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I have been thinking lately about just how foolishly manipulated we, Americans, have allowed ourselves to be for decades now...
And how it all relates to 'the machine'. What machine am I talking about? The 'machine' that is designed to treat all Americans, indeed all citizens of the world, as consumers. Or, less complimentary, cattle. Where the goal of all mankind is supposed to be, we are taught, to continually 'improve our lifestyle'. Or to continually accumulate more and more 'stuff'.
This 'machine', made up of government and corporations, is there for the sole purpose of siphoning away as much of our cash/wealth as is possible in the shortest amount of time possible to drive 'profits' forever higher...
I have thought for awhile now that there is an inherent flaw in what we currently 'call' capitalism... I suggest it is NOT capitalism anymore at all... But a bastardized form of it called/labeled consumerism.
If you think through the way our markets work now and the way they have worked for decades, since the Reagan revolution perhaps, you will see it doesn't quite add up... The theory is that publicly traded corporations do whatever it takes to increase 'earnings' from quarter to quarter which causes the value/price of their company stock to rise which pays shareholders through capital gains and distributions... This nifty little idea also pours a lot of money into our political system as a by product.
And so... all is well... everyone is 'happy'
But... greed and corruption can ruin everything for all of us... , and in my opinion has already done so.
For those publicly traded corporation seem to have sold their soul for the pursuit of profits, money, in the short term... This is evidenced very well by the housing disaster and, was also, with the dot com boom/bust...
So what have 'they', our government, our corporations, our public de-education system taught us about morals and values?
We are taught, ingrained even, to believe that to be responsible citizens we must do the responsible thing. We must have a certain sense of morality when it comes to our debts. We are led to believe that it is shameful not to pay someone back... And we are simultaneously taught that we will be 'punished' if we fail to pay our debts... Our 'credit scores' will take a big hit which will make it harder for us, individually, to borrow ever more money to support our selfish, needful lifestyles...
But what happens when the government and/or the corporations don't hold up their end of the bargain? What happens when they incorporate every trick in the book to inflate bubbles on our behalf? To take our money from us through whatever means are necessary? Both on the way up AND on the way down...
It all seems to be some grand 'game' to the elites of society... To our government(s) and corporations. To banks, insurance companies, retailers... A grand 'game' in which the object has become how to cheat the populous out of their money, rather than providing valuable products and services...
As I have pointed out here before things/inflation are/is way out of whack in America, in my opinion... It isn't difficult at all to pay 8.00 for a cheeseburger. Hamburger can be had at a grocer for 99 cents a pound! So why do we pay 16.00 a pound for it in a restaurant? Along with a 3.50 beer?
I'm sorry... but to me that's just stupidity...
By my calculations nearly everything Americans buy cost about 6 times more than what it should cost... Due mainly to complexity, regulation, government interference in the economy...
We have all seen now the lengths to which government, the federal reserve banking system and corporations are willing to go to just to get more of OUR money...
The last bubble blowing adventure was hailed as 'The Ownership Society'. It proudly trumpeted the implied fact that every American deserves to 'live the American dream' of home ownership.
We have watched as our own government removed market safety mechanisms and cracked down on banks in effect forcing them to make risky loans to people who had no means to repay, if they ever even had an intention to do so...
Many banks, who were very cozy with government, ran with it. Dreamed up their complex derivative instruments and spread American risk all around the world. They loaned money to anyone who had a pulse... and some who didn't...
Then it all blew up... So what happened to the government that encouraged lenders to make risky loans and encouraged consumers to feel 'entitled' to home ownership? So, once it all blew up, what happened to the banks who made loans to people who they had to have known would never be able to repay the debt?
The government and the federal reserve bank have pumped TRILLIONS of dollars of tax payer money into, NOT the economy, but into the banking system, into the auto industry, into the insurance and drug industries, into unions, into propping up, NOT American citizens in need, but into city, state, county and federal job protection. All the while trying to deny their own involvement and complicity in the events that have brought our nation to it's knees... The government still plays the same old tired divide and conquer technique by blaming competing political parties for all of our problems. Our government accuses it's own citizens of being racists and extremists, of being potential terrorists!
And the banks? The banks are insolvent... The mortgage disaster completely wiped them out. Many of them were leveraged as much as 30 to 1. And they paid the ultimate price. They went bankrupt. But then something happened... Then our own government and the federal reserve decided it would be much better to bury them in tax payer money than to admit the fact, and face the consequences, that our economy had indeed completely collapsed.
So the banks were saved! And the great recession ended. And everyone lived happily ever after... In a fantasy world maybe...
Now in their place we have zombie banks...
The social contract(s) between government/business and the people of the United States has been shattered forever. There will be NO trust at all until all the greed and corruption is removed from the system. And our government and corporations have NO intention of allowing that to happen!
So where are we then?
It is said, in America, that there is more than one way to skin a cat... Which simply means there is more than one way to accomplish a goal.
At this point it should be very clear to everyone that 'bank runs' will NOT be tolerated in the 'new' America... What WILL be tolerated is complete incompetence in government and business.
But we CAN, and should, IMO, take measures to correct this aberration ourselves... And it really isn't all that difficult. It just takes a little communication, some planning and some action...
So it's going to be impossible for everyone to remove their money from the banks... they won't allow that, government or the banks. But a simple solution is to stop putting your money into the banks! If you are underwater on your house just walk away, STOP PAYING that crappy mortgage! Go rent somewhere, it'll save you money. Stop spending money needlessly. Buy what you NEED but only what you need... wait for what you want until things are FIXED. Stop paying the minimum payment on those credit cards that you never should have gotten in the first place. They were always intended to be a 'debt trap'. Stop borrowing money! Stop playing their stupid 'rip off ignorant consumers' game... Stop over-paying for cars. Stop believing that buying a 'different' car every year or two is part of the American dream, it isn't! it's just another debt trap. There are MANY of them!
Don't pay for your medical bills. IMO, our entire medical system is set up in such a way as to be able to take all of EVERYONE'S money at the end of their life! Should someone experience any sort of serious illness or merely age to the point where they require nursing home care the medical industry will take ALL of their money. Every time! I say it is by DESIGN!
So... the plan, IMO, should be not to remove your money from the bank... but not to give it to them in the first place. If you have debt you should work very hard to pay it off, all of it. And don't borrow any more money until we have a fair and competent system that is devoid of greed and corruption.
If you have more debt than you can pay, as many do. Then file bankruptcy! That's what it's for! Use it!
As for government... what to do...
Refuse to play. Refuse to do what they say. Be non-cooperative whenever possible. Peaceful resistance and civil disobedience. Make it impossible for them to effectively govern. Don't send your census form back. Don't buy their mandated health care. And don't pay the fine either! All you have to do is make sure that you have NO government tax refund coming. Why do so many people in this country loan money to the government, interest free, all year long?! Adjust your tax withholding so that YOU get all of your money and the government gets NOTHING that doesn't belong to them.
Most people/investors are already steering clear of the financial markets. Good idea and keep it up. It's just a big shell game now. Rigged and manipulated in whatever way necessary to give the illusion that Americas beloved financial system still lives, still has a heart beat. It doesn't. Be on guard, be on the lookout, be a hoarder of money. If not they will shamelessly take it from you...
And last but not least... come November of 2010 VOTE! it will NOT fix all of our problems but we can stand united and sent a very clear message to Washington that we do not like what is going on and we are NOT going to stand for it anymore! Throw out virtually ALL incumbents in BOTH parties! Anyone who has been there for much more than a single term is likely corrupt beyond redemption by then!
Just some ideas and some things that have been 'bugging' me...
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