Posted on 03/03/2011 5:07:36 AM PST by Bigtigermike
I am an American, not by accident of birth but by choice. I voted with my feet and became an American because I love this country and think it is exceptional. But when I look at the world today and the strong winds of technological change and global competition, it makes me nervous. Perhaps most unsettling is the fact that while these forces gather strength, Americans seem unable to grasp the magnitude of the challenges that face us. Despite the hyped talk of China's rise, most Americans operate on the assumption that the U.S. is still No. 1.
But is it? Yes, the U.S. remains the world's largest economy, and we have the largest military by far, the most dynamic technology companies and a highly entrepreneurial climate. But these are snapshots of where we are right now. The decisions that created today's growth decisions about education, infrastructure and the like were made decades ago. What we see today is an American economy that has boomed because of policies and developments of the 1950s and '60s: the interstate-highway system, massive funding for science and technology, a public-education system that was the envy of the world and generous immigration policies. Look at some underlying measures today, and you will wonder about the future.
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
I agree with you entirely. I suppose the only objection I have would be one of terms. Like the passage says, “The borrower is servant to the lender.”
In that respect, while I agree completely with the analysis you put forth, I suppose it’s just that, in my mind, I see that the use of debt to buy things we can’t afford, and the willingness of the population to go along with the monetary policies, use of government programs (Freddie/Fannie, food stamps, welfare, etc.), the willingness to leave the silver standard and not question the Federal Reserve, is de facto support of that government policy. If the apathetic public voted with their dollars/behaviors, AND their votes, one way or another, I think it would have preserved the freedom afforded by the founders, or hastened the destruction of America. But I agree, they’re certainly not overt about it, but I believe somewhere along the line, the line could have been drawn, but now it’s going to be drawn for us. The debt cycle and it’s failed economic policies can’t go on forever, at this point, it’s going to hurt no matter what.
You brought some much needed perspective, something I missed out on. Thanks for that insight. We musn’t forget the role of the banks, for as you said, “It’s been this way for thousands of years. Works like a charm every time it’s been used. Eventually, the money lenders get driven out and start somewhere else, leaving the former victim a steaming hulk.” Oh how true that is!
Here we go again, Time!
I see ya’ll must have been rooting around in your late 70’s archives and have resurrected the same “the sky is falling” apologetics ya’ll tried to use to deflect blame from our last disastrous uber-lib dimbulb Democrat President, Jimmy Carter.
Anybody here besides me think it’s just a coincidence that America’s best days are only behind her towards the end of the first (and only) term of a ignorant fool Socialist Democrat President?
Well, it’s definitely not a coincidence. Obozo is repeating Jimmahs mistakes simply because all. LibRat Presidents use the same tattered playbook. Theres a copy of it in the front drawer of the Oval Office desk. Its been there for decades because term-limited Republican Presidents make sure it gets left behind “to help out” any dimbulb Democrat that might get elected after the folks finally forget how bad it was with the last dimbulb Democrat. It goes as follows:
Liberal Democrat Presidential Playbook: Presidenting For Dummies
1. Induce and maintain massive unemployment by scaring the bejeezus out of business with regressive taxes, massive over-regulation, and massive uncertainty.
2. Induce massive energy price increases by deliberately drying up domestic production and wasting hundreds of billions of borrowed money on phony energy schemes guaranteed to fail.
3. Induce massive inflation and interest rate increases with massive deficit spending.
4. Gut and demoralize the miliary, and then jump into some kind of ill-fated Middle East military adventure thats sure to quickly fail.
5. Get booted out after single-term Presidency by angry voters.
6. Spend rest of life writing 9,000 really boring books about why it wasnt your fault.
So, if you put yourself in the banker's shoes, it's quite easy to repeatedly corrupt the system in order to serve their own ends. It's what the founders warned us about. But of course, when they were making these warnings, they knew we wouldn't heed them. Will people 200 years from now learn to avoid our experiences? LOL.
That's why the bankers always win - in the short term. They're also smart enough to know that society never gets back to -0- via some kind of settlement. Nope, it always goes up in smoke - always has, always will. Which is why they've always got their eyes on the door in order to skedaddle just in time to some safer locale.
That's why I periodically chime in when I see someone approach the issue logically or use words like 'should'. What we should do is obvious; however, what we end up doing is something quite different. Once you know that, then anyone can play the banker's game.
Can this boy whine or what????? Typical big-government jackassism from Time.
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