Thread: Dealing with a Bad Economy

Most people seem to think that a bad economy will destroy this country, but all evidence seems to point to the contrary. The fear Americans feel for bad times significantly inflates their paranoia over economic down-cycles. Their utter lack of economic understanding somehow enables them to threaten economic recovery by letting government "work for them" to solve the problems. I am afraid of the fear people in this country feel at the idea of economic insecurity.

Buck up people. You can still be happy in a bad economy. You can even be happy being poor. Just stay focused on creating a free environment wherein opportunities can be born, learn from your mistakes, and create change from the community up. The myth our politicians are trying to sell you, that they can save you, is nothing more than fools gold. Obama's platform is analogous to Prince Humperdinck's three fastest ships.

Originally Posted by Burning Giraffe

Most people seem to think that a bad economy will destroy this country, but all evidence seems to point to the contrary. The fear Americans feel for bad times significantly inflates their paranoia over economic down-cycles. Their utter lack of economic understanding somehow enables them to threaten economic recovery by letting government "work for them" to solve the problems. I am afraid of the fear people in this country feel at the idea of economic insecurity.

Buck up people. You can still be happy in a bad economy. You can even be happy being poor. Just stay focused on creating a free environment wherein opportunities can be born, learn from your mistakes, and create change from the community up. The myth our politicians are trying to sell you, that they can save you, is nothing more than fools gold. Obama's platform is analogous to Prince Humperdinck's three fastest ships.

Of course you can be happy in a bad economy, but it's alot easier in a good economy.

Not that I'm saying Obama is gonna help anything, if he becomes president I'm certain things would simply get worse.

Originally Posted by Burning Giraffe

Most people seem to think that a bad economy will destroy this country, but all evidence seems to point to the contrary. The fear Americans feel for bad times significantly inflates their paranoia over economic down-cycles. Their utter lack of economic understanding somehow enables them to threaten economic recovery by letting government "work for them" to solve the problems. I am afraid of the fear people in this country feel at the idea of economic insecurity.

Buck up people. You can still be happy in a bad economy. You can even be happy being poor. Just stay focused on creating a free environment wherein opportunities can be born, learn from your mistakes, and create change from the community up. The myth our politicians are trying to sell you, that they can save you, is nothing more than fools gold. Obama's platform is analogous to Prince Humperdinck's three fastest ships.

I am poor. I'm not unhappy, just sick of worrying about money all the damn time.

You can also be miserable being rich, or so I've heard. I'd like to try it and see.

Originally Posted by Burning Giraffe

Most people seem to think that a bad economy will destroy this country, but all evidence seems to point to the contrary. The fear Americans feel for bad times significantly inflates their paranoia over economic down-cycles. Their utter lack of economic understanding somehow enables them to threaten economic recovery by letting government "work for them" to solve the problems. I am afraid of the fear people in this country feel at the idea of economic insecurity.

Buck up people. You can still be happy in a bad economy. You can even be happy being poor. Just stay focused on creating a free environment wherein opportunities can be born, learn from your mistakes, and create change from the community up. The myth our politicians are trying to sell you, that they can save you, is nothing more than fools gold. Obama's platform is analogous to Prince Humperdinck's three fastest ships.

That would be easier if you were young and appeared in a bad economic time, but there are bills to pay, children to raise, dreams to achieve. Else wise yes, if I lived the life style that my wife and I did when we first got married I would agree 100%.

Here's the problem with a bad economy. It eliminates your safety nets, because you look around and see that nobody has any money. If something bad happens, I can't go to uncle so and so because he's up to his ass in debt just like I am. I saved my mom's silver or whatever to sell in case I need some emergency money, but I can't sell it now because nobody has any money.

That's the difference between just being broke and a bad economy. It just compounds everything.

We've been in lot worse economic times & pulled through. While i agree that we have some troubles in segments of the country, other parts of the country are doing quite well. Texas seems to be one of the latter. We're for sure not rich but do manage to keep the wolves at bay.
What really frosts my punkin is transportation & food are not counted in the infaltion rate, two of the most important commodities we have.

Originally Posted by Migi e!

We've been in lot worse economic times & pulled through. While i agree that we have some troubles in segments of the country, other parts of the country are doing quite well. Texas seems to be one of the latter. We're for sure not rich but do manage to keep the wolves at bay.
What really frosts my punkin is transportation & food are not counted in the infaltion rate, two of the most important commodities we have.

We are currently in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Yes, we pulled out of that one by going to war (at a huge cost to the value of our dollar). There is one startling difference though. Between then and now and that is the tsunami of social entitlements our country now faces as a result of all manner of Great Depression inspired socialism. Right now we face a $53T debt load to the baby boomers, dwarfing our current national debt.

We are basically standing at the edge of an economic precipice and not too many people are noticing. Unless we make a drastic change (there's that word) towards a more humble foreign policy, smaller government, and more personal responsibility, we will soon reach a point of no return which will change the economic landscape of America at least for the rest of the lives of every person here on this message board.

See why I get a little fired up now and then?

Been at zero debts since August 1992. I have been trying to talk my wife into buying farmland in AL the whole time. My plan is get in touch with the prison ministry for labor, establish a goat herd and reinvest the profits. I can get close to 3K from Samaritan's Purse for excess nannies, sell the milk, get good money for the excess billies and be paid to have the goats eat up kudzu. best of all if it gets really bad I can eat the profits. Haven't talked Gail around yet.

Inflation isn't evil. It's just another adjustment. Wages have been stagnant for a LONG time. Gasoline has tripled. Everything costs more. The primary threat to our economy-- a loss of confidence --has STILL not happened on a large scale. People are floating outrageous debt and feeling alright with that. But the bottom line is that sooner or later, if oil is going to trade on the world market at $112/barrel, somebody is going to find a way to slip some more dollars into the mix, and dilute that price to something we can actually manage. Because we cannot manage that. That means it costs farmers more to drive their tractors, so your corn and chicken costs more. It means it costs you more to get to work. It means it costs your company more to run your air conditioners and heaters, so they'll have to charge more just to keep paying you your same stagnant wage, which STILL amounts to a pay cut every year that everything keeps costing more. Inflation is inevitable. The longer we put it off with oil prices bumping up against the ceiling the way they are, the more it's going to hurt when it comes. The dollar is going to drop into the shitter, debts are going to come due, and people are going to be fucked. There is only one thing you need to do, if you can: get out of debt. Entirely. Your house you can keep, as long as your rate is fixed and your payments are very manageable. But the rest of it, get rid of it.

That, and buy gold. And enjoy the hell out of that ride.

Originally Posted by Libre

We are currently in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Yes, we pulled out of that one by going to war (at a huge cost to the value of our dollar). There is one startling difference though. Between then and now and that is the tsunami of social entitlements our country now faces as a result of all manner of Great Depression inspired socialism. Right now we face a $53T debt load to the baby boomers, dwarfing our current national debt.

We are basically standing at the edge of an economic precipice and not too many people are noticing. Unless we make a drastic change (there's that word) towards a more humble foreign policy, smaller government, and more personal responsibility, we will soon reach a point of no return which will change the economic landscape of America at least for the rest of the lives of every person here on this message board.

See why I get a little fired up now and then?

The worst since the great depression? That's pure bullshit. I'm 69 years old & I know better than that.