Happy New Year all..
2012: year 4 of the "New Depression" for the United States.

I have stayed off the internet for a while now, and I look at the mindset I was in, almost 6 years ago, when I first started this thread. I am a very different person now, and I wonder if others share my new perspective on things.

An update:

I have a feeling that I have lost some of my 'humanity', from working all the time just to provide basics of existing, I have become apathetic to media portrayal of suffering. I watched images of the Japanese tsunami/earthquake and was unmoved. I have no charity now, I see fund raising attempts for natural disaster relief, medical research, starving children relief, animal cruelty relief and many others...I feel nothing for them. I am no longer a generous person, feeling that I have been (and continue to be)taken from enough...I have become "hard" and indifferent to my fellow man. In the 1980s & 1990s, the United States and Canada were the leaders in public donations, generosity was a deeply held cultural value. I believe we will see an abandonment of these values as we continue down this path.

Am I alone in this new mindset, or are there others who share this "hardened" view of the world, due to the crippling debt bestowed upon us by our "elected officials"?

I've only just started to read this thread, but I just wanted to step in and say: WOW. Can't wait to read it all.

This thread was started approx. a year before I started at university in Denmark. I remember we being told that no one would have trouble finding jobs as long as they made sure to study hard. Shortly after the crisis kicked in and we started to feel it in Denmark as well. I must admit I've never been into politics. I have of courses voted and I have opinions. But I didn't (and probably still don't) know enough about all this. I must say I'm interested in knowing more though, and not only watching those movies.... Zeitgeist, The Inside Job etc.

Great read here.

The thread needed a bump, I'm finding it interesting to read where the mindset was. We saw it coming at the ground level, but were really powerless to act.

Summertime 2013...

I find myself in a very different state of mind and body, than just a year ago. I am debt free, pay only with cash, I haggle and trade for goods and services. I find that there is an empowerment in a small community setting. Politicians can make any law or new tax they wish, and people are just changing how they do things to stay ahead of the tax collector. Being debt free, is the new status symbol of success and personal freedom.
I find that I have a new found sense of optimism about the future, I still have trance music as my passion, and I hope that everyone is well in these interesting times.

quote:

Originally posted by Groundhog Boy Its only basis is in historical value when people liked pretty, shiny things. At this point in time, I'd be more inclined to invest in storable energy sources, like oil, but it takes up too much space compared with an equivalent value of gold.

You're mistaken.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-o79vfBDJ4

quote:

Originally posted by Capitalizt $11 trillion should be here in a few weeks.. Then govt. is going to start spending their $3.6 trillion budget which will knock it up to $12 trillion+ by the end of the year.. hold on to your seats!

We were creeping up on $11T and now it's past $17T in only a few years. That's scary.

It is scary, because now it may start to grow exponentially, just with interest payments alone. I wonder if there is a point when it becomes "unrecoverable"?

quote:

Originally posted by zookeeper It is scary, because now it may start to grow exponentially, just with interest payments alone. I wonder if there is a point when it becomes "unrecoverable"?

Have no fear, your central bank can always inflate the debt away for you!

quote:

Originally posted by Shakka Have no fear, your central bank can always inflate the debt away for you!

Having lived through the 'Armageddon' that was the Arab Oil Embargo, in the 1970's, I saw innovation come from starvation...and it's a good thing I can afford to lose a few pounds.


...and it'svery nice to see you again Shakka

I heard something about high student loan payments being responsible for the economy being stalled, because the 25-54 demographic is mired in student loan debt, and not spending like they should be. Has anyone seen any credible sources to confirm this?

quote:

Originally posted by zookeeper The thread needed a bump, I'm finding it interesting to read where the mindset was. We saw it coming at the ground level, but were really powerless to act.