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Yeah things are really bad now....much worse than the great depression. Water? What's that? I have not seen any of it for months. Food? I have to eat my old shoes now. Energy? None of that around anymore now that those Zhu Zhu things are sucking it all up.
Obviously we are all going to be dead in a few years. Oh well.
Yeah things are really bad now....much worse than the great depression. Water? What's that? I have not seen any of it for months. Food? I have to eat my old shoes now. Energy? None of that around anymore now that those Zhu Zhu things are sucking it all up.
Obviously we are all going to be dead in a few years. Oh well.
I don't know what you are eating, but I've noticed remarkable spike in food prices in the past years. Energy kinda didn't stay at $1/gallon either. You got to move to India, Africa, or even CA to appreciate water shortages. You got to drive to China to appreciate what toxic dumps it takes to manufacture all that Wal-Mart bonanza.
You see, the thing about capitalism is that if shortages arise poors bear the brunt of actual shortages, it means that I've just noticed price hikes (but I didn't change amount I buy), poorer folks adjusted the quantity of food and fuel they buy, so I could buy the same amount of stuff at higher prices. Naturally, I may say " What shortages, pay $3/gal and there are no shortage", however there are folks for whom $3/gal means real shortages, not just price hike.
I don't know what you are eating, but I've noticed remarkable spike in food prices in the past years.
You have? I suggest you find a new place to shop as food prices have come down since last year.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RememberMee
Energy kinda didn't stay at $1/gallon either.
I did not know you measured energy in gallons? You mean gas? Gas has not been $1/gallon for awhile.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RememberMee
You got to move to India, Africa, or even CA to appreciate water shortages.
Totally, when I turn on my shower here in Los Angeles all that comes out is dirt. But seriously, do people think there are real water shortages in California?!? In LA you'll get fined if you water your lawn during the day and do other ridiculously wasteful things, but other than that everything is normal. Nobody is draining their pools, people still have lawns, etc.
I should note too that most of India (and Africa really) has plenty of water, what they lack at times is plentiful drinking water. But that is an economic issue, that is nobody is cleaning/filtering the water properly for human use.
Talking about water shortages on this planet is just a bit silly though, the planet is mostly water! Its all just a matter of transporting the water and preparing it for human consumption.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RememberMee
.....Naturally, I may say " What shortages, pay $3/gal and there are no shortage", however there are folks for whom $3/gal means real shortages, not just price hike.
Yes and? That is how a free market economy works, for some reason you think its a bad thing. But those people that can't afford $3/gal will start to use alternatives (e.g., public transit, bikes, etc). Of course you could go the communist route and give each person a fixed amount. That will result in the same thing, but now resources will be allocated to people that may not use them efficiently.
One thing the bailout did stabilize was the rate at which we were headed downwards. I don't think will see another sharp drop lehmens brothers type scenario as the government has a tight grip on what's going on right now. Unfortunately that's just going to prolong the problem.
The current crisis was built up over the course of a decade, it's going to take a few years before we get out of our system. Hopefully we come out stronger, with economic priorities more concentrated in productive areas of the economy (Engineering, R&D, Manufacturing, etc)
With BRIC nations rising rapidly, I don't think we'll have the relative sole superpower dominance we had 1999, but a decade down the road I do forsee another boom (which may or may not originate here in America) and a gradual return to a very high quality standard of living.
i don't agree that the bailout stabilized the economy at all. if anything, it opened the door to further leveraging and further risk-taking. we may now see another huge default which could impact world markets yet again. all of these bailouts propel the financial markets forward at the expense of the manufacturing / production side of the economy. it is pulling wealth OUT of our actual ability to produce.
I love high oil prices,this will at some point in time lead us to alternative sources (nat gas,solar,wind,geothermal,nuclear) and get us away from energy enslavement!
A major reason for the high prices for oil are the slumping dollar, and since oil producers are switching to trading oil for other currencies, the petrodollar could be doomed and be the final straw in the end of the free ride.
The poll is about the next 5 years. Some folks will be able to play off a decline and profit.
Isn't that what happened during the Great Depression ?
Some people are not afraid to act ahead of time and not wait for the herd to catch up.
Just look at the 401K fiasco...down 40-50% because "no one saw it coming". A few voices did and those that listened lost nothing as they acted on it.
If you think the next 5 years will bring decline, then plan for it now. Get your life (financial, emotional, physical) in order for what you think may be coming.
You can only take care of YOU. It's fine to have opinions of what "they" did but in the end.."they" will not save you.
Not to boast here..but I got out of the market and liquidated equity holdings in 2007. Roubini was a wacko but other indicators I follow were proving him true so I got out. I'm an investor, not a trader and this is no investment market right now. When the time is right I will invest again and I'm quite happy with my current "preservation OF capital" strategy.
Times have changed and we need to change with them. Don't sit back and wait for the good times to return..those good times were not real; that was not the norm. Study where you think we are headed and make your plans accordingly. Having a Plan B also helps.
You have? I suggest you find a new place to shop as food prices have come down since last year.
I did not know you measured energy in gallons? You mean gas? Gas has not been $1/gallon for awhile.
Totally, when I turn on my shower here in Los Angeles all that comes out is dirt. But seriously, do people think there are real water shortages in California?!? In LA you'll get fined if you water your lawn during the day and do other ridiculously wasteful things, but other than that everything is normal. Nobody is draining their pools, people still have lawns, etc.
I should note too that most of India (and Africa really) has plenty of water, what they lack at times is plentiful drinking water. But that is an economic issue, that is nobody is cleaning/filtering the water properly for human use.
Talking about water shortages on this planet is just a bit silly though, the planet is mostly water! Its all just a matter of transporting the water and preparing it for human consumption.
Yes and? That is how a free market economy works, for some reason you think its a bad thing. But those people that can't afford $3/gal will start to use alternatives (e.g., public transit, bikes, etc). Of course you could go the communist route and give each person a fixed amount. That will result in the same thing, but now resources will be allocated to people that may not use them efficiently.
Even believing such a thing as a "free market" exists .or ever has or could. renders all your conclusions suspect.
are you saying that the likely dubai default won't impact our country's finances in the next 5 years?
Yes. 60 billion is peanuts. Only a full blown nutjob would think Dubai has any significance to the big picture. 5 years from now it will be long forgotten.
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