Early To Debt and Early To Rise
Everyone talks about what the next President of the U.S. is going to do, but the reality is there's only so much he can do. The real question is, what can we do? Let's face it, the biggest problem facing us right now is the economy, and as far as you and I are concerned it's a matter of how far we can stretch our monthly budget. The government has for the past 25 years hoodwinked us into thinking it all rests on our shoulders, the more we spend the better things will be. It's why the Consumer Spending Index has become a major indicator of national economic health, and that's just plain loony. Stop and think how much money we pay to corporate America in the form of interest rates, and that's bucks we get nothing for except the ability to get even further in debt to them.
posted by John M Crowther @ 7:25 AM
15 Comments:
John, I am sorry to see you being so pessimistic but given the condition of the nation who could blame you. I am in Paris on the sort of perfect sunny spring day which could make an optimist out of anyone. Look on the bright side of things. You’ll remember that Peter Sellers film, “The Mouse That Roared,” in which a little country declared war on the United States, hoping to lose so it could collect foreign aid. I suggest that our next president wage war against Norway. Thanks to North Sea oil their economy is booming,
Great to have your "voice" here again, prof. Paris! My, my, you get around. I don't think I'm a pessimist. Pessimism is about how things will be, not how they are. I wouldn't even consider myself a cynic or a skeptic. Alas, there are two governing principles at work here, one is that this planet cannot support the human infestation that has swept over it. (Well, okay, maybe that is a bit pessimistic. The other is that the human being wasn't genetically evolved to deal with what the world has become, so everything is out of whack. In the meantime we can only have an occasional chuckle and derive maximum enjoyment from the little things, like a croissant and cafe au lait while basking in the Paris sunshine.
John, I consider you neither a pessimist nor a cynic nor a skeptic, but a realist. The classic definition of the difference between a pessimist and an optimist has always been that the pessimist sees the glass half empty while the optimist sees it half full. A realist, on the other hand, knows that after his pals finish off the half-empty/half-full glass he’s going to be the one to wash it.
Good one, prof. Back in my serious drinking days, each time the glass dipped to halfway (scotch on the rocks was my preferred potion then) I would routinely refill it. That way I was always working on my first drink. This is not unlike the statement I heard on the latest news, to the effect that economists are "concerned that the more people must spend on gas the less they have to spend on other things." I didn't make this up.
Gas in San Diego is $4.50 a gallon. Thought that the Democratic Party promised last year to bring down the prices but instead it has gone up almost $2 a gallon since they have been in the majority. Really getting tired of all the rhetoric as I watch more and more of my clients not using my services since the increase in all commodities. No longer have faith in any politician or party. The whole economy has gone crazy and neither Obama nor McCain cares one bit any of us or will do what is best for the country. Any one who thinks that either one will is crazy. Sick of both of these parties.
Sorry meant to write 'about any of us'. Been a long day today.
Feel that the cartoon is very apropos today, John C.
I can understand your frustration, Lee, but let calmness prevail, listen to "the fool." It's not up to them, it never was. It's up to us, and how we choose to live our lives. Frustration happens when we let them give us the game plan and then we discover we can't follow it. We have to make our own game plan, which means we have to check out of this whole consume, consume, consume model they're shoving down our throats. When we don't need as much a kind of peace descends.
>>The whole economy has gone crazy and neither Obama nor McCain cares one bit [about] any of us… <<
To be fair, I believe both politicians care deeply about us. The dirty little secret that both men well understand is that the political system is so corrupted by lobbyists and special interest groups –who else pays for these enormously expensive and prolonged primary campaigns? —that anyone elected either on the left or right is instantly and forever beholden to those who have footed their bills. The laws are not written anymore by our leaders however idealistic and well-meaning; they are written by lobbyists who force feed them to those to whom they have contributed. It’s a rotten system, and as long as elections continue to be circuses and popularity contests there will be little real democracy in our times. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, ain’t we got fun?
Lee... premium unleaded is now $1.70 a litre here.... that's about $5.95 a gallon give or take some cents. Scarey eh? The price is expected to rise to around $4 a litre within a year.
John's right... we have to get a grip on reality here and scale back. Over a million more cars took to the roads here in our comparatively small country during the past 12 months. With a total population of only 20 and a half million... that's a lot of extra cars out on the roads!
And I'll bet every single owner believed we should be ratifying Kyoto. Yeah right.
btw John... the cartoon is great. Oh the appalling truth! (((LOL)))
Ciao John,
Bello questo! Sto ridendo ancora. Magari potrebbe pagare pure la mia!
Un abbraccio forte.
Robert
Thanks, Jean. Grazie, Roberto. Dead on, prof. Jean, too. Ironies abound.
No way I can cut back more than I do now. Do not buy new clothes, cars or whatever. Have no desire to own jewelry, etc. My only weaknesses are art supplies and books. Must admit that I average about $50 dollars a month on books when I have extra money. Do not use credit cards if I can not pay them off in full each month, do buy wine but have no interest in the expensive one. My palate would not know a $10 bottle from a $100 one. In the last five years have only driven about 2000 miles a year which means that my auto pulls out of the property once every two weeks or so. I drive a truck which get horrid gas mileage but it is a necessity as I own horses, goats, etc. etc. Now I have had to go back into business due to the high cost of feed, etc.. plus I had to pay off a medicial debt which was horrendous. This means that I will have buy two suits to wear to meet clients and an increase in my gas cost as my truck is completely paid for and not cost efficient to buy something smaller. I was perfectly happy just wearing my +20 year old jeans and shirts and painting. The world intruded on me without asking so much as 'by your leave'. It is hard to remain calm as I see greedy people grabbing all they can without thought of others.
Forgot to say that I rarely go to the movies but 'The Mouse that Roared' is one of my favorites, along with the french film "the birdcage" with the USA one a close behind.
Lee... I was referring to the collective "we" when I said we need to scale back. Certainly no finger pointing from me... (afraid to say I am as guilty as the rest when it comes to consumption... but not greedy and would never grab all I can without thought for others) Hope things get a little easier for you soon! :-)
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