I said I would keep politics off my blog, and this really isn't politics, but I have to vent about this recession...depression...whatever you want to call it. I just watched Glenn Beck, and he had 3 experts on there talking about how we got in this mess, and how this will affect everyone. The sad thing is, ones that are going to suffer are the ones that did everything right. Saved. Bought a house. Saved some more. Went on a nice vacation. Saved. Bought a nice car. Saved some more. Took another vacation. Saved. Did some home improvements. Saved some more. Retired. Oh *@#($!!! What happened to all that money I saved?? Well, while you were saving to live the American dream, your neighbor was spending money they didn't have to live the American dream, and now YOU get to pay for it. This is what is happening. Somewhere along the way, the government decided that EVERYONE should be able to buy a big house, drive a nice car, go on fancy vacations, but not pay for it. I am all for people doing these things, if they can afford it. The economy should not be in the mess it is today. The people that took out these loans should be shot, along with the ones that approved them. Ok, so that is a little harsh. I'm thinking I am going to put my money under my mattress so the government can't take it away from me. I think this is one of those times that we will need our food storage. Oil prices are coming down, but they say they will go back up, and even if they don't, do you really think that the food prices will come back down anytime soon??? Probably not. I think the time is now that people start taking responsibility for what they spend...as well as our government. STOP SPENDING WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE. It is not fair to the rest of us. Get up off your lazy rear and work like the rest of us, THEN buy your big house and fancy car.
We need people in Washington that can get this fixed. (I never really wanted Romney as president, but I think we could definitely use his expertise as an advisor to some of these clowns over there.)
Monday, October 6, 2008
Ok, so I lied...
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3 comments:
Alisa, we are in a whole big mess caused by government and americans (as individuals). Yes as a society we used to save then buy a home or car but now with easier loan availability we do not do that anymore. We deserve and are entitled to buy a home, car and go on vacations. When did the American dream become buying a home or going on vacations? I don't believe that's what the American dream used to be, it used to be centered around freedoms. Why is not still that way?
I know you don't have a home at the moment but we do and many other young families do. Who saved and put down 20%? Not me, I am going to say not a lot of us did or would. Did we save to buy a home, then? Should we have homes? Do we save for anything without the purpose of buying something, or going on a vacation? Who here feels they have a comfortable savings? Are we not all spending what we do not have?
I say, yes. We all are living a standard of living that we can not sustain. Because when the rain comes we will all be in the storm due to the reasons we have both pointed out. Borrowing and spending all our money without any to back it up or to weather the storm. Government does this and so do we. Was it the government's sole decision? I think not. They surely helped us along the way. Are we not all guilty?
I believe our standard of living is a key problem here. Our standard of living needs to come down. It's not modest. It's painful to do it. It's hard to give up the so called "American Dream" put in front of us. Nobody wants to go through the pain of correcting our standard of living. That's why we have the bail-out to ease our pain. A pain that eventually we will have to deal with. Because it is not sustainable.
Keeping your money under your mattress will not keep the government from taking it. I wish it did because I'd be sleeping on mine. Heck, they don't even really take it anymore, they just print some more money, making your money worth less. Which ties into causing inflation. Prices will be rising with all the money the government is handing out because like I said they aren't taking it from my pocket or yours they are printing it.
Food storage, definitely! My hopes for the bail-out is that it has bought us a few more months to get our acts together.
I agree with you but think we need to add ourselves in the equation. Let's ALL stop spending what we do not have. Or we ALL are going to suffer and it will be fair because we contributed by not taking care of ourselves.
As for Romney, I am not optimistic because I don't think he has any different solutions or views from the rest of our government.
Actually, that WAS the so-called "American Dream." Ask your grandparents. Yes, my statement was to the extreme, but I have even heard Ron Paul say all of this...we all got us in this mess, now we ALL have to take responsibility to get out of it. I do not have a problem with people that buy homes and take care of their bills, it is the McDonald's employees in Louisiana that were approved for a $500K home, and guess what? They can't afford that. You think????? This all started when someone got the idea that we are "entitled" to a big house, fancy car, and dream vacations. What we are entitled to is the opportunity to obtain these things. We all have to work hard to obtain these things. For some of us, it will take years of working and saving, others are born into it. The government does not have the responsibility to take from those that have worked hard (not the shady CEOs) by taxing them harder, to give to those who are not willing to get out and get a job...I live amongst all these people. It is not so prevalent in the area y'all are in, but I grew up around people that had that sense of "entitlement." Frankly, it is nauseating. When we bought our house, we did put some down, but it was not 20%. I cannot say that the next time we buy we will have 20% to put down, but I see why people did that. When you finance so much of it, it takes so long to have any equity in your house, which means when and if you sell it, you get screwed, like we did. Homes are not gaining value like they used to, and like the government promised all these subprime mortgage loan holders. I heard this lady call into Glenn Beck last night that had done all those things I was talking about, (saved etc.) and now she and her husband are retiring and since all of this mess, they have lost 40% of their savings, and their home is not worth what it should be because of the market. That is all I was saying. The people around me retiring are facing the same issues. They worked hard, saved,are not in debt, but have lost a lot of their savings worth because of the state of the economy. And who will step in and help them out? No one. The government helps those that will not help themselves. That is why I am for LESS government...
I was agreeing with you, maybe I should have said it in not so many words. I was just giving my thoughts to how it is not just the guys at McDonald's living outside his means (I referred to it as a standard of living) but also our government and many of us (Americans). I know many of these kind of people personally and am even related to a few. Simply: they try to have a higher standard of living than they should have with their resources. It's what I feel to be a major contributor to our financial instability. And I include myself in some retrospect because I do not always keep a modest standard of living or save a comfortable nest egg.
My thoughts were mine alone. I am a supporter of Ron Paul's but these thoughts were not in advocation of him or against anyone else.
As for the "American Dream" I don't think either one of us is wrong here because this term is something that is up for interpretation depending on personal perspective. For example, American born American's who already have freedoms may view their "American Dream" as living prosperously and owning a home while immigrants may see the "American Dream" as a opportunity to be given freedoms they do not have otherwise. Does that make any sense?
I also agree with you about the story about how government is not helping those that have worked hard and taken care of themselves, but still are effected by the economy. I was not referring to this earlier in my thoughts. My feelings are we can not depend on anyone but ourselves to take care of us. Least of all government because they prove to us again and again they wont help us. That is why I too am for less government.
I feel bad for people who are loosing money due to the economy but I do wonder what kind of investments they made and how risky they were. (not justifying anything here) It's just usually the riskier the investment the higher the return which means the higher the loss as well.
Alisa, I am glad you are still talking about your views especially politics. It's important that we all do, without making it personal. :)
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