The Financial Crisis: Will It Lead to America's Decline?

[dougbarrie1]

brilliant discussion, retrospectively interesting, but what about the future???

[fewmetsiam4u]

One cannot have a growing civilization when you are ass deep in lawyers.

[MegF142857]

The description should include Mort Zuckerman, the guy on the left.

[Seano71]

that guy on the right looks familiar, one of those cock kissers from bohemian grove. lol

[Nosam09]

@Seano71

They all look like cock suckers lol. They know the federal reserve is the problem, but he knows England has their hands in ownership so he blames it on the policy and not the people running it.

[treesync]

I watch this immediately after watching The Ascent of Money.

First thing I am shocked at is the immediate "throwing away" of all that historical knowledge by Niall. His opening statement and then the diatribe by old 'what's his name' are like a script from a wall street TV advertisement.

According to Niall's OWN ACCOUNT of history, the financial crisis root cause is over-borrowing and manipulation of currency, NOT that we abandoned "reaganomics" like he says here.

[bpolley0]

@treesync Reaganomics is 1. Reduce government spending, 2. Reduce income and capital gains marginal tax rates, 3. Reduce government regulation, 4. Control the money supply to reduce inflation.

All are things that basically the opposite of borrowing extensive amounts of money and decreasing the value of our currency. His argument is of the same scope of as his argument in The Ascent of Money, just in different lingo.

[supinder]

Niall is always good value;

[mrtriplewinner]

Besides, you dont "control" the behavior of the people of the world to keep "civilization" or everybody "civilized". It is exactly the opposite. It is freedom and art and brazilian bikinis that will convince people that wearing burcas may not be exactly what they want. I don't get it. As a Brazilian, there is nothing hotter than a female body playing volleyball in the beach. There is any terrorist capable of taking that away from us? ridiculous. this idea that force is the answer is ridiculous.

[mrtriplewinner]

Our brit friend on the video took the rabit out of the hat saying that a world without US would be far worse. I don't think so. Besides, the world exists far before US and Rome fullfilled its role before falling from the tree....the fall came and the season changed. I don't understand the concept of the "dark age" after Rome fall. In europe Christianity, Art, music, and philosophy had a great jump. Philosophers were piling up before they rebelled against the church. This is pure nationalism.

[mrtriplewinner]

I am brazilian and I cannot avoid to feel shocked to see those nut jobs american professors who hate their own country. I obviously don't like to see any empire controlling the world. However, I am not jealous as brazilians are not. We are hardly criticized by some hispanics because we are different on our opinion. We have a good relationship with US and Venezuela as well. What's the difference? we just mind our business. If it is our interest we talk to anyone. Anyway, the right wing is scarry

[mrtriplewinner]

but so is the left wing. On the right you have racists, nazis and the whole nine yards. In the left you have US haters, people who love to hug trees and talk to whales, and defenders of new world order of a planet without borders where everybody will love each other and sing by the evening..all together kiss each other before we all go to bed. I am just tired of see americans ignorant of the rest of the world and of their own history. And I don't think the world was worse without rome.

[nichaeloz]

@TheRaawan I tottally agree, but having been to the US on a number occassions, they are mostly a decent bunch of folk and the arrogance is there, its a bit over blown. The wonderful dream of a free Republic will be in tatters and the world will not be better for it.

[joshpnw]

@TheRaawan Sadly, I do agree with most of your comment... with the exception of Karma. This is simply throwing money at a problem which has never worked in the context of the times we are living in. As a matter of fact, it's never been tried, but when it has, it's failed.... bringing down those civilizations.

[brokenbulbs]

The problem in America - and elsewhere - is that businesses are turning into pseudo-collectivist entities where the masses contribute their time and skills to enrich an elite few (management). We need to break up the current online/offline monopolies to stimulate real competition: Facebook, Google, the banking sector, Credit Card companies, Health Insurance etc. Break 'em up. Only then will we see money spill out into society again. By the way, check out Fukuyama's book, "Trust."

[GAAwudu]

Excellent. A lot of fun.