In a world where 1% of the population owns 40% of the worlds resources and where every life-form is in decline or endangered because of the waste and pollution our economy creates its hard to keep an optimistic view on things.
All i can do is hope that the REAL economic crash which is inevitable happens sometime real soon so that people can open there eyes and "wake up" from this capitalistic nightmare, That solidarity wins over greed and ego so we can work out a new way to manage resources.
its not bad i said this in another video of yours and im gonna say it again, its just natural selection but applied to politics and society, things get fucked up, people learn from mistakes and evolve as a stronger people, you cant deny science
What I found most interesting is that beside your (accurate imho) take on things, was an ad for McCain for president. Thank you Google. :D - btw actually I'd post this no matter WHOSE presidential ad was running next to your vlog. I agree wth you that the people who make it to the general election are more alike than they are diverse.
I dislike politics, however its a subject that I HAVE to be knoweledgable on. However, its near impossible for me to pick a canidate I really like. So saddly, I must pick the one that supports my values the most... the lesser of two evils.
I support Obama, personally becuase he supports what I support. But what sucks is I don't like a lot of the other things he supports. McCain has some things I really like, but I just can't support some of his ideals... Sigh, I hate politics.
Well this is one very complex issue, I'd compare it to the complexity of being transgender. But really the best thing America can do right now is leave iraq, help rebuild afghanistan, and we don't need to secure our borders. We need to start being more self relate get greener energy sources. I belief Obama is a man who can do this and more...
And Clipper4188 please explain too me the terrorist we are fighting. Because we created them.
if Obama gets elected the USA will cease as we know it. We need US oil drilling, we need to continue to fight terrorism, we need to encourage and promote capitalism, we need to secure the borders. Obama is against all of it instead he wants to distribute wealth which would result in total collapse of the greatest country on earth. If you have NO incentive to work ie to get rich - then WHy would most people bother getting an education or founding new corps?
Do you notice every sanctuary city is a democrat mayor? Dems want to repeal the Border Security Act of 2006. Nobama is now actually proposing AMNESTY and CITIZENSHIP to pander to the hispanic voters. If I were in Mexico I would RUN to the USA to get here and hope Nobama gets elected and I would become a US citizen where even our poverty live better than 80% of the worlds poor.
while I agree that capitalism is the most successful economic system, I'm not sure that the particular kind of capitalism practiced here in the U.S. needs to be promoted worldwide. In fact it does have many flaws and redistribution of wealth is not necessarily a bad thing.
Well personally I think Capitalism (the kind here in the US) will always over time default to socialism or corporatism. It certainly is beginning to here.
Take away capitalism and you take away any incentives for people to create new companies which result in 85% of our new jobs created. Why would I risk my investment in a new business only to be told I cant make a profit? Today more than ever people can start a business and make a profit and be self-employed. People come to the USA from all over the world to do exactly that.
Why would I risk my investment in a new business only to be told I can't make a profit out of others? Can people really start a business and make a profit when they have to compete with Wal-Mart or Starbucks? That's the problem: capitalism is unfair, because forces you to compete when you don't have the means to do it.
Also because forces the workers and employees to pay for the losses. There's another option to your raising taxes case: lower the profit he's making, a profit that's already a lot more than everything his employees are making.
Look at what Sanctusorium said: is not fair to work hard for nothing when others are making a lot and their work is done by others.
Redistribution of wealth is technically practiced everyday thru the top 10% of taxpayers paying 90% of all taxes. Why should I expect the wealthy to pay for services I use? Why does 50% of workers in USA pay ZERO federal/state income taxes yet use these services? Shouldnt everyone pay something?
Distrobution of wealth doesn't mean that you will get free money, it means you get more money for what you already do... The highest teird income will be paying more to taxes and the such.
I grew up in a very rough neighborhood. My mom worked hard all the time doing honest work, yet she could never make enough money to get us out of that hell hole. People like her who work their ass off all day for near to nothing need help...
People forget ALL TAXES are paid by the consumers who buy the products and services. If my taxes go up as a business owner I can either #1 cut employees or defer hiring new employees, #2 defer increases in wages and/or benefits to my current employees, #3 raise prices to offset the taxes. Any of these options impacts the lower/middle class the most via loss of jobs or higher prices.
Hey Charlotte, if you talk about politics again, can we talk about the FISA bill that just passed the House today and is moving on to the Senate to be voted on next week which legally allows the government to spy on it's citizens without recourse? Gah, it's like congress is just rolling over and playing dead and giving Bush everything he wants before he leaves!!
You're dead on right about the voting part, voting for red or blue candidates = voting for the rockefellers,rothschilds,warburgs, and morgans. Its a sad state, not just this country but the whole world...The thing is, is there anything we can do to stop the bankers and special interests? they've already won, I know it sounds apathetic but its tough to have hope when everyone around you is even more apathetic ya know?
I used to think that they already won, but recently I have had a lot of faith in people. At least 40 percent of the people I come in contact with know whats going on. We may have some hope yet :)
Maybe your right, ron pauls book, the revolution, and his campaign for liberty are waking up countless thousands of americans, the bankers will prob eventually lose?
Not only that but we have the new book stating that thousands of attorneys could prosecute Bush and Co for every dead soldier and people are going to go after him.
Obama/McCain will just try print all our problems away with dollars backed with nothing but debt.
This may be news to most of you, but the government is going to solve your problems. Infact they cause them in the first place, and their going to make them even worse.
For ignoring the advice of the founding fathers, and the Constitution, America will continue to get exactly what it deserves.
Were going down the shitter an the rest of the world is coming with us!
I think anyone who is familiar with monetary policy as well as passed legislation that has put the nail in the coffin so to speak this is certainly the truth.
Fantastic discussion to lead Charlotte! I do wonder though, if democracy isn't the answer, what is? What is a better alternative? Secondly, the problem with getting rid of the FED or any central bank of any state means that you give up crucial monetary policy control. For instance, Ecuador, a tiny nation with a tiny economy has engaged in full dollarization (adopting a foreign international currency and giving up it's own) and while that has it's advantages (currency you deal in is accepted
You don't need monetary policy control as inflation simply does not exist when your backed by metals. For example when we were on the gold standard oil's price didn't change for 20 years. The central bank just gives control to whoever operates the Fed and it is NOT the federal government. It is an unaccountable body. Because of the Fed bubbles exist.
inflation does exist when you have a pegged exchange rate. and more than that your currency becomes overvalued when you have a fixed exchange rate such as the gold standard. In order to remain competitive on the international market you need to be able to devalue your currency. This is not to say that we should engage in currency wars as in the 30's to get out from under a failing economy but an overvalued currency is just as detrimental as a severely devalued currency.
Fiat currencies ALWAY mean an end to an empire and giant bubbles by dumping liquidity into the market. The crash we are experiencing now is due to Greenspan's irresponsible monetary policy an it was because of Greenspan that we had a the 90s be as good as they were artificially.
yes, it's easy to blame someone who is no longer on the job for problems we currently face, just like it's easy for the bush administration to blame clinton for not having the foresight to recognize the warning signs of 9/11. And the 90's were not an economic boom for everyone. Financial crises plagued all of Asia, most of Latin America and Russia, the only reason America was left unharmed was because of our STABLE currency.
No. If you put too much liquidity in the market, then people overuse credit, thereby causing a bubble. Eventually the amount of credit on the market is too much and as money is printed it debases the currency. It is perfectly illustrated by the housing bubble. It IS Greenspan's fault plain and simple. Bernanke is just making it worse. He is going to make the situation worse by offputting a financial downturn. Our monetary policy caused a boom in the US. Nuff said.
oh? so everything I just learned in my economics class is wrong? Good to know I'm wasting $25,000 a year on an education that is teaching me wrong things. Thanks :)
can you make a video to debate something else soon? Presidential campaign, FDI vs Foreign Aid, Should Turkey be allowed into the EU, should common markets even exist?
Do you honestly believe that because you learned something in school that it makes it true? Do you think that the same economic princilpes are standardized in classrooms everywhere? They certainly are not. So to assume that because you went to an institution and took a class where the Fed is a positive force (which it clearly is not) it makes it true?
Since the Fed inception the dollar is worth 2 cents of what it used to buy. Please don't tell me that a pegging does not ward off inflation. 2 cents. The Fed should be abolished. It does NOTHING to our benefit at all. It fixes the problems it creates and the only people who benefit are the banks that buy everything up for pennies on the dollar. It is designed to strip wealth.
You're right. So many votes are lobies, bought, sold, traded etcetera that to call this a democracy is crap. While I still believe in the process I do not believe in those who claim to uphold it. While I love Obama I am not do disillusioned as to believe that with a snap of his fingers this country will magically be ok. However I believe change must happen from both from the inside and the outside. I cannot quit the process therefore I will work to make it better.
As a person who is unemployed for the first time and unable to find a job because of the current job market you don't want to me to get started on my thoughts on the state of the economy.
The western world is the "have" and most of the rest of the world falls under the category of "have not". Those who have are generally more conservative because of this.
Rather than look around in fear of loosing one should look at opportunities. Rather than look at carbon tax as a dirty word it should be an opportunity for innovation, which can then be sold to the rest of the world. But that requires more imagination from a government to make it happen. Well, back to work.
If one has the money to invest serious capital in China or India it certainly is an amazing time to get in during development, but as with everything else, it benefits the bankers at the expense of the common people.
The kind of candidate who's right on everything doesn't exist, and even if he did, he would get maybe 30% of the vote at best. In politics people generally believe what they want to believe, regardless of reality.
I think people...the general people...are beyond stupid. They are willfully ignorant because it makes them feel better. We have a president who started an illegal war, but got away with it. it drives up oil prices, and he owns an oil company. How convenient.
People are doing what they are doing for their own personal profit. There are some good people out there, but they aren't running for anything, because they don't want to run for anything. Thats how you know they're the good ones.
So far, in this lengthy discussion, two fundamental issues have not appeared, overpopulation of homo sapiens and global warming. While the overpopulation issue was once seen as critical now its a topic considered best left off the discussion table. Perhaps a human centered universe, backed up via the scripts of dozens of deities, plays a role in what is taking place. Consider being VHEMT. While doing so there are many steps we can take to reduce our impact.
Global Warming after looking at all the data seems like a hoax. We go through temperature shifts on a cycle as well as increases in hurricanes and severe weather. I think people don't talk about overpopulation, because that could then lead to a discussion about the ethics of eugenics.
all the data? The earth's temperature usually goes through 11 year cycles based on sunspots, and also a few other things such as El Nino. El Nino used to happen on a cycle where they could predict which year would have it, and the same thing is true for Santa Ana winds, I think. Both have been happening more and more in recent years, so scientists cannot accurately predict if it will happen anymore. Also, overall temps have risen at an almost direct correlation with
(continued:) Also, overall temps have risen at an almost direct correlation with carbon dioxide since the Industrial Revolution. Cycles within the earth's climate are is not enough to explain the current status of things, I am afraid. The CO2/temperature correlation in the last century is pretty crazy, you should check it out.
This is very true. Most people don't realize that the highest layers of the atmosphere are getting colder.
The earth will temporarily warm up to melt the glacers and then the earth heads back into another ice age. The melt down period only last for 15 to 16 thousand years then.
I can remember back in the 70's when then the talk was about Global Cooling. "Ok I was very young then so don't I am very old", lol.
Admittedly, vast segments of the world's population perceive severe climate change as a hoax. This despite the fact that the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, comprised of more than 2,000 leading climate change scientists and experts, along with Al Gore, were jointly awarded the nobel Peace Prize for their work. See BBC News "Gore and UN panel..." Fear, that the ethics of eugenics topic will be raised, does act to stifle discussion of the overpopulation issue.
Yes and the scientist have been discreditted repeatedly. We gave the Nobel Peace Prize to a known Eugenicist and the Rockefeller's (who donated the UN land) support eugenics as well. The Nobel Peace Prize is nothing more than a PR move. The UN is not to be trusted.
One reason we went into Iraq was due to the PR campaign that had large segments of our population convinced that the UN's findings, of no evidence of a restart in the Iraq nuclear program, couldn't be trusted.
What does that prove in relation to the UN and global warming? I certainly do not trust an organization that frankly answers to nobody and has 100000 troops at it's disposal. There have been MANY reputable sources stating that the Al Gore films was nothing more that a huge unproven "what if" scenario.
YouTube doesn't like my comments so I'm hoping at least this one will go through.
I'm afraid nothing is going to change the current direction we're going unless we get a huge group of people who will not be afraid to make changes. Hard changes. We all have thoughts and idea but some people will not even listen to them because they belong to this group or that group. We refuse to take ideas from other countries because they're not our ideas.
500 letters is not enough to answer this question. :|
aww, shame that you didnt post your other rant video. I know that you dont want all the bad comments and arguments that would arise, but i think you are a reasonable person, even when upset and i like hearing your views.
As for my views, i think its like cleaning a room that has a lot of crap in it, things are going to look worse before they start looking better. This is the "looking worse" phase.
I am a resolute optimistic American. If we as people actually take and use the power we already have we would astound ourselves yet again. But what to do...
Bikes and public trans is not realistic. Our whole society is set up for mobility.Many industries fall without it. Alt fuel/energy solves this and creates job. Healthier would be nice but tight economy has cut a lot of fast food from my diet. Federal does control too much and states should have more. Free trade if allowed helps the people. I guess I was using globalization in a different meaning. As for complaint not solutions...this is a discussion, discussion hopefully leads to solutions.
As a matter of fact I will go through this one pretty much intact. I do not have a drivers licence and get by excellently in my, admittedly, small country. Public transport is very well organised here, provided there is no strike going on. Something that seems to be lacking in a big part of the US.
On the other hand, if it gets you Americans out of those big cars and on a bike (were possible of course) or even on foot you may end up healthier then many of you now are.
During the 80's the Netherlands was an economic morass. During the 90's and this century the bust times were shorter and the mentality of our politicians was such that they took action much sooner.
One of the more interesting things about this recession (well, I think most of Europe isn't that far gone yet) seems to be that a group of people are affected that 1) have not been affected by a serious recession / crises before and 2) it is also a group of people who before managed to miss the worst effects of a recession (like not losing a job).
It's no better here in the UK, everything has gone a little pear-shaped.. I'm optimistic about the future though.. although I'm not a fan of Globaliztion either.. I think we need to move away from the acquisition of wealth as one of the sole purposes in life. Democracy doesn't exactly work.. I have no other suggestions or alternatives though.
I'm more of a socialist, we as human beings, humanity, need to work together, not against each-other.
Really the same problem with any system is that the greedy elite ruin it. Every system I have seen could work flawlessly, however the human element destroys it. Socialism I don't like because it allows for a greater degree of abuse and more overall control in the form of the government. I wish I knew of a perfect way, but really I don't see one.
Ha, well I am not for taking the human element out of the equation [:-^]. That pretty much leaves democracy as the only palatable alternative. There is no such thing as a benevolent dictatorship, alas. One of the most vivid memories of my childhood is the revolution in Portugal against the dictatorship (april 25 1974 wasn't it?) with soldiers walking through Lisboa with flowers in their rifles.
Well I lost my job to down sizing and outsourcing. Now I make 1/4 less then I use to make. Gas is killing us and is selling at record highs, but the major oil companys are making record profits in the billion per quarter. I am not a fan of Globaliztion and feel each state should have more say so and not let the fed gov run us as much. So ya not a fan of Globalization and sure as HELL don't want the UN telling me what is good or not good for us.
States' Rights just might end up being the key to solving our sovereignty issues. The Fed might make life suck for individual states that don't play by their rules but they can't F.... with constitutional rights. If they do, it will be a true sign our country has fallen. On the other hand, for all we know, the states could have signed away their rights long ago in some back room or on the golf course.
I'm more optimistic on world affairs. Were up shit creek but we aren't without a paddle, we need find it.
First things first though, before we attempt to change the worlds financial institutions and escape the grip of major business, we need economic stable ground. We need a democrat prez to do that, they usually do.
As for oil prices, one reason for the price rise (among many) is a lack of refineries that companies refuse to build cuz they're pricey. Ans: State owned and built refineries.
It's fact, not some conspiracy, that worldwide oil supplies are higher than demand. The shortage is in U.S. production. Our economy is the largest on earth and if we can't meet our short-term demands then the world market will of course take advantage of it. We do the same with technology. Oil goes for whatever the market will bear. I totally agree with you about nation states. If we haven't figured out how to stop killing one another, why in the hell would we think a global market will work?
I'm not so savy on politics. There are only a couple of things I was really looking for in this campain. I was looking for gay rights (equal marriage, tax breaks, so forth...) which are so important, people are being treated like second class citizens and there is no reason for it. And so few canidates even want to talk about it, much less admit that something needs to change. And of course gas prices. There is no reason to price gouge that way. It all makes me ill.
The only way to counter the price gouging by the oil companies is for an enormous leg of the general populous to boycott using oil... which is seemingly impossible due to the fact that we depend so much on oil for transportation of every kind (save for riding bikes... which are very easy to pull 18 wheelers behind). Not to mention if people stopped driving cars to work, many would have to stop GOING to work, and then where would business be. Catch 44. It's like 22 only twice as bad!
Globalization of the our economy will continue to weaken the FED's influence and will be more of a reaction than a cause. Although it is not fun now some of the best changes come from the tough times. Put a free willed entrepreneur up against a wall and watch out. The innovation will come but not until not changing is harder. Voting could be worse off I guess. One side makes good corp sense, the other not strong enough to accomp his own ideals and the party can likely run over him.
I am all for free trade but Globalization scares the crap out of me. I certainly do not want to become a nation-state within a Union and that seems to be the direction the world is headed ie the EU.
A lot of what the bible talks about in Revelations is kind of starting to materialize... i.e. "The largest nation will begin to fall... etc, etc."... and up until now, that's been us... and now we're starting to fall. Eeeeeck! Maybe we won't even need to worry about oil prices and Globalization much longer after all.
Interpretation and tools to get a lesson across carry more weight in my mind than fear of literal translations. Aren't we arrogant to think that would be us of all the years past and to come? Oil is just a market. New markets will emerge.
A bit of a contradiction from our recent redneck rebel ways? Global is probably what saved the space program. The exploration of something bigger than any country will be of the few things to help our advancing society keep perspective.
My issue with globalization is that it gives International Organizations more power such as the United Nations. It also in the future needs an overseeing central body and that is a VERY BAD idea. As the world becomes more global we give up more liberties. It is a step that has to happen. Globalization sounds like a pretty concept but it is nothing more than a huge power grab.
As someone whoe is living in the EU I can tell you that it is not all that bad. In fact I suspect it is remarkable similar to the US. I am old enough to vividly remember the fall of the Berlin Wall. Stayed up all night too to watch with tears in my eyes to. I have been to the old German Demcratic Republic aka East-Germany. Now I can go almost to the gates of St. Petersburg in Russia without much trouble at all.
What really pisses me off is the lack of democracy in the EU and globally as well.
Here is this country of some 300 million people electing a new president. No big is it? After all there are countries with many more citizens. Yet if that one country makes too many mistakes I could end up losing my job. And there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.
The problem is that when democracy is phased out the quest for more control and regulation politically never stops. It is a slow and constant erosion.
i also know that iraq pumps out 100 million barrels of oil a day, and we are paying 4.10+ per/gal. where is the money and the oil going.
the american people are so caught up in their own lil worlds to notice these thing. after my last deployment my views on the war have done a complete 180, and not for the good of things either.
I personally feel that they are pumping the oil and keeping it off the market to drive up demand. It makes perfect financial sense for the oil companies.
You do realize that China and India are going full speed, economically speaking. At 1.6 and 1.1 BILLION people, respectively, that's a lot of oil they need. Ditto for ores and halfproducts. Africa had a growth rate of something like 12% last year if I remember correctly. Sheer numbers are at work here.
And it is more and more a sellers market now that China and India need such large quantities of this and that.
Correct, however recent studies have shown a decline in use among the Chinese as growth is settling a bit and leveling off to a constant rate, so because of that prices should stabilize but they are not.
being a combat vet to iraq 2 times i have seen how the war has changed from 2004 to 2008. there have been vast improvement over there, but at the cost of the american way of life.
if u look at the iraqi exchange rates and compare them to the value of the dollar u will see that the longer the war goes on the better the iraqi economy gets. thats because of all the money we pump into iraq that the government says we dont. Look up C.M.O. projects.
The world is power hungry, Countries battle for power..gas is raised for money and power over the consumers. Wedont care who dies, who goes bankrupt, or what animals we are slowing driving to extinction! Power is whats destroying everything.
So what to do? Limit the power, commit to nature FRIENDLY resources. Basically, be smart about how everything is run.
Money is good, but you cant spend money if you have no planet to spend it on.
And if you have nationwide and global producers in your city what are you doing to those jobs as well? It's all connected and there is smarter ways to purchase than geography alone. (I do support local though don't get me wrong)
every city will have both local and nationwide producers so obviously that alone won't do it. that is a small way to help and to know where your money is going and supporting. i also find it interesting that you and others are simply complaining and not really offering anything and yet when i do that is what happens. don't just complain. its how you live your life.. everyday choices like what you eat.
As far as oil goes, i feel a drastic push of environmentally friendly cars will decrease the need to go to the pump. As for the economy, nobody has the money anymore. People are either too poor, to go to school and get jobs, too poor to afford gas to go and spend money, and since the price of certain foods are going up..to poor to buy food!
To sum it up, the world need to get rid of the power hungry asses running it.
Oh we certainly need to get quite a few people out of office. We also need to get rid of the FED. That alone (while backing our money with precious metals) would solve quite a few major issues.
The worlds economy is in recession and if it if doesn't stop we could plunge into a world wide depression
Just yesterday where I live Australia the petrol price increased by 14 cents now it is almost 2 dollars a litre when about 9 years ago it was 80 cents a litre AND WE HAVE SOME OF THE CHEAPEST PETROL PRICES IN THE WORLD that means that people in other countries are have this problem on a larger scale and even here the price of petrol is changing peoples lifestyles.
I am certainly one of the people who's lifestyle has changed and I have a Honda Civic, with great mileage. Between oil, international banking institutions and a steady erosion of liberties (here at least) we are in deep trouble.
In a world where 1% of the population owns 40% of the worlds resources and where every life-form is in decline or endangered because of the waste and pollution our economy creates its hard to keep an optimistic view on things.
All i can do is hope that the REAL economic crash which is inevitable happens sometime real soon so that people can open there eyes and "wake up" from this capitalistic nightmare, That solidarity wins over greed and ego so we can work out a new way to manage resources.
mrlychan 5 months ago
@mrlychan It's Corporatism that is the problem, not Capitalism. What we have now in the US is not free market capitalism or anything resembling it.
karmatic1110 5 months ago
the bankers are a large part of it, but it is international capitalism that is truly behind it all.
catalineas 2 years ago
its not bad i said this in another video of yours and im gonna say it again, its just natural selection but applied to politics and society, things get fucked up, people learn from mistakes and evolve as a stronger people, you cant deny science
chestoh2 2 years ago
if you want my views on this check my video on my page. titled hat hair and politics. got all my views in politics in there or most.
hibikime04 3 years ago
What I found most interesting is that beside your (accurate imho) take on things, was an ad for McCain for president. Thank you Google. :D - btw actually I'd post this no matter WHOSE presidential ad was running next to your vlog. I agree wth you that the people who make it to the general election are more alike than they are diverse.
amginena 3 years ago
I dislike politics, however its a subject that I HAVE to be knoweledgable on. However, its near impossible for me to pick a canidate I really like. So saddly, I must pick the one that supports my values the most... the lesser of two evils.
I support Obama, personally becuase he supports what I support. But what sucks is I don't like a lot of the other things he supports. McCain has some things I really like, but I just can't support some of his ideals... Sigh, I hate politics.
Sanctusorium 3 years ago
Well this is one very complex issue, I'd compare it to the complexity of being transgender. But really the best thing America can do right now is leave iraq, help rebuild afghanistan, and we don't need to secure our borders. We need to start being more self relate get greener energy sources. I belief Obama is a man who can do this and more...
And Clipper4188 please explain too me the terrorist we are fighting. Because we created them.
hebo0 3 years ago
if Obama gets elected the USA will cease as we know it. We need US oil drilling, we need to continue to fight terrorism, we need to encourage and promote capitalism, we need to secure the borders. Obama is against all of it instead he wants to distribute wealth which would result in total collapse of the greatest country on earth. If you have NO incentive to work ie to get rich - then WHy would most people bother getting an education or founding new corps?
Clipper4188 3 years ago
No arguments here besides I feel that we should come home and secure our own borders.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
Do you notice every sanctuary city is a democrat mayor? Dems want to repeal the Border Security Act of 2006. Nobama is now actually proposing AMNESTY and CITIZENSHIP to pander to the hispanic voters. If I were in Mexico I would RUN to the USA to get here and hope Nobama gets elected and I would become a US citizen where even our poverty live better than 80% of the worlds poor.
Clipper4188 3 years ago
while I agree that capitalism is the most successful economic system, I'm not sure that the particular kind of capitalism practiced here in the U.S. needs to be promoted worldwide. In fact it does have many flaws and redistribution of wealth is not necessarily a bad thing.
teawithrushdie 3 years ago 2
Well personally I think Capitalism (the kind here in the US) will always over time default to socialism or corporatism. It certainly is beginning to here.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
Take away capitalism and you take away any incentives for people to create new companies which result in 85% of our new jobs created. Why would I risk my investment in a new business only to be told I cant make a profit? Today more than ever people can start a business and make a profit and be self-employed. People come to the USA from all over the world to do exactly that.
Clipper4188 3 years ago
Why would I risk my investment in a new business only to be told I can't make a profit out of others? Can people really start a business and make a profit when they have to compete with Wal-Mart or Starbucks? That's the problem: capitalism is unfair, because forces you to compete when you don't have the means to do it.
16Ome16 3 years ago
Also because forces the workers and employees to pay for the losses. There's another option to your raising taxes case: lower the profit he's making, a profit that's already a lot more than everything his employees are making.
Look at what Sanctusorium said: is not fair to work hard for nothing when others are making a lot and their work is done by others.
16Ome16 3 years ago
Redistribution of wealth is technically practiced everyday thru the top 10% of taxpayers paying 90% of all taxes. Why should I expect the wealthy to pay for services I use? Why does 50% of workers in USA pay ZERO federal/state income taxes yet use these services? Shouldnt everyone pay something?
Clipper4188 3 years ago
Distrobution of wealth doesn't mean that you will get free money, it means you get more money for what you already do... The highest teird income will be paying more to taxes and the such.
I grew up in a very rough neighborhood. My mom worked hard all the time doing honest work, yet she could never make enough money to get us out of that hell hole. People like her who work their ass off all day for near to nothing need help...
Sanctusorium 3 years ago
People forget ALL TAXES are paid by the consumers who buy the products and services. If my taxes go up as a business owner I can either #1 cut employees or defer hiring new employees, #2 defer increases in wages and/or benefits to my current employees, #3 raise prices to offset the taxes. Any of these options impacts the lower/middle class the most via loss of jobs or higher prices.
Clipper4188 3 years ago
The banks are a huge problem.
bloodandbones9 3 years ago
Hey Charlotte, if you talk about politics again, can we talk about the FISA bill that just passed the House today and is moving on to the Senate to be voted on next week which legally allows the government to spy on it's citizens without recourse? Gah, it's like congress is just rolling over and playing dead and giving Bush everything he wants before he leaves!!
teawithrushdie 3 years ago
Thus the proof that there is a one party system. The FISA bill is nothing compared to what else is coming.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
definitely a one party system. um, what else is coming? *is scared*
teawithrushdie 3 years ago
You're dead on right about the voting part, voting for red or blue candidates = voting for the rockefellers,rothschilds,warburgs, and morgans. Its a sad state, not just this country but the whole world...The thing is, is there anything we can do to stop the bankers and special interests? they've already won, I know it sounds apathetic but its tough to have hope when everyone around you is even more apathetic ya know?
guerilla1985 3 years ago
I used to think that they already won, but recently I have had a lot of faith in people. At least 40 percent of the people I come in contact with know whats going on. We may have some hope yet :)
karmatic1110 3 years ago
Maybe your right, ron pauls book, the revolution, and his campaign for liberty are waking up countless thousands of americans, the bankers will prob eventually lose?
guerilla1985 3 years ago
Not only that but we have the new book stating that thousands of attorneys could prosecute Bush and Co for every dead soldier and people are going to go after him.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
I hope to god they do get prosecuted
guerilla1985 3 years ago
We are fucked!
Obama/McCain will just try print all our problems away with dollars backed with nothing but debt.
This may be news to most of you, but the government is going to solve your problems. Infact they cause them in the first place, and their going to make them even worse.
For ignoring the advice of the founding fathers, and the Constitution, America will continue to get exactly what it deserves.
Were going down the shitter an the rest of the world is coming with us!
Woodchuckk 3 years ago
I think anyone who is familiar with monetary policy as well as passed legislation that has put the nail in the coffin so to speak this is certainly the truth.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
The solution: invest as much money as possible in the oil companies and become a banker yourself!
jenniadriana 3 years ago
I am speaking of the International bankers. I speak of those who's family members signed the Federal Reserve Act.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
um, I think youtube ate the second half of my comment, now I just look like an idiot.
teawithrushdie 3 years ago
Fantastic discussion to lead Charlotte! I do wonder though, if democracy isn't the answer, what is? What is a better alternative? Secondly, the problem with getting rid of the FED or any central bank of any state means that you give up crucial monetary policy control. For instance, Ecuador, a tiny nation with a tiny economy has engaged in full dollarization (adopting a foreign international currency and giving up it's own) and while that has it's advantages (currency you deal in is accepted
teawithrushdie 3 years ago
You don't need monetary policy control as inflation simply does not exist when your backed by metals. For example when we were on the gold standard oil's price didn't change for 20 years. The central bank just gives control to whoever operates the Fed and it is NOT the federal government. It is an unaccountable body. Because of the Fed bubbles exist.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
inflation does exist when you have a pegged exchange rate. and more than that your currency becomes overvalued when you have a fixed exchange rate such as the gold standard. In order to remain competitive on the international market you need to be able to devalue your currency. This is not to say that we should engage in currency wars as in the 30's to get out from under a failing economy but an overvalued currency is just as detrimental as a severely devalued currency.
teawithrushdie 3 years ago
Fiat currencies ALWAY mean an end to an empire and giant bubbles by dumping liquidity into the market. The crash we are experiencing now is due to Greenspan's irresponsible monetary policy an it was because of Greenspan that we had a the 90s be as good as they were artificially.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
yes, it's easy to blame someone who is no longer on the job for problems we currently face, just like it's easy for the bush administration to blame clinton for not having the foresight to recognize the warning signs of 9/11. And the 90's were not an economic boom for everyone. Financial crises plagued all of Asia, most of Latin America and Russia, the only reason America was left unharmed was because of our STABLE currency.
p.s. I love this discussion! Thank you again!
teawithrushdie 3 years ago
No. If you put too much liquidity in the market, then people overuse credit, thereby causing a bubble. Eventually the amount of credit on the market is too much and as money is printed it debases the currency. It is perfectly illustrated by the housing bubble. It IS Greenspan's fault plain and simple. Bernanke is just making it worse. He is going to make the situation worse by offputting a financial downturn. Our monetary policy caused a boom in the US. Nuff said.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
nuff said? no more debate? *sadface*
teawithrushdie 3 years ago
Your debating mechanics that are simply there. It's like debating the existence of trees.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
oh? so everything I just learned in my economics class is wrong? Good to know I'm wasting $25,000 a year on an education that is teaching me wrong things. Thanks :)
teawithrushdie 3 years ago
No problem.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
can you make a video to debate something else soon? Presidential campaign, FDI vs Foreign Aid, Should Turkey be allowed into the EU, should common markets even exist?
teawithrushdie 3 years ago
sarcasm much?
karmatic1110 3 years ago
Do you honestly believe that because you learned something in school that it makes it true? Do you think that the same economic princilpes are standardized in classrooms everywhere? They certainly are not. So to assume that because you went to an institution and took a class where the Fed is a positive force (which it clearly is not) it makes it true?
karmatic1110 3 years ago
Since the Fed inception the dollar is worth 2 cents of what it used to buy. Please don't tell me that a pegging does not ward off inflation. 2 cents. The Fed should be abolished. It does NOTHING to our benefit at all. It fixes the problems it creates and the only people who benefit are the banks that buy everything up for pennies on the dollar. It is designed to strip wealth.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
hi, please read my response to your personal message.
teawithrushdie 3 years ago
You're right. So many votes are lobies, bought, sold, traded etcetera that to call this a democracy is crap. While I still believe in the process I do not believe in those who claim to uphold it. While I love Obama I am not do disillusioned as to believe that with a snap of his fingers this country will magically be ok. However I believe change must happen from both from the inside and the outside. I cannot quit the process therefore I will work to make it better.
missdivinestalls 3 years ago
As a person who is unemployed for the first time and unable to find a job because of the current job market you don't want to me to get started on my thoughts on the state of the economy.
DivaMakeup 3 years ago
The western world is the "have" and most of the rest of the world falls under the category of "have not". Those who have are generally more conservative because of this.
Rather than look around in fear of loosing one should look at opportunities. Rather than look at carbon tax as a dirty word it should be an opportunity for innovation, which can then be sold to the rest of the world. But that requires more imagination from a government to make it happen. Well, back to work.
MarcImmeker 3 years ago
If one has the money to invest serious capital in China or India it certainly is an amazing time to get in during development, but as with everything else, it benefits the bankers at the expense of the common people.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
I am in favour of micro credit financing. Much better way to help another human being.
MarcImmeker 3 years ago
The kind of candidate who's right on everything doesn't exist, and even if he did, he would get maybe 30% of the vote at best. In politics people generally believe what they want to believe, regardless of reality.
femstarlight 3 years ago
I think people...the general people...are beyond stupid. They are willfully ignorant because it makes them feel better. We have a president who started an illegal war, but got away with it. it drives up oil prices, and he owns an oil company. How convenient.
People are doing what they are doing for their own personal profit. There are some good people out there, but they aren't running for anything, because they don't want to run for anything. Thats how you know they're the good ones.
radicaledward4000 3 years ago
So far, in this lengthy discussion, two fundamental issues have not appeared, overpopulation of homo sapiens and global warming. While the overpopulation issue was once seen as critical now its a topic considered best left off the discussion table. Perhaps a human centered universe, backed up via the scripts of dozens of deities, plays a role in what is taking place. Consider being VHEMT. While doing so there are many steps we can take to reduce our impact.
tobyr3 3 years ago
Global Warming after looking at all the data seems like a hoax. We go through temperature shifts on a cycle as well as increases in hurricanes and severe weather. I think people don't talk about overpopulation, because that could then lead to a discussion about the ethics of eugenics.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
all the data? The earth's temperature usually goes through 11 year cycles based on sunspots, and also a few other things such as El Nino. El Nino used to happen on a cycle where they could predict which year would have it, and the same thing is true for Santa Ana winds, I think. Both have been happening more and more in recent years, so scientists cannot accurately predict if it will happen anymore. Also, overall temps have risen at an almost direct correlation with
idislikeusernames 3 years ago
(continued:) Also, overall temps have risen at an almost direct correlation with carbon dioxide since the Industrial Revolution. Cycles within the earth's climate are is not enough to explain the current status of things, I am afraid. The CO2/temperature correlation in the last century is pretty crazy, you should check it out.
idislikeusernames 3 years ago
Regardless it is being used as a tool to impose more restrictions and soon a carbon tax to benefit the government.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
If I am not mistaken I believe studies have shown that we are actually cooling.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
This is very true. Most people don't realize that the highest layers of the atmosphere are getting colder.
The earth will temporarily warm up to melt the glacers and then the earth heads back into another ice age. The melt down period only last for 15 to 16 thousand years then.
I can remember back in the 70's when then the talk was about Global Cooling. "Ok I was very young then so don't I am very old", lol.
staciefallan 3 years ago
Admittedly, vast segments of the world's population perceive severe climate change as a hoax. This despite the fact that the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, comprised of more than 2,000 leading climate change scientists and experts, along with Al Gore, were jointly awarded the nobel Peace Prize for their work. See BBC News "Gore and UN panel..." Fear, that the ethics of eugenics topic will be raised, does act to stifle discussion of the overpopulation issue.
tobyr3 3 years ago
Yes and the scientist have been discreditted repeatedly. We gave the Nobel Peace Prize to a known Eugenicist and the Rockefeller's (who donated the UN land) support eugenics as well. The Nobel Peace Prize is nothing more than a PR move. The UN is not to be trusted.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
One reason we went into Iraq was due to the PR campaign that had large segments of our population convinced that the UN's findings, of no evidence of a restart in the Iraq nuclear program, couldn't be trusted.
tobyr3 3 years ago
What does that prove in relation to the UN and global warming? I certainly do not trust an organization that frankly answers to nobody and has 100000 troops at it's disposal. There have been MANY reputable sources stating that the Al Gore films was nothing more that a huge unproven "what if" scenario.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
YouTube doesn't like my comments so I'm hoping at least this one will go through.
I'm afraid nothing is going to change the current direction we're going unless we get a huge group of people who will not be afraid to make changes. Hard changes. We all have thoughts and idea but some people will not even listen to them because they belong to this group or that group. We refuse to take ideas from other countries because they're not our ideas.
500 letters is not enough to answer this question. :|
itspaul70 3 years ago
aww, shame that you didnt post your other rant video. I know that you dont want all the bad comments and arguments that would arise, but i think you are a reasonable person, even when upset and i like hearing your views.
As for my views, i think its like cleaning a room that has a lot of crap in it, things are going to look worse before they start looking better. This is the "looking worse" phase.
tknpickle 3 years ago
I am a resolute optimistic American. If we as people actually take and use the power we already have we would astound ourselves yet again. But what to do...
4g63powadsm 3 years ago
Bikes and public trans is not realistic. Our whole society is set up for mobility.Many industries fall without it. Alt fuel/energy solves this and creates job. Healthier would be nice but tight economy has cut a lot of fast food from my diet. Federal does control too much and states should have more. Free trade if allowed helps the people. I guess I was using globalization in a different meaning. As for complaint not solutions...this is a discussion, discussion hopefully leads to solutions.
4g63powadsm 3 years ago
As a matter of fact I will go through this one pretty much intact. I do not have a drivers licence and get by excellently in my, admittedly, small country. Public transport is very well organised here, provided there is no strike going on. Something that seems to be lacking in a big part of the US.
On the other hand, if it gets you Americans out of those big cars and on a bike (were possible of course) or even on foot you may end up healthier then many of you now are.
MarcImmeker 3 years ago
During the 80's the Netherlands was an economic morass. During the 90's and this century the bust times were shorter and the mentality of our politicians was such that they took action much sooner.
MarcImmeker 3 years ago
One of the more interesting things about this recession (well, I think most of Europe isn't that far gone yet) seems to be that a group of people are affected that 1) have not been affected by a serious recession / crises before and 2) it is also a group of people who before managed to miss the worst effects of a recession (like not losing a job).
MarcImmeker 3 years ago
It's no better here in the UK, everything has gone a little pear-shaped.. I'm optimistic about the future though.. although I'm not a fan of Globaliztion either.. I think we need to move away from the acquisition of wealth as one of the sole purposes in life. Democracy doesn't exactly work.. I have no other suggestions or alternatives though.
I'm more of a socialist, we as human beings, humanity, need to work together, not against each-other.
DigigirlAshley 3 years ago
Really the same problem with any system is that the greedy elite ruin it. Every system I have seen could work flawlessly, however the human element destroys it. Socialism I don't like because it allows for a greater degree of abuse and more overall control in the form of the government. I wish I knew of a perfect way, but really I don't see one.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
Ha, well I am not for taking the human element out of the equation [:-^]. That pretty much leaves democracy as the only palatable alternative. There is no such thing as a benevolent dictatorship, alas. One of the most vivid memories of my childhood is the revolution in Portugal against the dictatorship (april 25 1974 wasn't it?) with soldiers walking through Lisboa with flowers in their rifles.
MarcImmeker 3 years ago
Well I lost my job to down sizing and outsourcing. Now I make 1/4 less then I use to make. Gas is killing us and is selling at record highs, but the major oil companys are making record profits in the billion per quarter. I am not a fan of Globaliztion and feel each state should have more say so and not let the fed gov run us as much. So ya not a fan of Globalization and sure as HELL don't want the UN telling me what is good or not good for us.
staciefallan 3 years ago
Well said :)
karmatic1110 3 years ago
States' Rights just might end up being the key to solving our sovereignty issues. The Fed might make life suck for individual states that don't play by their rules but they can't F.... with constitutional rights. If they do, it will be a true sign our country has fallen. On the other hand, for all we know, the states could have signed away their rights long ago in some back room or on the golf course.
abucsyob 3 years ago
I'm more optimistic on world affairs. Were up shit creek but we aren't without a paddle, we need find it.
First things first though, before we attempt to change the worlds financial institutions and escape the grip of major business, we need economic stable ground. We need a democrat prez to do that, they usually do.
As for oil prices, one reason for the price rise (among many) is a lack of refineries that companies refuse to build cuz they're pricey. Ans: State owned and built refineries.
thegrimmreeper 3 years ago
Interesting discussion but I have to stay out of it as I am working on a project that badly needs finishing. Will come back later.
MarcImmeker 3 years ago
It's fact, not some conspiracy, that worldwide oil supplies are higher than demand. The shortage is in U.S. production. Our economy is the largest on earth and if we can't meet our short-term demands then the world market will of course take advantage of it. We do the same with technology. Oil goes for whatever the market will bear. I totally agree with you about nation states. If we haven't figured out how to stop killing one another, why in the hell would we think a global market will work?
abucsyob 3 years ago
I'm not so savy on politics. There are only a couple of things I was really looking for in this campain. I was looking for gay rights (equal marriage, tax breaks, so forth...) which are so important, people are being treated like second class citizens and there is no reason for it. And so few canidates even want to talk about it, much less admit that something needs to change. And of course gas prices. There is no reason to price gouge that way. It all makes me ill.
tgilbar 3 years ago
The only way to counter the price gouging by the oil companies is for an enormous leg of the general populous to boycott using oil... which is seemingly impossible due to the fact that we depend so much on oil for transportation of every kind (save for riding bikes... which are very easy to pull 18 wheelers behind). Not to mention if people stopped driving cars to work, many would have to stop GOING to work, and then where would business be. Catch 44. It's like 22 only twice as bad!
jenniadriana 3 years ago
Globalization of the our economy will continue to weaken the FED's influence and will be more of a reaction than a cause. Although it is not fun now some of the best changes come from the tough times. Put a free willed entrepreneur up against a wall and watch out. The innovation will come but not until not changing is harder. Voting could be worse off I guess. One side makes good corp sense, the other not strong enough to accomp his own ideals and the party can likely run over him.
4g63powadsm 3 years ago
I am all for free trade but Globalization scares the crap out of me. I certainly do not want to become a nation-state within a Union and that seems to be the direction the world is headed ie the EU.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
A lot of what the bible talks about in Revelations is kind of starting to materialize... i.e. "The largest nation will begin to fall... etc, etc."... and up until now, that's been us... and now we're starting to fall. Eeeeeck! Maybe we won't even need to worry about oil prices and Globalization much longer after all.
jenniadriana 3 years ago
Interpretation and tools to get a lesson across carry more weight in my mind than fear of literal translations. Aren't we arrogant to think that would be us of all the years past and to come? Oil is just a market. New markets will emerge.
4g63powadsm 3 years ago
A bit of a contradiction from our recent redneck rebel ways? Global is probably what saved the space program. The exploration of something bigger than any country will be of the few things to help our advancing society keep perspective.
4g63powadsm 3 years ago
My issue with globalization is that it gives International Organizations more power such as the United Nations. It also in the future needs an overseeing central body and that is a VERY BAD idea. As the world becomes more global we give up more liberties. It is a step that has to happen. Globalization sounds like a pretty concept but it is nothing more than a huge power grab.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
As someone whoe is living in the EU I can tell you that it is not all that bad. In fact I suspect it is remarkable similar to the US. I am old enough to vividly remember the fall of the Berlin Wall. Stayed up all night too to watch with tears in my eyes to. I have been to the old German Demcratic Republic aka East-Germany. Now I can go almost to the gates of St. Petersburg in Russia without much trouble at all.
MarcImmeker 3 years ago
What really pisses me off is the lack of democracy in the EU and globally as well.
Here is this country of some 300 million people electing a new president. No big is it? After all there are countries with many more citizens. Yet if that one country makes too many mistakes I could end up losing my job. And there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.
MarcImmeker 3 years ago
The problem is that when democracy is phased out the quest for more control and regulation politically never stops. It is a slow and constant erosion.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
i also know that iraq pumps out 100 million barrels of oil a day, and we are paying 4.10+ per/gal. where is the money and the oil going.
the american people are so caught up in their own lil worlds to notice these thing. after my last deployment my views on the war have done a complete 180, and not for the good of things either.
mjforester 3 years ago
I personally feel that they are pumping the oil and keeping it off the market to drive up demand. It makes perfect financial sense for the oil companies.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
You do realize that China and India are going full speed, economically speaking. At 1.6 and 1.1 BILLION people, respectively, that's a lot of oil they need. Ditto for ores and halfproducts. Africa had a growth rate of something like 12% last year if I remember correctly. Sheer numbers are at work here.
And it is more and more a sellers market now that China and India need such large quantities of this and that.
MarcImmeker 3 years ago
Correct, however recent studies have shown a decline in use among the Chinese as growth is settling a bit and leveling off to a constant rate, so because of that prices should stabilize but they are not.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
being a combat vet to iraq 2 times i have seen how the war has changed from 2004 to 2008. there have been vast improvement over there, but at the cost of the american way of life.
if u look at the iraqi exchange rates and compare them to the value of the dollar u will see that the longer the war goes on the better the iraqi economy gets. thats because of all the money we pump into iraq that the government says we dont. Look up C.M.O. projects.
cont...
mjforester 3 years ago
*comment continued*
The world is power hungry, Countries battle for power..gas is raised for money and power over the consumers. Wedont care who dies, who goes bankrupt, or what animals we are slowing driving to extinction! Power is whats destroying everything.
So what to do? Limit the power, commit to nature FRIENDLY resources. Basically, be smart about how everything is run.
Money is good, but you cant spend money if you have no planet to spend it on.
OMFGitsJUSTIN 3 years ago
also think about how you spend money. act locally! example: buy local produce..saves gas, supports local economy.. etc.
jennykts 3 years ago
And if you have nationwide and global producers in your city what are you doing to those jobs as well? It's all connected and there is smarter ways to purchase than geography alone. (I do support local though don't get me wrong)
4g63powadsm 3 years ago
Last post was a reply jennykts. yeah YT
4g63powadsm 3 years ago
every city will have both local and nationwide producers so obviously that alone won't do it. that is a small way to help and to know where your money is going and supporting. i also find it interesting that you and others are simply complaining and not really offering anything and yet when i do that is what happens. don't just complain. its how you live your life.. everyday choices like what you eat.
jennykts 3 years ago
We need to get the world in check.
As far as oil goes, i feel a drastic push of environmentally friendly cars will decrease the need to go to the pump. As for the economy, nobody has the money anymore. People are either too poor, to go to school and get jobs, too poor to afford gas to go and spend money, and since the price of certain foods are going up..to poor to buy food!
To sum it up, the world need to get rid of the power hungry asses running it.
OMFGitsJUSTIN 3 years ago
Oh we certainly need to get quite a few people out of office. We also need to get rid of the FED. That alone (while backing our money with precious metals) would solve quite a few major issues.
karmatic1110 3 years ago
The worlds economy is in recession and if it if doesn't stop we could plunge into a world wide depression
Just yesterday where I live Australia the petrol price increased by 14 cents now it is almost 2 dollars a litre when about 9 years ago it was 80 cents a litre AND WE HAVE SOME OF THE CHEAPEST PETROL PRICES IN THE WORLD that means that people in other countries are have this problem on a larger scale and even here the price of petrol is changing peoples lifestyles.
parka500 3 years ago
I am certainly one of the people who's lifestyle has changed and I have a Honda Civic, with great mileage. Between oil, international banking institutions and a steady erosion of liberties (here at least) we are in deep trouble.
karmatic1110 3 years ago