This Part 2 posting (PART ONE HERE, a "wake up" intro posting to this) is an update on what American worker's can expect, and to take a realistic view of the current condition ... a reality I also want to add ... that we ARE ALL responsible for creating. The reason is because how we expect a quick fix for everything or a magic pill. The mid term election's are right around the corner, and too many folk's are letting their frustration's get to them ... AND NOT looking at the picture ... and may vote without taking a more in depth look at the condition. So this is a political posting as well to show the reality we are confronted with. This isnt to take side's with a party ... but to explain what both parties are offering to work on ... and why it's wise to think at the voting booth instead of letting the frustrating obstacle's control your thought's and decision's. In this first video below ... New York Times business reporter Andy Sorkin, sum's this up in few word's perfectly ... in the 2nd video ... White House Economic Advisor Austan Goolsbee desperately tries to point out the polarizing political difference's of these two parties on the economic/ employment issue, and their approaches to keep at least our head's above water. Then I will add my view's, and a tad advice, on the reality. Now I been pointing out these expectation's for a few year's ... and been fairly accurate, especially in this journal, because I try to do my homework on this, and especially be prepared in advance ... call it a mean's of survival ... strategic thinking. You know? ... like forewarned is forearmed thinking?
***** CNN: Obama: Recession recovery has been 'painfully slow' ... (newsread)
***** CNN: Obama slams GOP leadership, economic policies ... (newsread)
As I pointed out since the earliest posting's in this journal as well as to folk's in the community that I speak with ... this President is going to get all Hell if he tries to enact actual "change", or even anything remotely close to what he was talking during his campaign word's, and of course ... he sure as Hell is! And because I been following this man way before he was a candidate for President ... back when as a Senator, when not even talking Presidential candidacy .. I was hoping this Guy would one day run ... why? First because he was so concerned in Constitutional Law (something most dont even give a rat's ass about anymore), he had also turned down well paid Wall St. offer's fresh out of University, and focused closely on more modest level deed's like community activism, and getting/ giving so many working classes who feel hopeless in voting in recent year's inspiration to excercise their right, and duty, if you want to at ALL at least have a tad of headway. He was still in the shadow's ... but I knew ... his thinking is the kind of thinking that we need in order to at least semi change and update our thinking. And YES, I voted for Bush/ Cheney. Since day one in office ... this President has had not one red hair of cooperation from those who patted him on the back and vowed to work on these issue's together ... as I pointed out as well would happen ... and certainly did, as you can see with all the "NO-NO" talk, to the saturation of nonsense issue's they have thrown on his desk, just to hamper anything that would even remotely change too much, any of the in place BS, that enable's everything from one way street corporate dictatorship, to all fellow ass print/ seat warming co-worker's (the "Hill"), who finally have to work for a change ... to play "business as usual". And believe me ... he know's exactly what is going on, even if he dont constantly rant about it, he is sharp and know's a scam before it know's itself.
We are in a tight situation, but not as bad as we pump ourselves up to believe. Do we realize how worse this could be? Does any of us look at the economic rollercoaster ride's any of the industrialized nation's have been experiencing? Up today, Down tomorrow? I hear so many now, venting frustration, even from his own party ... "Yack, Yack, Yack ... I dont like this, I dont like that, etc". As I pointed out a couple year's back in my earliest posting's ... what we will see, you cannot compare to the past depression or recession's of decade's ago ... this will be different ... and uniquely more global than anything of past, and far more complex. And the idea that you can give this President and associate's just two bloody year's to try to get back to the same failing crap that created this, with all the political bitch fight's that are created not in the people's interest, but in those special interest's, who finance and orchestrate all this crap is silly. And all you do by trying to "get back to normal" is make a new version in different packaging of the same ole same shit ... for a bubble today ... and a bust tomorrow. It's tight? Of course it's bloody tight!! ... what did we expect?!, looking at what has been being done and all the highside living and massive overspending and borrowing we been doing even as citizen's over the last couple decade's ... did you not think that there is a flip side and price to pay? It was all about choice and free will!! Not just the fault's of Wall St ... we all play a role, when we fall to inticing gimmick's and ad's, contract's and such and start fantasizing only, and ignoring the fact, that nothing come's free or easy. Sure Wall St. is greedy ... But have we acted much different overall ourselves?
I have a daughter for instance, married, one son ... decent career for her and my son in law (medical industry) ... they had a new home built ... lakefront area suburbia property, 5 Bdr/ 5 Bth/ 4 car garage, costly, but affordable ... yet only one child, and very conservative as far as reproduction, meaning not popping out babies annually, a few vehicle's, a crap load of card's, etc ... you know ... the typical old school middle American Dream stuff, etc. A couple year's back, BOOM ... they have money tied in the usual retirement investment stuff, like 401K and such (herd, well calculated retirement plan's set up to get investor's you choose from bigger gain's, and you ... measley well regulated gain's, yet you play into it, because it's popular only, and thinking you can get something for nothing, instead of shopping around) ... they take a hit and lose probably $20K each in their retirement's, as million's across the nation did as well. But ... their still working and paying bill's on time, etc. But I get with my son in law one night ... and gave him a tad advice ... "Take a look at the condition, and dont dwell on the loss ... it's gone guy". More detail's included ... to learn from it ... and look at option's and safeguard's, and really look ... not at some pamphlet/ folder some retirement investor just give's you with a line a gab. Look at that 30 year loan on the home ... income is okay ... consider refinancing, and pay the extra couple hundred or so a month, and have it knocked down to a 15 year pay off. Dont be so quick to trade every vehicle, every few year's, and take up a new note that is increased from the previous, because of interest rate fluxuation's and inflation. Look at more option's as far as diversification of retirement investment, and importante, look at past histories of the investment's, importantly on your own, learn the system, instead of just paying a fee for someone else to do for you. Think about what you buy, and especially charge ... will you actually utilize it at all?, or will it just be for temporary satisfaction and/ or novelty?
We are so quick to blame everything on everyone else too ... this isnt the case ... are the contract's, fee's, interest rate's, penalties, etc ... unfair? or manipulated? Of course they are!! ... did you think that these people are in business for charity reason's or profit?!! Our President and staff has done so much on this as it is trying to give a more balanced and fair playing field to us ... so much! He has done so much as it is to try to give us some slack ... but we cant just depend on electing a party or administration and think ... "Yaaye ... it will be better next year!". Nor can you just go back to your old habit's and expect to keep your head above water forever. We need to spend ... sure ... but we dont need to let our personal spending get out of control. This nonsense also that the President has us in deeper and deeper debt on his move's is more crap. Sure the spending in gvmnt is enormous ... and proposed by both side's and all the special interest's is what they are not telling you. If this President did not push for the spending he has ... we would be in deeper shit across the board, from employment to every other goddamn thing. And you cant count on gvmnt in a semi free market to just create job's all on their own. 3 quarter's of America is employed by smaller companies, when you shell out billion's to whining offshore investor's, that are in debt out their own asses to places like China and Saudi Arabia, and have no regulation or oversight of them ... who take it ALL offshore ... where do you expect the small bank's that most of us use to get loan's, to get financing, if they wont even play ball with them domestically? The President is "unfair" and picking on investment corporation's/ banker's? BULLSIT, stop the goddamn whining!! ... it's called simply "balance".
I am not anti republican ... or out to attack the usual folk's in their party that so many democrat's like to rant about silly thing's over, like who's dumb or mispelled a word or their hairstyle and related bullshit that saturate's cyberspace and media's. I mean ... that's fine and all for entertainment ... but when it come's to my money or livelihood, my standard of living, I'm a serious SOB. The fact is ... that looking closely at all this crap on how to better the economy and employment that the GOP is feeding American's is pure nonsense ... IT CANT WORK! You CANNOT expect to give all incentive's with no rule's, and tax break's/ haven's to all offshore interest's and investment's, and expect that they will just voluntarily invest here and spend here in this new global marketplace, and forget all their past transaction's, associate investor's and venture's abroad. Say your American and have $5 billion to invest in a business like some high-tech component's mega manufacturing or such you want to establish, you got the tax benefit, offshore shelter's, legislation for you to go freely anywhere's of your choice globally, ... why would you start it off in this country, when you can go to another country such as China or India, get more gvmnt incentive's from them (while still keeping your American home), no taxes, a workforce that will work for 1/3 the USA wage's with no union, who you dont even have to provide with vacation or sick pay, or any benefit's whatsoever including health insurance ... what would be the point or incentive to start that business here? (get my drift?) You MUST GIVE small companies the most support and incentive's, break's ... and the GOP simply cast's them out frankly, if you look at their blueprint ... it doesnt work domestically. Yes ... the GOP plan would have actually worked fine ... if it was say ... 1960/ 1970, but cant work now ... thing's DO NOT "trickle down" these day's like in the past, you dont have control of the globe market by only Japan, USA, and EU countries as you did back then ... it is far more interdependent and diversified as player's today. Even if it did work for a short while ... it would crash so hard with an impact of a bowling ball being dropped off a skyscaper, in a very short time ... and we would be back to square one, whining over who's fault it was a few year's from now. Look at what these SAME policies enacted during the previous administration done for an example.
As far as employment? Be grateful it is where it is and were not losing a half million job's a month ... be grateful that at least over 85% of the American workforce is working in these time's ... do we realize how many allies (countries), even in the EU would like to be in our shape right now employment wise? Dont expect thing's that took over a decade to create, just to vanish in a couple year's after the damage was done way before this administration came to office. And dont be so quick to get back to what we were like 5 year's ago or more ... because this will all only repeat itself time and again. Giving this administration and associate's more time to resolve this mess, is essential ... the worst thing to do in the middle of a job ... is get frustrated, and toss it out the door, cause you cant wait for completion of it. Here was the choice I found myself confronted with for voting ... I only have one of two of these parties that will dominate (or gridlock), this Teabag group is not an alternative at all, just basically a GOP splinter group. I can choose to vote for the republican's, who will lock in future monitary commitment's and funding to all offhore investment's through mega corporate player's who will also go unregulated as well and be invited to write every piece of legislation ... Or I can vote for democrat's who are still in debt to corporate support as well ... but at least will only halfway support the mega offshore group, and throw in more for the American worker's and domestic business move's, and give more incentive's to companies/ corp's who are based here and willing to invest and spend here. The choice for me is as clear as day .... I HAVE TO VOTE DEMOCRAT, looking at the math, and considering my level of income ... making it very simple.
POST NOTE: If the Republican Party really focused more on real conservatism in issue's, and showing concern for America's future as far as economically, and especially defensively ... I would be first in line to vote conservative, really! But all I have seen the last several year's ... is mega corporate pandering (ignoring smaller corporate domestic interest's), and supporting all offshore sheltering and investment's, putting us at war over foreign investment's, ignoring domestic concern's and business, and even letting the defense contracting milk us for up to 3X time's the cost of gvmnt military, letting the Communist Chinese Gvmnt have more influence in our House and Senate over American interest, including the UAE. Right now were fighting a war for China to mine Afghanistan only, and will control all the copper market like a monopoly basically. Then the embracing of extreme religious group's ... letting more fundamental religious folk's bring church into political matter's ... including the constant worry over what homosexual's or other's are doing in bed sexually (worrying over sex or how someone wipe's their ass is silly, not conservative, or of any economic value), and denying marriage to them, when in actuality it would do nothing to the institution of marriage at all, and be a very pro business move. Even the issue's from health care to stem cell research ... we are only stabbing the economic future in the gut with our move's ... that is not conservative, or anything progressive at all. Supporting these ratshit countries that stab us continuosly in the back over and over just for oil contracting, supplying them with endless funding and weapon's off the back's of American taxes .. who are nothing more than a bunch of religious extreme nut's themselves ... I'm a practical man, if allies are not going to play straight with us, I wont have nothing to do with them ... period .. not keep trying to win them over and certainly not invading their territories, and frankly wouldnt give them a damn thing of any support ... those who play fair and with mutual respect, I will go all out to help them, if needed. And if they do threaten me a sliver ... I will retaliate very swiftly and effectively as well ... you fuck me, I will destroy you, if it's the last thing I do, no matter what cost. None of this silly fighting, and wasting unecessary lives of our highly trained ... even far more fiscally and economically conservative at that.
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5 comments:
I agree with most of what you've said, but we're getting to the point of desperation. With states cutting back on safety nets there are many people even though they are working are losing their homes.
I've been out of work for over two years now and have no unemployment. It's not for a lack of trying. I was retrained with stimulus money a couple of months ago. I worked a total of 4 days and was then laid off again for lack of work. It will be just a matter of time before savings run out. My home is paid for but I may lose it to taxes and upkeep charges.
Something needs to be done soon or it will look like the 1930s. They say the unemployment rate is 9.6%. I say BS. It's closer to 18% and climbing. You see these politicians with their shovels and clean white hard hats touting some highway project? Well I'll tell you those jobs won't start until next summer at the earliest. In the mean time the guys at the union hall are losing their homes and cars.
Hey Demeur!
I understand clearly that the unemployment is not what the figure's are showing, this is why I was more modest in saying 85%, and it varies state to state as well. Take Michigan for instance, in many urban setting's, it is alot worse, and amongst black male's as high as even 50% actually. I realize it will get a tad worse ... Hell ... I been talking about it throughout this journal for well over two year's. I know the housing crisis and the effect's it is having as well in this, very well, and NO ... it wont get much better soon, and NO ONE ever is a total clear property owner, which is another myth, just fail to pay your property "taxes" in this nation and see how long you are an "owner" ... as you are now thinking about.
Desperation? Damn straight there is going to be desperation, this is why it is importante for government to step in and beef up domestic stimulus, because the private sector isnt functioning at able capacity, call it socialism or whatever you want .. WITHOUT more stability, you will/ can only create chaos and unrest, something I have posted too much about as well.
My point here, is because I wrote as well over the last year, what the GOP objective was economically, and even though many democrat's have been highsiding poking fun at clown's like Palin, worrying about homophobic's or bigotry and other, etc ... they were not looking at what the GOP is actually doing (which is an economic objective dictated to them), this is why I said in past posting's that this November will NOT maybe be the cakewalk that these leftee's are so confident about, and if I am accurate, and the GOP somehow were to gain ground, it can only bring economic misery in the long run because of the fact's that I pointed out. If, this voting drive is not as favourable as it was in the last Presidential election for democrat's ... and the GOP get's their way too much as far as this economic blueprint, and cater's to the top of the corporate sector with all incentive's ... most of that money will go to offshore investment's and venture's, with the idea that the trickle down theory will work ... but it most likely mathematically and business wise NOT, as I pointed out. It is essential to leave this crew in, no matter how crooked folk's even think folk's like Geithner is or whoever ... they havent had enough time, and when you deal with crook's (like the Intl. investment sector)you MUST think like crook's.
Thanx Guy ...
Another thing Demeur, your no dummy, I have been observing your writing for some time, and know that you know your trade as well. But sometime's as you know ... it can get pointless to stand in unemployment line's and waiting for call's ... in other word's, you have to think survival instead. Many folk's I know getting work who been cut ... are getting it through the "hook up", who they know already inside. One can spend countless hour's answering want ad's, in job fair's, with thousand's of other's, or step aside, and spend more time, figuring out ... "What can I do to make money right now? what talent's do I have that I can utilize, here and now for cash flow?". Can you rent out your property, since so many are losing home's and rental's are booming instead of homesale's? Perhap's even see what's up in nearby Idaho and Oregon while doing so? Washington State I want to add is not doing that shabby at all, it depend's on the industry you are in, and you cant alway's go with the typical rule's and gameplan ... sometime's you have to make adjustment's to your strategic plan's. So many as Suze Orman also pointed out ... do thing's the same way as far as strategies, wait the line's, follow the book way of approaching this all as far as job searches, the system is not working well right now, and what worked two year's ago, may not work well right now. It's difficult Guy ... I hear you, and know damn well how it is ... but it's a matter of looking out for you and honing your skill's to their max, you know the score so well Guy ... I know this from reading your blog.
Best of Luck too!
Hello Amigo
Most stuff I agree with but I think a few changes are needed. That's just me. Rahm wants to go and be Mayor of Chicago. Fine. I happen to think the 3 wise men of wall street wouldn't make a pimple on Elizabeth Warren's ass. Wall street is doing just fine.
Now it's time for the rest of us.Actually in my mind they had it ass backwards. I think that was on the ill advised whiners of wall street. That thinking was a form of trickle down economy. It didn't work with Reagan, I have to wonder why they thought it would work for them. I'm just a dumb old fart but I could fix things in a matter of two months. Alas, I'm not from wall street. lol Later
btw Melissa wants a recipe for them tamales.
Buenos Dias Hermano!(Tim)
Plz tell Senora (Melissa)I will check into that. I dont have a recipe handy, or any recipe's for that matter. But have no shortage of Mexicano's around me, even one right at this minute sound asleep in the next room! Also on the Tamale thing where I helped to make them .. I actually had to almost muscle my way into the kitchen with 4 Mexican gal's to get to! It was at a compadre's home, and I wanted to help make Tamale's with the gal's, but the gal's rejected me at first saying I dont belong in the kitchen and may get in the way ... I had to whine. One of my ex girlfriend's (live in)and I year's back used to make fresh tortilla's almost daily ... from scratch too ... not using "Masa Trigo" (pre- mix) but flour, baking powder, shortening, and water, salt I may add. But because we used to use tortilla's instead of silverware to eat with. Also, Melissa will find out, just how hard work it is making tamale's, I shit you not guy!
You can fix this economic mess in a couple month's? Geeeezzz Guy ... that statement alone is enough to scare the shit outta me ... I hate to even ask how! :) I would be scared to attempt, afraid I would be assassinated for attempting so! There is alot of interest's behind the mess were in, if you know what I mean ... and this is what actually trickled down, just not the kinda trickle down anyone wanted.
The "change's" is also going to put a hamper on thing's, because any change alway's take's time to iron out, and get the bug's cleared, just like on health care reform, that will have a schlew of thing's to clear before it get's steady, especially with a goddamn rule book over twice the size of the bible, with more pork package's than you can shake a stick at! rest assured ... NO? ... Watch! :)
Right now I'm just grateful were not worse off, considering what it looked like 2 year's ago .... Geeeezzz ... then AIG who was covering all the money, really crashed when the housing bubble bursted as well ... which sent a massive wave across the globe, and every indirect investment got soaked! What a f'n mess this shit was!
Thanx Guy for your word's here!
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