Capitalism

**VictorCharlie** · 04-03-2009 07:13 PM

Strange I haven't heard anyone mention the fact he is sending 21,000 more troops to Afghanistan. The President should be very careful there. Its the place where empires go to die.

**VictorCharlie** · 04-03-2009 08:29 PM

I didn't realize how old this thread was. In regards to capitalism, wealth redistribution etc. There is no question that our financial system has run amuck and that our government, democrats and republicans alike, failed to do anything about it. I think our country is seriously lacking in accountability. The blame cannot only be place at the top of the financial food chain. American's have come to a sense of entitlement. They are supposed to own a house, buy a new car every couple of years etc etc. As a Staff Sergeant in the Army I epitomize the middle class. My wife and I bought cheap, efficient and reliable cars; we don't carry revolving credit, saved money for our upcoming home purchase, put money into a savings and retirement account every month and overall take an active role in our finances. We are not the rule amongst my co-workers or friends. American middle and lower economic classes must take some ownership for closing the gap. You can't have a country that offers the possibility of tremendous wealth and success w/o the prospect for absolute failure.

**Andre** · 04-03-2009 08:47 PM

Wise words Van Childs,

I feel where society also falls apart is the lack of care for others less fortunate; Another cause as well as what you mention is that once some people reach what they consider a higher level of existance they look down on others and the gap widens into a them and us syndrome.
Disease in nature or from within ourselves is the only instant leveler.

**killersheep** · 04-03-2009 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by VanChilds

I didn't realize how old this thread was. In regards to capitalism, wealth redistribution etc. There is no question that our financial system has run amuck and that our government, democrats and republicans alike, failed to do anything about it. I think our country is seriously lacking in accountability. The blame cannot only be place at the top of the financial food chain. American's have come to a sense of entitlement. They are supposed to own a house, buy a new car every couple of years etc etc. As a Staff Sergeant in the Army I epitomize the middle class. My wife and I bought cheap, efficient and reliable cars; we don't carry revolving credit, saved money for our upcoming home purchase, put money into a savings and retirement account every month and overall take an active role in our finances. We are not the rule amongst my co-workers or friends. American middle and lower economic classes must take some ownership for closing the gap. You can't have a country that offers the possibility of tremendous wealth and success w/o the prospect for absolute failure.

I agree with what you say here. The reality of the current situation however is, if certain institutions do fail we as a nation do not have the infrastructure to stabilize the economy. I completely agree that at a personal level people need to setup a budget and a savings plan. Also individuals need to understand what is a good affordable deal for a loan
and what is not. One of the trickiest things to sustain a capitalist economy of the magnatude we have now, we do have to spend.
I think one of the best things the government could do right now is make available a free excel spreadsheet that people could fill out to determine
what there budget is, not as a mandatory thing of course, just to have and use.

**Andre** · 04-03-2009 09:31 PM

Dont want to sound all doom and gloom but all these empty commercial properties from Whare houses ,factories to offices that have closed down will have more impact on the economy than the empty private housing that people have had to walk away from.

Once the rich are taking hits and they tighten their belts the whole thing gets squezed dry. There will be a new poor being born out this ,that will feel the hits much worse than the street poor that exist already.

**VictorCharlie** · 04-03-2009 09:58 PM

Killer I subscribe to the idea that if your are too big to fail then you are too big to manage. I wouldn't have bailed out a single one.

**killersheep** · 04-03-2009 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by VanChilds

Killer I subscribe to the idea that if your are too big to fail then you are too big to manage. I wouldn't have bailed out a single one.

OK lets play out that scenario, you have let the big companies fail, what happens next?

**VictorCharlie** · 04-03-2009 10:43 PM

I'll be honest Killer I don't have the national/international economic understanding that some of yall have. But if the failing of a financial institution(s) is going to suck the US and international economy into a black hole then we have to do something. I just wouldn't have bailed them out. Nationalize them. Gut them. Clean them up and sell them. Hopefully by the time this is done legislation has been passed to regulate the economy better and provide transparency/oversight. Is this the right answer? I don't know. I'm sure Kirk is at this moment writing an explanation of why this is a shit idea. Like I preach on here a lot I am big in accountability. If you run a billion dollar business into bankruptcy you should lose your job and your business fail. I'd like to think in a market economy that if there is a window to grab market share and make profit someone will step up and make it happen.