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Way OT, Foreign Aid
On Jan 26, 7:25*pm, jellybean stonerfish
wrote: On Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:17:26 -0800, Billy wrote: The U.S. is providing Israel with at least $8.2 million each day* in military aid and is giving the Palestinians $0** in military aid during Fiscal Year 2011. We give Israel the money, and they give Palestine the bombs for free. Those who do not study history... |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
US gives 3% total budget to foreighn aid while Denmark gives 52%.
-- Bud |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
Bud wrote:
US gives 3% total budget to foreighn aid while Denmark gives 52%. I do not believe that a nation gives over half of it total budget to foreign aid. -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
On Fri, 28 Jan 2011 23:06:15 +0000, Bud wrote:
US gives 3% total budget to foreighn aid while Denmark gives 52%. We give away much more $ in bombs. |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Nad R wrote: Bud wrote: US gives 3% total budget to foreighn aid while Denmark gives 52%. I do not believe that a nation gives over half of it total budget to foreign aid. These hard times do augur for a well tended garden, unfortunately. The mechanism that brought these times to us is still in place. We don't have a new Glass-Seagull act, and we (USians) are still vulnerable to new pillages. From Tunisia, to Egypt, to Greece, people are saying, the rich got the money, and we got the bill. All these countries are repressive, American client states, and all of them have imposed neo-liberal economic policies that have worked so well that the people in these countries are rioting. Neo-liberalism concentrates wealth in the hands of the few, and gives emerging economies no way to protect themselves against large economic powers, like the United States. http://www.merip.org/mero/mero011300.html The Collapse of WTO Negotiations: Implications for the Middle East Robert Naiman and Steve Niva (Robert Naiman is a Senior researcher at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) in Washington, DC. Steve Niva, former MERIP Executive Committee member, teaches at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington.) January 13, 2000 Arab elites' opposition at the WTO may seem surprising given that the IMF, World Bank and the US government have long promoted Arab regimes supportive of their agenda and fostered Western-educated leaders schooled in the theology of deregulation, reduced social protections, and export-led growth. Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia were all subject to IMF-imposed structural adjustment programs. Along with Lebanon, they have all embarked upon export-led development strategies and privatization schemes, dramatically cutting back public services. Even Syria and the Gulf states have recently moved in this direction. . . .. . . However, the IMF, the World Bank, and the US‚ extreme policies and their frequently disastrous consequences for economic growth and the exacerbation of poverty have caused some of the same Arab elites who previously embraced the model to fear that increased compliance with WTO and IMF mandates may cause greater economic suffering and thereby further undermine their legitimacy. . . .. . . At the same time, the US commitment to social standards remains largely rhetorical. There is no evidence that the US is prepared to negotiate trade concessions to developing countries in order to win acceptance of social standards. Indeed, the US rejected Egyptian and other developing countries‚ proposals to review existing WTO rules that have undermined food security and economic diversification in the South. ----- The above may also have precipitated 9/11. As far as I know there haven't been demonstrations in Morocco, but there have been in demonstrations in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Yemen, and Greece. A good, quick read on neo-liberalism is "Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism" by Ha-Joon Chang http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...stripbooks&fie ld-keywords=The+Bad+Samaritan&x=16&y=15 (Available at better libraries near you.) ----- The main points of neo-liberalism include: 1. THE RULE OF THE MARKET. Liberating "free" enterprise or private enterprise from any bonds imposed by the government (the state) no matter how much social damage this causes. Greater openness to international trade and investment, as in NAFTA. Reduce wages by de-unionizing workers and eliminating workers' rights that had been won over many years of struggle. No more price controls. All in all, total freedom of movement for capital, goods and services. To convince us this is good for us, they say "an unregulated market is the best way to increase economic growth, which will ultimately benefit everyone." It's like Reagan's "supply-side" and "trickle-down" economics -- but somehow the wealth didn't trickle down very much. 2. CUTTING PUBLIC EXPENDITURE FOR SOCIAL SERVICES like education and health care. REDUCING THE SAFETY-NET FOR THE POOR, and even maintenance of roads, bridges, water supply -- again in the name of reducing government's role. Of course, they don't oppose government subsidies and tax benefits for business. 3. DEREGULATION. Reduce government regulation of everything that could diminsh profits, including protecting the environmentand safety on the job. 4. PRIVATIZATION. Sell state-owned enterprises, goods and services to private investors. This includes banks, key industries, railroads, toll highways, electricity, schools, hospitals and even fresh water. Although usually done in the name of greater efficiency, which is often needed, privatization has mainly had the effect of concentrating wealth even more in a few hands and making the public pay even more for its needs. 5. ELIMINATING THE CONCEPT OF "THE PUBLIC GOOD" or "COMMUNITY" and replacing it with "individual responsibility." Pressuring the poorest people in a society to find solutions to their lack of health care, education and social security all by themselves -- then blaming them, if they fail, as "lazy." ------ When the Soviet Union collapsed, people survived because of there gardens. Don't think that it can't happen here. So, water those plants, and renew the mulch. ---- Heading this on back to the barn. I'm a couple of weeks away from germinating plants for the 2011 garden. I'm thrilled to be here. The overlooked potatoes have already expressed themselves and are on their way to a new bed. Sulfured around the blueberrys this morning. I've had them for 5 years now and they haven't done much. I'm hoping the sulfur will give them a kick in the hip pockets. I'll start with germinating the lettuce, cabbage, and peas. In the following month, I'll start the tomatoes, peppers, and whatever else I can shoehorn in, as fast as I can. Hope to be in the ground (the crops) by mid-May at the latest. Hoping for some heat this year. Last year, here, was very nice to live in, but it was crummy for gardens in Northern California. -- - Billy “When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist.” -Archbishop Helder Camara http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
Interesting article on the middle east and the WTO.
I see the world from a different perspective. I see the world in terms of evolution. First there was tribes, then city states, then nations, then finally groups of nations: Like the United States, European Union, Failed Soviet Union, The failed United Nations. Each of which had extreme violence in their evolutionary formation. What is left and last is the formation of a one world government. This will happen if the human race survives. Things change, economic and social models of the past will not work. Like restoring the Glass–Steagall Act of 1932, going back to slavery, stopping gay marriages or even getting rid of multinational corporations. When ever their is a problem many look to the past for answers. Try looking to the future for the answers. In the future, imagine a world in which through automation that ten percent of the worlds population can provide for one hundred percent of the worlds goods and services. We are heading in this direction. This is the scenario for the rich getting richer and poor getting poorer. What kind of economic system will be in place where ninety percent of the world will have no jobs? It will not be capitalism! The only answer that will work is a one world government. One that can deal with the four prophets of doom: over population, fresh water, global warming and nuclear weapons. Only a strong one world government can deal with these problems. Until then I see a world collapsing into chaos. This may take decades and only if the human race can survive the four horseman. Until then, in see the multinational corporations ruling the earth, which in the end leave the planet in a great mess. The corporations will use Asia as the manufacturing for cheap labor and the U.S. as the security for those corporate interest around the world. I see those individuals that are be self sufficient in providing their own shelter and food will have the best opportunities of survival in the coming times. I have five inches of new snow this morning. I will begin some seed starting next week for petunias and peppers. Today will be a baking day, fresh bread, cookies and perhaps a chocolate cake. I can smell the aromas now. -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Nad R wrote: Things change, economic and social models of the past will not work. Like restoring the Glass–Steagall Act of 1932, going back to slavery, stopping gay marriages or even getting rid of multinational corporations. When ever their is a problem many look to the past for answers. Try looking to the future for the answers. The Glass–Steagall Act of 1932 worked well for 70 years, and has not been replaced to insure that "Great Depression III" doesn't occur. If you want to know your future, look at your past. We see that neo-liberal economics doesn't work, and is only proposed by those that don't understand it, or profit from it. What we are seeing now, around the Mediterranean, is the "push-back" by people who don't have a livable choice, against those who say,"Greed is good". --- On the eve of this G-20 (Toronto) gathering, let’s look at a few facts. Fact, the world has divided into rich and poor as at no time in our history. The richest 2% own more than half the household wealth in the world. The richest 10% hold 85% of total global assets and the bottom half of humanity owns less than 1% of the wealth in the world. The three richest men in the world have more money than the poorest 48 countries. Fact, while those responsible for the 2008 global financial crisis were bailed out and even rewarded by the G-20 government’s gathering here, the International Labor Organization tells us that in 2009, 34 million people were added to the global unemployed, swelling those ranks to 239 million, the highest ever recorded. Another 200 million are at risk in precarious jobs and the World Bank tells us that at the end of 2010, another 64 million will have lost their jobs. http://www.democracynow.org/2010/7/2/maude Most of us cannot completely disconnect from the grid, but we increase our survivability in direct proportion to the extent that we can. South America was nearly ruined by the IMF imposition of "structural adjustment programs" (See Oliver Stone's documentary "South of the Border"), which corporate controlled Washington calls socialism (vs. a capitalistic aristocracy). South America, the Asian Tigers, and now the Mediterranean have all come to feel the harsh effects of neo-liberal economics. Our government leaves us no privacy, our web browsing leads to tailor made commercials for us, 90% of the U.S. news media is controlled by 5 companies*. Food production is in the hands of a few.** You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. "Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism" by Ha-Joon Chang http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...stripbooks&fie ld-keywords=The+Bad+Samaritan&x=16&y=15 (available at better libraries near you, or $3.91 new, in paperback, + S&H, or $9.35 in Kindle format) * AOL Time Warner, General Electric, Viacom, Disney, and Rupert Murdoch's NewsGroup ** http://www.hrw.org/reports/2005/usa0105/1.htm -- - Billy “When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist.” -Archbishop Helder Camara http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
Times are different than the thirties. Banks in the seventies were
struggling with high inflation and high interest rates handcuffed by many parts of Glass-Steagall. President Reagan removed many parts of that Act. President Bill Clinton just finished it off. Economic times did get better, but they also have consequences, like going into a great depression. Jumbo jets, gigantic transport ships the Internet and other modern technologies have changed the world. The Glass-Steagall Act will not work in a free trade global environment. For the Glass Steagall Act to work some what, one first has to ban free trade.. If any nation can. In this global corporations will just set up somewhere and black mail any nation they choose from abroad. Mega corps like the global banks will say "if you do not comply, your nation will suffer economically. Restrict oil and your nation goes into a major recession. Lower interest rates and so bankers get richer or the wheat farmers will not get loans and starve your nation. Globalization and modern technology made this black mail possible by major corporations. Want electric power for those on the grid... Do as I say! My understanding even the CEOs of these mega corporations have nice deep bunkers to hold out from anything but the military. I believe Walmart's family bunker is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and well armed. Only a world government can reign in these mega corps. Why do think no one at BP oil ever when to prison for their negligence. Mega corps have the world by the balls! Mega corporations probably can ruin any nation on this earth. The only way for change in my opinion is a global economic collapse and try and form a new world government that can reign in these mega corporations. No where to hide! -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Nad R wrote: Times are different than the thirties. Banks in the seventies were struggling with high inflation and high interest rates handcuffed by many parts of Glass-Steagall. President Reagan removed many parts of that Act. President Bill Clinton just finished it off. Economic times did get better, but they also have consequences, like going into a great depression. Jumbo jets, gigantic transport ships the Internet and other modern technologies have changed the world. The Glass-Steagall Act will not work in a free trade global environment. For the Glass Steagall Act to work some what, one first has to ban free trade.. If any nation can. In this global corporations will just set up somewhere and black mail any nation they choose from abroad. Mega corps like the global banks will say "if you do not comply, your nation will suffer economically. Restrict oil and your nation goes into a major recession. Lower interest rates and so bankers get richer or the wheat farmers will not get loans and starve your nation. Globalization and modern technology made this black mail possible by major corporations. Want electric power for those on the grid... Do as I say! My understanding even the CEOs of these mega corporations have nice deep bunkers to hold out from anything but the military. I believe Walmart's family bunker is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and well armed. Only a world government can reign in these mega corps. Why do think no one at BP oil ever when to prison for their negligence. Mega corps have the world by the balls! Mega corporations probably can ruin any nation on this earth. The only way for change in my opinion is a global economic collapse and try and form a new world government that can reign in these mega corporations. No where to hide! http://seattlest.com/2009/05/28/gary_snyder_has_had_it_with_you_pun.php I believe in world states based on tribal groups. Somewhere in the the past I saw a world map that would include the Basque's and wondering a free S. Jersey yes.. Decentralization please like small is beautiful. Meanwhile the Arabs seem to starting to to understand that British conquest does not make a state. Dam imperialist good for nothing. -- Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Nad R wrote: Times are different than the thirties. Banks in the seventies were struggling with high inflation and high interest rates handcuffed by many parts of Glass-Steagall. President Reagan removed many parts of that Act. President Bill Clinton just finished it off. Economic times did get better, but they also have consequences, like going into a great depression. Economic times got better for the top 10%. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/28/business/28wages.html Jumbo jets, gigantic transport ships the Internet and other modern technologies have changed the world. Great, now we can fly lamb from New Zealand to England with all its attendant effects on the environment. The Glass-Steagall Act will not work in a free trade global environment. Screw "free trade", bring on "fair trade". The Glass-Steagall Act was repealled in, (what 1998?) and the blood suckers made their move. It took 10 years to sell all the toxic derivative. For the Glass Steagall Act to work some what, one first has to ban free trade.. If any nation can. In this global corporations will just set up somewhere and black mail any nation they choose from abroad. I think you are making my case for me. Mega corps like the global banks will say "if you do not comply, your nation will suffer economically. Restrict oil and your nation goes into a major recession. Lower interest rates and so bankers get richer or the wheat farmers will not get loans and starve your nation. Globalization and modern technology made this black mail possible by major corporations. Want electric power for those on the grid... Do as I say! My understanding even the CEOs of these mega corporations have nice deep bunkers to hold out from anything but the military. I believe Walmart's family bunker is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and well armed. Only a world government can reign in these mega corps. Why do think no one at BP oil ever when to prison for their negligence. Mega corps have the world by the balls! Mega corporations probably can ruin any nation on this earth. The only way for change in my opinion is a global economic collapse and try and form a new world government that can reign in these mega corporations. No where to hide! It is instructive to see the crowds in Cairo. The well armed police, and paramilitary were surrounded by unarmed people, and shoved back. Viva, Freedom -- - Billy “When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist.” -Archbishop Helder Camara http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
Billy wrote:
In article , Nad R wrote: Times are different than the thirties. Banks in the seventies were struggling with high inflation and high interest rates handcuffed by many parts of Glass-Steagall. President Reagan removed many parts of that Act. President Bill Clinton just finished it off. Economic times did get better, but they also have consequences, like going into a great depression. Economic times got better for the top 10%. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/28/business/28wages.html Jumbo jets, gigantic transport ships the Internet and other modern technologies have changed the world. Great, now we can fly lamb from New Zealand to England with all its attendant effects on the environment. The Glass-Steagall Act will not work in a free trade global environment. Screw "free trade", bring on "fair trade". The Glass-Steagall Act was repealled in, (what 1998?) and the blood suckers made their move. It took 10 years to sell all the toxic derivative. For the Glass Steagall Act to work some what, one first has to ban free trade.. If any nation can. In this global corporations will just set up somewhere and black mail any nation they choose from abroad. I think you are making my case for me. Mega corps like the global banks will say "if you do not comply, your nation will suffer economically. Restrict oil and your nation goes into a major recession. Lower interest rates and so bankers get richer or the wheat farmers will not get loans and starve your nation. Globalization and modern technology made this black mail possible by major corporations. Want electric power for those on the grid... Do as I say! My understanding even the CEOs of these mega corporations have nice deep bunkers to hold out from anything but the military. I believe Walmart's family bunker is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and well armed. Only a world government can reign in these mega corps. Why do think no one at BP oil ever when to prison for their negligence. Mega corps have the world by the balls! Mega corporations probably can ruin any nation on this earth. The only way for change in my opinion is a global economic collapse and try and form a new world government that can reign in these mega corporations. No where to hide! It is instructive to see the crowds in Cairo. The well armed police, and paramilitary were surrounded by unarmed people, and shoved back. Viva, Freedom The weapon systems used against the crowds were "Made in the USA" from the tanks to gas cans for crowd control. Remember the revolts failed in Iran and others middle east countries. It will be interesting how this one turns out. I think, I can say, we both do not like the world as it is. I want the international corporations brought down. I am for equal distribution of wealth. I just think looking to the past for answers will not work in the future climate of things. Corporations have learned to by pass many existing laws. Also there are just too many people for everyone to live like the Amish. -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Nad R wrote: Times are different than the thirties. Banks in the seventies were struggling with high inflation and high interest rates handcuffed by many parts of Glass-Steagall. President Reagan removed many parts of that Act. President Bill Clinton just finished it off. Economic times did get better, but they also have consequences, like going into a great depression. Jumbo jets, gigantic transport ships the Internet and other modern technologies have changed the world. The Glass-Steagall Act will not work in a free trade global environment. For the Glass Steagall Act to work some what, one first has to ban free trade.. If any nation can. In this global corporations will just set up somewhere and black mail any nation they choose from abroad. Apparently, not everyone agrees with you. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/opinion/28krugman.html?_r=1 January 27, 2011 Their Own Private Europe By PAUL KRUGMAN "The lesson of the Irish debacle, then, is very nearly the opposite of what Mr. Ryan would have us believe. It doesn’t say “cut spending now, or bad things will happen”; it says that balanced budgets won’t protect you from crisis if you don’t effectively regulate your banks — a point made in the newly released report of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, which concludes that “30 years of deregulation and reliance on self-regulation” helped create our own catastrophe. Have I mentioned that Republicans are doing everything they can to undermine financial reform?" ----- Rain today, garden tomorrow :O) -- - Billy "Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vN0--mHug http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyE5wjc4XOw |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Bill who putters wrote: http://seattlest.com/2009/05/28/gary...th_you_pun.php Ah, it takes me back. I arrived in the Bay Area early 60's when Snyder, and Ginsberg would hold forth at Ferlinghetti's bookstore, "City of Lights" in North Beach. How's the sledding coming along? -- - Billy "Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vN0--mHug http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyE5wjc4XOw |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
Billy wrote:
In article , Nad R wrote: Times are different than the thirties. Banks in the seventies were struggling with high inflation and high interest rates handcuffed by many parts of Glass-Steagall. President Reagan removed many parts of that Act. President Bill Clinton just finished it off. Economic times did get better, but they also have consequences, like going into a great depression. Jumbo jets, gigantic transport ships the Internet and other modern technologies have changed the world. The Glass-Steagall Act will not work in a free trade global environment. For the Glass Steagall Act to work some what, one first has to ban free trade.. If any nation can. In this global corporations will just set up somewhere and black mail any nation they choose from abroad. Apparently, not everyone agrees with you. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/opinion/28krugman.html?_r=1 January 27, 2011 Their Own Private Europe By PAUL KRUGMAN "The lesson of the Irish debacle, then, is very nearly the opposite of what Mr. Ryan would have us believe. It doesn’t say “cut spending now, or bad things will happen”; it says that balanced budgets won’t protect you from crisis if you don’t effectively regulate your banks — a point made in the newly released report of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, which concludes that “30 years of deregulation and reliance on self-regulation” helped create our own catastrophe. Have I mentioned that Republicans are doing everything they can to undermine financial reform?" ----- Rain today, garden tomorrow :O) I know that most will disagree with me. I do agree that the banks went wild. So are you saying that the US is responsible for Europe's financial collapse because Glass-Steagall also controls the worlds banks. Does not Europe have their own banking laws? I can see removing Glass-Steagall can wreck the U.S. Banks, but Europe's banks as well? So Europe's banks are controlled by our laws? I find this hard to believe. I see the real-estate collapse more due to free trade, people loose their jobs to slave labor nations like China, then they cannot make their house payment, then property values drop, then banks assets go down, then banks fail. So Europe does not have their own banking laws, they use the U.S. Laws? It is not U.S. Banking laws, it is evolution of the worlds economics systems. What was true then is not true today. I will use physics as a metaphor, Galileo stated "Mass is independent of Gravity", Newton proved this wrong with his Laws of Gravity. Newton stated "Time was independent of everything". Einstein proved that statement was wrong with his theories of Relativity ( more fact than theory ). And between each time period for hundreds of years, people believed they were correct until proven wrong. Economics is more art, than science, Economics is more trial and error that has evolved over the years and still evolving. -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Nad R wrote: I know that most will disagree with me. I do agree that the banks went wild. So are you saying that the US is responsible for Europe's financial collapse because Glass-Steagall also controls the worlds banks. Does not Europe have their own banking laws? I can see removing Glass-Steagall can wreck the U.S. Banks, but Europe's banks as well? So Europe's banks are controlled by our laws? I find this hard to believe. Some of them bought the same high performing, toxic derivatives that our banks did. But whether you're talking Ireland, or Spain, or Greece, the story is the same. They got the money, and we got the bill. -- - Billy "When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist." -Archbishop Helder Camara http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
Billy wrote:
In article , Nad R wrote: I know that most will disagree with me. I do agree that the banks went wild. So are you saying that the US is responsible for Europe's financial collapse because Glass-Steagall also controls the worlds banks. Does not Europe have their own banking laws? I can see removing Glass-Steagall can wreck the U.S. Banks, but Europe's banks as well? So Europe's banks are controlled by our laws? I find this hard to believe. Some of them bought the same high performing, toxic derivatives that our banks did. But whether you're talking Ireland, or Spain, or Greece, the story is the same. They got the money, and we got the bill. My point, the past and present banking laws failed for every nation! Not, just toxic derivatives. Europe also formed it own free trade agreements within Europe called E.U. and even created their own multinational currency. The greater the markets the more efficient companies become and need fewer workers. That means less Europeans making money, Europeans defaulting on their loans, European's properties devaluating, European banks go under. This is the THEY, the corporate rich, those that profit from having larger international markets. When property values decline, those property values become toxic. When property values decline will also effect the stock markets. The stock markets are no longer a place for investments, the stock market is a casino. Stocks and bonds are part of those toxic derivatives ( which is gambling in it's self ). The stock market is an indicator for the rich. Trade deficit is an indicator for the poor. However, not just banking laws. It was President Carter that allowed the US government to purchase stocks. Before Carter it was illegal for the government to own stocks. Many other governments of the world followed suit and purchased stocks and bonds as well, which drove the stock markets even higher. If the governments did not buy stocks, the world would not be in a mess also. I believe this did far more damage than removing Glass-Steagal. I often wonder how much money the governments are putting in, just to keep the markets from collapsing, just to help the rich stay rich. The only answer to solve these problems is the formation of a NEW WORLD GOVERNMENT with a new world currency. However, a new world currency will fail without a world government to force international laws. But to do this, the people of Earth have to give up this notion called nationalism and patriotism. -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
On Jan 31, 2:24*am, Nad R wrote:
Billy wrote: In article , *Nad R wrote: [...] The only answer to solve these problems is the formation of a NEW WORLD GOVERNMENT with a new world currency. *However, a new world currency will fail without a world government to force international laws. But to do this, the people of Earth have to give up this notion called nationalism and patriotism. Good luck, o, kind and loving heart! We are still animals, with a very thin veneer of civilization, easily ripped off. HB |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
Higgs Boson wrote:
On Jan 31, 2:24 am, Nad R wrote: Billy wrote: In article , Nad R wrote: [...] The only answer to solve these problems is the formation of a NEW WORLD GOVERNMENT with a new world currency. However, a new world currency will fail without a world government to force international laws. But to do this, the people of Earth have to give up this notion called nationalism and patriotism. Good luck, o, kind and loving heart! We are still animals, with a very thin veneer of civilization, easily ripped off. HB I am a sceptic at heart. I do not expect this to happen. I expect chaos instead. However, I state this as the best possible solution to the worlds problems. -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Nad R wrote: However, not just banking laws. It was President Carter that allowed the US government to purchase stocks. Before Carter it was illegal for the government to own stocks. Many other governments of the world followed suit and purchased stocks and bonds as well, which drove the stock markets even higher. If the governments did not buy stocks, the world would not be in a mess also. I believe this did far more damage than removing Glass-Steagal. Really, when Glass Steagal prevented excessive leveraging? Leveraging that went to $35 in commitments to $1 in cash on hand after Glass Steagal was repealed. Then when the investment banks got our money, and were given 0% interest loans, did they make that money available to business in the form of loans? No, they took their (our) money and invested it at 3% interest in T- bills, gave bonuses all around, and headed on out to expensive resorts for retreats, uh-huh. Meanwhile back in Athens, Papandreou tried to allay public anger by*promising to lower corporate taxes in an effort to revive the debt-plagued country's shrinking economy. He said the tax rate on companies' retained profits would be cut from 24 to 20 per cent next year, providing what he called "a strong incentive for investments and competitiveness'.' He promised to also deregulate the energy market, settle on privatisation targets and simplify business licensing procedures by the end of 2010. He*said it would overhaul loss-making state firms including Hellenic Railways (OSE), which has debts of $13.62bn, by cutting payroll and rail services. (Cutting train service means more money spent on oil and gasoline to move people and goods in Greece.) Laurence Lee, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Thessaloniki, said: "What the protesters want more than anything is for money not to be taken from them but from the rich. In his speech Papandreou acknowledged that. "He said he accepted the economic measures had been unpopular. He said he knew it was unfair to be taking money from the poor to the rich but said it was vital for Greece. ---- Does any of this sound familiar to you? We aren't that far from being in the same situation. What are our options? Viva Tunisia, Viva Egypt (where the demonstrators know that the police and para-militaries got their training and supplies (tear gas, bullets, tanks, and F-16s from the United States) -- - Billy "When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist." -Archbishop Helder Camara http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article
, Billy wrote: What are our options? I know of nothing other than letting things that disrupt pass and supporting things that aid the common good. We know good when we see it but only can act when it occurs or cause it to occur. Folks in power have a wider range of influence those in lesser positions work resides nearby. Confucian thought. When the individual is well the family is well. Then the county can be well and the state will be well. Throws importance to the primary. Seems with our misplaced military spending we are some what sick. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAd0jOuQg8o Sun thinking about going down Cold with a promise of more Sand on the walk ways but a fall is never far Slow and steady and no where to go Went this morning and we are whole Still extended comes to mind -- Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/ |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
Do you know why there are no Wal*Mart stores in Germany? Of course you
don't. Do you know why Gernany does not want to bail out the countries of Spain, Ireland and Greece? I'll let you in on a little secret, they have strict banking laws and labor laws. Some of you need to take economics 101. A little world history reading would help too. -- Bud |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Bud wrote: Do you know why there are no Wal*Mart stores in Germany? Of course you don't. Do you know why Gernany does not want to bail out the countries of Spain, Ireland and Greece? I'll let you in on a little secret, they have strict banking laws and labor laws. Some of you need to take economics 101. A little world history reading would help too. Interesting that Germany invaded both Greece and had influence in Spain in the last 70 years. -- Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/ |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Bill who putters wrote: In article , Billy wrote: What are our options? I know of nothing other than letting things that disrupt pass and supporting things that aid the common good. We know good when we see it but only can act when it occurs or cause it to occur. Folks in power have a wider range of influence those in lesser positions work resides nearby. Confucian thought. When the individual is well the family is well. Then the county can be well and the state will be well. Throws importance to the primary. Seems with our misplaced military spending we are some what sick. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAd0jOuQg8o Sun thinking about going down Cold with a promise of more Sand on the walk ways but a fall is never far Slow and steady and no where to go Went this morning and we are whole Still extended comes to mind http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTW0y6kazWM Vietnam Vet with a cardboard sign Sitting there by the left turn line Flag on the wheelchair flapping in the breeze One leg missing, both hands free No one's paying much mind to him The V.A. budget's stretched so thin And there's more comin' home from the Mideast war We can't make it here anymore That big ol' building was the textile mill It fed our kids and it paid our bills But they turned us out and they closed the doors We can't make it here anymore See all those pallets piled up on the loading dock They're just gonna set there till they rot 'Cause there's nothing to ship, nothing to pack Just busted concrete and rusted tracks Empty storefronts around the square There's a needle in the gutter and glass everywhere You don't come down here 'less you're looking to score We can't make it here anymore Music and lyrics 2004 by James McMurtry -- - Billy "When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist." -Archbishop Helder Camara http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Bud wrote: Do you know why there are no Wal*Mart stores in Germany? Of course you don't. Do you know why Gernany does not want to bail out the countries of Spain, Ireland and Greece? Want to? No, they don't want to, but they will try. They are the 4th largest economy in the world, and they didn't ship their jobs over seas. I'll let you in on a little secret, they have strict banking laws and labor laws. Some of you need to take economics 101. A little world history reading would help too. -- - Billy "When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist." -Archbishop Helder Camara http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Bill who putters wrote: In article , Bud wrote: Do you know why there are no Wal*Mart stores in Germany? Of course you don't. Do you know why Gernany does not want to bail out the countries of Spain, Ireland and Greece? I'll let you in on a little secret, they have strict banking laws and labor laws. Some of you need to take economics 101. A little world history reading would help too. Interesting that Germany invaded both Greece and had influence in Spain in the last 70 years. Kaiser Bill I, Matin Luther, Johann Sebastian Bach, Werner Herzog, Fritz Lang, Hannah Arendt, Erich Fromm, Immanuel Kant, Arthur Schopenhauer, Erich Fromm, Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Hans Gerhard Creutzfeldt, Katarina Witt, and Beethoven are German too. Shifting hemispheres, be sure to see the documentary "South of the Border" by Oliver Stone. In it Argentinean President, and then First Gentleman of Argentina (his wife became president), Nestor Kirchner relates how "Dubya" told his that war was good for the economy. Believe it or don't, it's still a good movie. -- - Billy "When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist." -Archbishop Helder Camara http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
Billy wrote:
In article , Nad R wrote: However, not just banking laws. It was President Carter that allowed the US government to purchase stocks. Before Carter it was illegal for the government to own stocks. Many other governments of the world followed suit and purchased stocks and bonds as well, which drove the stock markets even higher. If the governments did not buy stocks, the world would not be in a mess also. I believe this did far more damage than removing Glass-Steagal. Really, when Glass Steagal prevented excessive leveraging? Leveraging that went to $35 in commitments to $1 in cash on hand after Glass Steagal was repealed. Then when the investment banks got our money, and were given 0% interest loans, did they make that money available to business in the form of loans? No, they took their (our) money and invested it at 3% interest in T- bills, gave bonuses all around, and headed on out to expensive resorts for retreats, uh-huh. I guess your not old enough to remember or have a short memory of the super high inflation days of Nixon and Carter. Companies could not afford those double digit high Interest rates for expanding. Next to impossible to get a home loan because banks then had little money. I was getting 13% on my time deposits in the seventies. Everyone took the money out of banks and put their money into the better paying stock markets in which dividends were running about 15% annual rates. Banks were unable to compete with the stock market due to very old and very restrictive banking laws. It was Ronald Reagan that started the dismantling of the Glass-Steagle. Then the banks were now able to get moving again and inflation started to drop. But like many inflexible laws the pendulum started to swing far far to the other side. The problem with many laws are they are not flexible enough to change with the times. Need to remember your history in order to improve the future. To learn from our mistakes. Not just keep from repeating past mistakes. The world needs laws that are flexible, not strict laws. Strict laws work well, only in the short term. -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
Bud wrote:
Do you know why there are no Wal*Mart stores in Germany? Of course you don't. Do you know why Gernany does not want to bail out the countries of Spain, Ireland and Greece? I'll let you in on a little secret, they have strict banking laws and labor laws. Some of you need to take economics 101. A little world history reading would help too. They also have strict trade laws. Free trade with them is a one way street. -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Nad R wrote: Bud wrote: Do you know why there are no Wal*Mart stores in Germany? Of course you don't. Do you know why Gernany does not want to bail out the countries of Spain, Ireland and Greece? I'll let you in on a little secret, they have strict banking laws and labor laws. Some of you need to take economics 101. A little world history reading would help too. They also have strict trade laws. Free trade with them is a one way street. And that is the problem of neo-liberal economics. No developing country can compete with the resources of an established industrial country, which will buy up the resources of a developing country, and incentivize old technology and cheap wages. Germany also has the 4th largest economy in the world, and they didn't send their jobs over seas. Tell us wherein their sin lies. They encourage exports and don't encourage imports? At least they have something to export besides weapons. -- - Billy "When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist." -Archbishop Helder Camara http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Nad R wrote: Billy wrote: In article , Nad R wrote: However, not just banking laws. It was President Carter that allowed the US government to purchase stocks. Before Carter it was illegal for the government to own stocks. Many other governments of the world followed suit and purchased stocks and bonds as well, which drove the stock markets even higher. If the governments did not buy stocks, the world would not be in a mess also. I believe this did far more damage than removing Glass-Steagal. Does anyone else? Really, when Glass Steagal prevented excessive leveraging? Leveraging that went to $35 in commitments to $1 in cash on hand after Glass Steagal was repealed. Then when the investment banks got our money, and were given 0% interest loans, did they make that money available to business in the form of loans? No, they took their (our) money and invested it at 3% interest in T- bills, gave bonuses all around, and headed on out to expensive resorts for retreats, uh-huh. I guess your not old enough to remember or have a short memory of the super high inflation days of Nixon and Carter. Companies could not afford those double digit high Interest rates for expanding. Next to impossible to get a home loan because banks then had little money. I was getting 13% on my time deposits in the seventies. Everyone took the money out of banks and put their money into the better paying stock markets in which dividends were running about 15% annual rates. Banks were unable to compete with the stock market due to very old and very restrictive banking laws. You pick an extreme time in the 20th Century. There was doubling of oil prices. It was Ronald Reagan that started the dismantling of the Glass-Steagle. Actually, he passed Tax Reform Act of 1986 and he was the first to propose privatizing government, like we do with soldiers and spies now. Glass-Steagle was all Summer's and Clinton's. Then the banks were now able to get moving again and inflation started to drop. But like many inflexible laws the pendulum started to swing far far to the other side. The problem with many laws are they are not flexible enough to change with the times. What inflexible laws are you referring to? Need to remember your history in order to improve the future. To learn from our mistakes. Not just keep from repeating past mistakes. The world needs laws that are flexible, not strict laws. Strict laws work well, only in the short term. Getting a little sanctimonious? -- - Billy "When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist." -Archbishop Helder Camara http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
Billy wrote:
In article , Nad R wrote: Billy wrote: In article , Nad R wrote: However, not just banking laws. It was President Carter that allowed the US government to purchase stocks. Before Carter it was illegal for the government to own stocks. Many other governments of the world followed suit and purchased stocks and bonds as well, which drove the stock markets even higher. If the governments did not buy stocks, the world would not be in a mess also. I believe this did far more damage than removing Glass-Steagal. Does anyone else?. Really, when Glass Steagal prevented excessive leveraging? Leveraging that went to $35 in commitments to $1 in cash on hand after Glass Steagal was repealed. Then when the investment banks got our money, and were given 0% interest loans, did they make that money available to business in the form of loans? No, they took their (our) money and invested it at 3% interest in T- bills, gave bonuses all around, and headed on out to expensive resorts for retreats, uh-huh. I guess your not old enough to remember or have a short memory of the super high inflation days of Nixon and Carter. Companies could not afford those double digit high Interest rates for expanding. Next to impossible to get a home loan because banks then had little money. I was getting 13% on my time deposits in the seventies. Everyone took the money out of banks and put their money into the better paying stock markets in which dividends were running about 15% annual rates. Banks were unable to compete with the stock market due to very old and very restrictive banking laws. You pick an extreme time in the 20th Century. There was doubling of oil prices. It was Ronald Reagan that started the dismantling of the Glass-Steagle. Actually, he passed Tax Reform Act of 1986 and he was the first to propose privatizing government, like we do with soldiers and spies now. Glass-Steagle was all Summer's and Clinton's. Then the banks were now able to get moving again and inflation started to drop. But like many inflexible laws the pendulum started to swing far far to the other side. The problem with many laws are they are not flexible enough to change with the times. What inflexible laws are you referring to? Need to remember your history in order to improve the future. To learn from our mistakes. Not just keep from repeating past mistakes. The world needs laws that are flexible, not strict laws. Strict laws work well, only in the short term. Getting a little sanctimonious? Always :) I prefer the phrase "Spirit of the Law" over "Letter of the Law". But realize it is difficult to implement the "Spirit". My personal views I developed over time. Unknown if anyone agrees with them. I found the discussion however, most interesting. -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
Billy wrote:
In article , Nad R wrote: Bud wrote: Do you know why there are no Wal*Mart stores in Germany? Of course you don't. Do you know why Gernany does not want to bail out the countries of Spain, Ireland and Greece? I'll let you in on a little secret, they have strict banking laws and labor laws. Some of you need to take economics 101. A little world history reading would help too. They also have strict trade laws. Free trade with them is a one way street. And that is the problem of neo-liberal economics. No developing country can compete with the resources of an established industrial country, which will buy up the resources of a developing country, and incentivize old technology and cheap wages. Germany also has the 4th largest economy in the world, and they didn't send their jobs over seas. Tell us wherein their sin lies. They encourage exports and don't encourage imports? At least they have something to export besides weapons. I agree with that. No sin at all one the Germans part. Sins on the US part "Stupidity" if that is called a sin? As a liberal, I do hate term "neo-liberal". However, The government needs to rein in the free market concept. -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
On Jan 31, 5:20*pm, Billy wrote:
In article , *Bill who putters wrote: In article , *Bud wrote: Do you know why there are no Wal*Mart stores in Germany? Of course you don't. Do you know why Gernany does not want to bail out the countries of Spain, Ireland and Greece? I'll let you in on a little secret, they have strict banking laws and labor laws. Some of you need to take economics 101. A little world history reading would help too. *Interesting that Germany invaded both Greece and had influence in Spain in the last 70 years. Kaiser Bill I, Matin Luther, Johann Sebastian Bach, Werner Herzog, Fritz Lang, Hannah Arendt, Erich Fromm, Immanuel Kant, Arthur Schopenhauer, Erich Fromm, Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Hans Gerhard Creutzfeldt, Katarina Witt, and Beethoven are German too. Shifting hemispheres, be sure to see the documentary "South of the Border" by Oliver Stone. In it Argentinean President, and then First Gentleman of Argentina (his wife became president), Nestor Kirchner relates how "Dubya" told his that war was good for the economy. Believe it or don't, it's still a good movie. Not sure I would believe Oliver Stone if he said the sun came up in the East. But Bush is far from alone in holding that opinion. HB |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Nad R wrote: Billy wrote: In article , Nad R wrote: Bud wrote: Do you know why there are no Wal*Mart stores in Germany? Of course you don't. Do you know why Gernany does not want to bail out the countries of Spain, Ireland and Greece? I'll let you in on a little secret, they have strict banking laws and labor laws. Some of you need to take economics 101. A little world history reading would help too. They also have strict trade laws. Free trade with them is a one way street. And that is the problem of neo-liberal economics. No developing country can compete with the resources of an established industrial country, which will buy up the resources of a developing country, and incentivize old technology and cheap wages. Germany also has the 4th largest economy in the world, and they didn't send their jobs over seas. Tell us wherein their sin lies. They encourage exports and don't encourage imports? At least they have something to export besides weapons. I agree with that. No sin at all one the Germans part. Sins on the US part "Stupidity" if that is called a sin? Only looks like stupidity, because it fails to do its avowed intent of strengthening the economy, but if it is meant to facilitate the transfer of money from the poor to the rich, then it works just fine, which is a sin. As a liberal, I do hate term "neo-liberal". However, The government needs to rein in the free market concept. "New liberals" are supposed to be the devolution from liberal to conservative, feral corporatists who want no impediments to business, including democracy. However, as this process enshrines itself, I find myself being strangely attracted to the NRA, who claim that guns aren't for hunting or self-defense, but to protect against us against our enemies, foreign and domestic. ----- I left my "beater" of a truck (1980 Datsun) unstarted for too long. Couldn't get it to start, even though it turned over. I think the ignition system is damp. It's at the mechanic's now. I wanted to go to the feed store to get some straw for my potato planting. I'm hoping to transfer volunteer potato plants to a new bed in the name of rotation. I grow too many "Solanaceae" (potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes), which makes crop rotation problematic. On the positive side, I found the unused balance of an alfalfa bale which had disappeared last Fall during one of my lovey's assaults on the organization of the garage ;O) Cold fingers on tap today as I plant potatoes and put chicken wire over them to protect against our rascally raccoons, which love to dig in mulch. -- - Billy "When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist." -Archbishop Helder Camara http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
Billy wrote:
In article , Nad R wrote: Billy wrote: In article , Nad R wrote: Bud wrote: Do you know why there are no Wal*Mart stores in Germany? Of course you don't. Do you know why Gernany does not want to bail out the countries of Spain, Ireland and Greece? I'll let you in on a little secret, they have strict banking laws and labor laws. Some of you need to take economics 101. A little world history reading would help too. They also have strict trade laws. Free trade with them is a one way street. And that is the problem of neo-liberal economics. No developing country can compete with the resources of an established industrial country, which will buy up the resources of a developing country, and incentivize old technology and cheap wages. Germany also has the 4th largest economy in the world, and they didn't send their jobs over seas. Tell us wherein their sin lies. They encourage exports and don't encourage imports? At least they have something to export besides weapons. I agree with that. No sin at all one the Germans part. Sins on the US part "Stupidity" if that is called a sin? Only looks like stupidity, because it fails to do its avowed intent of strengthening the economy, but if it is meant to facilitate the transfer of money from the poor to the rich, then it works just fine, which is a sin. As a liberal, I do hate term "neo-liberal". However, The government needs to rein in the free market concept. "New liberals" are supposed to be the devolution from liberal to conservative, feral corporatists who want no impediments to business, including democracy. However, as this process enshrines itself, I find myself being strangely attracted to the NRA, who claim that guns aren't for hunting or self-defense, but to protect against us against our enemies, foreign and domestic. ----- I left my "beater" of a truck (1980 Datsun) unstarted for too long. Couldn't get it to start, even though it turned over. I think the ignition system is damp. It's at the mechanic's now. I wanted to go to the feed store to get some straw for my potato planting. I'm hoping to transfer volunteer potato plants to a new bed in the name of rotation. I grow too many "Solanaceae" (potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes), which makes crop rotation problematic. On the positive side, I found the unused balance of an alfalfa bale which had disappeared last Fall during one of my lovey's assaults on the organization of the garage ;O) Cold fingers on tap today as I plant potatoes and put chicken wire over them to protect against our rascally raccoons, which love to dig in mulch. I can only dream of gardening at this time. Twelve inches of snow tonight. I think I will read a good book on particle physics tonight. My beater truck is a 1999 Dakota that would not start after I did not use it for a month. It would not start even after charging the battery. I had it it towed. What happened was the computer lost it's memory and had to be reset. Then the truck started right up after the computer was reset. However a 1980 truck is pre computer days. I still debate about getting another Dodge or a Polaris ATV. ATV's can be legally driven on country roads in Michigan and does not need insurance. Just the thing to go to the local TSC store and with a small trailer for hauling compost or feed. Reason for a Dodge is that I can get a "Plan A" for buying it at next to cost. With the nature of this topic, I also wonder about changing my consumerist ways :) -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
In article ,
Nad R wrote: Billy wrote: In article , Nad R wrote: Billy wrote: In article , Nad R wrote: Bud wrote: Do you know why there are no Wal*Mart stores in Germany? Of course you don't. Do you know why Gernany does not want to bail out the countries of Spain, Ireland and Greece? I'll let you in on a little secret, they have strict banking laws and labor laws. Some of you need to take economics 101. A little world history reading would help too. They also have strict trade laws. Free trade with them is a one way street. And that is the problem of neo-liberal economics. No developing country can compete with the resources of an established industrial country, which will buy up the resources of a developing country, and incentivize old technology and cheap wages. Germany also has the 4th largest economy in the world, and they didn't send their jobs over seas. Tell us wherein their sin lies. They encourage exports and don't encourage imports? At least they have something to export besides weapons. I agree with that. No sin at all one the Germans part. Sins on the US part "Stupidity" if that is called a sin? Only looks like stupidity, because it fails to do its avowed intent of strengthening the economy, but if it is meant to facilitate the transfer of money from the poor to the rich, then it works just fine, which is a sin. As a liberal, I do hate term "neo-liberal". However, The government needs to rein in the free market concept. "New liberals" are supposed to be the devolution from liberal to conservative, feral corporatists who want no impediments to business, including democracy. However, as this process enshrines itself, I find myself being strangely attracted to the NRA, who claim that guns aren't for hunting or self-defense, but to protect against us against our enemies, foreign and domestic. ----- I left my "beater" of a truck (1980 Datsun) unstarted for too long. Couldn't get it to start, even though it turned over. I think the ignition system is damp. It's at the mechanic's now. I wanted to go to the feed store to get some straw for my potato planting. I'm hoping to transfer volunteer potato plants to a new bed in the name of rotation. I grow too many "Solanaceae" (potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes), which makes crop rotation problematic. On the positive side, I found the unused balance of an alfalfa bale which had disappeared last Fall during one of my lovey's assaults on the organization of the garage ;O) Cold fingers on tap today as I plant potatoes and put chicken wire over them to protect against our rascally raccoons, which love to dig in mulch. I can only dream of gardening at this time. Twelve inches of snow tonight. I think I will read a good book on particle physics tonight. My beater truck is a 1999 Dakota that would not start after I did not use it for a month. It would not start even after charging the battery. I had it it towed. What happened was the computer lost it's memory and had to be reset. Then the truck started right up after the computer was reset. However a 1980 truck is pre computer days. I still debate about getting another Dodge or a Polaris ATV. ATV's can be legally driven on country roads in Michigan and does not need insurance. Just the thing to go to the local TSC store and with a small trailer for hauling compost or feed. Reason for a Dodge is that I can get a "Plan A" for buying it at next to cost. With the nature of this topic, I also wonder about changing my consumerist ways :) I've read "Boojums All The Way Through" by N. David Mermin many times but I retain little of it. Fav quote from the book..... "I am sure" says Popper, " I shall shock many physicists who, after having reached my fourth or at most my sixth thesis, will stop reading this rubbish". P 195 -- Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/ |
Way OT, Foreign Aid
Bill who putters wrote:
In article , Nad R wrote: Billy wrote: In article , Nad R wrote: Billy wrote: In article , Nad R wrote: Bud wrote: Do you know why there are no Wal*Mart stores in Germany? Of course you don't. Do you know why Gernany does not want to bail out the countries of Spain, Ireland and Greece? I'll let you in on a little secret, they have strict banking laws and labor laws. Some of you need to take economics 101. A little world history reading would help too. They also have strict trade laws. Free trade with them is a one way street. And that is the problem of neo-liberal economics. No developing country can compete with the resources of an established industrial country, which will buy up the resources of a developing country, and incentivize old technology and cheap wages. Germany also has the 4th largest economy in the world, and they didn't send their jobs over seas. Tell us wherein their sin lies. They encourage exports and don't encourage imports? At least they have something to export besides weapons. I agree with that. No sin at all one the Germans part. Sins on the US part "Stupidity" if that is called a sin? Only looks like stupidity, because it fails to do its avowed intent of strengthening the economy, but if it is meant to facilitate the transfer of money from the poor to the rich, then it works just fine, which is a sin. As a liberal, I do hate term "neo-liberal". However, The government needs to rein in the free market concept. "New liberals" are supposed to be the devolution from liberal to conservative, feral corporatists who want no impediments to business, including democracy. However, as this process enshrines itself, I find myself being strangely attracted to the NRA, who claim that guns aren't for hunting or self-defense, but to protect against us against our enemies, foreign and domestic. ----- I left my "beater" of a truck (1980 Datsun) unstarted for too long. Couldn't get it to start, even though it turned over. I think the ignition system is damp. It's at the mechanic's now. I wanted to go to the feed store to get some straw for my potato planting. I'm hoping to transfer volunteer potato plants to a new bed in the name of rotation. I grow too many "Solanaceae" (potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes), which makes crop rotation problematic. On the positive side, I found the unused balance of an alfalfa bale which had disappeared last Fall during one of my lovey's assaults on the organization of the garage ;O) Cold fingers on tap today as I plant potatoes and put chicken wire over them to protect against our rascally raccoons, which love to dig in mulch. I can only dream of gardening at this time. Twelve inches of snow tonight. I think I will read a good book on particle physics tonight. My beater truck is a 1999 Dakota that would not start after I did not use it for a month. It would not start even after charging the battery. I had it it towed. What happened was the computer lost it's memory and had to be reset. Then the truck started right up after the computer was reset. However a 1980 truck is pre computer days. I still debate about getting another Dodge or a Polaris ATV. ATV's can be legally driven on country roads in Michigan and does not need insurance. Just the thing to go to the local TSC store and with a small trailer for hauling compost or feed. Reason for a Dodge is that I can get a "Plan A" for buying it at next to cost. With the nature of this topic, I also wonder about changing my consumerist ways :) I've read "Boojums All The Way Through" by N. David Mermin many times but I retain little of it. Fav quote from the book..... "I am sure" says Popper, " I shall shock many physicists who, after having reached my fourth or at most my sixth thesis, will stop reading this rubbish". P 195 I put it on my wish list. $32 for a book on science philosophy? Still looks like a good read. Since my retirement, I really have to watch my consumerist ways. I have several books I bought in my sinful consumerist days that I have not read yet. I find now, I am glad I bought those books long ago, for I now have the time to read them at long ago prices. -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
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