Will the economy get better? I know its good to remain optimistic, but one also has to be realistic. I think we as a society, or humans, are on somewhat of a downward spiral. Television shows such as “Teen Mom” and “16 and Pregnant” seem to glorify having babies when you are far too young and stupid to even take care of yourself let alone support another human being. The lowest class, uneducated, and just plain stupid people seem to be the ones reproducing the most. This in turn is creating more mouths feeding off of the current welfare systems in place such as food stamps, Bridge cards, and other various handouts. As far as I can tell, unemployment is still rising.
What happens when the amount of people collecting unemployment benefits and welfare handouts becomes too high for the system to sustain? You see people robbing and killing for such small amounts of money or material items its sickening. Has it always been this bad? Will it get worse? Will people start killing for basic needs like food and clothing since they have no money to attain them otherwise?
My gut feeling is we are heading towards dark times. I wish I could ignore this feeling, but lately my thoughts are consumed with arming myself and to start preparing to move away from civilization to try and survive with my family on a self-sufficient, well defended location out in the country in the northern part of Michigan. But the funny thing about that is, I can’t even afford to do it! Fuck! I think it sounds crazy and hope I am wrong. Is there anyone else here that thinks like this?
I feel the same way. I look at the reasons. IMHO people don’t respect life anymore. I mean all forms of life! Government handouts have never worked in the past, why are they going to work now? Because Obama is eloquent? That’s they only reason why he was even elected. Look at his life, does he respect anyone or anything? People are drunk with the idea of free money. Where did that money come from? My God people can be such fucking sheep!! I’m getting pissed now.
I say vote. I mean vote in the primaries, etc., any and all the possibilities we have. That right is given to us because of the Constitution and we need people to represent the population. They will get there IF we vote for them.
By the way, you can NOT get lost in Michigan. You have to go way, way North to get lost. Like AK lost : )
I’ve been called Mr. Doom and Gloom lately for my opinions on the way America is going. But here’s my take: Our country is overspending and not manufacturing anything besides debt, military spending, and entitlement programs. Eventually, other countries will provide the same commercial services we do at a lesser cost (already seeing it in IT, law, and medical). While I don’t see the job market improving very much in the future (because of reason above), I think there will be a gradual pull from people here to return manufacturing and other jobs we sent overseas. This will happen, especially if people will take a pay cut (which they should IMO). We really do overspend on things we don’t need and this could be what our people need right now.
I don’t see America as #1 in things anymore, but we are hardly on the bottom. We are just in a rocky time right now.
My narrow-minded summary:
The U.S. has a bailed-out banking system, with some smaller banks still to fail. BOTH GOOD AND BAD.
Furthermore, our deficit is $13 trillion, increasing very rapidly. The Congressional Budget Office forecasts that the US will post deficits in excess of a trillion dollars in each of the next 10 years… National debt will double to 82 per cent of GDP in the next decade â?? a level not seen since WW2.
So until at least the year 2020, these structural deficits will continue.
BAD.
Coming health-care “reform”, which has more to do with $$$, than quality of health-care.
BAD (potentially disastrous)
I’m getting too pessimistic, need to relax, watch olympic hockey.
OP, I will not address the etchical TV-issues you mentioned, but regarding the increased welfare-receivers; yes, more and more people will parasite off the system, which means that more money is needed for the system. We, the working people (blue collar,white collar) will provide and keep providing, until we need to go on welfare ourselves, by then, it will be socially accepted.
The economy is about to head for another crash. Its the commercial real estate market that has to crash next. And as we have seen we will bail them out so we should be seeing some massive inflation/currency devaluation sometime by the end of this year maybe 2-3 months into next year.
Look I understand discussion is a good thing, but asking people on a weight lifting website about the direction of the US economy seems a bit worthless.
People who really have a good idea about what is going to happen don’t hang out on message boards, they use their skill and knowledge to make their fortunes and generally have jobs with such time constraints that they don’t have time to waste on message boards.
Find people who have made a lot of money through investing and ask them. At least you know they’ve done something right at least once.
Undoutably a few of the posters here might have some knowledge and experience but for the most part you are just going to get the economic equivilant of the 22 year old 160lb kid telling everyone how to gain mass even though he’s never done it.
[quote]John S. wrote:
The economy is about to head for another crash. Its the commercial real estate market that has to crash next. And as we have seen we will bail them out so we should be seeing some massive inflation/currency devaluation sometime by the end of this year maybe 2-3 months into next year.[/quote]
John
Just throwing this out as a conversational counter point (I generally agree that com real estate has a lot of problems):
We very likely will not bail out commercial real estate because the majority of the debt is held in regional and local banks. These banks are far from too big to fail. The good economist will applaud this as there are a lot of regional banks that will eat the scraps of their failed competition without putting a huge strain on the economic system.
Ha, the financial and housing markets still have not bottomed. The end is not in sight yet.
Also, it is hard to have a recovery when the government is doing all it can to keep prices high. This is the same kind of boom that brought on the crash to begin with and they want to continue it due to their misguided opinion that consumption creates prosperity rather than being a product of prosperity.
It will one day but not anytime soon. The economy has no catalyst and a complete lack of leadership. The country is waking up to the fact that Obama is a fool with no experience in actually running anything. He surrounded himself with people who have already participated in damaging the economy and elevated them to higher authority.
Business will not hire and expand in that environment. It’s too risky and the payoff for taking that risk doesn’t make it worthwhile. That effect cascades throughout the economy.
As long as the Dems get crushed in the Nov elections you will see some optimism. Beyond that if it looks like Obama even has a shot in 2012 the economy will continue to tread water, if not contract.
[quote]hedo wrote:
It will one day but not anytime soon. The economy has no catalyst and a complete lack of leadership. The country is waking up to the fact that Obama is a fool with no experience in actually running anything. He surrounded himself with people who have already participated in damaging the economy and elevated them to higher authority.
Business will not hire and expand in that environment. It’s too risky and the payoff for taking that risk doesn’t make it worthwhile. That effect cascades throughout the economy.
As long as the Dems get crushed in the Nov elections you will see some optimism. Beyond that if it looks like Obama even has a shot in 2012 the economy will continue to tread water, if not contract.[/quote]
This guy cannot make a single post on any topic without telling you how much Obama sucks and the “Dems are gonna lose in the coming elections”.
[quote]John S. wrote:
The economy is about to head for another crash. Its the commercial real estate market that has to crash next. And as we have seen we will bail them out so we should be seeing some massive inflation/currency devaluation sometime by the end of this year maybe 2-3 months into next year.[/quote]
John
Just throwing this out as a conversational counter point (I generally agree that com real estate has a lot of problems):
We very likely will not bail out commercial real estate because the majority of the debt is held in regional and local banks. These banks are far from too big to fail. The good economist will applaud this as there are a lot of regional banks that will eat the scraps of their failed competition without putting a huge strain on the economic system.[/quote]
Never underestimate the governments willingness to spend your money.
[quote]John S. wrote:
The economy is about to head for another crash. Its the commercial real estate market that has to crash next. And as we have seen we will bail them out so we should be seeing some massive inflation/currency devaluation sometime by the end of this year maybe 2-3 months into next year.[/quote]
John
Just throwing this out as a conversational counter point (I generally agree that com real estate has a lot of problems):
We very likely will not bail out commercial real estate because the majority of the debt is held in regional and local banks. These banks are far from too big to fail. The good economist will applaud this as there are a lot of regional banks that will eat the scraps of their failed competition without putting a huge strain on the economic system.[/quote]
Never underestimate the governments willingness to spend your money.[/quote]
Yeah no shit.
I am actually writing a paper for a conservative blog that frames all the arguements for a libertarian/conservative movement around the idea that given all possible information the consumer knows how to spend his/her money wiser than the government or any corporation (for example: health insurance companies).
[quote]hedo wrote:
It will one day but not anytime soon. The economy has no catalyst and a complete lack of leadership. The country is waking up to the fact that Obama is a fool with no experience in actually running anything. He surrounded himself with people who have already participated in damaging the economy and elevated them to higher authority.
Business will not hire and expand in that environment. It’s too risky and the payoff for taking that risk doesn’t make it worthwhile. That effect cascades throughout the economy.
As long as the Dems get crushed in the Nov elections you will see some optimism. Beyond that if it looks like Obama even has a shot in 2012 the economy will continue to tread water, if not contract.[/quote]
This guy cannot make a single post on any topic without telling you how much Obama sucks and the “Dems are gonna lose in the coming elections”.
Man, you are comical.[/quote]
Well, there is truth in humor. Maybe that’s why you find it comical?
[quote]John S. wrote:
The economy is about to head for another crash. Its the commercial real estate market that has to crash next. And as we have seen we will bail them out so we should be seeing some massive inflation/currency devaluation sometime by the end of this year maybe 2-3 months into next year.[/quote]
John
Just throwing this out as a conversational counter point (I generally agree that com real estate has a lot of problems):
We very likely will not bail out commercial real estate because the majority of the debt is held in regional and local banks. These banks are far from too big to fail. The good economist will applaud this as there are a lot of regional banks that will eat the scraps of their failed competition without putting a huge strain on the economic system.[/quote]
Never underestimate the governments willingness to spend your money.[/quote]
Yeah no shit.
I am actually writing a paper for a conservative blog that frames all the arguements for a libertarian/conservative movement around the idea that given all possible information the consumer knows how to spend his/her money wiser than the government or any corporation (for example: health insurance companies).
[/quote]
The epistemological problems with central planning are fascinating - as well as how the market harnesses information not available to the central planner. Hayek would be worth citing, methinks!
