Corporatism and War

In the long arc of the decline of empires and great powers, the main consequence of 9/11 and the wars that followed is to hasten the decline of the US. Precious resources needed to regenerate the US have been spent on wars of reprisal as well as the fantastically corrupt arrangements for economic reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan. Having allowed business to feed so well at the public trough for a decade, US politicians now deny their own people desperately needed funds for healthcare, education, and modernisation.

Tarak Barkawi

But I can afford the payments!

Great little article. In my search for a new home, I keep thinking, I can afford the payments, but I'd have to give up my 20% savings rate. And I REALLY LIKE saving 20% of my income each month. For me, if I can't afford the payment and my savings, I just can't bring myself to buy it!

'we can afford the payment' is a sure-fire sign someone can’t afford the payments. Marketers have won the battle of convincing us that we can afford things we can’t if we only have to pay for it every thirty days, rather than all at once.

http://frugaldad.com/2010/09/06/my-first-place-on-hgtv-house-poor/

What are you committed to?

You can either be committed to growth or preserving the status quo. . . not both. You must choose everyday which you will serve. Consciously or unconsciously, a choice must be made.

I am committed to growth. I was born to help others improve their quality of life. I am practicing everyday and I hope to someday be as good as I dream.

On Convenience

Convenience is not the goal of my life. In fact, it is not even high on my priority list. Convenience is the enemy of my quality of life.

All the best things are very inconvenient - going to the museum, a long dinner with good friends, walking to do errands, learning a new skill, making art, riding a bicycle to work, rescuing a friend in need, etc, etc, etc.

What kills jobs?

I hate it when people say "Job Killing Tax Hike." Maybe we should be honest and say "Job Killing - million dollar CEO bonus." Maybe if these companies, who want us to believe that they have to lay people off to pay their pollution-penalties, would stop giving ludicrous bonuses at the top level, they would have enough money to hire more workers. Hmmm, regulate those bonuses and everybody else can probably have a raise!

As we've seen with the banks, giving companies more money to corporations (ie - tax cuts) has not created more jobs!