Look at What Happens to Peaceful Protesters in the States

Yes....individuals borrowed against their capital gains...stocks or housing..whatever your poison. the ponzi scheme crumbled...economic growth based on consumption proved only to benefit a small slice of society..the very part of society that was just bailed out.

The middle class has been going backwards for years..every indicator of national health has declined. This decline is permanent.

 

There was a great B movie years back where the corporate/government message was hidden in microsecond flashes on billboards and the tele.

The hero/heroine team sabotaged the network so everyone could see the truth....

"economic growth based on consumption proved only to benefit a small slice of society."

I can't believe that you think this is true.

Boom economies based on housing create wealth and assets which are used to drive consumer spending.
The danger has always been in overheated growth cycles which are subject to collapse.

The employment numbers in the states had been improving for 20 years prior to this little problem.
Ask anyone in any of the ancillary economy if they had benefited by periods of greater economic stability.
I believe it is a misstatement to over emphasize wealth distribution as the cause.
Look at the long number in the US- it is flatish and can really been seen to have improved as is reflected in the improved employment in the US for the last few decades:

 

I think it is called a metaphor in literature.

By the way, while you were replying I was elaborating my previous post a bit, to make my point more clear. Please give it another look.

 

When corporations are run as private piggy banks --for the short-term benefit of the executives board members and preferred stockholders -- that also hurts the ordinary stockholders. Although to tell the truth, I don't personally know a single migrant worker who owns any stock anyway....

How has it been 'proven socialism doesn't work'? The Scandinavian countries have been socialist for generations. Yet they have as much political freedom as we do or more, a higher standard of living, and a longer life expectancy.

It's a pity that American capitalism doesn't work like Swedish socialism doesn't work...

 

In "real life" as you so quaintly put it, Dave, you're totally blowing smoke. You're trying to tell us night is day, up is down, and black is white.

Again: Socialism is no more a political system than capitalism is. You can have socialism under any sort of government, and most economic systems today are a blend of socialism and capitalism.

Sweden is heavily socialist, by our standards. But is it a totalitarian state? Of course not.

 

Thanks I will- this thread is developing nicely but I haven't had enough time to digest & reply formally.

 

Sorry not taking the bait.
In your previous, I left off the parts that were so far fetched as to not warrant a response. IE let the readers decide for themselves. In this last I made just enough comment that you might also understand the irrelevance of your argument. You forget that my basic premise in any online conversation is not necessarily to try and change the mind of whom ever I'm speaking to, but to provide enough information that a casual reader ( roughly 9/10 people who visit any given thread ) might see the logic in what I'm saying and see the illogic expressed by the other side. I believe your rebuttal was sufficiently strewn with road apples to convince the readers, thats all I ask of any given conversation.

cheers
B

ps
going down to the rally today

 

Since this happened in my state, Alabama, I feel I should give the entire story of this event.

The exec was driving a car without a license plate on it, which I think most countries require. A police officer notice the lack of a plate and pulled the exec over.
The exec had no driver's license or passport. Noting that he was a foreign national, he was arrested under our new immigration law but released as soon as a coworker brought in his passport.
Essentially a non-event, other than I am sure what was an inconvenience.

Every travel site I review strongly suggests keeping your passport handy during foreign travels, so I don't see how this makes us a "police state".

On a side note, more US citizens are employed in Alabama since the new immigration law was passed. The servers at local eateries even speak English. Nice to see Americans working.

 

GTO I agree fully about the immigration laws



I also get kinda a kick out of listening to a bunch of white people complain about immigration.

 

We don't even know about what our governments are up to in seemingly more benign areas.

Can you imagine any half-decent US citizen approving of the Tuskagee Experiments and then
voting for the party or president that allowed them to continue?
What worries me is what we don't know because whistle-blowers still haven't come forward.

Mine too. Our governments have been involved in some disgusting behaviour.

 

We're hearing the same whining here too.

The Australian equivalent to your poster is the short video "BabaKiueria"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06DKCdJWK2c

 

Bntii: Somewhere back there in the thread, you were doubting the country controls the citizens. This one is so easy I can post it from my phone:

Legislation.

The country controls the citizen through legislation, while the legislators are controlled by the companies in my little circle of control on the last page.

Example? Mandatory automobile insurance. Insurance companies lobby and get government to pass this, then you have to buy it. That is big corp control over government, which controls you.

 

The government builds roads.

I am trapped on them every day when I would much prefer to drive of across field and forest.
I suppose I have to yield the point.

And why you want to know do we have roads?

Car companies
The ********

We are surrounded by government "controls"

(please take as intended- a light weight toss back across the net..)

 

The government is supposed to build railroads..... not roads. no need to waste taxpayer money on roads. Time for the US to grow up.

 

Dam xenophobia rednecks. I travel the WORLD and have never I REPEAT NEVER ever been arrested for lack of identification. The US is morphing into a nervous , insecure, police state who blames others...DAM CHINESE..IMMIGRANTS..for their lack of competitiveness