Numbers show a second-rate US

[JD_]

Re: Numbers show a second-rate US

i don't expect my contributions to make a lot of difference, but what can i do? any suggestions? [restrain yourselves]

jk,

This is probably not what you had in mind when you asked what you could do to make a difference. How about running for a political position yourself? That would have a big impact and at least you'd have faith in the person elected trying to enact laws and policies that you agreed with!

JD

[Finster]

Re: Numbers show a second-rate US

Deal!

I have the perfect chart in mind:

Now let's not scare him away ... ;)

[Chris Coles]

Re: Numbers show a second-rate US

Having been distracted by a week or two away, (crewing at a gliding competition), I find myself enthralled by the idea that our tiny group has no idea of what is going on. Of what it is that has held back the US to create a nation that a minor sub-institution describes as "second rate".

Two things hold back any country; lack of free markets and a feudal culture in administration. Politics has little to do with the problems, as all politicians have to adhere to the advice of the executive. So what is a free market?

Here in Europe, we have many free markets for food. Market towns are called that precisely because they enjoy, usually twice a week, an open marketplace where citizens may purchase anything normally only available from a large store group, from small traders selling face to face with the customer at a stall. Usually a large table.

No one can be denied access and many traders all together mean that no individual trader can dominate the trade. Also, often forgotten, no one in trade can make any sort of a bargain with another such trader to limit the trade to those terms that satisfy their own need to hold control over the marketplace. The bulk trader must sell by auction, price decided at the fall of a hammer. Once sold, there is no further lien on the purchaser of the bulk. The bulk trader cannot get the goods back. Thus the market price is always that which any purchaser can afford at the time of the sale.

It is the responsibility of government to ensure there are free markets for everything we need for our day to day needs. There is one small problem, everyone forgot about capital, sorry savings.

Today, all over the world, not just in the US, we have a common problem directly related to the capital base of what may be described as the lower levels of society. By pure chance, this afternoon, I had a long conversation with a young policeman from the Metropolitan Police in London. He described in some detail the fact that crime pays. That the inner city child has only one direct route from poverty.... crime.

It is my humble opinion that all this crime directly relates to the need to re-capitalise the poor. You all talk about this and that in relation to the work of government. None of you seem to see any relationship between the lack of a clear free, (and I stress "FREE"), marketplace for access to capital to create jobs at the grass root level in society.

You all seem to see that as someone else's problem....Nothing to do with me gov... its someone else's fault, problem, failure to deliver..

You place your capital, sorry, savings into this or that fund and beggar the idea that the savings, sorry, capital should be used to create jobs in that grass roots society. You are all happy to see those savings passed on to this or that hedge fund, (for example), so that YOU can have a continuing higher income, but see no relationship with the fact that, once the funds are in any form of savings vehicle; by far the majority of the savings, sorry, capital, (of the nation???), never sees investment in any form of job again.

All the while the savings institutions grow wealthier and their managers grow wealthier and the banks serving these now hugely wealthy now grow even wealthier.... at grass root level, the nation INEVITABLY gets poorer. The only way to-wards access to capital is through crime. Reminds me of that old song; "Theres a hole in my bucket, dear Lisa, dear Lisa"...

What you have is a feudal economy. Nothing to do with the party in power, politician, social security is only there to paper over the facts so that you do not have to look at them every day; nothing to do with even dare I say it, crime..... everything to do with a lack of a free marketplace for capital for the creation of wealth at the grass root level.

Feudalism is a failed concept that the founding fathers thought they had left behind them. They forgot that all the internal executive servants of any nation naturally LOVE feudalism; it brings so much power to them.

The biggest problem is that a free market is fiercely competitive and free enterprise allows anyone, from any level in society to climb to the top without having to tug their forelock to anyone. Holders of capital, sorry savings; absolutely hate free enterprise; it limits their power and makes their own working environment one where they might fail too.

That is your problem.

[lobodelmar]

Re: Numbers show a second-rate US

Chris, I think the members of this forum participating in the Prosper Lending group might disagree with a lot of your assumptions...

[Chris Coles]

Re: Numbers show a second-rate US

lobodelmar,

And that answer makes my point for me. Take a train ride from your Capital City, Washington DC to New York; the railway is semi-derelect. Either side of the railway there are mile upon mile of poor mean living. Bad housing, no new industry, no primary investment for decades.

Try walking through the poor quarter of any inner city almost anywhere in the US and open your eyes. What you will see is not any sort of assumption; it is the reality. A successful nation has to be a success for the majority. And, dare I say it, that is exactly what the original post was saying too; Numbers Show a Second Rate US. Period.

[Chris Coles]

Re: Itulip - Federal Reserve- and too much intervention

The problem has been that the local investment of capital from the successful in that local society has been replaced with government spending of tax to support local, quasi-government agencies, who in turn have no interest in anything that will reduce their local power base. Ergo, poverty feeds on more poverty.

Untill there is a recognition that there is a need to create a free enterprise based, free market society where adaquate local, grass roots capital investment ensures that the majority have access to a successful route to that American dream, a home, family and to be able to hold your head up as a part of the whole thing... Nothing will change.

Everyone wants to succeed. It is the primary responsibility of the holders of the capital of the nation to see that that capital is invested to the proper benefit of the majority.

Hedge Funds do not invest in the local community; nor do any of the primary institutional investment community.

You want less government? Then give the poor a proper chance by investing in them. Until you recognise that responsibility, your nation is going nowhere..... fast.