Inflation

[Spookwriter]

We can not change the past. We can only change the future.

Yes, America has a problem with the economy today. Was it any one
persons fault, or even any one groups fault? Not really. Many things
figure into the overall picture. Some things have been years in the
making.

But it does come to a political issue. Our elected leaders are very much
not without fault in this issue. From the President on down.

But it even that their fault?

If we--the people-- fail to watch, or follow, or pay heed to the actions
and decisions our leaders make and we continue to elect the same people
time after time, isn't it really us--the people--who share a large part of the
blame?

But as I said, we can't change yesterday. Yersterday is gone forever. We can
study it, hopefully learn from it.

And make better decisions for tomorrow.

I've heard a lot of people bash this President, or that President. But when you ask
WHY it gets to be shaky ground. Same with the members of congress, or even our
local levels.

How many of us actually have a working knowledge of various political issues, who's
for it, who's against it, and how will it effect me personally?

I'll use my own brother here for a minute. He loves to discuss politics. Obama hater,
Bush hater. But...He doesn't hate enough to actually vote. So why should he complain?

We need to take an active interest in the world around us. On every level, local, state,
federal, even overseas.

I do not mean this to be a political post, certainly not one party over the other. Just saying
that I believe that every person needs to be informed, and have their own opinion. Not
interested in what this channel says, or that channel says. Make your own opinion.

 

[Wifezilla]

If we--the people-- fail to watch, or follow, or pay heed to the actions
and decisions our leaders make and we continue to elect the same people
time after time, isn't it really us--the people--who share a large part of the
blame?

I watch, follow and am aware economically, politically, and socially. The people I voted for didn't get elected.​

 

[Dunkopf]

Quote:
Your right. Unless one of us is a billionaire we aren't going to effect politics, so the best we can do is exchange ideas on ways to live through it. You know the unemployment is down to 8.8%. I know it's all BS but I think they still use the same measurement system as they have for years. So if it is really 18.8% now, that means it was 14.% back when they said it was 4%. Of course the average wage for us regular folk is probably much lower since a lot of people have taken jobs that pay less than 1/2 of what they used to make.

The problems we are having now started many years ago. So it's not really fair to blame Bush or Obama. We had a false boom going during the Bush years up until the last 6 months or so. There were virtually no jobs created in that 8 years but we all seemed to be doing ok. During Clinton we all did ok and there were millions of jobs created. Of course that had to do with the internet and it was all built on thin air. It of course collapsed just like the fake housing market that made millions for some. Obama is just trying to clean up the mess he inherited. naturally he is going to take the biggest hit for it all. Same thing would have happened to McCain. Only difference is we would have a smaller deficit and a lot higher unemployment because of no stimulus efforts. The Wall Street bail out was a Bush deal. Stimulus is Obama. It may have increased the deficit a lot but it did create a lot of jobs. The unemployment would have been much higher without it.

It would seem they have run out of options. All the credit cards are full and the house is mortgaged to the hilt. I see Congress bickering about cuts right now. All the cuts that the House have put forward are to entitlement programs like SS and Medicare. Programs real people need to survive. I hear they have 6 Billion in ethanol subsidies that the House isn't trying to cut though and of course all the subsidies to the oil companies are still in place. If Grandma has to eat Kroger dry dog food, then the oil companies shouldn't be getting any gravy either. Don't tax them anymore but don't give them money either. There's a bunch of huge corporations like GE that didn't pay a dime in taxes last year and actually got rebates similar to earned income credit last year. What's up with that? Give corporations a tax break but drop all the loopholes that they use now to not pay taxes.

Same with wealthy people. Since they earn most of their income through investments then they should pay the same tax as they pay on earned income. They pay less percentage wise than someone making 60k a year. This country needs some serious tax restructuring and a lot of fat trimming.

I'm anxious to see what exactly will happen if they let the Gov shut down next week. Didn't work out to well for Gingrich last time. Of course things are different now. Like Rufus said it's all political. Bunch of people on both sides saying and doing stupid things to get re-elected. No thought at all about what is happening to the country or how many people will go hungry to further their political ambitions.

A lot of people point out that we have been through tough times before. The difference is that things have changed a lot since Nixon normalized relations with China. There's a lot more people sharing the pie now. Our leaders haven't done a very good job of securing our slice over the last 30 years or so. When FDR brought us out of the depression he had more to work with and wealth was a lot more evenly distributed amongst the people. The income disparity was not as great as it is now. Back then the rich people took a big hit too. This time they have actually become much wealthier while everyone else has become less wealthy.

I sure don't know the answers and I don't really know the exact cause of why things are the way they are. I just know that something is not being done right and I'm real frustrated about it. I know that the people giving us info through the media are all feeding us a bunch of BS to keep our eyes off the ball.

 

[Smittenroade]

Three words for long term survival. Move To Texas.

 

[Wifezilla]

LOL...I would love too but we can't sell our home here.

 

[Spookwriter]

I would love to buy a new pickup this year.
But not for the $58,000 price I was quoted.

Not a wise investment from my view. So I can't
justify the purchase. It isn't about can I afford it.
It's about the pickup isn't worth the price to me.

 

[sourland]

Yes, Spookwriter! I was thinking about trading in my truck and getting a new one. I was looking at trucks probably somewhat smaller than you looked at, but they were priced in excess of $30,000. I bought the same truck five years ago for less than $20,000. I'm keeping my truck! I can not justify the purchase. At this point in the game, my present truck may last until they take away my license.

 

[GhostRider65]

Do Not ever trust the media most of them work for or are owned by someone in the government in the first place, their lies and half truths are a joke, and each station depending upon their backers Dem or Rep. will have a different twist to the truth, The other half that is true is forbidden to be spoken about by the very government who covers up everything they do, with the blame game or just flatly ignores the truth.
My saying is the TV/Government wouldn't know the truth if it jumped up and bit it' in the arsse.

IMHO they are crooked as can be! they think only of themselves and their backers= lobbyists , they could care less what happens to us as long as they get a pay check or re-election, for future paychecks all on us. S.S. wouldn't be broke if they wouldn't have stolen from the fund in the first place, the deficit wouldn't be nearly as much as it is if they would not have been bailing out their buddies. Had they been left to lay in their own made bed we would be much better off. The crash would not have gone so far as it did, and my grand children would not be having to clean up their dam mess!!!!!!!!!!! They all make me sick.........
DONE WITH MY RANT NOW

THINGS TO DO TO HELP YOURSELF.............. Raise chickens for meat and eggs. YAH BYC grow a big garden, if you have no room make room there's no excuse for not having 1, but laziness, you can do it in flower pots on your 3rd floor apartment balcony, or roof. build a raised bed, they take up little room and many things can be grown, join a co-op of gardeners where theirs lots of room but requires some help. Buy some goats for milk cheese meat, make your own soap, shampoo, conditioner, wash soap, laundry soap, its easy and recipes are readily available online.....will save you lots of money and its much much better for you....... just google self sufficient, or look at Mother Earth news, frontier living ect. I'll post a couple links more available upon request. It's time to start worrying about ourselves, because it's more than transparent they do not worry about us at all. WAKE UP AMERICA
they ( the Governing body) are useless and if you keep falling in their bull one day soon you will all drown.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/
http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/
http://67.222.53.210/frontierfreedom/index.php?option=com_ricettario&Itemid=10061..Kim
Point of reference.......... My personal opinions no one has to agree or disagree or comment if they do not wish, This was not directed at anyone here and not posted to incite a riot, just my temper at the injustice of their bull crap gets me started and I can't shut up sorry if I offended anyone here.

 

[Spookwriter]

My once locally owned newspaper was bought out by a mega-media.
Not long untill the new owner decided to do away with Monday's edition
to save money.

They didn't cut my subscription rate. Just cut their service.

So I cancelled my paper. There is a free version online, there before the
new owners.

Again, not because I can't afford a newspaper. General principal.

They now offer less product, they should charge less.

-------------------------

Same with gas and fuel... as their price goes up, I find myself driving less.
Of course a part of that may be in the warmer weather, I find more things
to do in my own yard.

 

[debilorrah]

I believe the key to understanding why we are where we are as a nation is having knowledge of the small government functions. If you follow $1.00 from the white house down, you will see such convoluted thinking it will blow you mind.

States are their own government, with federal entities offering up funds, such as the Federal Transportation Administration (I use examples I am familiar with). The State of Californias Department of Transportation, better known as CalTRANS, receives federal monies, that us little folks in transit have to fill out grant applications for. Then we wait 3 years for the money. By the time the money comes, the project we orginally applied for is no longer feasible. However, if we do not use that money for that project, we lose not only the money, but the seniority in grants acceptance. If the money is not used for the original purpose in the grant application, we are no longer allowed to apply for that grant.

Like I said, convoluted.