Boomers these benefits, and we (they) do not know how they are going to pay for them.
This fiscal problem does not take into account Health Care "reform," which will only add to the national debt problem and the unfunded liabilities.
The Ponzi Scheme that is Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and all the rest will come crashing down in a dramatic fashion. The US is bankrupt already - we just don't see it yet.
I will not even address the problem of the many pension funds out there, both public and private, that require an increasing population and increasing workforce to remain solvent. These are Ponzi Schemes as well, and they will follow suit.
The current financial situation is unsustainable.
How is the US government going to solve this problem? Will they raise taxes? No, that will destroy the economy and result in the ending of their political careers. Will they cut spending? No, too many people are dependent on the government and making the necessary cuts to remain solvent as a nation would result in the ending of their political careers. So what do they do? They are going to monetize the debt. They are going to print the money needed. They are going to destroy the US dollar.
Think about it. Most people don't understand what the dollar really is - it is mysterious, confusing, and complicated - because it represents nothing. The dollar is worth what it is worth because people believe it is worth something. It is also worth what it is worth due to the simple economic equation of supply and demand. When the US government is trustworthy, the demand for the dollar rises and it is worth more - when the US government is viewed as untrustworthy, its value falls.
It is also worth more when there are less dollars in circulation. It is worth less when its supply increases. And boy, its supply has increased over the last year - by a whopping 130%!
The drop in the dollar has been steady and gradual of late - that is because foreign governments that own US dollars in their reserves, as well as US debts, no longer trust the US government to pay them back and are slowly moving out of the dollar and into other currencies and assets (gold). The Federal Reserve is also keeping lending rates at extremely low levels - when taking inflation into account, they are in fact lending money to banks at negative interest rates! These banks in turn either use this money to shore up their books, or use this money to make money in other assets, such as stocks, bonds, or real assets.
But lets return to the national debt and the unfunded liabilities problem. How are they going to make good on these debts? They are going to pay these debts off with printed dollars - they are going to pay them off with worthless money. The government could pay off the national debt today - just print $12 trillion and pay off the principal. But what happens? You have too many dollars now in the system, and the value of the dollar plummets and we see hyperinflation. Every dollar you have in your savings account, or in stocks and bonds, is now worth nothing overnight. We reset as a country to zero.
China holds the most US debt. They want to be assured that the US is going to make good on its debt and its word and pay them back with money that is actually worth something. They also hold many dollars in their own reserves. When China believes that the US will inevitably be forced to pay them back with worthless money, with printed pieces of paper, they will dump their dollar reserves and get whatever they can get for them. This will start the hyperinflationary cycle. This hyperinflationary cycle is on a razor's edge right now - first one to blink, China or the US, things could change dramatically overnight.
Once China dumps its dollars, other countries will follow suit, and amidst the carnage the US government will decide to just print more money to pay off our debts, because the dollar is crashing with or without the actions of the Federal Reserve and US Treasury. In other words, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do, and right now Rome is burning."
This scenario gives the government the cover to either blame China, or blame some other bogeyman of their choosing, for the fact that every dollar you own is now worth nothing, and every cent the government owes you in Social Security, or Medicare, or any other unfunded liability is now worth nothing. It wasn't their fault! It's a crisis! It's a catastrophe! It's the fault of the rich and powerful!
The system resets, and your net worth is whatever you own in real assets, because real assets rise with inflation. Stocks will rise, but likely not along with inflation. Bank interest rates may rise, your wages may rise, everything will rise, but if it's not a real asset, they will likely not rise with inflation, but behind it. And then, when it takes hundreds of dollars to buy a sandwich, the government will create a new currency, and a new system, and all debts will reset to zero.
Take what you will from this prediction. You respond as you wish - you are responsible for your own decisions or lack thereof, and in no way am I a financial advisor or life coach. But if you want some advice, here are a few common sense suggestions:
1) Pay off your current debts and buy real things you need. Whatever you do, don't borrow money to buy shit you don't need.
2) Invest in yourself, not in others that are not beholden to you - invest in skills, knowledge, and in relationships. Whatever you are doing, make yourself indespensable. Be the best at whatever you do.
3) If you are a Baby Boomer, plan on not retiring. Social Security will not be there for you, nor will any pension plan. Remember, the dollar is going to be worth nothing, and everything promised depends on the dollar. If you do begin your retirement in the next couple years, perhaps do what you've always wanted to do - learn those skills, and be useful and productive even in retirement. It never hurts to be productive.
4) Become self-reliant. Don't keep up with the Joneses, because the Joneses are fucked. Be frugal with your resources, and learn to live with less.
5) A penny saved may be a penny earned - but only if it was coined before 1983. Paper money is worthless - coins have some inherent value based on the metals it is stamped from. Electronic money is worth even less - it is a promise, and promises can be broken. Be careful where you invest your earnings - just riding out the storm and keeping a long-term view only works when the foundation - the currency - is on a firm footing.
6) Make your word solid. Make your handshake firm. When the US government finally is shown to be the dishonorable den of thieves that it is, people of honor will be needed to lead once again. Your word will be worth more than anything else.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Why Washington is Printing Money
I had a brainstorm today. I read a post on a gold website that basically said that a weaker dollar is a good thing because it creates a situation where the US can export more. In other words, it makes US-produced goods cheaper overseas, and thus more attractive and competitive.
In my time spent in New Zealand, a strong NZ dollar was viewed as a bad thing because NZ depended on exports and tourism. As the NZ dollar became stronger, their exports became more expensive and it became more expensive for tourists to spend money in NZ.
The reality of cheaper exports also made me think of one of the economic goals of Obama: We need to make things again.
With a strong dollar, why aren't we making things anymore? Because our cost of labor is too high, and thus manufacturers move overseas where labor is cheaper.
With a weaker dollar, our goods become more attractive.
Why? Because with a weaker dollar, we pay our workers the same salary and benefits in cheaper dollars. In essence, it is a pay cut without having to admit it is a pay cut, because while the workers are paid the same dollar value, the purchasing power of those dollars is diminshed.
Cheaper dollars also can lessen the impact of the unfunded liabilities of Social Security and pension funds for retirees. With a weaker dollar, we pay our retirees the same benefits in cheaper dollars. In essence, it is a cut in benefits without having to admit it is a cut. Because those dollars cannot buy the basic necessities, retirees will have to work longer instead of retiring and enjoying "the good life."
Obama and the Federal Reserve are cowards, because they are destroying the dollar to do what needs to be done, which is this: Unions need to renegotiate their contracts to make the US competitive again, and retirees need to work longer before they retire and collect benefits. A weaker dollar accomplishes these things without having to make the tough decision, and as a result all of our savings are destroyed as well.
This is what the economic wizards in Washington DC are doing. It is evil. It is immoral. And it is invisible to the public at large. When invisible, and complex, those unaccountable few who make these decisions will not have suffer the political consequences.
In my time spent in New Zealand, a strong NZ dollar was viewed as a bad thing because NZ depended on exports and tourism. As the NZ dollar became stronger, their exports became more expensive and it became more expensive for tourists to spend money in NZ.
The reality of cheaper exports also made me think of one of the economic goals of Obama: We need to make things again.
With a strong dollar, why aren't we making things anymore? Because our cost of labor is too high, and thus manufacturers move overseas where labor is cheaper.
With a weaker dollar, our goods become more attractive.
Why? Because with a weaker dollar, we pay our workers the same salary and benefits in cheaper dollars. In essence, it is a pay cut without having to admit it is a pay cut, because while the workers are paid the same dollar value, the purchasing power of those dollars is diminshed.
Cheaper dollars also can lessen the impact of the unfunded liabilities of Social Security and pension funds for retirees. With a weaker dollar, we pay our retirees the same benefits in cheaper dollars. In essence, it is a cut in benefits without having to admit it is a cut. Because those dollars cannot buy the basic necessities, retirees will have to work longer instead of retiring and enjoying "the good life."
Obama and the Federal Reserve are cowards, because they are destroying the dollar to do what needs to be done, which is this: Unions need to renegotiate their contracts to make the US competitive again, and retirees need to work longer before they retire and collect benefits. A weaker dollar accomplishes these things without having to make the tough decision, and as a result all of our savings are destroyed as well.
This is what the economic wizards in Washington DC are doing. It is evil. It is immoral. And it is invisible to the public at large. When invisible, and complex, those unaccountable few who make these decisions will not have suffer the political consequences.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Most People Don't Care... Enough
I had an interesting discussion with a good friend of mine yesterday. I've been pretty frustrated of late with the people of my country. People are starting to wake up to what is going on, but most still insist to keep their vulnerable asses in the air and their heads buried in the sand. My little experiment on Facebook in trying to warn family and friends proved fairly futile - I think after a time most just sent me to the back of the bus, not wanting to hear what I had to say anymore. That's fine. But don't say I didn't warn you.
I explained that the conclusion I came to - for the apparent ass-end-up-head-in-sand paradigm - is that most people just don't care. My friend challenged me on this conclusion, and I better explained my thoughts with this: Most people don't care enough to be challenged and know that what they believe is true.
People care. They just don't care enough to want to know if what they believe is right. This holds true across the political spectrum and across issues. Most people formulate their "world-view," whatever that is, and they cling to it blindly and plug their ears and say "na-na-na" when any challenging arguments or thoughts come their way.
Thomas Jefferson once said: "Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear."
I, unlike most people, want to be challenged. I want someone to debate with me, because I want to be on the side of what is right and true. I used to be a "liberal democrat," indoctrinated into the leftist fold via the public school system and my parents' foundational belief that rich people took advantage of the poor - that making a profit was always a result of ripping people off - and thereby they should be punished. My father also worked for the government, so bigger government was a good thing to him.
For a long time I was safe and happy with my leftist world-view. When I entered college, I decided that I should find out what the other side was saying, such that I could counter their arguments. Know my enemy, I thought. So, I started watching Rush Limbaugh on television. And a funny thing happened - I started to realize that the other side was right.
The Left appealed to my emotions. The right appealed to my reason. And if given a chance, reason will win out every single time.
It's hard to come to the realization that everything you have believed to be true isn't - that you have been lied to, that you have been manipulated, that you have been scammed. Most people do not allow themselves to be vulnerable enough to allow their beliefs to be challenged by themselves and their own critical thoughts, much less the ideas and opinions of someone else. It is very safe and secure to believe you have everything figured out - that you are right and everyone else is wrong - that you are one of the few and the enlightened, or the chosen, or the saved, and everyone else is damned.
The same thing holds true for my religious beliefs. Growing up, I was raised a Christian, but really only on Sundays. Faith did not have much to do with my ordinary, everyday life. In college, I started to explore my faith more and more. After graduation and in striking out on my own, I committed myself more and more to the Christian Faith, devoting my time, money and talents as I was supposed to do. In taking the chance to live and work in another country, I devoted myself fully to my faith, finding a church that finally seemed to "get it," and really working to build "His Kingdom" here on earth. It was great - I felt I was doing something important and a part of something real. All those doubts and questions - am I doing God's Will, why am I struggling, is it me, do I pray enough, do I know enough, am I a good enough Christian, what is holding me back from being blessed by God, is it the church, is there a perfect church for me out there? - I finally found my place. And it was great. For awhile.
Well, circumstances in my life challenged my faith - challenged it right to its core. Once again, reason won out over emotion - reason won out over faith - and I am no longer a Christian. It was very difficult, and again I felt I was scammed, that I was lied to, that people used me for their own ends. It was infuriating, and fortunately I was able to climb out of that very dark place and be at peace with God.
Most people will definitely not allow their faith to be challenged. Their faith makes them feel secure, and safe, and gives them hope for a brighter day in the future. That's fine - I feel the same as well, but I base my feelings of security and safety and hope on reason - on beliefs that have been challenged - because I care enough about knowing what I believe to be right and true. I am confident in my right beliefs through reason - not faith in falsehoods.
Most people don't care enough. In fact, they care so much for the opposite - clinging to their world-views and religions - that they outright ignore or attempt to silence opposing views. These people are dangerous.
Please, people - care enough to allow yourselves to be challenged - seek it out. There is a Truth, and it matters. Don't believe the Lies.
I explained that the conclusion I came to - for the apparent ass-end-up-head-in-sand paradigm - is that most people just don't care. My friend challenged me on this conclusion, and I better explained my thoughts with this: Most people don't care enough to be challenged and know that what they believe is true.
People care. They just don't care enough to want to know if what they believe is right. This holds true across the political spectrum and across issues. Most people formulate their "world-view," whatever that is, and they cling to it blindly and plug their ears and say "na-na-na" when any challenging arguments or thoughts come their way.
Thomas Jefferson once said: "Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear."
I, unlike most people, want to be challenged. I want someone to debate with me, because I want to be on the side of what is right and true. I used to be a "liberal democrat," indoctrinated into the leftist fold via the public school system and my parents' foundational belief that rich people took advantage of the poor - that making a profit was always a result of ripping people off - and thereby they should be punished. My father also worked for the government, so bigger government was a good thing to him.
For a long time I was safe and happy with my leftist world-view. When I entered college, I decided that I should find out what the other side was saying, such that I could counter their arguments. Know my enemy, I thought. So, I started watching Rush Limbaugh on television. And a funny thing happened - I started to realize that the other side was right.
The Left appealed to my emotions. The right appealed to my reason. And if given a chance, reason will win out every single time.
It's hard to come to the realization that everything you have believed to be true isn't - that you have been lied to, that you have been manipulated, that you have been scammed. Most people do not allow themselves to be vulnerable enough to allow their beliefs to be challenged by themselves and their own critical thoughts, much less the ideas and opinions of someone else. It is very safe and secure to believe you have everything figured out - that you are right and everyone else is wrong - that you are one of the few and the enlightened, or the chosen, or the saved, and everyone else is damned.
The same thing holds true for my religious beliefs. Growing up, I was raised a Christian, but really only on Sundays. Faith did not have much to do with my ordinary, everyday life. In college, I started to explore my faith more and more. After graduation and in striking out on my own, I committed myself more and more to the Christian Faith, devoting my time, money and talents as I was supposed to do. In taking the chance to live and work in another country, I devoted myself fully to my faith, finding a church that finally seemed to "get it," and really working to build "His Kingdom" here on earth. It was great - I felt I was doing something important and a part of something real. All those doubts and questions - am I doing God's Will, why am I struggling, is it me, do I pray enough, do I know enough, am I a good enough Christian, what is holding me back from being blessed by God, is it the church, is there a perfect church for me out there? - I finally found my place. And it was great. For awhile.
Well, circumstances in my life challenged my faith - challenged it right to its core. Once again, reason won out over emotion - reason won out over faith - and I am no longer a Christian. It was very difficult, and again I felt I was scammed, that I was lied to, that people used me for their own ends. It was infuriating, and fortunately I was able to climb out of that very dark place and be at peace with God.
Most people will definitely not allow their faith to be challenged. Their faith makes them feel secure, and safe, and gives them hope for a brighter day in the future. That's fine - I feel the same as well, but I base my feelings of security and safety and hope on reason - on beliefs that have been challenged - because I care enough about knowing what I believe to be right and true. I am confident in my right beliefs through reason - not faith in falsehoods.
Most people don't care enough. In fact, they care so much for the opposite - clinging to their world-views and religions - that they outright ignore or attempt to silence opposing views. These people are dangerous.
Please, people - care enough to allow yourselves to be challenged - seek it out. There is a Truth, and it matters. Don't believe the Lies.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Expansion of the Fish-Giving-Teaching Parable
You know the old parable: "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime."
We're going to take this further and create a parable for Capitalism vs. Socialism.
Let's say a man is taught how to fish, and he starts fishing in his little village. He gets really good at it, and has more than he needs to feed his family. Some of this he chooses to give to his neighbors who have fallen on bad times. Some he trades with local farmers, or for other goods.
But man, this spot is a jackpot - he can't keep the fish out of the boat he is so good at it. So, he decides to hire some of his neighbors to fish with him. But not everyone in the village is good at fishing, or has any ability to be good at it. Some are good at cleaning the fish. They use everything. The local farms start producing more because of the natural fertilizer.
He needs another boat and oars. The local carpenter in town builds it for him. The local carpenter needs to focus on building the boats, so he hires people to go find the wood and mill it, and more people to help him put the boats together. Nails are needed, and pitch. Other businesses expand, blacksmiths and pitch producers.
The fisherman needs more nets and sails, so the local seamstress starts weaving and repairing the nets. She needs help weaving the rope to make the nets, so she can focus on making the nets.
The fishermen need new clothes - they wear out with the hard work, and get really smelly. Another local seamstress starts making clothes, and innovates to create pockets for tools, or special gloves to protect their hands against the sharp fish fins and rope burns. Other fishing villages hear about these advancements and they start exporting the clothes. A washing service is started, to wash the clothes.
The fish keep coming. People he trained man their own boats. Some start their own business fishing. They begin to export the fish, selling them to distributors that transport them to other villages in the area and beyond. Wagons are needed, as well as stables for the horses. More and more people are employed, taking care of horses, fixing and making wagons.
The abundance is so great, that luxury goods start coming into town. Some creative people start making art, or music, or write plays to perform, and the people pay to see them.
The fishing village grows to the point where it needs a government - it needs an elected body to protect the people from criminals and thieves, to enforce contracts, and to maintain the roads coming and going out of town. A small tax is levied on everyone to pay for these services.
The fisherman who started it all is rich, as well as those who built their businesses at the onset of the fishing boom. But there are still poor people too - people who just don't have any useful skills, or who are sick or injured, and the people of the town continue to help them - giving them a fish so they can eat for a day, because they just can't take care of themselves.
But then the local governmental body doesn't think it is fair that the fisherman is so rich when there are those in the town that are so poor. So they decide to tax the fisherman more, because he has more.
The fisherman has to cut back on his business, because it just doesn't make sense with the higher taxes. Those cuts travel down through the system, forcing layoffs at the other businesses dependent upon the thriving fishing business. The amount of fish produced is reduced, and thus less trade.
Those people who got laid off need help. There are more people than before that need their fish for a day, and the governmental body doesn't have enough taxes from the rich fisherman to pay for it all. So, they raise the tax again on the rich fisherman, and on some of the other richer businesses in the area.
Again, it doesn't make sense to keep more employees than the fisherman and the other businesses can afford. More layoffs, and more people in need.
The governmental body is now being pressured by the poor for food and services. They raise taxes again. More layoffs. More people in need. Less business. Less production.
Soon, the fisherman is alone in his boat again. Everyone's taxes are high to pay for all the poor.
Today, the village is a ghost town.
Capitalism vs. Socialism - Capitalism creates, Socialism destroys.
We're going to take this further and create a parable for Capitalism vs. Socialism.
Let's say a man is taught how to fish, and he starts fishing in his little village. He gets really good at it, and has more than he needs to feed his family. Some of this he chooses to give to his neighbors who have fallen on bad times. Some he trades with local farmers, or for other goods.
But man, this spot is a jackpot - he can't keep the fish out of the boat he is so good at it. So, he decides to hire some of his neighbors to fish with him. But not everyone in the village is good at fishing, or has any ability to be good at it. Some are good at cleaning the fish. They use everything. The local farms start producing more because of the natural fertilizer.
He needs another boat and oars. The local carpenter in town builds it for him. The local carpenter needs to focus on building the boats, so he hires people to go find the wood and mill it, and more people to help him put the boats together. Nails are needed, and pitch. Other businesses expand, blacksmiths and pitch producers.
The fisherman needs more nets and sails, so the local seamstress starts weaving and repairing the nets. She needs help weaving the rope to make the nets, so she can focus on making the nets.
The fishermen need new clothes - they wear out with the hard work, and get really smelly. Another local seamstress starts making clothes, and innovates to create pockets for tools, or special gloves to protect their hands against the sharp fish fins and rope burns. Other fishing villages hear about these advancements and they start exporting the clothes. A washing service is started, to wash the clothes.
The fish keep coming. People he trained man their own boats. Some start their own business fishing. They begin to export the fish, selling them to distributors that transport them to other villages in the area and beyond. Wagons are needed, as well as stables for the horses. More and more people are employed, taking care of horses, fixing and making wagons.
The abundance is so great, that luxury goods start coming into town. Some creative people start making art, or music, or write plays to perform, and the people pay to see them.
The fishing village grows to the point where it needs a government - it needs an elected body to protect the people from criminals and thieves, to enforce contracts, and to maintain the roads coming and going out of town. A small tax is levied on everyone to pay for these services.
The fisherman who started it all is rich, as well as those who built their businesses at the onset of the fishing boom. But there are still poor people too - people who just don't have any useful skills, or who are sick or injured, and the people of the town continue to help them - giving them a fish so they can eat for a day, because they just can't take care of themselves.
But then the local governmental body doesn't think it is fair that the fisherman is so rich when there are those in the town that are so poor. So they decide to tax the fisherman more, because he has more.
The fisherman has to cut back on his business, because it just doesn't make sense with the higher taxes. Those cuts travel down through the system, forcing layoffs at the other businesses dependent upon the thriving fishing business. The amount of fish produced is reduced, and thus less trade.
Those people who got laid off need help. There are more people than before that need their fish for a day, and the governmental body doesn't have enough taxes from the rich fisherman to pay for it all. So, they raise the tax again on the rich fisherman, and on some of the other richer businesses in the area.
Again, it doesn't make sense to keep more employees than the fisherman and the other businesses can afford. More layoffs, and more people in need.
The governmental body is now being pressured by the poor for food and services. They raise taxes again. More layoffs. More people in need. Less business. Less production.
Soon, the fisherman is alone in his boat again. Everyone's taxes are high to pay for all the poor.
Today, the village is a ghost town.
Capitalism vs. Socialism - Capitalism creates, Socialism destroys.
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