China, problems in the making?

[kadee79]

Mod, I thought about you and your China choices on the weekly stock pick thread when I read this article. Had you seen it or one like it?

economywatch.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/30/11942682-china-slowdown-threatens-us-factory-revival?lite

[ModE98]

I have heard of news similar to this.... it is part of the global problem, one area depending on another and finding the going rough. The EU slowdown, especially, has effected China rather hard. The wind and solar projects are on hold or shut down and the US has imposed high tariffs. So trade is largely at a standstill in those areas. One thing seems to lead to another. China will need to build a strong internal consumer base to continue any growth.

The problem likely will drag on for years. The whole world is mired in a deep swamp of debt and we can only hope we do not get caught in quicksand and get sucked under. Not a good thing. If one has strong religion, better pray, and hope things will change more to the positive side. Looks like it may take a higher power to rescue this world.

[ModE98]

kadee .... let me add.... Have seen nothing like this since the Great Depression and the '30's. It took WWII to get us out from under. We DO NOT need a repeat. Yes, times are quite different and the world not the same, so not a repeat of the same exact problems. This one has been self-inflicted by "easy money" and far too Socialistic attitude by many nations.

We got off-track once Lyndon Johnson begain his left-wing "Great Society". The ideals were there, but practicality was not. Welfare only goes so far, and printing money not there to honestly give away was a tragic mistake that we are going to suffer for today and the next generation as well. We cannot have so many people unemployed and just sitting on their azz waiting for the next welfare check. The real money is not there, the treasury printing presses just pump out money that can only lead to high inflation once any recovery begins, or if no recovery, one will need a wheelbarrow to take enough to buy much of anything. Read up on the '20s and the Wiemer Republic of Germany.

Of course, this is a worse case scenario .... we just cannot become complacent and look at things with rose-colored glasses. Keep the potential pitfall in perspective. BE PREPARED (just in case).

[Aman A.K.A. Ahamburger]

May 30, 2012 15:46:51 GMT -5 ModE98 said:

kadee .... let me add.... Have seen nothing like this since the Great Depression and the '30's. It took WWII to get us out from under. We DO NOT need a repeat. Yes, times are quite different and the world not the same, so not a repeat of the same exact problems. This one has been self-inflicted by "easy money" and far too Socialistic attitude by many nations.

We got off-track once Lyndon Johnson begain his left-wing "Great Society". The ideals were there, but practicality was not. Welfare only goes so far, and printing money not there to honestly give away was a tragic mistake that we are going to suffer for today and the next generation as well. We cannot have so many people unemployed and just sitting on their azz waiting for the next welfare check. The real money is not there, the treasury printing presses just pump out money that can only lead to high inflation once any recovery begins, or if no recovery, one will need a wheelbarrow to take enough to buy much of anything. Read up on the '20s and the Wiemer Republic of Germany.

Of course, this is a worse case scenario .... we just cannot become complacent and look at things with rose-colored glasses. Keep the potential pitfall in perspective. BE PREPARED (just in case).

Time to put the work boots on!

[kadee79]

Nope, don't want another WWII or III, it wouldn't really solve much of anything anyway. People are going to do what people are going to do (Middle East) and one group won't be able to force another group to change their beliefs.

As for our "recovery" that the "experts" keep talking up...they don't live where I do! I'm down here in the trenches with the cabbage & the cotton, corn, squash, watermelons, etc. It is NOT getting better around here! Oh yes, we have more workers to pick the crops...all either on the "work program" or just plain, outright illegals...BUT they send all their $$$$ home to their families! They spend very little here, just enough to eat & most buy their clothes at Goodwill or other thrift stores and a few at Walmart & yard sales...but they aren't really contributing that much in tax $$$....not nearly enough to cover what they are really costing the US.
Did you realize that we have an agreement with Mexico in the guest worker program that we provide FREE medical & dental to the workers while they are here? Funny, we have citizens who can't get medical care & certainly not dental care because they can't afford it but we can provide it for foreign workers who really do take jobs no one here wants to do. BUT, if we would quit or severely cut back on unemployment and/or welfare it might be amazing how many can suddenly get out in those fields & work like we used to!
So many other countries are raising their standard of living and becoming "westernized" (imitating the U.S.) that we are going to have lots more world problems. Just read an article last night about the projected increase of cancer cases world wide...up by 75% by the year 2030 due to poorer diets & less exercise by becoming more wealthy & copying the US lifestyles!

As you can see, I'm jumping from one subject to another here. Why? Because they are all connected in some way! So let me skip to one of my favorite subjects....agricultural chemicals!
They are killing us! It is plain & simple and our government has been bought by the chemical companies so our USDA does what they want instead of protecting the consumer like they were set up to do! In the past few years more consumers are becoming aware of what has been being done to us....how much information is never revealed to the public, etc.....like the "pink slime" incident. It didn't take long to close down those factories! I foresee more of this happening as more information becomes public knowledge!
Our farmers are killing our soils due to the "conventional" farming practices that started after WWII. If our soils aren't healthy our populations won't be healthy either....and it all goes back to greed, profits every quarter, keep those share holders happy and keep paying those CEOs those big bucks....they all live in the city and don't care what happens to the farm soils. Ok, so what are they going to do when NO crops will grow? How will they eat? How can they feed their families? How much good are all those $$$ REALLY going to do them?....cause guess what, I'm not going to be trading my organic produce I grew in MY garden for their $$$$!
Another article I was reading this morning about the "like" button on Facebook. It is generating ads that are sent to your friends. Guess this has been happening for awhile...but in the agreement you ok when you sign up on there...they can do that! They can use your posts & your pics to create ads that are then sent out. Do we really want our comments or private pictures being seen all over the world? I don't! The comments following the article were kind of "different"....some say they will no longer be using the "like" button, others won't post any pics & are keeping their amount of friends to a very small group but the majority either have never had a facebook account (like me) or they are leaving or not going to use it as much! So, how long do you think it will take before FB hits the bottom?....1yr.?, 2yr.?, 5 yr.? How long did it take for My Space to pretty much tank? And I know a lot of gals who have given up FB for Pinterest (?)....the one where you "pin" stuff to your wall....I won't go there either!

Sure, I'm old fashioned in a lot of ways. I'm also not formally educated so many people don't "listen" when I talk! (Which is another whole subject...are college educations really worth the money?....I'm better educated than a lot of college grads I've met recently.) But I try to see how thing effect my immediate surroundings and then spread to the larger community until it finally has effects in the entire world. I don't always come up with answers or I may come up with the wrong answers...but at least I am looking and trying to make sense of the mess this world has gotten themselves into.

Just like back during the housing bubble....I kept saying that prices couldn't continue to go up....it had to end at some point. Just like now, salaries can't continue to go up and keep products/services at a price where they can be bought & keep stock holders happy! More people are driving their vehicles longer due to the price of a new one! Do we really NEED 5 computers in a vehicle?...I don't! Yes, they are nice just like the push button windows are nice & the automatic locks are nice...but I don't NEED them! And the price to fix or replace them is getting way out of hand! Just think of the small exercise we are no long doing by unlocking our doors manually and rolling up/down our windows manually....this is part of our health going to pot! Same thing with most people no longer hanging out their clothes to dry....exercise!...better for the environment!...cheaper!

I can only see us reverting to some, not all, of our old ways to "fix the world"! We had less debt, we got more exercise, we ate more healthy....our health care wasn't as good but it sure was cheaper...we don't NEED 2000+sq. ft. houses, especially for only 2 people. We NEED to get rid of the chemicals in our soils & foods and it has been proven it can be done...sustainably...proven over & over....but the chemical companies don't want to give up those big $$$$!....which in turn support our politicians...who in turn give the chemical companies favors in the form of laws & regulations, etc. We don't NEED to genetically modify any of our crops to feed the world. We need more local foods & better transportation methods for those lacking foods. We need better education around the world for how to accomplish these things. We need better education about what practices are killing us...worldwide!

And since my DH interrupted me....I'll get off my soapbox!

But things are NOT getting better! Yes, all countries need to get out of debt and to do that the populations need to work & pay taxes...just not so much taxes cause we don't NEED government in some parts of our lives!

[ModE98]

kadee .... AMEN!

[blackliver]

Kadee

[uncle23]

.......

well said Kdee.............

[The Virginian]

Give em Hell Kadee !! ;D

If only we could roll back the years to simpler times - Maybe we would make wiser decisions!

[Driftr]

Wow Kadee. That was awesome.