Harry Rhoades

     Or, is it more fact than opinion that people who participate in “Market” activities are oblivious too.  I think that they are so wrapped up in trying to make a profit that they panic at the slightest drop in it.  Evidenced by this past weeks activities, or should I say within the last month, the expressions on the faces of the market reporters that I see on the TV. looked like they were afraid of loosing their jobs because there would be nothing to report on.  They reported as though everybody thought the bottom was about to fall out.  So, in their panic, everyone made mistakes, one very big mistake in particular.

      What was their big, very big, mistake?  They turned to the most predatory lender in existence, and no, I’m not talking about pawnshops.  This one makes them look like children playing a game of “Monopoly”.        

     They turned to the “Government”.  Government, no matter which country, it is the most predatory entity on the face of the earth.  The founding fathers of this country and the people that made up the original colonies knew this, that’s why they would not accept the “Constitution” until the “Bill of Rights” was added to it.  And now, the financial marked, Wall Street, and investors, in their childish whining turn to it for help.       

     Afraid of loosing their “God” money, they ran to the Government for help.  The most appropriate analogy I can think of is like a Christian running to the devil to help him be a better Christian.     

     It is evident throughout history, the more pies any government can stick it’s fingers in, the more control it obtains, the more freedom the people it is suppose to watch over and serve, is lost.  It can’t help it, government is self-perpetuating.  That is its nature.  That is it’s mental attitude, it must obtain more and more control so it can exercise more and more power.  If you think this government in this country is any different in that aspect from any government in any other country, you are sadly delusional.  I read somewhere that one H. Clinton said something to the effect that government has to make these decisions because the general public isn’t smart enough.  It may be a true statement, but it’s not an attitude someone running this country should have toward the people they serve.  At least, that is what they are supposed to do.  I don’t know if that is the opinion of that political party, but if it is, it’s not an attitude I want in the Head Office representing this country and me.  I want someone that will at least give me, and everyone else for that matter, the benefit of the doubt.     

     Anyway, back to the subject, Wall Street and the rest of that element of society gave Congress permission to stick it’s nose into something it doesn’t belong in and things will look better for awhile, the key word (awhile), then things will slowly start to drop off again to the point where government is asked to intervene again and it establishes more control, and so on, and so on until it gains enough control to start dictating all policies and obtains complete control and then start looking for that one world monetary system and, I’m sure, if you think hard enough, you can realize where it will go from there.       

     They just received a temporary solution to a small problem by comparison, only to open the door for greater intervention to a greater problem that will eventually cause almost irrevocable problems for all of us further down the road.  I’m sure I sound like a nut case to most who read this but, be tolerant and keep your eyes and ears open and see what happens.  Be sure to tell your kids and grandkids to keep their eyes and ears open because I don’t expect any significant changes in the immediate future.                                                                                                  Harry

     Are you so sure you have a better life style than your parents, grandparents, or even your great-grandparents?  Sure, you may have a nicer house that cost a lot more money.  You drive a new car every couple of years or so.  You can go out to fancier restaurants, wear more expensive clothes.  I guess you could say you’re living “High on the Hog” as the saying goes.  Are you really???

 

     I’m curious, when is the last time you actually compared your lifestyle with those that lived in the past?  Try doing a little analysis and compare your income with theirs’ just to see how well off you really are. 

 

     Before I go any further, I wan to say, don’t turn me off just yet, I’m going somewhere with this train of thought.

 

     In today’s computerized society, it’s a lot easier to do comparisons than it used to be.  To begin with, sit down at your computer, or with pencil and paper if you prefer, and make a list of things to compare.  I could give you a list to start with but any list I make might have no barring on you and your lifestyle, or your

Background,  you have to make your own list for it to be meaningful to you. 

 

     Start by not only comparing your income to your ancestors, but also what they had to spend to make ends meet.  And remember, If you start with your parents, YOU were more that likely the biggest expense they had, and for most, probably the happiest.  In either case, count yourself in.  Then go back a little further to their parents and then theirs’.   Don’t forget to include both sides of the equation. 

 

     After this, add in another aspect.  Find someone, probably an historic figure,

most likely a person of financial significance within the last 100 yrs. That had the same income that you have.  Compare what they were able to afford to what you are able to afford.  Are you any better off that someone that had the same income 10, 20, 50 75, or even 100 years ago?  Are you really any better off than

they were?  Are you starting to figure out where I’m going?  I fear not.    

 

     Maybe you’ve figured out by now that you just might not be as well off as you think you are.  Sure, people in general made a lot less than you make today.  But you have to remember that back then, it only took the income of one person, as a general rule, to support a family.  The cost of living was that much less.  Why do you think it is that it cost so much today just to scrape by?  Why is it that everything costs so much more today than it did then?  Everyone, I’m sure has their own theory, but, what’s the real reason? 

 

     Answer!!!  You, you and me and everyone else in this country and that comes to this country wanting more, more and then more.  No one can really blame anyone for that, it’s part of our nature, unfortunately.  Everyone wants the best for their self and their family.  The only problem is, in doing so you create or at least add to the circumstances that will make it cost that much more for your kids and their kids to get by as well as you are today.  After you’ve done your calculations and averaged out your percentages, do you have an idea to the solution to the problem, or how to alleviate it or maybe even reverse it? 

 

     I do, but your not going to like it. 

 

     Everybody would like to see things cost less but everyone that sells anything contends that the prices are what they are in order to recognize a little profit over their expenses.  Granted, some of their little profit equals the income of a dozen or more people on the lower end of the scale.  They still say their expenses are about to run them out of business. 

 

     Sure, Congress could pass laws forcing businesses to lower their prices, but what do you think would happen?  They start laying off people, which creates more problems.  Wrong answer.

 

     They could cut back on other manufacturing and/or shipping expenses.  Again people get laid off.  Wrong answer.

 

     They could cut back on their profit then they couldn’t cover their own personal expenses so they close their business which puts more people in the unemployment lines which still defeats the purpose.  What’s a guy to do?  What’s the solution?  How do we solve this problem?  Well, I told you, you wouldn’t like my idea, but here it is.

 

     First of all “EVERYBODY” has to agree to want less.  That’s right less, starting with less money.  As long as money is your God and you want more of it, so much so that you’re willing to make sacrifices to get it, you may find that you get what you want and loose what you need.  You then make excuses by saying; I really didn’t need that or them anyway.  Lame excuse for selfish desires.  You loose.  And, you obviously have no comprehension of what the real value, that you put out all that physical and mental effort, is. 

 

     In short, everybody needs to want less, less for what they do, less for what they sell, less for what they provide, especially politicians because they provide less for what they get paid anyway.  When everyone wants less, everything costs less.  When everyone can learn to live on less.  Then maybe we can re-learn to dedicate more of our lives to the more important values in life, each other and most important of all GOD. 

 

     This may not seem like much of an idea but re-read it a couple of times, maybe something will sink in, or maybe you’ll get some ideas of your own that you can talk to your family and your congressman about.  Happy trails till next time.

 

                                                                                                        Harry