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United States Heading towards a Depression?

Discussion in 'Politics & Religion' started by decoyjames, Dec 27, 2007.

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  1. Crazy_Zap

    Crazy_Zap Well-Known Member

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    #7581
    They make all the rules and have the force to back those rules up. They don't need to bother with the appearance of fairness.
    And they often don't anymore.
     
    Crazy_Zap, Oct 18, 2011 IP
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  2. Blogmaster

    Blogmaster Blood Type Dating Affiliate Manager

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    #7582
    Having lived in Germany for 20 years, I have come to believe that the biggest advantage Germans have is that their system is not as credit driven. People save more, make decisions based on what they are interested in rather than having to pay interest and high tuitions, college loans. University was free until recently. In the U.S. you are more likely to get things thrown at you but then wind up living a life of having to suffer at a job you hate to keep the ball rolling and being able to afford what you already have.

    My guess would be that it has something to do with who India's direct neighbors are.
     
    Blogmaster, Oct 18, 2011 IP
  3. Blogmaster

    Blogmaster Blood Type Dating Affiliate Manager

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    #7583
    Back during the Holy Roman Empire the church was the media and decided what people needed to hear. Now it is the media. :)

    There is always a need for gatekeepers and heroes to keep people from being aware of being shafted.

    The media thing started in the late 1,800s when one of the speakers of the British Parliament trashed the Rothschild banking family and the Rotheys decided to buy the Guardian and decide what people wound up reading.


    Since then the same principles have been applied which apparently works like a charm.
     
    Blogmaster, Oct 18, 2011 IP
  4. Corwin

    Corwin Well-Known Member

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    #7584
    Interesting. How is the German system set up so that it is not as credit driven? Is it a simple matter of the German people being disciplined enough not to live beyond their means, or does there exist a regulatory system?
     
    Corwin, Oct 18, 2011 IP
  5. Mia

    Mia R.I.P. STEVE JOBS

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    #7585
    The thing is , the US used to be like this too. Getting credit was near impossible. Getting a credit card? Unless you were in your late twenties and had a decent income and established credit there was no way in hell you were getting one. Things got so crazy here in the US that people were being pre-approved cards, high school and college students were able to use allowance as a "INCOME"...

    The industry itself created a lot of the problem. Personal responsibility plays a HUGE role in moderating the indulgence, but when you have enablers running around giving you credit you DON'T WANT... Or in many cases with housing, lenders giving you more than you can afford because the incentive to do so was so attractive... Well... here we sit.
     
    Mia, Oct 18, 2011 IP
  6. Rebecca

    Rebecca Prominent Member

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    #7586
    I was reading about Starbucks, they are trying to help create more small businesses (and therefore jobs) in the US by partnering with Opportunity Finance Network that provides funding for low-income entrepreneurs. The program is called Create Jobs for USA. I've thought the same, we need more people creating their own jobs.
     
    Rebecca, Oct 18, 2011 IP
  7. Blue Star Ent.

    Blue Star Ent. Well-Known Member

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    #7587

    Imagine that! People getting back to the way it was around 150 to 200 years ago. Thinking for themselves, charting their own future.

    Here, take a look at this : LINK


    Here is another : LINK
     
    Blue Star Ent., Oct 19, 2011 IP
  8. Blogmaster

    Blogmaster Blood Type Dating Affiliate Manager

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    #7588
    What Jeremy said is 100% correct. I have in addition not lived in Germany since 1990 but remember people being a little old fashioned which can be beneficial in some cases. Right now I am in Budapest and as Jeremy stated, it is not easy to get credit here. But one thing that stands out is also the student loan issue. First off, in the 80s universities were free all over Europe as long as you had the grades to justify your education. That made a huge difference. Students get those loans and additional credit thrown at them knowing the upper income class will make good permanent slaves through that. I believe living in the U.S. (which I have for 16 years) requires a lot more self discipline and responsibility compared to living in Europe where those temptation are simply not as high. In addition: In most parts of Europe, you do not need a car. No car loan, no need to buy gas. Buses and trams here in Budapest are also run electric. So dependence on oil is non existent other than for those who have the extra money anyways. I remember living in Atlanta and us needing two cars. Mine was used and paid for, my wife's was bought on credit. So a huge chunk of my check went on that right away.
     
    Blogmaster, Oct 19, 2011 IP
  9. Blogmaster

    Blogmaster Blood Type Dating Affiliate Manager

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    #7589
    Back in the old days people were entrepreneurs by nature. It was man's desire to create his own world around him. This has sort of changed already in the early 20s when advertising started booming and people were starting to feel the heat with credit rates requiring them to maintain rather than being able to take chances. Well, you can always get business loans, but it started to encourage people to rather move up in a large corporation which can also cover your medical insurance etc. rather than having to sort all that out yourself. Bureaucracy killed a lot of that spirit as well. In Europe for example, entrepreneurship has never been what it once was in the U.S. simply because here you have so much red tape, it goes against the go-getter mindset and makes it easier for obedient slaves to succeed than those with ideas but little patience for bullshit ;)


    Sad to see things go that way in the U.S. considering America has always been a role model for it.
     
    Blogmaster, Oct 19, 2011 IP
  10. Rebecca

    Rebecca Prominent Member

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    #7590
    Thanks, Blue Star. Cool sites! I like Shapeways the best, and will probably try it for some projects. The second, Singularity, I couldn't find where to sell on it, but it's interesting nonetheless. Have you tried Etsy?


    I think many of us have that entrepreneur spirit. And, the Internet has made it so much easier as a brick and mortar store is not necessary. I was let go in April, and I really did a lot of soul searching. Right before I got a new job in July, I came up with plans to start a new business. I just need a bit more money to start. I want a loan like a hole in the head, so, instead I've been working a lot, and saving money. I'm pretty much there actually, just need to buy a few more supplies, and will be starting my business before the beginning of the year. I believe very strongly in the value of starting a well-thought out business. IMO, it's actually so much more secure than a "job."


    Edit: I just read something. Biden is arguing the job bill must be supported to prevent rape and murder. Republicans need to stop being such wicked, rapist supporting, women haters and just sign the damn $447 billion jobs bill!!!

    Just kidding. :)
     
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2011
    Rebecca, Oct 19, 2011 IP
  11. Blue Star Ent.

    Blue Star Ent. Well-Known Member

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    #7591

    I am familiar with them, but I focus on digital products, I think etsy is only for physical products. I will take a look at it again, thanks.
     
    Blue Star Ent., Oct 20, 2011 IP
  12. Rebecca

    Rebecca Prominent Member

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    #7592
    I think you're right. I'm not sure if they have anything specifically in their rules about digital products, but haven't noticed any being sold. But it works for me, as I'll be selling physical products. The categories are exclusively handmade items (made directly by you), vintage items, and art supplies - nothing else can be sold there. I really like it, lots of artists. They have a nice community. :) Of course, (digital or physical) it's always best to diversify and sell in a few different places. Have you tried Amazon?
     
    Rebecca, Oct 20, 2011 IP
  13. earlpearl

    earlpearl Well-Known Member

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    #7593
    Rebecca: Good luck with your new business venture. Smart move to save to get it rolling rather than depend on borrowed money. Ah...small businesses....much harder to run than most people think.
     
    earlpearl, Oct 20, 2011 IP
  14. Blue Star Ent.

    Blue Star Ent. Well-Known Member

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    #7594

    That would cover a programmer, they make their wares specifically by hand these days. :)



    I am thinking about them. A helpful community is always better than a negative one. Good luck.
     
    Blue Star Ent., Oct 20, 2011 IP
  15. Blogmaster

    Blogmaster Blood Type Dating Affiliate Manager

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    #7595
    you can always sponsor.
     
    Blogmaster, Oct 20, 2011 IP
  16. Rebecca

    Rebecca Prominent Member

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    #7596
    Thanks Earlpearl. I'm excited. It's kind of an expansion on a hobby. Several years ago, I was really into making molds. Only with sheets of plastic. I had this machine to help me make stepping stone molds. It consisted of a metal frame on top with a heater, that was attached by a pole to a metal box with tiny holes, and a bigger hole that had a vacuum cleaner attached to it. I would place whatever object I wanted to make a mold of on top of the box, and clamp on a plastic sheet to the top frame where the heater was. Then, as the plastic sheet started to get melty, I would bring down the frame over the object while turning on the vacuum cleaner to suck out all the air. I used to make some pretty interesting and original stepping stone molds, and had a lot of people wanting to buy them. I would just sell the molds and they could make stepping stones out of them by pouring in plaster or cement. Life just kind of happened, and I got away from doing that, but I have a lot of fond memories. I was quite obsessed with it at the time, and still have all my closets in three bedrooms just stuffed with all these old molds I couldn't part with. Now, I'm going back to it, but in a completely different way, with different materials and methods. The new molds I'll be making won't be out of plastic, nor will they be one-dimensional (but will capture all angles of an object). They're not really "ceramic molds" but will look alike. They will also be high quality, lasting years and years, to create hundreds of times. I plan on selling some of my molds, and also what I create with them. But yes, I think it will be a safe business, not too hard, because I will be selling mainly online, and I won't have any employees because I just like doing everything myself. I have a friend too, where her mom makes a full-time income making candles and bath salts. She says there are many stores that she works with in this area that will sell her stuff, and she just goes in once a month to collect her money and replenish the inventory. She's going to get that list for me as well, so I'm going to check into that. So, I guess I'm still planning. But I'm going to start selling online at the beginning of the year, maybe when I do that, I'll PM you and show you some of the stuff I'm making. :)

    I agree. :)


    Yeah, a lot of friendly sellers there with some neat stuff. Besides the handmade items, I love vintage everything.
     
    Rebecca, Oct 20, 2011 IP
  17. Blue Star Ent.

    Blue Star Ent. Well-Known Member

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    #7597
    How so ?

    If that involves money... it is going to others.
     
    Blue Star Ent., Oct 21, 2011 IP
  18. Blue Star Ent.

    Blue Star Ent. Well-Known Member

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    #7598
    A small bit of good news :


    LINK


    Federal prosecutors are expected to file criminal charges on Wednesday against Rajat K. Gupta, the most prominent business executive ensnared in an aggressive insider trading investigation, according to people briefed on the case.



    A former director of Goldman Sachs and Procter & Gamble and the longtime head of McKinsey & Company, the elite consulting firm, Mr. Gupta has been under investigation over whether he leaked corporate secrets



    ================================================================================
    LINK




    A former board member of Goldman Sachs and Procter & Gamble has surrendered to face a six-count securities fraud indictment that makes him the latest defendant in the biggest insider trading case in history.

    The charges against Rajat Gupta were unsealed in US district court in Manhattan, where the indictment accused him of cheating the markets with Raj Rajaratnam, the convicted hedge fund founder who was the probe's prime target.

    The Indian-born Gupta, 62, was awaiting an arraignment on one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and five counts of securities fraud...


    He is just the tip of the iceberg. Speaking of which, Iceland did this to their whole corrupt system. They are sitting pretty now. Look at Greece.... ugh !
     
    Blue Star Ent., Oct 26, 2011 IP
  19. alstar70

    alstar70 Peon

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    #7599
    I think having a University degree is over rated (yes I have one and various diplomas, etc) Here in Australia the tradesmen are making far more money than the eggheads. Even the Doctors are frustrated. They have deliberately made the system to try and keep people as debt slaves for as long as possible - its disgusting.
    Even what they did to Nursing - which use to be a live in, work and learn system went to the University system - result - new Nurses are useless compared to the properly trained old school Nurses and half of them when they finally get their degree and do the job for the first time, hate it and do sometime else - making their expensive degree worthless. Time society woke up to itself - told the professors and other academics - that the harsh reality of the real world is the best training ground and to scale back universities to their bare bones.
     
    alstar70, Oct 26, 2011 IP
  20. Corwin

    Corwin Well-Known Member

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    #7600
    I'm watching Piers Morgan interview Trump on CNN. Trump is saying that the reason why the economy is in the tank is because the banks aren't lenidng money. And why are the banks not lending money? Because Obama's regulators are looking over the bank's shoulders watching every single thng the banks are doing, line by line - ESPECIALLY LOANS.

    So the banks are afraid of loaning money

    Trump said that China, OPEC, India, Mexico, are all ripping off the United States because Obama is weak.
     
    Corwin, Oct 27, 2011 IP
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