Glenn Beck and the Letter
NOTE: This letter was sent to radio show host and author, Glenn Beck. It mirrors what I’ve been writing in my blogs and since the 1980s in my weekly Politically Incorrect newspaper column. I believe this accurately reflects the way most Americans now feel about our government. Feel free to send me your comments.
GLENN: I got a letter from a woman in Arizona. She writes an open letter to our nation's leadership: I'm a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now. You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me?
Well, these are briefly my views and issues for which I seek representation:
One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I'm not a racist. This isn't to be confused with legal immigration.
Two, the TARP bill, I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you no, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.
Three: Czars, I want the circumvention of our checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution and honor it.
Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There is more to say.
Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night and then go on break. Slow down!
Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real obligations. Why don't you start there.
Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes. Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census over with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.
Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs. That is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person. Why do you want me to hate my employers? Why ?? what do you have against shareholders making a profit?
Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.
Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. Have you ever ripped off a Band?Aid? We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.
Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please try ?? please stop manipulating and trying to appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.
Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.
Take a breath. Listen to the people. Let's just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I'm busy. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.
I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not.
It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.
From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on you to bring our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzword is unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.
We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented.
You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work , pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone and we are now looking up at you. You have awakened us, the patriotic spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured.
They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office. We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us when hewill rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.
Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us. Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them.
Because we will get you fired and they will not save you. If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. We the people are coming.
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/26742/?ck=1
http://www.poormansurvival.com
First reader comment received..."Where do I sign up or join?"
Our Mission: To protect and promote your freedom, civil rights, financial well being and overall self reliance in these turbulent times.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
If You're Not Petrified-You Should Be!
If You’re not Petrified-You’re not listening! Watch the…
Yahoo Tech Ticker Interview at:
http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/article/248398/%22The-Worst-Is-Yet-to-Come%22-If-You%27re-Not-Petrified-You%27re-Not-Paying-Attention?tickers=%5EDJI,%5EGSPC,DDR,XLF,GM,RWR
"The Worst Is Yet to Come"
The green shoots story took a bit of hit this week between data on April retail sales, weekly jobless claims and foreclosures. But the whole concept of the economy finding its footing was "preposterous" to begin with, says Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates.
"We're in a complete mess and the consumer is smart enough to know it," says Davidowitz, whose firm does consulting for the retail industry. "If the consumer isn't petrified, he or she is a damn fool."
Davidowitz, who is nothing if not opinionated (and colorful), paints a very grim picture: "The worst is yet to come with consumers and banks," he says. "This country is going into a 10-year decline. Living standards will never be the same."
This outlook is based on the following main points:
· With the unemployment rate rising into double digits - and that's not counting the millions of "underemployed" Americans - consumers are hitting the breaks, which is having a huge impact, given consumer spending accounts for about 70% of economic activity.
· Rising unemployment and the $8 trillion negative wealth effect of housing mean more Americans will default on not just mortgages but student loans and auto loans and credit card debt.
· More consumer loan defaults will hit banks, which are also threatened by what Davidowitz calls a "depression" in commercial real estate, noting the recent bankruptcy of General Growth Properties and distressed sales by Developers Diversified and other REITs.
The Coming Economic Collapse
If you're looking for more "no spin' analysis of what's ahead, Graham Summers has written a well-reasoned analysis in which he says "Today's essay details the ongoing collapse of the US economy with a focus on why this coming fall will prove the "worst is over" crowd wrong yet again.
"This is no recession. We are already on our way to a Depression (a GDP contraction of 10%) possibly even another Great Depression.
"One in nine Americans are currently receiving food stamps.
"Real unemployment (without birth/death seasonal nonsense and all the other Federal gimmicks) stands at 20%.
"We owe $65 trillion in liabilities.
"The US government could tax every company and every American 100% of their annual incomes AND NOT PAY THIS OFF."
The full essay is here.
http://www.gold-eagle.com/
Politics is not about what works, it's about what you can get away with.
Warren Buffett described the America of the bubble years as "Squanderville…but
America's middle class has rediscovered thrift.
There are a number of sit-down restaurant chains that cater to the middle class - Applebee's...Chili's...Ruby Tuesday and a few others. They expanded greatly during the '90s and '00s in order to meet the desires of the big spending masses. But now that the masses aren't so free and easy with their money, The New York Times reports that they are in desperate competition for remaining diners. This competition is manifesting itself as price deflation.
Applebee's offers dinner for two for only $20. Chili's advertises entrees for just $7. Ruby Tuesday's is going for a 2-for-1 deal. Buy one meal, get one free. All of them are making heavy use of discount coupons.
Governments are essentially parasites on productive activity. "That government is best which governs least", is how Jefferson put it.
But now we are in the final, fatal stage of our once great country - the political stage. In this stage, the Washington parasites take over. Government governs a lot. And governing a lot costs a lot of money.
So, governments need to find other sources of financial support. Typically, they borrow money…from China, from taxpayers…wherever they can get it from. Eventually, someone is left holding the bag.
Gathered from our subscribers and news reports. View our newest updates:
Mini-course on getting government grants & Free legal resources you can use!
http://www.poormansurvival.com
Yahoo Tech Ticker Interview at:
http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/article/248398/%22The-Worst-Is-Yet-to-Come%22-If-You%27re-Not-Petrified-You%27re-Not-Paying-Attention?tickers=%5EDJI,%5EGSPC,DDR,XLF,GM,RWR
"The Worst Is Yet to Come"
The green shoots story took a bit of hit this week between data on April retail sales, weekly jobless claims and foreclosures. But the whole concept of the economy finding its footing was "preposterous" to begin with, says Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates.
"We're in a complete mess and the consumer is smart enough to know it," says Davidowitz, whose firm does consulting for the retail industry. "If the consumer isn't petrified, he or she is a damn fool."
Davidowitz, who is nothing if not opinionated (and colorful), paints a very grim picture: "The worst is yet to come with consumers and banks," he says. "This country is going into a 10-year decline. Living standards will never be the same."
This outlook is based on the following main points:
· With the unemployment rate rising into double digits - and that's not counting the millions of "underemployed" Americans - consumers are hitting the breaks, which is having a huge impact, given consumer spending accounts for about 70% of economic activity.
· Rising unemployment and the $8 trillion negative wealth effect of housing mean more Americans will default on not just mortgages but student loans and auto loans and credit card debt.
· More consumer loan defaults will hit banks, which are also threatened by what Davidowitz calls a "depression" in commercial real estate, noting the recent bankruptcy of General Growth Properties and distressed sales by Developers Diversified and other REITs.
The Coming Economic Collapse
If you're looking for more "no spin' analysis of what's ahead, Graham Summers has written a well-reasoned analysis in which he says "Today's essay details the ongoing collapse of the US economy with a focus on why this coming fall will prove the "worst is over" crowd wrong yet again.
"This is no recession. We are already on our way to a Depression (a GDP contraction of 10%) possibly even another Great Depression.
"One in nine Americans are currently receiving food stamps.
"Real unemployment (without birth/death seasonal nonsense and all the other Federal gimmicks) stands at 20%.
"We owe $65 trillion in liabilities.
"The US government could tax every company and every American 100% of their annual incomes AND NOT PAY THIS OFF."
The full essay is here.
http://www.gold-eagle.com/
Politics is not about what works, it's about what you can get away with.
Warren Buffett described the America of the bubble years as "Squanderville…but
America's middle class has rediscovered thrift.
There are a number of sit-down restaurant chains that cater to the middle class - Applebee's...Chili's...Ruby Tuesday and a few others. They expanded greatly during the '90s and '00s in order to meet the desires of the big spending masses. But now that the masses aren't so free and easy with their money, The New York Times reports that they are in desperate competition for remaining diners. This competition is manifesting itself as price deflation.
Applebee's offers dinner for two for only $20. Chili's advertises entrees for just $7. Ruby Tuesday's is going for a 2-for-1 deal. Buy one meal, get one free. All of them are making heavy use of discount coupons.
Governments are essentially parasites on productive activity. "That government is best which governs least", is how Jefferson put it.
But now we are in the final, fatal stage of our once great country - the political stage. In this stage, the Washington parasites take over. Government governs a lot. And governing a lot costs a lot of money.
So, governments need to find other sources of financial support. Typically, they borrow money…from China, from taxpayers…wherever they can get it from. Eventually, someone is left holding the bag.
Gathered from our subscribers and news reports. View our newest updates:
Mini-course on getting government grants & Free legal resources you can use!
http://www.poormansurvival.com
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
US Recovery in Hands of 50+ Entrepreneurs
America's best economic recovery plan is in the hands of those aged 50 and up.
©2009 http://www.poormansurvival.com
According to a survey conducted by the Kauffman Foundation http://www.kauffman.org/
The study found that for the past 10 years, most company founders were age 52-62. This goes against the stereotype of the college drop-out entrepreneur a la Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.
The survey goes on to state that we are about to enter a Boomer Business Start-Up Bonanza, where those of us over age 50 will lead the way in creating an unprecedented number of new business start-ups each year for many years to come.
You may recall in my previous bulletin and blog, I wrote about ABC news featuring a startup firm in MI, which converted auto parts workers to wind turbine fabricators. The folks in MI know many of our traditional industries are slipping away and they’re making strong attempts at rebuilding for the future…
FastTrac® LaunchPad training aimed at starting or retooling businesses in Michigan
Contact:
Brian J. Bowe, (616) 331-2221 or boweb@gvsu.edu
Jennifer Deamud, (616) 331-7482 or deamudj@gvsu.edu
(GRAND RAPIDS, MI – June 17, 2009) — In response to record unemployment rates in Michigan, the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center in partnership with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is making FastTrac® entrepreneurship training available for those interested in starting a new business or retooling an existing business that is struggling in the current economy.
For the rest of this story, go to: http://www.kauffman.org/
A number of years ago I served on the advisory board and was a speaker at the annual Entrepreneurship Conference hosted by the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) in Cleveland, OH.
The conference was geared toward those interested in starting a business. The number of attendees averaged 90 and the majority were either women or men over the age of 45. Many successful businesses got their start at this conference and it was an excellent means of networking.
The challenge for all businesses lies in creating a unique USP, or unique selling proposition. On the whole, 80% of the products and services offered at any given time, are easily duplicated by others and setting yourself apart from the competition is difficult. It’s even more challenging today because of the internet and the global economy. Also, it’s no secret that small businesses create the majority of new jobs in this country.
I firmly believe that entrepreneurship will prove to be a major ingredient in fixing this country (other than a HUGE reduction in the size of government)!
For example, I poured a lot of thought and effort into creating my Poor Man materials and site…few others offer the same kind of clearinghouse of useful consumer resources that our site does…BUT, I’m getting reports from subscribers that others are beginning to copy my efforts (oh how we love flattery).
My personal challenge is to overcome my reluctance to capitalize on all of the social networking sites, which have sprung up recently. I’m usually a twitter over twitter and my face isn’t suitable for facebook…but like the proverbial tortoise, I’m making way down that path.
If you have a story of entrepreneurship or recession survival tips to share, let me know!
I do plan to begin a series of interviews with everyday folks to learn how they’re coping with or beating the recession, starting a business, or other resources they might share.
Yours for better living,
Bruce ‘the PoorMan’
bedavid@yahoo.com
©2009 http://www.poormansurvival.com
According to a survey conducted by the Kauffman Foundation http://www.kauffman.org/
The study found that for the past 10 years, most company founders were age 52-62. This goes against the stereotype of the college drop-out entrepreneur a la Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.
The survey goes on to state that we are about to enter a Boomer Business Start-Up Bonanza, where those of us over age 50 will lead the way in creating an unprecedented number of new business start-ups each year for many years to come.
You may recall in my previous bulletin and blog, I wrote about ABC news featuring a startup firm in MI, which converted auto parts workers to wind turbine fabricators. The folks in MI know many of our traditional industries are slipping away and they’re making strong attempts at rebuilding for the future…
FastTrac® LaunchPad training aimed at starting or retooling businesses in Michigan
Contact:
Brian J. Bowe, (616) 331-2221 or boweb@gvsu.edu
Jennifer Deamud, (616) 331-7482 or deamudj@gvsu.edu
(GRAND RAPIDS, MI – June 17, 2009) — In response to record unemployment rates in Michigan, the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center in partnership with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is making FastTrac® entrepreneurship training available for those interested in starting a new business or retooling an existing business that is struggling in the current economy.
For the rest of this story, go to: http://www.kauffman.org/
A number of years ago I served on the advisory board and was a speaker at the annual Entrepreneurship Conference hosted by the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) in Cleveland, OH.
The conference was geared toward those interested in starting a business. The number of attendees averaged 90 and the majority were either women or men over the age of 45. Many successful businesses got their start at this conference and it was an excellent means of networking.
The challenge for all businesses lies in creating a unique USP, or unique selling proposition. On the whole, 80% of the products and services offered at any given time, are easily duplicated by others and setting yourself apart from the competition is difficult. It’s even more challenging today because of the internet and the global economy. Also, it’s no secret that small businesses create the majority of new jobs in this country.
I firmly believe that entrepreneurship will prove to be a major ingredient in fixing this country (other than a HUGE reduction in the size of government)!
For example, I poured a lot of thought and effort into creating my Poor Man materials and site…few others offer the same kind of clearinghouse of useful consumer resources that our site does…BUT, I’m getting reports from subscribers that others are beginning to copy my efforts (oh how we love flattery).
My personal challenge is to overcome my reluctance to capitalize on all of the social networking sites, which have sprung up recently. I’m usually a twitter over twitter and my face isn’t suitable for facebook…but like the proverbial tortoise, I’m making way down that path.
If you have a story of entrepreneurship or recession survival tips to share, let me know!
I do plan to begin a series of interviews with everyday folks to learn how they’re coping with or beating the recession, starting a business, or other resources they might share.
Yours for better living,
Bruce ‘the PoorMan’
bedavid@yahoo.com
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Finally, Someone's Listening-Green Jobs in MI
Finally…Someone is listening about developing energy jobs!
In case you missed the 20/20 broadcast this week, it featured a wonderful segment on the New Normal in America including a focus on Mariah Power of Manistee, MI (a mighty cold place in the winter). Former auto workers now producing a nicely designed wind turbine system for home use. View it at:
New Normal: Workers Learn New Skills
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=7886884
A couple of years ago I had written Gov. Jennifer Granholm about a similar project proposal. I knew Ms. Granholm when she was the Attorney General of MI and provided her with some marketing perspectives when she ran for governor. She had the professionalism of responding.
I had sent the same information package to the (now) former governor of AZ, Janet Napolitano, now head of Homeland Security. One of my proposals included lining all publicly owned highways with solar panels and to create incentives to bring solar energy producers to Arizona (imagine having AZ as the leader in solar energy?).
Needless to say, I heard nothing back.
The same package was sent to Michael Crow, the president of Arizona State University. The package was sent (twice) to him after hearing his BS speech on CNN about wanting ideas from alumni (I am one) on making the university a center for ‘green’ and alternative energy research. Never heard a peep. Typical, unprofessional behavior from an overpaid ‘leader’ who is good at raising tuition costs, but little else.
The unions, such as the UAW/AFLCIO aren’t any better. I’ve sent them requests for information, without any response.
Certainly, people are busy, but that’s what these power brokers have staff for.
If you’d like to learn more about alternative energy, search these two sites:
http://www.greenbiz.com/resources/resource/alternative-energy
http://poormansurvival.com/DIYLinks.aspx
In case you missed the 20/20 broadcast this week, it featured a wonderful segment on the New Normal in America including a focus on Mariah Power of Manistee, MI (a mighty cold place in the winter). Former auto workers now producing a nicely designed wind turbine system for home use. View it at:
New Normal: Workers Learn New Skills
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=7886884
A couple of years ago I had written Gov. Jennifer Granholm about a similar project proposal. I knew Ms. Granholm when she was the Attorney General of MI and provided her with some marketing perspectives when she ran for governor. She had the professionalism of responding.
I had sent the same information package to the (now) former governor of AZ, Janet Napolitano, now head of Homeland Security. One of my proposals included lining all publicly owned highways with solar panels and to create incentives to bring solar energy producers to Arizona (imagine having AZ as the leader in solar energy?).
Needless to say, I heard nothing back.
The same package was sent to Michael Crow, the president of Arizona State University. The package was sent (twice) to him after hearing his BS speech on CNN about wanting ideas from alumni (I am one) on making the university a center for ‘green’ and alternative energy research. Never heard a peep. Typical, unprofessional behavior from an overpaid ‘leader’ who is good at raising tuition costs, but little else.
The unions, such as the UAW/AFLCIO aren’t any better. I’ve sent them requests for information, without any response.
Certainly, people are busy, but that’s what these power brokers have staff for.
If you’d like to learn more about alternative energy, search these two sites:
http://www.greenbiz.com/resources/resource/alternative-energy
http://poormansurvival.com/DIYLinks.aspx
Friday, June 19, 2009
The New American Health Plan?
A Nationalized Health Plan?
"I seldom become depressed, but when I consider that prosperity is created by "peace, easy taxes and a tolerable administration of justice" I really think that the U.S. and other Western governments are doing their very best to impoverish their countries."
--Dr. Marc Faber
We've seen the biggest stock crash in history...
"..the biggest property crash in history...
"..the biggest deficits in history (four times the previous record!)...
"..the biggest bailouts in history (we can't even count that high)...
"..the auto industry and the finance industry have been largely nationalized...
Now, the proposed health care plan is coming to prime time…
ABC News is lending itself to the Obama administration for the night of Wednesday, June 24, for a live broadcast of ABC World News Tonight from the Blue Room of the White House. This will be followed by an hour-long primetime special entitled "Prescription for America," which will advocate the Obama health care plan.
No doubt, this country needs something but it seems a bit odd to me that Linda Douglas is the Director of Communications for the White House. She’s a former ABC news columnist and where is my favorite consumer reporter, John Stossel?
If anyone should be reporting on this, it should be him. What troubles me most is that Congress is well known for its screw-ups and who knows how bad a nationalized system will be under their “leadership?” It also bothers me that Republicans (or the healthcare industry) can’t seem to come up with any viable plans!
Individual ability to choose and take risk is being minimized. It is increasingly evident that it is the government that is defining risk and/or the taking of risk.
“Unfortunately in the current partisan atmosphere in Washington the role of the individual and that of individual risk taking is being suppressed. When the President of the United States uses the ‘Bully Pulpit’ to criticize institutions for not ‘playing ball’ (Chrysler debt holders) and forces a CEO to resign (GM’s Wagoner), when a Treasury Secretary and Chairman of the President’s Economic Council team up to run an auto company (General Motors), and when no institution is too large to fail (the other side of individual risk taking) something is seriously amiss. Under the guise of saving the economy, there is a not so stealthy encroachment on the rights of the individual. No one is noticing.”
Milton Friedman: Well first of all tell me, is there some society you know that doesn’t run on greed? You think Russia doesn’t run on greed? You think China doesn’t run on greed? What is greed? Of course none of us are greedy. It’s only the other fella that’s greedy. The world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests. The greatest achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus. Einstein didn’t construct his theory under order from a bureaucrat. Henry Ford didn’t revolutionize the automobile industry that way. In the only cases in which the masses have escaped from the kind of grinding poverty that you are talking about, the only cases in recorded history are where they have had capitalism and largely free trade. If you want to know where the masses are worst off, it’s exactly in the kind of societies that depart from that.
Watch more of the libertarian economist & Nobel Prize Winner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfdRpyfEmBE
"If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy." --Thomas Jefferson
Yours for better living,
Bruce ‘the contrarian PoorMan’
http://www.poormansurvival.com
"I seldom become depressed, but when I consider that prosperity is created by "peace, easy taxes and a tolerable administration of justice" I really think that the U.S. and other Western governments are doing their very best to impoverish their countries."
--Dr. Marc Faber
We've seen the biggest stock crash in history...
"..the biggest property crash in history...
"..the biggest deficits in history (four times the previous record!)...
"..the biggest bailouts in history (we can't even count that high)...
"..the auto industry and the finance industry have been largely nationalized...
Now, the proposed health care plan is coming to prime time…
ABC News is lending itself to the Obama administration for the night of Wednesday, June 24, for a live broadcast of ABC World News Tonight from the Blue Room of the White House. This will be followed by an hour-long primetime special entitled "Prescription for America," which will advocate the Obama health care plan.
No doubt, this country needs something but it seems a bit odd to me that Linda Douglas is the Director of Communications for the White House. She’s a former ABC news columnist and where is my favorite consumer reporter, John Stossel?
If anyone should be reporting on this, it should be him. What troubles me most is that Congress is well known for its screw-ups and who knows how bad a nationalized system will be under their “leadership?” It also bothers me that Republicans (or the healthcare industry) can’t seem to come up with any viable plans!
Individual ability to choose and take risk is being minimized. It is increasingly evident that it is the government that is defining risk and/or the taking of risk.
“Unfortunately in the current partisan atmosphere in Washington the role of the individual and that of individual risk taking is being suppressed. When the President of the United States uses the ‘Bully Pulpit’ to criticize institutions for not ‘playing ball’ (Chrysler debt holders) and forces a CEO to resign (GM’s Wagoner), when a Treasury Secretary and Chairman of the President’s Economic Council team up to run an auto company (General Motors), and when no institution is too large to fail (the other side of individual risk taking) something is seriously amiss. Under the guise of saving the economy, there is a not so stealthy encroachment on the rights of the individual. No one is noticing.”
Milton Friedman: Well first of all tell me, is there some society you know that doesn’t run on greed? You think Russia doesn’t run on greed? You think China doesn’t run on greed? What is greed? Of course none of us are greedy. It’s only the other fella that’s greedy. The world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests. The greatest achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus. Einstein didn’t construct his theory under order from a bureaucrat. Henry Ford didn’t revolutionize the automobile industry that way. In the only cases in which the masses have escaped from the kind of grinding poverty that you are talking about, the only cases in recorded history are where they have had capitalism and largely free trade. If you want to know where the masses are worst off, it’s exactly in the kind of societies that depart from that.
Watch more of the libertarian economist & Nobel Prize Winner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfdRpyfEmBE
"If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy." --Thomas Jefferson
Yours for better living,
Bruce ‘the contrarian PoorMan’
http://www.poormansurvival.com
Monday, June 15, 2009
Are More Financial Storms on the Horizon?
Rising oil prices ... plus higher unemployment are squeezing consumers. Without consumer spending, the hoped-for recovery on the horizon may vanish into thin air.
The broadest unemployment rate jumped to an all-time high of 16.4 percent of the workforce ... a stunning 67 percent year-over-year increase in the underlying jobless rate!
In simple terms: ONE out of every SIX Americans is now either out of work or unemployed/underemployed for economic reasons. That translates to 14.5 million unemployed workers in the U.S. today — up a record six million in the past 12-months alone.
Worse still, it is taking longer than EVER for displaced workers to find new jobs, with the duration of unemployment also at an all time record high.
Far from being a harbinger of economic recovery ahead, this tells me there's even more fall out coming in the months ahead from consumers who are likely to slash spending – it’s very easy to see on eBay, a site I often use to guage the economy.
· We witnessed one of the biggest collapses of all time in "open market paper" — mostly short-term credit provided to finance mortgages, auto loans, and other businesses. Instead of growing as it had in almost every prior quarter in history, it collapsed at the annual rate of $662.5 billion.
· Bank lending went into the dumper. Even in the fourth quarter, when the meltdown struck, banks were still growing their loan portfolios at an annual pace of $839.7 billion. But in the first quarter, they did far more than just cut back on new lending. They actually took in loan repayments (or called in existing loans) at a much faster pace than they extended new ones! They literally pulled out of the credit markets at the astonishing pace of $856.4 billion per year, their biggest cutback of all time.
· And consumers were shoved out of the market for credit at the annual pace of $90.7 billion, the worst on record.
· The ONLY major player still borrowing money in big amounts was the United States Treasury Department, sucking up $1,442.8 billion of the credit available — and leaving LESS than nothing for the private sector.
Bottom line: The first quarter brought the greatest credit collapse of all time.
For the long-term health of our country, less debt is not a bad thing. But for 2009 and the years ahead, it's likely to be horrendous.
The Most Wealth Losses of All Time
Who is suffering the biggest and most pervasive losses? U.S. households and nonprofit organizations...
· Deep cutbacks in consumer spending ahead, plus a virtual disappearance of conspicuous consumption ...
· More massive sales declines at most of America's giant manufacturers, retail firms, transportation companies, restaurants, and more.
· Big losses replacing profits at most U.S. corporations!
NO government, even one over run with spending and fiat money printing, can replace $13.87 trillion in losses by households. Without jobs, no one is spending.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
New resource added at my site…Poor Man’s Guide to Getting Free Money/Grants
http://poormansurvival.com/FreeMoney.aspx
I’ve also added another bonus PDF ebook to the Poor Man’s Recession Survival Kit
Read about it at: http://poormansurvival.com/aboutus.aspx
Friday, June 12, 2009
GM Demise, Nicotine Nazis & Other Ramblings
GM Demise & Other Reports (my politically incorrect ramblings)
http://www.poormansurvival.com
Guess the American taxpayer now owns about 60% of General Motors…does that mean we get a free car or great options?
In reality, there are many reasons behind the demise of GM.
· They didn’t keep up with emerging trends toward fuel efficient, affordable cars
· The rising cost of retirement pensions and health care have hurt them
· Some would say union wages have hurt them
Regardless of the reasons, GM had a 75+ year run and the old cliché about “what’s good for GM is good for the country,” no longer holds true. I know many of my relatives retired from GM and they’re none-too-happy.
A number of years ago I was flying to Washington DC to give a speech. Seated next to me was a postal governor and she explained to me that the major reason behind postal rate hikes (at least back then…now, fuel costs contribute greatly) were the annual increases in pension and health-care costs. It was killing them (and us). Few industries today offer a policy of working for only 20 years with a generous, full benefit pension policy. You’re darn lucky to get a pension…period!
Perhaps it is time we get some kind of national health insurance in place. It goes against my grain in many ways, however, America is less competitive internationally because of the lack of such a program. I submitted my plan to President Obama even before he was elected. My plan for a national health program would be paid in part by adding a monthly premium to auto and/or home owners insurance policies, creating a larger subscriber pool. The number one reason for US personal bankruptcies is due to uninsured medical costs, which destroys a lot of family finances.
After just a few months of relief at the pump, cheap gasoline is disappearing.
"Gas prices have risen 41 days in a row, to a national average of almost $2.62 a gallon. That is a sharp increase from the low of $1.62 a gallon that prevailed at the end of last year ... The national jump in prices, far larger than the normal seasonal increase, is pulling billions of dollars from the pockets of drivers. It threatens to curtail a modest recovery in consumer spending on items like apparel and electronics." –June 9th-New York Times
You’ve heard me state it before…the era of cheap gasoline is over with. Perhaps now is the time to take advantage of the President’s plan of offering $4500 rebates if you trade-in your old gas guzzler for a new, fuel-efficient model. This might help spur auto sales, but most Americans can’t afford the new car payment anyhow!
They need decent paying jobs first. More than 50,000 car dealership employees stand to lose their job.
Nicotine Nazis
Since the propaganda of medical types are convinced that smoking is worse than sex was to Victorians most citizens will doubtless think prohibiting tobacco (the real proposal; regulation by the FDA is merely the first step) is a fine solution that will lower health-care-related costs even though the battle-cry of the last thirty years has had no effect.
The usual logic was applied: you may not smoke, but all diseases are tobacco-caused so either you are ill because of “second hand smoke” or you took a puff behind the woodshed when you were thirteen and forty years later you got cancer because of it. Smoking has become the easy, automatic answer for cause of death and is probably implicated in cases of suicide and car crashes…and for raising cash for the government.
A black market will surely spring up, which may account for the BATF ruling that all purchases of fifty cartons or more must be reported to them! Even if all taxes are paid. Seriously. You have to fill out a form including your license plate number and full personal data. Smuggling is a fine business opportunity, just ask Mexican drug runners. Does anyone remember American history? One of our founding fathers, John Hancock, was a smuggler.
That’s it for this week. As always, I provide useful stuff. Get your own copy of our 155+page reports…45 Ways to Make a Living Without a Job and How to Live Better on Less by sending an email to: poorman45ways@sendfree.com
Yours for better living,
Bruce David
http://www.poormansurvival.com
Guess the American taxpayer now owns about 60% of General Motors…does that mean we get a free car or great options?
In reality, there are many reasons behind the demise of GM.
· They didn’t keep up with emerging trends toward fuel efficient, affordable cars
· The rising cost of retirement pensions and health care have hurt them
· Some would say union wages have hurt them
Regardless of the reasons, GM had a 75+ year run and the old cliché about “what’s good for GM is good for the country,” no longer holds true. I know many of my relatives retired from GM and they’re none-too-happy.
A number of years ago I was flying to Washington DC to give a speech. Seated next to me was a postal governor and she explained to me that the major reason behind postal rate hikes (at least back then…now, fuel costs contribute greatly) were the annual increases in pension and health-care costs. It was killing them (and us). Few industries today offer a policy of working for only 20 years with a generous, full benefit pension policy. You’re darn lucky to get a pension…period!
Perhaps it is time we get some kind of national health insurance in place. It goes against my grain in many ways, however, America is less competitive internationally because of the lack of such a program. I submitted my plan to President Obama even before he was elected. My plan for a national health program would be paid in part by adding a monthly premium to auto and/or home owners insurance policies, creating a larger subscriber pool. The number one reason for US personal bankruptcies is due to uninsured medical costs, which destroys a lot of family finances.
After just a few months of relief at the pump, cheap gasoline is disappearing.
"Gas prices have risen 41 days in a row, to a national average of almost $2.62 a gallon. That is a sharp increase from the low of $1.62 a gallon that prevailed at the end of last year ... The national jump in prices, far larger than the normal seasonal increase, is pulling billions of dollars from the pockets of drivers. It threatens to curtail a modest recovery in consumer spending on items like apparel and electronics." –June 9th-New York Times
You’ve heard me state it before…the era of cheap gasoline is over with. Perhaps now is the time to take advantage of the President’s plan of offering $4500 rebates if you trade-in your old gas guzzler for a new, fuel-efficient model. This might help spur auto sales, but most Americans can’t afford the new car payment anyhow!
They need decent paying jobs first. More than 50,000 car dealership employees stand to lose their job.
Nicotine Nazis
Since the propaganda of medical types are convinced that smoking is worse than sex was to Victorians most citizens will doubtless think prohibiting tobacco (the real proposal; regulation by the FDA is merely the first step) is a fine solution that will lower health-care-related costs even though the battle-cry of the last thirty years has had no effect.
The usual logic was applied: you may not smoke, but all diseases are tobacco-caused so either you are ill because of “second hand smoke” or you took a puff behind the woodshed when you were thirteen and forty years later you got cancer because of it. Smoking has become the easy, automatic answer for cause of death and is probably implicated in cases of suicide and car crashes…and for raising cash for the government.
A black market will surely spring up, which may account for the BATF ruling that all purchases of fifty cartons or more must be reported to them! Even if all taxes are paid. Seriously. You have to fill out a form including your license plate number and full personal data. Smuggling is a fine business opportunity, just ask Mexican drug runners. Does anyone remember American history? One of our founding fathers, John Hancock, was a smuggler.
That’s it for this week. As always, I provide useful stuff. Get your own copy of our 155+page reports…45 Ways to Make a Living Without a Job and How to Live Better on Less by sending an email to: poorman45ways@sendfree.com
Yours for better living,
Bruce David
GM Demise, Nicotine Nazis & Other Ramblings
GM Demise & Other Reports (my politically incorrect ramblings)
http://www.poormansurvival.com
Guess the American taxpayer now owns about 60% of General Motors…does that mean we get a free car or great options?
In reality, there are many reasons behind the demise of GM.
· They didn’t keep up with emerging trends toward fuel efficient, affordable cars
· The rising cost of retirement pensions and health care have hurt them
· Some would say union wages have hurt them
Regardless of the reasons, GM had a 75+ year run and the old cliché about “what’s good for GM is good for the country,” no longer holds true. I know many of my relatives retired from GM and they’re none-too-happy.
A number of years ago I was flying to Washington DC to give a speech. Seated next to me was a postal governor and she explained to me that the major reason behind postal rate hikes (at least back then…now, fuel costs contribute greatly) were the annual increases in pension and health-care costs. It was killing them (and us). Few industries today offer a policy of working for only 20 years with a generous, full benefit pension policy. You’re darn lucky to get a pension…period!
Perhaps it is time we get some kind of national health insurance in place. It goes against my grain in many ways, however, America is less competitive internationally because of the lack of such a program. I submitted my plan to President Obama even before he was elected. My plan for a national health program would be paid in part by adding a monthly premium to auto and/or home owners insurance policies, creating a larger subscriber pool. The number one reason for US personal bankruptcies is due to uninsured medical costs, which destroys a lot of family finances.
After just a few months of relief at the pump, cheap gasoline is disappearing. "Gas prices have risen 41 days in a row, to a national average of almost $2.62 a gallon. That is a sharp increase from the low of $1.62 a gallon that prevailed at the end of last year ... The national jump in prices, far larger than the normal seasonal increase, is pulling billions of dollars from the pockets of drivers. It threatens to curtail a modest recovery in consumer spending on items like apparel and electronics." –June 9th-New York Times
You’ve heard me state it before…the era of cheap gasoline is over with. Perhaps now is the time to take advantage of the President’s plan of offering $4500 rebates if you trade-in your old gas guzzler for a new, fuel-efficient model. This might help spur auto sales, but most Americans can’t afford the new car payment anyhow!
They need decent paying jobs first. More than 50,000 car dealership employees stand to lose their job.
Nicotine Nazis
Since the propaganda of medical types are convinced that smoking is worse than sex was to Victorians most citizens will doubtless think prohibiting tobacco (the real proposal; regulation by the FDA is merely the first step) is a fine solution that will lower health-care-related costs even though the battle-cry of the last thirty years has had no effect.
The usual logic was applied: you may not smoke, but all diseases are tobacco-caused so either you are ill because of “second hand smoke” or you took a puff behind the woodshed when you were thirteen and forty years later you got cancer because of it. Smoking has become the easy, automatic answer for cause of death and is probably implicated in cases of suicide and car crashes…and for raising cash for the government.
A black market will surely spring up, which may account for the BATF ruling that all purchases of fifty cartons or more must be reported to them! Even if all taxes are paid. Seriously. You have to fill out a form including your license plate number and full personal data. Smuggling is a fine business opportunity, just ask Mexican drug runners. Does anyone remember American history? One of our founding fathers, John Hancock, was a smuggler.
That’s it for this week. As always, I provide useful stuff. Get your own copy of our 155+page reports…45 Ways to Make a Living Without a Job and How to Live Better on Less by sending an email to: poorman45ways@sendfree.com
Yours for better living,
Bruce David
Saturday, June 6, 2009
US Jobs-Our Biggest Export?
Well-Paying Jobs-Our Biggest Export
Our Precarious Prosperity
http://www.poormansurvival.com
Bruce David
Since the late 1980s my op/ed pieces blasting Wall Street policies of offshoring US jobs have appeared in USAToday, the Wall Street Journal, Crain’s and other business publications.
Decades of sinking real wages for the middle and working classes and increasing disparity between rich and poor, have left Americans more economically polarized than ever before. Wall Street has shown utter disdain for the consumer class. The government hasn’t done much better and this has led to…
The federal deficit for this year alone is four times last year's record. The official US debt is exploding. Bill Gross says it will be 100% of US GDP within 5 years.
At 100% of GDP...even mainstream economists believe the situation will be irreversible...interest payments will be more than the US can afford.
Obama may have been handed the keys to GM…but the old jalopy is worn out. The French say the whole US economic model is ready for the junkyard.
China has the biggest pile of Treasury bonds in the world – $768 billion of them. That’s 768 billion reasons to worry. Because each T-bond is denominated in dollars…and while everything else is going up, dollars are going down. Yesterday, the dollar touched a new low against the euro for this year – at $1.42.
Tim Geithner is in China, hat in hand, like a major debtor called into the bank president’s office. Geithner, of course, has no choice. He has to go…and defend the USA.
The US government is less concerned with protecting foreign lenders than it is with getting the US economy back to its old E-Z money ways. Cheap money is what people want. Cheap money is what the feds are trying to give them.
And now, the “French model” for managing an economy is the envy of the world. At least, that’s what you might think if you read The Economist.
What’s the ‘French model?’ It’s a system where the state meddles heavily in the economy. Health care, education and public transport are all government enterprises. And political cronies, rather than entrepreneurs, run key businesses.
Heck the French don’t even have a word for “entrepreneur,” as George W. Bush pointed out.
It seems to work fairly well. The health care system functions fairly well – while taking a smaller percentage of GDP than in the US. The trains run on time and grammar and secondary schools are probably better than in the US
Despite an effort by mainstream TV news to report ‘positive signs,’ things are not getting better for the average American. You can’t fix the economy by overspending – we must get people back to work before they will buy anything major again…if you have cash right now, you can name your price on many things including cars and homes!
The rest of us will, out of necessity, become even more frugal…which in itself, is not a bad thing. Affluenza has afflicted Americans for many decades.
So what do you do? The man or woman on the street; perhaps with kids to feed and the need to keep a roof over your head?
Try these suggestions.
Start from where you are.
Keep informed.
Connect with others.
Support local businesses, politicians, non-government organizations (NGO's) that help.
Write letters to make corporations more accountable.
Research your company's pension fund investments.
Promote biking, walking and public transportation.
Simplify your life and consumerism.
Develop new "health and wealth" indicators for your city.
Create and support stakeholder businesses that draw on the region's resources.
Strategize to take away the "person" status of corporations
As is my norm, here are some additional resources for you to use. Support local businesses, especially those which hire in your community!
Our Main Resource
Financial Times – Excellent reporting & resources covering the economy
http://www.ft.com/reports
Nice site for a more sustainable future-areas you can put to immediate use
http://www.newdream.org/
Financial Integrity Offers many free tools you can use to control your money
http://www.financialintegrity.org/index.php?title=Main_Page
Government website comparing the economics of various countries w/ ours
http://www.america.gov/capitalism_compared2.html
And as always, bookmark our poormansurvival.com site I add new content weekly and have recently added several new legitimate work-at-home resources.
Our Precarious Prosperity
http://www.poormansurvival.com
Bruce David
Since the late 1980s my op/ed pieces blasting Wall Street policies of offshoring US jobs have appeared in USAToday, the Wall Street Journal, Crain’s and other business publications.
Decades of sinking real wages for the middle and working classes and increasing disparity between rich and poor, have left Americans more economically polarized than ever before. Wall Street has shown utter disdain for the consumer class. The government hasn’t done much better and this has led to…
The federal deficit for this year alone is four times last year's record. The official US debt is exploding. Bill Gross says it will be 100% of US GDP within 5 years.
At 100% of GDP...even mainstream economists believe the situation will be irreversible...interest payments will be more than the US can afford.
Obama may have been handed the keys to GM…but the old jalopy is worn out. The French say the whole US economic model is ready for the junkyard.
China has the biggest pile of Treasury bonds in the world – $768 billion of them. That’s 768 billion reasons to worry. Because each T-bond is denominated in dollars…and while everything else is going up, dollars are going down. Yesterday, the dollar touched a new low against the euro for this year – at $1.42.
Tim Geithner is in China, hat in hand, like a major debtor called into the bank president’s office. Geithner, of course, has no choice. He has to go…and defend the USA.
The US government is less concerned with protecting foreign lenders than it is with getting the US economy back to its old E-Z money ways. Cheap money is what people want. Cheap money is what the feds are trying to give them.
And now, the “French model” for managing an economy is the envy of the world. At least, that’s what you might think if you read The Economist.
What’s the ‘French model?’ It’s a system where the state meddles heavily in the economy. Health care, education and public transport are all government enterprises. And political cronies, rather than entrepreneurs, run key businesses.
Heck the French don’t even have a word for “entrepreneur,” as George W. Bush pointed out.
It seems to work fairly well. The health care system functions fairly well – while taking a smaller percentage of GDP than in the US. The trains run on time and grammar and secondary schools are probably better than in the US
Despite an effort by mainstream TV news to report ‘positive signs,’ things are not getting better for the average American. You can’t fix the economy by overspending – we must get people back to work before they will buy anything major again…if you have cash right now, you can name your price on many things including cars and homes!
The rest of us will, out of necessity, become even more frugal…which in itself, is not a bad thing. Affluenza has afflicted Americans for many decades.
So what do you do? The man or woman on the street; perhaps with kids to feed and the need to keep a roof over your head?
Try these suggestions.
Start from where you are.
Keep informed.
Connect with others.
Support local businesses, politicians, non-government organizations (NGO's) that help.
Write letters to make corporations more accountable.
Research your company's pension fund investments.
Promote biking, walking and public transportation.
Simplify your life and consumerism.
Develop new "health and wealth" indicators for your city.
Create and support stakeholder businesses that draw on the region's resources.
Strategize to take away the "person" status of corporations
As is my norm, here are some additional resources for you to use. Support local businesses, especially those which hire in your community!
Our Main Resource
Financial Times – Excellent reporting & resources covering the economy
http://www.ft.com/reports
Nice site for a more sustainable future-areas you can put to immediate use
http://www.newdream.org/
Financial Integrity Offers many free tools you can use to control your money
http://www.financialintegrity.org/index.php?title=Main_Page
Government website comparing the economics of various countries w/ ours
http://www.america.gov/capitalism_compared2.html
And as always, bookmark our poormansurvival.com site I add new content weekly and have recently added several new legitimate work-at-home resources.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Can't Buy Life Insurance After You're Dead
You can’t buy life insurance after you’re dead!
No one can afford to ignore it any longer... the U.S. National Debt Bomb.
Bruce David
No one can afford to ignore it any longer... the U.S. National Debt Bomb.
Bruce David
By 2012, the National Center for Policy Analysis estimates, the federal government will be forced to stop doing 1 in 10 of the things it does for you today. By 2020, it stops doing 1 in 4. By 2050, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid alone will eat up the entire federal budget.
Do you want to wait to find out where we're headed next?
Former U.S. Comptroller General, David Walker has said this danger we’re about to face isn't just big... it's at least "25 times bigger" than the bust that's now drained some trillions of dollars from the U.S. stock market.
Some industries today will also see expanding markets for their goods. It seems obvious, but the point was often overlooked at the time – and so, too, it is overlooked today: There is some base-line level of consumption for things like energy, food and water – even in depressions. This base-line consumption is bound to rise, if for no other reason than population rises over time. You can’t say the same thing for decorative balls sold at Target for $4.99 a pop, or for fancy $30 candleholders at Pier 1. If you want to be sure your money sees the other side of this thing, stick with the necessities.
“The principal preoccupation of almost everybody in the 1930s was getting by,” the great A.J. Liebling wrote in May 1963.
The Asian nations may swap things around a while longer but China is basically up the creek without a paddle. They have less oil left than we have (which is saying, not much at all) and they won’t corner the rest of the global oil market without starting World War Three. Meanwhile, they’re running out of water and food. Good luck becoming the next global hegemon. Oh, and Japan imports 90 percent of its energy; India over 80 percent.
Credit will not vanish everywhere overnight – even in the U.S.A. – because it is not distributed equally everywhere. But it will vanish in layers, and here in the U.S.A. a very broad layer of the lower and middle classes are now losing their access to it in one way or another – personally, in small business – and they will never get it back. Anyone who intends to thrive in the years just ahead had better plan on doing it on the basis of accounts receivable – and what they receive might not even necessarily come in the form of U.S. dollars. It may come in the form of gold or silver or in the promise of reciprocal services rendered
The suburban living arrangement is over, along with all its accessories and furnishings. Taken as “all of a piece,” the suburban expansion was one sixty-year-long culmination of hypertrophy. We did it because we could. We won a world war and threw a party. We had lots of cheap land and cheap oil. It made lots of people lots of money and all its experiences have become embedded in our national identity to the dangerous degree that the loss of them will provoke a kind of national breakdown. The completely unrealistic expectation that we can resume this way of life is proof of it.
The immediate problem is that we can’t build anymore of it. The next problem will be the failure of the stuff that already exists. The first stage of that is now palpable in the mortgage foreclosure fiasco and, just beginning now, the tanking of malls, strip centers, office parks and other commercial property investments. The latter will accelerate and become visible very quickly as retail tenants bug out and weeds start growing where the Chryslers and Pontiacs once parked.
Our food production system is approaching crisis. There’s no way we can continue the petro-agriculture system of farming and the Cheez Doodle and Coke diet that it services. President Obama and Ag Secretary Vilsack have not given a hint that they understand the gravity of the situation. It is probably one of those unfortunate events of history that can only impress a society in the form of a crisis. It also happens to be one of the few problems we face that public policy could affect sharply and broadly – if we underwrote the reactivation of smaller, local farm operations instead of shoveling money to giant “agribusiness” (or Citibank, or Goldman Sachs, or AIG…).
Have you been heeding the warning signs?
T his new economy requires some new approaches for managing your money and your life. Here are money-saving strategies.
1. Get a plan. Sit down with your family and formulate a strategy to deal with the expected and unexpected.
2. Conduct a financial fire drill. Don’t wait to be blindsided by unpleasant financial news. Spend a Sunday afternoon conducting a financial fire drill. Brainstorm various worst-case scenarios -- job loss, continued declines in the stock market, loss of health-care insurance -- and how you would handle each of them. For scenarios that seem the most thorny, you can decide to research solutions either online, at the library or by talking with a financial professional.
3. Barter. Bartering is the ancient practice of swapping goods and services rather than paying for them. Check out the swapping going on at Web sites, such as Craigslist.org, or join one of the growing number of online bartering clubs, such as BarterBart.com or uSwapit.com. Recent online swaps include a used laptop computer traded for a cache of home-brewing supplies... a Web site designer trading her services for a week’s stay at a vacation cottage on the Gulf Coast... and two radial tires for a pair of concert tickets.
Many online bartering clubs allow you to trade goods and services for club "credits." Then you can trade the credits -- instead of specific goods or services -- with club members who are offering something you want.
4. Always put off until tomorrow what you could buy today. Here’s where procrastination pays off. Studies have shown that most of us eventually regret more than half of all the discretionary purchases we make. Wait at least one week between the time you are first tempted to buy an item and when you go back to buy it. Odds are good that you’ll never go back to buy it.
5. Grow your own. It’s time to bring back victory gardens, those small vegetable gardens that helped families through the two World Wars. Even a 4'x4' raised-bed garden in the backyard can produce lots of fresh produce in a season. A few dollars’ worth of seeds easily can quadruple your investment. If you don’t have space for a garden, consider growing a pot or two of herbs on the kitchen windowsill and patio-variety tomatoes and cucumbers in containers out on the deck.
More and more cities and towns have community gardens, where you get your own little plot for the season for a nominal fee. To find a garden near you -- or to learn how to start one -- go to http://www.communitygarden.org/.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs allow you to buy shares of the harvest from local farms. CSA shares sometimes can be pricey -- and veggie quantities overwhelming -- so research the options and consider splitting a share with your neighbors. Many CSA farms also offer volunteer opportunities to help with the gardening. For farms near you, go to http://www.localharvest.org/.
6. Ask and you might receive. In tough times such as these, customers gain bargaining muscle when it comes to negotiating better prices on goods and services. A study by the Consumer Reports National Research Center found that more than 90% of those who got up the nerve to ask for a discount on purchases (such as electronics, appliances, furniture and even medical expenses) reported receiving a price concession at least once -- and the average saving was $50 or more.
The key is always to be friendly and polite when asking for a better price or other concession. Even if you’re unhappy with the service that you have received or the condition of the merchandise, ask nicely.
Also, go into the store knowing the price that you are willing to pay. Don’t be afraid to say "No, thanks" and look elsewhere if need be.
Jeff Yeager, dubbed "The Ultimate Cheapskate" by The Today Show. Yeager honed his cheapskating skills during 25 years working with underfunded nonprofit agencies. He lives in Accokeek, Maryland, and is author of The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches (Broadway). http://www.theultimatecheapskate.com/.
Be sure to watch the video on our home page IOUSA & take advantage of our resources offered throughout the site.
http://poormansurvival.com/
NOTE: this is a compilation of information from the various news releases and bulletins
Deflation Protection+New Job Resources+Bonuses
Protecting Yourself in Times of Deflation
Bruce David, the PoorMan
Link for free bonus reports at end of article
We are now battling deflation ... and it is potentially a much greater financial storm threatening our economy, our wealth, and even our way of life.
Already, the destruction of American wealth over the past 18 months alone is of historic proportions — a stunning $20 trillion has gone up in smoke. But it's not over yet ...
Corporate America is not putting its money where its mouth is ... in fact, just the opposite is true ...
Directors and officers of public companies SOLD $353 million worth of their own stock in April — that's the fastest pace of insider selling since this bear market began.
Insider sales outnumber buys by a huge 8-to-1 margin! Why else would they so aggressively dump shares ... unless they're convinced NO lasting recovery is coming any time soon?
A third wave of devastating foreclosures is still intensifying, with more than four million home loans worth $717 billion now in distress — UP +60% from a year ago.
Commercial real estate is just beginning to roll over. On top of the $800 billion in residential real estate losses recorded already, banks may suffer almost $700 billion in additional losses on commercial loans too before this crisis is over.
Overview of Deflation
In economics, deflation refers to a general reduction in the level of prices below zero percent year-on-year inflation. Deflation should not be confused with a temporary fall in prices; instead, it is a sustained fall in prices that occurs when the inflation rate passes down below zero percent.
In economics, deflation is a decrease in the general price level of goods and services. Deflation occurs when the annual inflation rate falls below zero percent, resulting in an increase in the real value of money — a negative inflation rate. This should not be confused with disinflation, a slow-down in the inflation rate (i.e. when the inflation decreases, but still remains positive). Inflation reduces the real value of money over time, conversely, deflation increases the real value of money.
Currently, mainstream economists generally believe that deflation is a problem in a modern economy because of the danger of a deflationary spiral. Deflation is also linked with recessions and with the Great Depression. Additionally, deflation also prevents monetary policy from stabilizing the economy because of a mechanism called the liquidity trap.
Because the price of goods is falling, consumers have an incentive to delay purchases and consumption until prices fall further, which in turn reduces overall economic activity - contributing to the deflationary spiral.
Since this idles capacity, investment also falls, leading to further reductions in aggregate demand. This is the deflationary spiral. An answer to falling aggregate demand is stimulus, either from the central bank, by expanding the money supply, or by the fiscal authority to increase demand, and to borrow at interest rates which are below those available to private entities.
Deflation is generally regarded negatively, as it causes a transfer of wealth from borrowers and holders of illiquid assets, to the benefit of savers and of holders of liquid assets and currency. In this sense it is the opposite of inflation (or in the extreme, hyperinflation), which is a tax on currency holders and lenders (savers) in favor of borrowers and short term consumption. In modern economies, deflation is caused by a collapse in demand (usually brought on by high interest rates), and is associated with recession and (more rarely) long term economic depressions.
Some economists believe the United States may be currently experiencing deflation as part of the financial crisis of 2007–2009. Consumer prices dropped 1 percent in October, 2008, largely due to a steep decline in energy prices. This was the largest one-month fall in prices in the US since at least 1947. That record was again broken in November, 2008 with a 1.7% decline. In response, the Federal Reserve decided to continue cutting interest rates, down to a near-zero range as of December 16, 2008. Some economists believe over the next two years deflation in the United States may lead to a deflationary spiral that could bring the U.S. into the next Great Depression. Economist Nouriel Roubini predicted that the United States would enter a deflationary recession, and coined the term "stag-deflation" to describe it. It is the opposite of stagflation, which was the main fear during the spring and summer of 2008.
This double- edged sword favors those with an income, who do not own toxic or negative assets. People with steady jobs like Government Officials, Police, the Military, Teachers, and people who own debt free businesses, running at a profit. All you need to do is to save, rather than spend, and slowly join this group of people who should be able to invest in the new cheaper homes on the market, and even stocks that will bottom out in price at some stage.
So how do you start benefiting from Deflation? Make sure you simply save, and go bargain hunting. Life will feel like you can afford that large house, because the price yesterday has dropped to the price of a small affordable house today.
The key is a having a steady income, whilst you save to invest in real assets that will become undervalued, considering experts admit property has been overvalued by as much as 40- 80% in some countries like the UK, Spain and the USA.
Be as liquid as possible and debt-free. Save cash, silver and gold whenever possible. Click on the URL I set up to grab two free PDF reports on Deflation and Gold and Silver ownership.
Also, I updated our site this week to add more resources on legitimate work-at-home sites.
Click on the JobResources at: http://poormansurvival.com/
Get two FREE PDFs-Deflation Report+GoldnSilver
http://tinyurl.com/deflation-gold
Get two FREE PDFs-Deflation Report+GoldnSilver
http://tinyurl.com/deflation-gold
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)