we are witnessing the beginning of predictions made by others.

[UrbanAdventurer]

Capitalism and greed go hand in hand. It's merely the nature of it. Capitalism is a powerful tool but it needs rules or it falls apart.

Also, I mean't to say "that's not what it's really about" in that last sentence. I though I'd edited that but apparently not.

[Ariadne22]

Originally Posted by UrbanAdventurer

At some point greed has to be superseded by the desire to hold your country's standard of living at an acceptably high level, otherwise it turns into a dangerous crap hole like Mexico or any other 3rd-world loser out there. That's the biggest picture IMO.

Therein lies the rub. The upper tiers are not threatened by a reduction in their standard of living and have NO CLUE about the rest of the population. I truly believe they don't care. $14/hr & no benes; $20/hr - it's all a horse apiece to them, when they can get foreign workers for $6/hr.

Heard a guy for the USChamber of Commerce today on C-Span. Woman from Texas called who had run a medical transcriptionist business and had 20 employees. Had to close because work was outsourced overseas. His answer: start another business.

Another woman from FL in construction business. Had to lay off a ton of workers. FL gov. turned down federal train money which she says would have employed 25,000 people, had ridership and made a profit. The state would not have been subject to operating/cost overruns as Siemans was willing to guarantee this. His answer: Well Siemans is an international company - in other words, stop complaining about the international companies. You have a political issue there. Very smug guy. He was stubbornly tone-deaf to what he was hearing and is really going on on the ground.

It's hopeless, really. I don't think they will care about reduced standard of living, decaying infrastructure even if it is Mexico here some day, because they know they won't be living here.

[howard555]

Originally Posted by CouponJack

I don't feel positive myself....

The WORLD has the most debt ever in its history....14 trillion in the U.S......

This article and its related reading of three outstanding books aspires to provide convincing arguments that an economic collapse is coming.
It is believed that deflation, not inflation, is the problem.

Gold is not a solution.

3 Arguments For An Inevitable Economic Collapse - Seeking Alpha

[IamaKraut]

Originally Posted by howard555

Such talk can destroy the dollar as the world's #1 reserve currency.

Nonsense!!