It is not fear that grips him, only restlessness..

[Brother Bob]

Originally Posted by Windwalker

Pred, I think you are right. A big change in our lifestyle is coming and I think it will be here before the Fall Elections which I am afraid we won't have. Hope I am wrong.

Well, we made it through the late 70's under Carter. Remember the "Misery Index"? Remember double-digit inflation? I can't speak for you and others, but I'll be here doing what I've always done, persevering as most red-blooded Americans do! Running around and screaming, "the sky is falling" doesn't serve any purpose whatsoever!

[Windwalker]

I don't remember saying the sky is falling and I didn't say what I would be doing.

[mym1a]

makes no sence to me to constantly worry about what may happen, you have one advantage that many sheeple don't have and thats awareness.

[Rave]

Creep.....creep...creep..clik,"what was that?"

[Coeloptera]

Originally Posted by mitch_mckee

The truth hurts?




Again, CNN is full of crap. I don't think food riots in third world mud hut countries is a new thing.

Okay this is a serious question.

What "truth"?

"Osama Obama" is truth? It's namecalling. Use some specific issues and I might take it seriously.

Frankly, this may surprise you, but I'm not a Democrat. Registered Independent and have voted for Republicans for various positions from local to national level.

It's just a pet peeve of mine about national discourse that I bring up a fair bit on the boards here. Namecalling a candidate isn't discourse. If you have a problem with any of them, be specific. For example, I won't vote for Clinton because I believe she is far too much a polarizing figure in American politics at this point and would only worsen the partisan sniping we see. Additionally, she has been caught out too often "massaging the truth", including recently, for me to believe she will be truthworthy. Also, she has an apparent disconnect with the "average" American due to her pure political lifestyle for over 25 years. I could go on, but see the point?

I could namecall McCain too, but that wouldn't explain why I'd prefer not to vote for him this cycle. Frankly, I've been reduced to supporting the "least bad" choice, but there you go. At least Obama spent years helping out of work steelworkers organize on Chicago's south side. He's less far removed from the average American, it seems.

Okay, I'm done with this bit. But I felt it important to explain the problem here.

Back to the original thread. I agree that, globally, we're in an annoying patch. I think, at least in part, the US is reaping what it has sown for a while. The Iraq war cost us money, international goodwill, and lives, for no appreciable goals or gains as of yet. We are starting to feel the pain of our outsourcing mania from a few years ago. China has become a real economic power and we helped them do it because our desire for cheap, lead-coated products cannot be assuaged.

I swear, what's with the lead thing? Is there just a coating of lead chunks all over the Chinese landscape? Do they eat lead ingots?

The current administration tried learning how far they could push an assault on our basic civil rights. Apparently the answer is "In this climate at this time? Fairly far." I wonder how the 25%ers will feel if a Democratic POTUS does the same thing, someday? Bush has made is possible, and that's annoying.

Recession's coming. Me? I'm trying to get a better and better-paying job before it rolls over too far. That's my plan.

- Coeloptera

[TXplt]

I really don't see alot of truthful, objective media reports these days (maybe there never was and my memory of the past is flawed). Things like pro-gun, pro-solution, pro-fixit, pro-what's actually happening. Mostly "safety" this, "security" that.....sky is falling...... All our problems are caused by X philosophy. No matter which channel you watch. Maybe I'll just stick to the one truthful and completely accurate source we've still got -- the internet

[Seabeescotty]

I'll go along with the internet being the best source for truthif you can weed out all the BS. And Coe, Mr. Obama put his foot square in his mouth with small town Americans, the other day. He's not as close to the average citizen as you think. Actually, he's sounding more and more like a left wing elitist, and his handlers need to get his mouth under control. This latest gaffe prob'ly cost him a good bit. I, for one, will NOT vote for a candidate who calls me a guntoting, biblethumping, bitter bigot. And there was a comment about fear, earlier in the thread. Controlled fear is a HUGE asset, it keeps you on your toes, and keeps mistakes to a minimum!

[Pred]

I just read a report that China is about to shift $1.4 trillion to a more "stable" currency. Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, and something like 30 other countries are having food issues. While some may consider these "mud hut" countries, sooner or later this will spill over. You realize that over the past 10 years the worlds population has increased by almost 700 million people? At some point we will no longer be able to produce enough food to feed the people of this planet, and violence will follow. Judging by all the reports and stories I've seen, we may have hit that point.

[mitch_mckee]

Originally Posted by Pred

I just read a report that China is about to shift $1.4 trillion to a more "stable" currency. Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, and something like 30 other countries are having food issues. While some may consider these "mud hut" countries, sooner or later this will spill over. You realize that over the past 10 years the worlds population has increased by almost 700 million people? At some point we will no longer be able to produce enough food to feed the people of this planet, and violence will follow. Judging by all the reports and stories I've seen, we may have hit that point.

You worry too much.

All my 52 years there has been someone or something just around the corner just waiting to drop a nuke or something. One ought to try to be prepared for the worst if you can, but living in fear is no way to live.

Take it all in stride. Prepare for bad times. Don't forget to live for today. Have faith that you and yours will ge through just fine.

[Cyrano]

Something the news magazines have been on about lately is that the standard of living is improving in places like China and India. They like to trumpet that the standard of living of the average joe there is geeting to be more like America's.

What they are overlooking is that the standard of living in America is slipping. Not among the rich, but among the middle class. And while the moral idiots in the banking industry have something to answer for concerning what brought on the current foreclosure crisis (hint: making ARM loans to people who don't qualify under the standards for fixed rate loans is usually considered a bad idea), a culture that encourages people to look at their homes as ATMs has more than a little to do with that as well.

It used to be that people put aside a portion of their earnings as savings. In the pre-credit card, instant gratification days, if you wanted something you saved up for it and bought it. And then you owned it. Today, if someone wants something and has a credit card, they go and buy it - but they don't own it until they pay off the credit card. You can wind up paying three times what the item 'cost' in interest and fees if you are not careful; and may folks aren't. How many people do you know who have maxed their cards out? It takes seven years on average to pay off a maxed out card with a moderate (say, under $5,000) limit. If you have a high limit, like $25,000 or more, it's likely your heirs will be paying it off! Fiscal irresponsibility is not restricted to the federal government. There are millions of irresponsible people out there who've dug themseves into financial holes that may turn out to be their financial graves.

Furthermore, returning to that standard of living for a moment, think about this. At present, the United States has about 4% of the world's population; yet we consume about 25% of the world's resources. As other countries improve their standard of living, they go after the same resources we have been consuming. There aren't enough resources to go around.

If our currency loses value - as it is doing, thanks to the current Administration's follies overseas - they can afford to buy materials more easily than we can. that means fewer resorunces for us. Prices on what we can get rise. This prices more folks out of the market. Bottom line: in order for others to approach 'the American standard of living,' that standard must fall because we can't maintain it.

Things will stabilize with the developing nations having a standard of living considerably above where they were in, say, 1990 - but our standards will fall back. Way back. We'll be lucky if they only fall as far back as a century ago. And I am not being a croaker when I say this. The jobs that are being created don't pay as well as the jobs that migrated elsewhere starting 30 years ago. The trend is toward a service economy. You see anyone working the counter at McDonald's or stocking the shelves at Wal-Mart that can afford to buy a house in today's market? I didn't think so.

Our prosperity depends on jobs being created and kept here that enable people to have a chance of achieving the American Dream of owning their own home and raising a family that will do better than they have. I don't see that happening here; just the opposite in fact. People can't afford to buy their own homes. They're trapped in renter's hell. The only way many middle class people will ever achieve home ownership is if they inherit a house from their parents. Now this is fine if it's an only child situation, but most of the time it is not.

How is it going to end? Not well. Let your own imaginations run wild. I'm too depressed to write on this any longer. I foresee bad times ahead for my country.

[snuffysmith]

Pred, I agree with you, there's a storm coming or something. I don't want to step on any toes and if I do, I'm sorry but I think the Lord is preparing his people for the coming hard times by raising their awareness of things around us to get us to prep.
It's like not wanting to leave a ball game before the end in case something happens, I don't want to miss it.

Snuffy

[Seabeescotty]

Heck, Snuffy, I'm stickin' around for EVERYTHING! Wouldn't miss it for the world. Dire predictions have been hitting the news ever since man learned to scribble, only they're more easily disseminated now, thanks to the internet. I can't wait to see which prediction comes true, maybe it'll be a good one!

[Windwalker]

Scotty, you are an optimist and I hope you are right. You and CGO have a good day.

[TheWall]

Paranoid people with guns. Hmmmm! Sounds dangerous. Get a grip! Panic is exactly what the media wants.

[Pred]

Yes, but no one is panicking. I fail to see where I am running around in the streets in my underwear with an AK in one hand an a AR in the other screaming about aliens. Thats panic, being aware that something doesn't fit, not so much.