Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigerik
I don't know, but I am really starting to think that the US economy is not fixable anymore.The corruption and greed has taken a hold of all of US aspects of the US citizenry to such an extant that any meaningful discussions will not take place to correct things. Just look at the negative discussions around health care. Having all of your citizens healthy and able to contribute to your country is an obvious GOOD THING, but those discussions turned so ugly it just beggared belief.
So, how are you going to make the real hard decisions that will be needed to turn the country around? For instance, the manufacturing base of American needs to be restored. People have to start being willing to pay more to purchase US made goods, and pay much more if needed, to kill the huge trade deficits. The trade deficits are a huge cut to the jugular of the United States, and real wealth is just pouring out of the country. There will be no economic recovery until the trade deficits are corrected. But who will tell Americans they need to stop buying Japanese cars right now or purchasing Chinese DVD players at Wal-Mart for $39? Who will tell the corporations that they have to stop exporting jobs and closing down plants in the US and take the $.05 per share hit of the bottom line?
To be honest, it looks like something worse than the depression is going to be needed to turn America around. And from what I see, the worse is still ahead of you guys....
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I agree with you on all but the health care, just the thought of the government running anything else just doesn't sit well with alot of us folks. They have their hands in enough as it is. Can't forget all those loans they told banks to lend folks with no money down, and nothing to show for. Alot of those folks couldn't afford those loans the day they took them out, but the good ole government thought folks needed a fair chance to own. It backfired on down the road though, and look who gets to pay back the bailout money.Again, no loss to the government, only to the poor ole taxpayers for many years to come.
I agree, we should be buying US automobiles, and I've owned upto that my whole life by driving GM,Ford,and Mopar over the years, and still do. I won't be buying another from any of the big three for years to come though, mine'll run for probly two more decades with the parts I've collected knowing sooner or later they'd get hard to come by. I frowned on cash for clunkers, but had to giggle a bit in anger as I wondered how long the temporary spikes in sales is going to hold them now that cash for clunkers is dead and many folks are still shit outta luck lookin' for work, or worried they will be and won't buy a new car.
Things from that place they call Wally-World? Again, I agree that folks need to buy American, even if it cost more at the checkout. Only problem is, what can we buy that is still American other than a street whore offering a one night stand? I remember when ole Sam was alive, Wal-Mart was always glad to offer ''Made In America'' products and had signs asking folks to buy American. But ole Sam died a good ole soul and his survivors let his stores go strait to hell afterwards. I still enjoy 30 year old audio gear, and wouldn't buy a damn thing new these days. Well, I can still buy new gear that ain't made in China, but I'm way to poor for the price I'd have to pay, so I have no problem enjoying the old ''built to last'' gear that the public could afford to buy new then. I bought three brand new DVD players a few years ago, but only because I went through two of them in less than a year from Wally World and the third lasted a whole six movies and started freezing up so I said the hell with it and ain't bought a single DVD or worried about watching DVD movies again in the last couple years. Odly enough though, our 'old' VCR still works flawlessly, but I don't see new movies for sale for them so still, I don't watch new movies til they old enough to be seen on the regular tube.
I feel like Microsoft is a money circle also. Look at all the folks that have bought new PC's over the years and before they knew it, MS threw a new OS out there and stop supporting the old. MS is still doing it, exept so many folks raised hell about it, that MS decided to keep supporting XP a while longer rather than stop supporting it as planned in June 08. Vista is a resorce hog and alot of folks still have machines that'll last for years to come but can't run the new bloated OS. MS knows that too, and again, folks'll have to go out and buy a more powerfull machine. Why should old folks have to do that if they only need a PC to check email once a week? I feel their old windows 98 should be good enough, but no, MS is greedy and expects folks to keep on buyin' ... and never mind that alot of elderly are on fixed incomes and get a needed lift when chey check email and see an email & pict of the grandkids that may live halfway cross the country that they may only get lucky enough to see twice in person before their time on earth is through.