Ruh Roh

[Overbuilders]

The Demise of the Dollar.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/bu...r-1798175.html

[Lavrans]

Ahahahaha.

Yep, all y'alls favorite bankers have been doing such a great job. And all those MBAs (who's calculus "proved" that it is best to ship all manufacturing and as much innovation to cheaper countries so we can focus on management) were right that we should worship at the altar of the executive manager.

I say our downfall won't be any "socialism" or such, it will be the fatal failure that happens when the people who think business means quarterly profits has been complete. Moving the dollar from the prime currency will just be a small nail in the coffin, but a very symbolic one. The sooner it happens the sooner the country can decide if it wants to remain a country in service, or return to country of innovation.

[tod evans]

keep the blinders on............
everything is fine-n-dandy...........
la-dee-da.............la-dee-da......
oh-yeah......don`t forget let`s spend more than we make.....
free stuff for everybody!

[philthegreek]

China is going to kick our butts in solar and wind and water too. They may be using older technology, but the critical mass of the movement is going under the radar. GM said no one wanted an electric car in 2000. By 2002 the EV-1 was gone and the Prius was positioned to capture the hybrid/electric market. GE has been pushing wind turbines, but the oil industry has been fighting it tooth and nail. China is already competing on price point. Where is the long term outlook?? France is 60% nuclear for electricity, we are less than 10%. Even if you view nuclear as an interim energy, France is way ahead of the curve. Yeah, we got lots of coal, but we are destroying complete ecosystems to get at it, poisoning any and all nearby rivers. So we destroy our drinking water in pursuit of electricity on the cheap. GMO crops are invading ALL the food chain, but they are not drought resistant or flood resistant. Even the thought of a change in currency base indicates a severe lack of confidence in the USA to remain a competitive force in the world. It says a lot. That is also what happens when you don't have eco-diversity ( economic diversity as well as ecological, that is). All the eggs are in one basket and that basket is going off the edge of the table.
Spending more than you make only works if it is an investment (good investment). Just pissing money away because it's there has never worked. There are a lot of trust fund kids that have nothing left at age 25, so there are really no boundaries to this sort of stupidity.
Total faith in the markets and uncommunicative, dishonest government have sowed this crop.
Would you have allowed your kids to treat their allowances like this? I, personally, did not get much in the way of allowance. If I wanted something, I worked to get the money needed, or found junk and refurbished it. It's funny how this sort of mentality does not get projected into adulthood.
A very interesting issue to watch,thanks for the posting "fake" Richie :-)

phil

[Overbuilders]

Originally Posted by philthegreek

A very interesting issue to watch,thanks for the posting "fake" Richie :-) phil

They call me Mr. Poor.

I figgered nine months in we'd see at least one windmill generating solar paneled flux capacitor on every white roofed and sealed tight house in America.

[MarkMc]

Speaking of declines...

http://www.carrollspaper.com/main.as...ArticleID=8982

I suppose this points to a potential minor flaw in Darwinism or accentuates a bit of manifest destiny...

[Overbuilders]

Joey! Gettin' his Clockwork Orange on! Had no idea Darwin and Al Jolson were cousins, so I did learn something new today.

FWIW, Carroll is but a stones throw from Coon Rapids. Ioway. Check your maps. Just sayin'...

[MarkMc]

Sadly, been to both, as well as C.R., MN. Yes, I know how to have fun

k.

[Kowboy]

The decline of the dollar couldn't be better economic news. It makes our exports cheaper to foreigners, so they buy more, putting more Americans to work. It makes imports more expensive, curtailing our previously unsustainable trade deficit.

The doomsayers conveniently ignore the laws of economics.

Kowboy

[philthegreek]

Kowboy,
What's unfortunate, is that we don't have anything to export. The exports we do have, even with a weakened dollar, are still more expensive than our Chinese, korean, Taiwanese and South American competition. the only real commoditirs we have in manufacturing of any kind are automobiles and home construction. Our autos can't compete and home construction can't be exported, so we've got bubkus. If we still had a broad manufacturing base, then yes, you would be correct.
Our only chance for export now is technology for alternative energy and the Chinese are positioned to kick our butts there because we have not made big enough strides in that sector due to Big Oil, Big Coal and Corp Farming resisting the trend and buying enough votes to trump anything the majority of "we the people" might want.

phil

[philthegreek]

Looks like Warren Buffet is making his case for our future.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Buffet...&asset=&ccode=

phil

[Overbuilders]

I'm guessing Buffet's making a case for his and Berkshire's future. If the nation wants to come along for the train ride, so be it. Make sure to bring your check book.

My old man retired from BNSF in 1996 after 43 years. Started as a fireman when they actually shoveled coal into a furnace, became an engineer after a few years, and had seniority for most of his last 8 years of employment in the Denver region. Did the coal train run for several of those years, coal bound for the major Texas power plants. He called it good money and a hard life. Missed a lot of birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. It's just the way he was.

[Allan Edwards]

Originally Posted by Overbuilders

Started as a fireman when they actually shoveled coal into a furnace, became an engineer after a few years.

I was hired by the Missouri Pacific as a fireman in 1970 right after I turned 19. Before my 20th birthday I was a fully promoted engineer, youngest ever in their system. Worked 16 hr days for a few years, quit at age 25. First couple of years as a builder I did both (drive a train and build houses). Pulling 140 fully loaded box cars on ribbon rail 40 mph is quite a rush.

[Lavrans]

OK, Allan- I've got to admit the whole train thing has always been a mystery to me. I've done my share of riding rails, both with a ticket and... hitching the occasional ride :-)... but I was never hit by the train bug. What's the rush? What makes the train so romantic to people even now? Just curious.

[frenchie]

Originally Posted by philthegreek

Looks like Warren Buffet is making his case for our future.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Buffet...&asset=&ccode=

phil

"All in" = 34 billion?

Warren Buffett?

Closer to half in.

...I love that the whole deal took only 12 days, from proposal to closing. You go, Warren...