There is universal agreement that the US economy is currently in a mess. Calling it a recession or not is merely a matter of semantics. The American people are blaming it on the government, the war in Iraq and, in particular, the greedy banks who were so generous in handing out sub-prime mortgages at enticing lending rates, even to families who really did not have the financial capacity to keep up the interest payments. And now they are foreclosing and driving innocent families out into the street - the cruel bastards. There is merit in this argument, of course, but it is not the whole picture. The American public would be well served if they carried out a little introspection.
I should have prefaced this article by admitting that my knowledge of high finance would fill up a page - barely. My consolation is that it puts me in the same league as millions of ordinary families - not just in the US, but all over the world. The difference lies in attitudes towards money. In India, for example, the majority of the population who want the good things in life would probably save up before they feel brave enough to get it. America, however, is the land of instant gratification.
Consider a typical young married couple. They have recently got married and want a good house for themselves and the children to come - and they want it now. Unless they are qualified professionals, probably only the husband is working; or both are in low end jobs. According to their income, they can only afford community housing, or a studio apartment. But why should they settle for that? This is America, after all, and they are entitled to the American dream. And it is so achievable. Banks are eager to advance loans; and if the loan is not big enough for a "nice" house, they don't have to limit themselves to a single mortgage. As for paying back the loan, they will worry about it when the time comes. If push comes to shove, they can always max out their credit cards.
Credit cards, indeed, seem to be one of the most easily available commodities in the US. I've seen pop-up ads on the web, where credit card companies seem almost desperate to give you a card. It is immaterial if your credit rating is through the floor. I recall an episode on one of those US law serials (Boston Legal?), where the defense attorney accused the credit card companies of enticing people to purchase their cards, even though they were aware that the recipients would almost certainly default on the monthly payments. This gave them an excuse to increase interest rates until they reached exorbitant levels.
To an outsider like me, the spending habits of ordinary Americans have long been a source of wonder. Take the price of gasoline, for instance. It is about to touch four dollars a gallon. Americans are moaning and grumbling, but how many have seriously considered trading in that gas-guzzling SUV for a compact model? Why is there this compulsion to take the car every time you step out of the house? Why do the younger kids have to be dropped and picked up from swimming class and the library, even though they may be only a couple of miles distant? Why can't they walk, or ride a bicycle? Ditto for the older kids. Why is it absolutely essential to have your own car once you turn sixteen? Why can't you walk to the mall instead of driving there? It wouldn't be so humiliating if everyone did it.
These suggestions would probably be received with horror and amazement by many Americans. A smaller car is a ridiculous idea. We need a big car for those family outings to Six Flags; and the summer vacation at Myrtle Beach. Do I expect them to take a bus, or the train, for God's sake? How naïve can I get?
Yes, credit rules in America. It is no longer a luxury, but a way of life. Heck, there are no luxuries any more. You see something you like; you flash your credit card and bring it home. And when one credit card maxes out, you simply switch to another one. That is how the system works. Don't worry your head about paying back. Like Annie said, the sun will come out tomorrow - maybe.
George Bush's solution to ease the financial suffering of his fellow Americans is to send them more money. Makes sense, I suppose. Only, I'm not sure how many beneficiaries of this government largesse will use that windfall to reduce some of their debt. My guess is that most will go out and spend it - and get into even more debt. Hooray for the free market economy.
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Comments: 76
The next generation started where their parents left off, but this trend was in trouble from the start. Recessions kept their ambitions modest but as they too rose to the level of their parents the notion of having their children go back to square one got lost. Their children wanted to start off where their parents left off. The only problem was that there parents got there through a ton of sweat equity. They had nothing.
They wanted the "Mc Mansions" with the 5 bedrooms, the 6 baths and two stairways to the second floor so they could retire to their rooms from either the living room or from the dining room. They wanted the sports utility vehicles where every child (and their friend) got their own personal seat and a video display. They wanted it all; they wanted it now; even though they only had a starting salary. Mom and Dad would work; and it would all work out.
They were lied to. Truth be told they wanted to be lied to. They wanted to take on debt they couldn't handle because they didn't want to live as their parents, and their grandparents did when they first started. They were spoiled by the wealth of their parents and they wanted it all; they wanted it now.
i do not own a car and have not for over ten years. i live in a city where there is decent public transit- the most expensive public transit in the WORLD- but decent and if i'm not bussing, i walk.
i do not have, want or desire a filthy credit card!!! if i can't pay for it- guess what- i don't get it.
people cannot believe this about me. "how can you be a rocker, staying at hotels, traveling from state to state and NOT have a credit card?!"
i agree with you so much on every aspect of this article! we in the u.s. think this world is ours and everything in it. kids today are fat, lazy, welfare wannabes! everyone in this damn country wants a hand out! there are fifth generation plus welfare families out there who are raising kids to learn how to scam the system. this is what they think their future is.
and you are so right, this is THE instant gratification country! we are a wasteful, spoiled, teenage country who needs a real good ass whooping to put us in our place.
ehem... if this numb-nut we call "president" keeps up with the war OF terrorism, we may end up getting our asses beat soon enough!
excellent article... 10!!!
- freeways; can't walk on them or along side.
- no sidewalks
- many less expensive housing options are located in "combat zones" in the cities
- lack of "affordable housing"
- kids' extracurricular activities at school require tons of equipment that must be
transported
- lack of public transportation options in most cities
- spouses end up working in jobs that are at opposite ends of the metro area; no
public transportation available and/or need to pick kids up at daycare
- perceived (and real) lack of safety for kids walking, esp. alone (predators)
- time crunch does not allow for walking
- in the northern tier of states, winter prohibits biking, walking
That said .... there are a ton of freecycle groups online, and The Compact is a new movement designed to avoid buying anything new for a year. We'll see what happens.
You expect the folks in the US of A to make intelligent decisions!!!
The government is the people, therefore, when the people blame the government they do know that they are blaming themselves.
We're not stupid Firoze. We just don't know what we're doing, or at times why.
However, we do like to focus blame, and to complain about our actions and why we do these little things.
Good Grief
Free Market? What free market? That's just a meaningless buzzword for poor people. Artificial manipulation of the prime rate set by the Fed isn't allowing free market, is it? How about the bailout of Countrywide who capitalized on the predatory lending FAD that reaped such a disaster to the people. B of A bought them, and is amortizing and deducting the losses of their Fortune 500 company's profits to save taxes. Translation? They don't pay the taxes they would have and that's nothing different than a government bailout. Ever hear of Bear Stearns? These maggots were in the business of high risk investment lending and instead of going bankrupt as they would have in a "FREE" Market, the Feds forced a sell and enticed the buyer with TAXPAYER provided guarantees . . . even moving money from T-Bills into unsecured home mortgages . . .
FREE MARKET? Yeah . . . right.
Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~
Yes, Americans are encouraged to spend, spend and spend more, regardless of their economic situation. We have a president who seems to think that providing a few bucks to each citizen and having them spend it at Wal-Mart will help the economy. With that kind of leadership, how do we get out of this mess?
Not all Americans, however, are like that. There are reasonable people here who did what they were told to do - get a good education, go to work at a good company, stay with it and work hard, pay your taxes and your mortgage, pay your kid's college expenses, pay into your company's retirement plan, and someday you will be able to retire comfortably with some modicom of wealth and healthcare.
The dream is just not there anymore. Companies were bought, sold and downsized willy-nilly over the past 20 years, middle-class skilled jobs moved overseas (many to your country), house prices sky-rocketed, education costs sky-rocketed, healthcare costs sky-rocketed, pensions went belly-up, 401(k)'s were mismanaged and lost value, compensation of average workers did not rise in relation to the inflation rate.
There are many, many reasons why we are in the state we are in now. And a lot of it is due to the US losing its manufacturing base and allowing large companies to go overseas for cheaper labor without penalties. Soon, we will not have the tax base to support the needs of the country (military, structural, transportation), even without considering citizen benefits.
This is what happens to a country with bad leadership, and who insists that corporations can do no wrong, even when it means that most of the country suffers based on their greed. India will come to this, also, if they are not smart about their own burdgeoning economy and consumer class.
Our Government is on a spending spree that is pumping our dollars out of the treasury as fast as the FED can print it.
It takes a lot more than people spending foolishly to break a nation.
Firoze ~ You could have left the word, "STUPID" out of the title, because that would include yourself as well. And, it really isn't nice to call your readers "STUPID". And, since words have power, I'll rebuke that word on behalf of everyone.
But, I must say, that you do have to wonder why a country of people would allow their President and his Leadership to take them down the drain without a fight.
And, you also have to wonder why he is allowed to sit in his seat, have his position, and be handed a microphone to speak.
Twilight Zone Generation I'd say.
But being in the Twilight Zone does not solve the nation's problems. Kicking the current Administration out before their time is up might help. Other countries do it. And since the people of this country know how to yell loudly and fight hard about nothing, wouldn't it be nice for us to all wake up tomorrow and yell loudly and fight hard about something that matters to ALL of us?
Do you all think that would be a GOOD IDEA?
Blessings Everyone ~
Rene
Much of what you say is true about the vast majority of Europe and North America. I will agree with you that credit dependence is one of the ills, but we still have many strengths related to our economy that I would not trade.
So, while you make several nice simplistic points, I am surprised that you talk about "innocent families" in one paragraph and then accuse those same "innocents" in the next. Which is it? They are victims of predatory business practices or stupid, lazy undisciplined fools?
I'll keep my stupid, lazy fellow citizens, and along with it, one of the greatest innovators of the world, producers of our own food, high education rates, low suicide rates, medical care and religions that do not burn down their competition.
I find your egregious criticism of another country distasteful. Solve your own country's problems with that critical eye of yours. We may have lots of problems, but I was born here, my people were welcomed here, and I make no apologies to you, an outsider, for the problems we will solve on our own.
And before you start your generalizations, I'm a left wing Liberal, who hates the war, hates the economic troubles, hates our President. But I'm still a proud American, and you've offended me and many others with your hostile criticisms.
Same reason your government can spend money on some priorties and not others. Every government makes decisions and they don't always make sense to outsiders.
If most people wanted to get these things done, we'd be pestering them to do it. Far from it.. even in my own suburb, there is a very loud core group insisting that they do NOT want sidewalks.
And we really do not expect the government to run our lives. I recognize that it is easy to criticize the US. As I've noted previously in other places .. we fully know that we are normal, fallible human beings. Perfect we are not. But we are still the country that many of your countrymen are clamoring to get into, so SOMETHING we are doing must be right even if you don't choose to highlight it. True enough... these articles do spark discussion, and that can be a good thing. But you might want to consider asking questions about things you don't understand rather than leveling criticisms...... food for thought.
Expecting people to be rational about their finances or just about anything they do is a mug's game. Trying to make a moral point of it is cheap sanctimony, plain and simple.
Thanks for your thoughts.
There are many reasons for the current mess our economy finds itself in. A lack of personal responsibility is certainly a large part of the mix.
On the other hand there should be some regulations with regards to who can borrow. Why do they lend to those who are clearly not able to make sound financial decisions? Because they can screw those people even more/ make more money! Why do we allow this to happen?
My boyfriend and I are part of the small percentage of consumers who didn't spend, spend, spend and get in over our heads. We don't own a home, don't have kids and can even afford to get married. But we have good credit and are not defaulting on our financial commitments. We have two modest cars that are paid off and we are just trying to live within our means. Oh and that money from the government, it's going to pay bills and go into the savings account!
Just because you can be an irresponsible consumer doesn't mean you should!
As someone who voluntarily left a lucrative job with a predatory lending institution, I can tell you for a fact that many American businesses exist to prey upon those who have bigger aspirations than their wallets.
Add to that a robust advertising industry that spends billions to figure out how to get consumers to consume more, and you have a bad mix that catches some people in a trap that's difficult to escape.
There is no common sense of America anymore, and it would be hard to find agreement enough in an intersection of the beliefs of 350 million people to decide on what color to make the new $5 bill.
I think this shows really well if you watch juts about any movie that is pre-1970, and a post-2000 movie and compare them.
What is happening in the movies is a analog of what is happening on the minds of Americans. Most Americans have gone to their rooms and locked the door to stare at the TV channels we want to and believe what we will.
Maybe we should rename our country the Disunited States. We cannot even get to know our neighbors anymore so we have retreated to virtual communities.
Meanwhile there are some places that still believe in American and act like it, but they are universally condemned and attacked in the media ... while there is anything in this country that anyone believes in there will be a controversy in the media to tear it apart ... until finally there is nothing left.
Urban sprawl is a BIG problem. It would be WONDERFUL if development happened in the cities and in the first-ring suburbs. Why tear up the farmland when we can fix up the existing neighborhoods? Towns aren't built for walking anymore, I wish they were.
My husband lives 35 miles from his job (we're glad he drives a little Nissan sentra). We chose our home location because it was close to the family. The work location was chosen for him - the job market just SUCKS where we live. Even if we did decide to try to buy a house close to the city, who's going to buy the house we have now? There are 10 houses in my development for sale right now.
I'm so glad we got a fixed rate mortgage when we bought our house almost four years ago.
Remember when you had to have 30% down to get anything on credit?
I don't blame the public for taking advantage of the "sign your name and move in" mentality and noone can convince me that the FED didn't know that it would come to this.
I blame it on the FED. They know human nature and they still removed all the roadblocks to abuse because by inflating the dollar they made billions. (the owners of the FED) They have converted those billions into other currencies and could care less that the world is dumping their worthless dollars as fast as possible.
We are left holding the debt and at todays exchange rates, our food supply is being baught up by countries like China, at bargain prices. Our millitary will become even weaker because much of their hardware now comes from outside this country and noone wants dollars.
Get ready for some very hard times, if you can.
Most have never read the constitution or the warnings from Jefferson. Most have no idea that we pay interest to an elite group for every dollar in our pocket, through the FED.
Let America be the land of dreams and hope the new President will remember George Washington, Abraham Lincoln etc and their dreams. I think they should re -read -Ayn Rand.
I can hear the protests now, "whoa, it is illegal to not pay income tax on your labor." Well, Russo went to some lengths to try to find the law that says laborers HAVE to pay income tax. There is no law. Some people have had cases dropped against them when they were able to convince the jury that no law requiring a direct tax on labor exists in federal law, while some are in prison for tax evasion. Very interesting film. Try to find it, and let me know what you think.
What this has to do with your essay is the idea of credit has been pushed to a great extent to obligate people to participate in a system that favors those holding the reigns and most of the assets for wealth creation. "Free" trade means, in the current vernacular, you are free to participate. It is not unregulated trade, the invisible hand of supply and demand, and all that. Markets are manipulated, most often to the benefit of those who control the wealth. Historically, it has always been that way. It is a phenomenon on steriods now. It is a Golden Age, a new Great Gatsby age, for those in the club, but for all those living with debt that they manage from month to month, these are hard times. The point of Russo's film is there has been a re-distribution of wealth through this system of taxation, and through the creation of the quasi-private Federal Reserve system, that favors the big players. The income disparities between the upper 1%, and the lower 85% are enormous and getting bigger. And then there are those 0.1% at the very top that are so much more better off than everyone else. In the meanwhile, the re-distribution of wealth is shrinking the middle class.
This disparity is probably much more pronounced in India, but it is a phenomenon that is working with a vengence in the US. A great leveling of societies is occurring through globalization, bringing some people up while sinking many others, and there is a certain justice in that, but those that benefit the most are very, very few in number.
The Romans thought ripping Christians to shreds was great sport; amazingly enough, the Christians disagreed.
As we all have said .. we are not perfect over here in the US. Now what is the point of this constant criticism? How are these multiple attacks solving any of the identified problems? How are they making anything better? If you have solutions to these issues, PLEASE propose them. If not, what is the goal here?
You're absolutely right. If you insult my child, I get defensive. If you insult my wife or my mother, I get defensive. You insulted 250 million plus fellow citizens of the place I proudly call home.
I certainly don't mind you make cogent economic points. But you admitted freely you don't understand them well enough. Yet, you commented anyway. And, instead of letting your ignorance temper your tongue, you used your lack of knowledge to insult a huge swath of people.
In the first place, if saying anything remotely critical about America is labeled as an "attack", Americans must be very thin skinned indeed. Who was it that said, "I may not agree with your views, but I will defend to the death your right to express them".
Secondly, I estimate I have posted around 220 articles on Gather. Only a small percentage of these are political in nature; and even fewer are critical of America. That hardly constitutes "multiple attacks".
You need to get that particularly chip off your shoulder. I have great admiration and affection for Americans,
As we say over here .. when you point a finger at someone else, you're pointing 3 more back at yourself.
"Constructive criticism" is only useful when there are solutions proposed that could actually solve the problem. When all it does is criticize, it' not "constructive".
If you admire Americans, it would be great to see you write about that.
But keep your eyes open this year as Bush and Cheney exit stage left. Bush turned down the offer from the G-7 and world bank to stop the morgage problem and strengthen the dollar which would lower oil prices world wide. Where your treasure lies there lies your heart, and two oil men running the US know where their heart is. Rest assured teir interesta are also in buying property at the moment as well.
This is the finally of the Bush administration and it will suck us dry.
Firoze, I'm unaware of the precise location of the "constructive" bits. Perhaps you can point out where the simplistic, pithy criticism of the American people was constructive.
Indeed we are very proud of our Freedom of Speech. In fact, that is what we are both exercising. Freedom of Speech doesn't mean unchallenged speech. If you make assertions, you should expect that if anyone disagrees, they will do so. I haven't offered to squelch or asked you to desist. I'm voicing my disagreement with your tone, your facts, and your basis for making the assertions you have. Further, the Freedom of Speech includes responsibilities (as all "freedoms" do). The Speaker must not use this freedom to endanger the listeners or anyone else. That means you must not shout "Bomb!" in an aiport or "Fire" in a crowded movie theatre. And, with all freedoms, your ability to exercise them is limited to where mine begin. This principle is often voiced as "Your freedom to swing your fist ends at my nose."
You established at the outset that you do not have any economic expertise. Yet that did not stop you from making insulting comments. That suggests that your opinion is more important for you to state than your care and concern for the millions of Americans you managed to disparage. While you have the "right" to do so, I would say that you have sacrificed some amount of credibility and "constructiveness" in the process.
Again, it was not a campaign slogan. And, it was not directed at the American People, it was directed at Clinton Staffers.
From Wiki: "The slogan "The economy, stupid" (coined by Democratic strategist James Carville, and popularly misquoted as "It's the economy, stupid") was used internally in the Clinton campaign to remind staffers to keep their focus on Bush's economic performance and not get distracted by other issues. Governor Clinton successfully hammered home the theme of change throughout the campaign, as well as in a round of three televised debates with President Bush and Ross Perot in October. Many feel Bush's performance during the town-hall style debate, in which the President was observed on-camera frequently glancing at his watch, made Bush appear uninterested in the concerns raised by the debate audience."
Bill Clinton's campaign slogans were "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow," "Putting People First," and "Building a Bridge to the 21st Century." Look it up.
The sensitivity factor comes in when someone is admittedly ignorant yet levels insults just the same.
"Oh, and if you disagree with someone it also means they have no right to share an opinion. Hitler liked that train of thought too.
I'm sorry, but that's just plain stupid. I spent a great deal of time explaining that anyone has the right to voice their opinion. Time to turn off talk radio and start thinking for yourself.
Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. He was Associate Editor of the Wall Street Journal editorial page and Contributing Editor of National Review. He is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions.He can be reached at: PaulCraigRoberts@yahoo.com
March 18, 2008
A Bankrupt Superpower
The Collapse of American Power
By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
In his famous book, The Collapse of British Power (1972), Correlli Barnett reports that in the opening days of World War II Great Britain only had enough gold and foreign exchange to finance war expenditures for a few months. The British turned to the Americans to finance their ability to wage war. Barnett writes that this dependency signaled the end of British power.
From their inception, America's 21st century wars against Afghanistan and Iraq have been red ink wars financed by foreigners, principally the Chinese and Japanese, who purchase the US Treasury bonds that the US government issues to finance its red ink budgets.
The Bush administration forecasts a $410 billion federal budget deficit for this year, an indication that, as the US saving rate is approximately zero, the US is not only dependent on foreigners to finance its wars but also dependent on foreigners to finance part of the US government's domestic expenditures. Foreign borrowing is paying US government salaries--perhaps that of the President himself--or funding the expenditures of the various cabinet departments. Financially, the US is not an independent country.
The Bush administration's $410 billion deficit forecast is based on the unrealistic assumption of 2.7% GDP growth in 2008, whereas in actual fact the US economy has fallen into a recession that could be severe. There will be no 2.7% growth, and the actual deficit will be substantially larger than $410 billion.
Just as the government's budget is in disarray, so is the US dollar which continues to decline in value in relation to other currencies. The dollar is under pressure not only from budget deficits, but also from very large trade deficits and from inflation expectations resulting from the Federal Reserve's effort to stabilize the very troubled financial system with large injections of liquidity.
A troubled currency and financial system and large budget and trade deficits do not present an attractive face to creditors. Yet Washington in its hubris seems to believe that the US can forever rely on the Chinese, Japanese and Saudis to finance America's life beyond its means. Imagine the shock when the day arrives that a US Treasury auction of new debt instruments is not fully subscribed.
The US has squandered $500 billion dollars on a war that serves no American purpose. Moreover, the $500 billion is only the out-of-pocket costs. It does not include the replacement cost of the destroyed equipment, the future costs of care for veterans, the cost of the interests on the loans that have financed the war, or the lost US GDP from diverting scarce resources to war. Experts who are not part of the government's spin machine estimate the cost of the Iraq war to be as much as $3 trillion.
The Republican candidate for President said he would be content to continue the war for 100 years. With what resources? When America's creditors consider our behavior they see total fiscal irresponsibility. They see a deluded country that acts as if it is a privilege for foreigners to lend to it, and a deluded country that believes that foreigners will continue to accumulate US debt until the end of time.
The fact of the matter is that the US is bankrupt. David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the US and head of the Government Accountability Office, in his December 17, 2007, report to the US Congress on the financial statements of the US government noted that "the federal government did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting (including safeguarding assets) and compliance with significant laws and regulations as of September 30, 2007." In everyday language, the US government cannot pass an audit.
Moreover, the GAO report pointed out that the accrued liabilities of the federal government "totaled approximately $53 trillion as of September 30, 2007." No funds have been set aside against this mind boggling liability.
Just so the reader understands, $53 trillion is $53,000 billion.
Frustrated by speaking to deaf ears, Walker recently resigned as head of the Government Accountability Office.
As of March 17, 2008, one Swiss franc is worth more than $1 dollar. In 1970, the exchange rate was 4.2 Swiss francs to the dollar. In 1970, $1 purchased 360 Japanese yen. Today $1 dollar purchases less than 100 yen.
If you were a creditor, would you want to hold debt in a currency that has such a poor record against the currency of a small island country that was nuked and defeated in WW II, or against a small landlocked European country that clings to its independence and is not a member of the EU?
Would you want to hold the debt of a country whose imports exceed its industrial production? According to the latest US statistics as reported in the February 28 issue of Manufacturing and Technology News, in 2007 imports were 14 percent of US GDP and US manufacturing comprised 12% of US GDP. A country whose imports exceed its industrial production cannot close its trade deficit by exporting more.
The dollar has even collapsed in value against the euro, the currency of a make-believe country that does not exist: the European Union. France, Germany, Italy, England and the other members of the EU still exist as sovereign nations. England even retains its own currency. Yet the euro hits new highs daily against the dollar.
Noam Chomsky recently wrote that America thinks that it owns the world. That is definitely the view of the neoconized Bush administration. But the fact of the matter is that the US owes the world. The US "superpower" cannot even finance its own domestic operations, much less its gratuitous wars except via the kindness of foreigners to lend it money that cannot be repaid.
The US will never repay the loans. The American economy has been devastated by offshoring, by foreign competition, and by the importation of foreigners on work visas, while it holds to a free trade ideology that benefits corporate fat cats and shareholders at the expense of American labor. The dollar is failing in its role as reserve currency and will soon be abandoned.
When the dollar ceases to be the reserve currency, the US will no longer be able to pay its bills by borrowing more from foreigners.
I sometimes wonder if the bankrupt "superpower" will be able to scrape together the resources to bring home the troops stationed in its hundreds of bases overseas, or whether they will just be abandoned.
Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. He was Associate Editor of the Wall Street Journal editorial page and Contributing Editor of National Review. He is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions.He can be reached at: PaulCraigRoberts@yahoo.com
You are making people think, and you are getting brickbats, but you are not enduring them; you're complaining that we are thin skinned and defensive. This is very confusing.
"Incidentally, I just went through a list of your articles on Gather. I shall reserve comment. "
As you know quite well, I do not write articles. What is the relevance of this point????
I guess I kind of did call you a name, didn't I?
That's a bit of a knee-jerk reaction when I see that someone has completely misconstrued what I have written. If I had been completely unclear, I could understand it. My point, simply restated is: You're welcome to voice your thoughts, but be prepared to have the rest of use who disagree with you do so vehemently. I have not said anything to squelch Firoze's opinion, but I am adamantly opposed to his point of view -- particularly since he started off with a disclaimer that he does not have much knowledge of this issue.
To throw in a reference to Hitler, as if I'm somehow comporting myself as he did, is repugnant. I'm Jewish and I don't particularly care for the reference, and further, with review, I said nothing that might be considered fascist, inflammatory or racist.
Just wanted to stop in to tell you congratulations for being featured on Gather's homepage right now!
Here's a 10 rating & have a nice day. :o)
Congratulations on being featured. Regardless of my disagreement with your point of view, that's still an accomplishment.
No, but if you expect brickbats and get them, you can't go about complaining that people are thin skinned either. Just because YOU think you're being constructive doesn't mean your target audience agrees.
" Actually, I thought i had offered partial solutions eg: asking people not to take out the car when they can walk. "
And that goes back to X's objection that you are not knowledgeable enough about what goes on here to "offer constructive criticism" and advice. In the larger cities, people do indeed walk a lot. In small to medium cities, only rarely is that an option, and in the suburbs, almost never. And again.. given the time crunches that we live with and the fact that people usually combine multiple errands in the same trip, walking is simply not a valid option no matter what it might seem like to an outsider.
When I was a child, walking long distances was more common. Today, there is not the time, the streets are not safe enough (i.e., not constructed for pedestrian safety) outside the central cities, and most of the time, we're running all over the place getting multiple tasks done. None of this might look like it makes sense to someone who lives outside the US, but it makes sense to us.
Personally I would prefer a slower pace and better city planning, but that isn't going to happen in my lifetime.
And, as I've stated, my main grouse with this article is that you were insulting to a whole group of people, my fellow countrymen. Despite the fact that some of my fellow citizens agreed or heaped on further insults does not excuse your insults.
I'm not a jingoistic ugly American. I am however proud that my country (despite recent bad behavior) has done an awful lot to improve things for many people in this world. I have no illusions that good people exist everywhere, but when other countries call, we're often the first to step up to help.
While some will blame the average person for the mess the economy is in right now, it is greed, plain and simple, that causes all of this. Money is a zero sum game. A quick look at who has the most of it, and by Pareto analysis, what proportion they represent, should give you a sense that a very few have an awful lot, while an awful lot have very little.
To blame the have nots, who do not control their own economic destinies beyond where they work and live, shifts the blame from those who have everything to lose to those who have very little left to lose.
I would guess that much of what I am saying is also true for your country, but I'll leave that for YOU to decide and write about, since I am short on facts and wouldn't presume to tell you about your home.
My husband makes pretty good money, for this area, almost twice minimum wage, but we are still dirt broke poor most the time. Those vehicles we paid cash for have gotten old, and require repairs above and beyond what a car payment on a decent car would be. We are not on any type of government assistance, but are worse off in many ways than those who are. I can't get a job, for to do so almost every penny I made would go to child care. I worked for 2 years at a decent paying (well above minimum wage) job, and we were worse off then, with childcare and gas to and from work and daycare, and my only reward being my children being raised by someone else.
I spend $120 month on milk. We can't count on public transportation in our city because it takes 2 hours to get anywhere, and there is no bus service by the time my husband gets off work. My children and I do walk to the park near our house or to the convenience store nearby, because there are a few sidewalks, but you can only walk so far with a 4 yr. old and an infant. We drive very little and still spend probably $200/month on gas.
Prices are going up, up, up, and wages are not. We pay $250/month on health insurance, and still can't afford to go to the doctor unless we are very ill, because our co-pay is $50 a visit. With a family of five, one routine visit each per year is $250. We just don't have it. We may not be in a recession, but we live in an area with one of the lowest costs of living in the country, and anyone making enough to not qualify for government assistance, but not enough to save even $100/month, is struggling, falling through the cracks. And this is with no debt. No credit cards, auto payments, house payments or loans of any kind. There is no money left after groceries, gas, rent, utilities, (which are rising higher, too) car insurance, (required by law) health insurance and car maintenance. There just isn't enough for savings.
My unwanted and unsolicited tax return will go towards dental bills. We have dental insurance, it's considered really good insurance, too, by local standards, but we still have co-pays and out of pocket expenses. We're looking at spending close to $3000 on dental bills this year for my husband and myself, and my oldest son. I don't know where the money is going to come from, but it has to come from somewhere.
Perhaps you could have mentioned that the statements were not to be construed to apply to all Americans. But, that's quite evident without actually being said.
I agree that Americans that do live their lives in the way you described were a major contributor to the economic problems we face today.
You just keep on writing your articles, and if they're controversial, so what? And, why not publish more articles on India? If they don't generate many comments, that's only important if you make it that way.
I have been working on convincing myself that it's okay to publish stuff I believe to be silly or ignorant - and that's not easy to do in a world where we're taught not to take criticism without defending ourselves.
By the way, although I am an American, I'm not like the ones you referred to in the article. Being towards the low end of the income scale, in spite of completing an education through high school and taking college level courses, I need public assistance to live in an area where it's dangerous to be outside after dark.
Even working over 40 hours per week is not enough to overcome this situation. Getting a credit card is not a viable option, much less using it to live beyond my means. I do not acquire anything I feel like having; rather, I just wish I had it and accept that there's no realistically conceivable way I can.
Oh, and I liked your article. Yes, it's simplistic and written without extensive knowledge or research, but I also found it to be insightful.
The house had two bedrooms, an office that could be converted to a guest room if needed, a dining room, kitchen, two bathrooms. Yes, there was a basement but it was partially finished and contained a washer and dryer. It was small, ranch style and we did NOT feel deprived. We were living the middle class dream.
That house still has avocado countertops but guess what...they are sturdy and the roof and everything is updated and sound. Credit? Debt? The owner wouldn't think of it! When and why did we change?
However, why can't we build sidewalks and public transportation and everyone walk....
1. this administration and the neo-conservatives in power believe everything should be privatized and someone should be making a profit off everything we build or produce for the general good. Toll roads, toll sidewalks and bridges, medicine, health care, housing for the poor and disabled. In Twin Falls ID it costs $5 to get on their bus system. Stop at a store, it costs another $5 to get on to return home. And with a straight face these clowns say "no need for more public transit, nobody is using it." Even the Human Services program pays these rates to get its consumers to the doctor or to a WIC appointment.
2. it's more important to lower taxes for the rich even through the fallacy of Reaganomics and the trickle down theory were disproved 30 years ago.
3. the sole purpose of the federal government is to collect taxes from everyone but the rich and to wage war to gain control of the world and it's resources. working class sons and daughters should die for these purposes. Less mouths to feed and more jobs for rich kids.
4. welfare safety nets are not needed. Everyone can get a job or two or three and do without whatever they can't pay for themselves. This includes that fancy health care and health insurance. When the poor get sick and can't work, they should die to make room for more healthy drones.
5. States should pay for everything except war, while most of the taxes go to the federal government for the ongoing and new wars.
The era of USA as the world's only superpower is coming to an end. As a country, we were too greedy. We collectively bought into all the above lies and the idea the consumerism uber alis was the rule of existance. Unbridled wealth was our right as citizens of the world's only superpower. Well, how's that working for us, folks?
Now the problem is that when the world's only superpower crashes and burns, it takes down the rest of the world with it. No, this is not recession, Georgie, it's the beginning of a great world depression the likes of which we've never seen before. And we have only ourselves to thank with a little help from our friends the greed teachers.
sorry very few americans live the dream, most just struggle by with nightmares.
to politely endure the pitch to agree to a branded credit card.
"Free shipping? Free returns? Anything else you'd like?"
"Yes, I'd like for you to shut the h--- up about the g--d---- credit card."
OK, I know there must be pressure. Why shouldn't they get to keep the
3 or 4 percent or whatever it is on each transaction. Why hand it over to
some faceless bank. It's all computerized anyway; so it's really nothing
more than a branding play.
But, I am sad because I know that this once proud mail order house is taking
the first step toward becoming a bank. The same step that GM and GE took
many years ago. I'll miss the quality.
Have we changed since the article was written?
The so-called "business cycle" has been credited with, and sold on the basis that,
downturns are not only necessary, but, indeed, make us "tougher and more
competitive." I won't elaborate: old timers know just what I am talking about.
Now, as a retiree, I contributed to the downturn by canceling services I no
longer "needed," and generally tightened the belt.
Why is it that "government" should be any different than the rest of us. Is it that
1930's mind set that instructs government, "Don't just stand by; that's what
Herbert Hoover (then they add, 'that jerk,') did, and look what happened!"
Mind you, I am not recommending Washington stand by and let the chips fall
where they may. Not at all. Instead, accelerate relief -- emphasis: temporarily --
don't make people suffer or go hungry. But, jack up the government expenditures
to the trillion count? No! Ridiculous! Instead, tighten the government belt,
make substantial changes in our chartered course,for example, in fossil fuel
dependency, and watch investor confidence come alive.
Democrats waiting around for a government handout: I tell you you are only
going to hurt yourselves and the future of the nation, in the long run. What
money is available is going to move in and pick your bones at bargain prices,
and real opportunity is going to be increasingly seen as something foreign.
Don't say you were not warned.
With respect to the President: he is right. Get off it and get going. We can
pull ourselves out of this.