Trying to sway away from the "political" while staying near the same vein: Economics...
What is better for the economic system:
Building the economy around a large amount of slowly growing lower profit (15-40% profit) that employ many people at near median income.
Or
Building the economy around fewer larger global entities with higher profit demands (50-85%) that employ many people at submedian income and a few at premium wages.
Debate or bring a better answer below:
Conquest. You keep what you kill.
Build an economy around what we can pay for without borrowing from other countries. However, that may be un-possible.
Let the businesses do whatever the heck they want and stop sticking our pudgy little fingers in their bowl!
I think there's a balance. In this balance, you find a few things.
1.) Successful small businesses generate a lot of wealth for their owners and are responsbile for a large percentage of the job market (not a majority, but still, their significance is notable).
2.). Successful small businesses grow (if they are in the right industry) and become large businesses. Look at Wal-Mart. That was a small store when Sam Walton started it and he grew it into a global empire.
3.) Large business is necessary for a competitive economy. They keep prices low for consumers, profit margins high for the owners (many of which are average joe Americans), and are responsible for a great percentage of our exports globally.
I think that we just need to be patient and careful for the next year or two. We need to fight to make our economy thrive again, but I don't think it's as bad as people think. Interest rates are low, exports are actually relatively high (thanks to a weakened dollar) and unemployment is still relatively low. We're not where we were a few years ago, I admit, but I think we saw a major reality check in the realty world when the "housing bubble burst". Housing prices are now where they actually should have been for years - the shock of the ride back down is what hurt people, many of whom took risks on buying houses that were more expensive than they could afford.
We need to get off our dependence on foreign oil. I cannot believe that we are just throwing our money out our doors to the sidewalks and letting foreign nations pick it up and keep it. Importing a small amount is fine. It keeps other nations healthy and promotes healthy trade. But we're just throwing our money away and they're building Silver Audis and Gold palaces with it. Give us the damned Volt, GM.
go back to trade and barter. Prostitution will rule the world.
TJ
New Reader
9/7/08 7:00 p.m.
Start a political party and then use my stopwatch to see how fast the system gets berkleyed up.
First one, for plainly obvious reasons such as:
- Competition
- Less concentration of wealth
i would wonder what publishing companies do with out the pre-election smear books
Well I certainly wouldn't be bailing out huge mortgage companies and banks for making bad business decisions! This Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac takeover is BS, we should let these people reap what they sow.
That is what it is all about!
GlennS
HalfDork
9/8/08 5:32 p.m.
Im pretty sure when there are no more politics all you are left with is road warrior.