Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Like most people, economists love a mystery – especially if it involves not a missing person but a missing $2.9 trillion in United States debt.
That's $2.9 with 11 zeros after it.
Some words of explanation: Every quarter the Department of Commerce comes up with the US "International Investment Position." At the end of 2006, for instance, the US had a net negative position – by this measurement of international assets and liabilities – of $2.6 trillion. In other words, the country is by far the world's biggest debtor nation.
A quarter century ago, the US was the world's largest creditor nation.
Now one thing I got after reading this is the sense that American businesses have no loyalty to the United States. Should American businesses be encouraged or held to the same standard of, <cough> "patriotism" that the citizens are? In other words, should American owned businesses owe some obligation to the nation or not?
One of they mysteries I see is why do companies even bother considering themselves American if they are off shored, staffed and operated overseas and sell globally, exactly what part left is American other than most of the CEO's?
Did you know IBM's entire Corporate Purchasing Headquarters moved to China a couple years ago? Just one example. This is why I always cringe when posters say the free market should just be allowed to do its thing and government stay out. That has been great the past few years for CEOs and business executives, and the investors of these companies. Not so great for the middle managers and workers.
At some point the whole deck of cards has to tumble when the working class has no options left to make a living wage with. (And before anybody posts it, no by deporting all illegals that will not solve the problem.) I am talking about good paying manufacturing and management positions that are being lost by the millions.
Did you know IBM's entire Corporate Purchasing Headquarters moved to China a couple years ago? Just one example. This is why I always cringe when posters say the free market should just be allowed to do its thing and government stay out. That has been great the past few years for CEOs and business executives, and the investors of these companies. Not so great for the middle managers and workers.
At some point the whole deck of cards has to tumble when the working class has no options left to make a living wage with. (And before anybody posts it, no by deporting all illegals that will not solve the problem.) I am talking about good paying manufacturing and management positions that are being lost by the millions.
I've often joked with my gf about moving my company to Mexico. The more unreasonable the government becomes, the less I joke about it.
I've often joked with my gf about moving my company to Mexico. The more unreasonable the government becomes, the less I joke about it.
Not as funny as you might have thought. Before moving to rural Tennessee, I nearly moved to the west coast of Costa Rica. I was a hairs width away, but opted not to as I wanted to have more cash reserves before embarking on such an endeavor because I only knew one other person in country. Looking back, I do on occasion wonder if I made the right choice financially.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
