I was born in 1953 and my dad later told me that the total hospital and doctor fee was $75, including two nights in the hospital for my mom and me. But then my mom insisted that we needed our own fridge, rather than sharing with my uncle and aunt next door, as they had been doing. My dad bought a good used refrigerator for $200. You can probably still get a decent used fridge for around $200, but the delivery fees for an uncomplicated birth, assuming you pay out of pocket, are well north of $10,000. The tendency over these seven decades has been for things to get cheaper, but services have gone through the roof. Medical expenditures now make up nearly 20% of the US GDP, and overall health has not appeared to improve. Life expectancy is up a little, but nearly everyone is on medications of some sort, it seems. Fifty years ago "plans" were virtually unheard of. Now we have medical, legal, cell phone, cable TV, internet, and many other "plans" that eat up a large chunk of our income, and most of them are not really optional, but mandatory, or at least necessary. When comparing prices, we tend to compare like to like, F150s, a dozen eggs, or whatever, but it is the expansion of all the expenses that didn't even exist two generations ago that are bankrupting us. Oh, and don't forget credit card interest. The list goes on.
What are we getting from all that money spent on "health care"? Not actual health, that's for sure. I haven't been to an allopathic doctor in the last 50 years. I do have health care, but it's free; all I have to do is listen to and cooperate with the Divine Physician. A good start would be the health 'laws' He so graciously gave us. I should also mention I have been a vegan for the last 40 years. I can work all day in the hot sun... Which is not unusual, but I should have died long ago.
And all those chips in you new F150 can track you, gather your data, feed it back to Ford, who sells it to others.
It won’t be long before Ford can take remote control of your F150, and have it drive itself back to the dealership when you miss a payment. Thanks to all those chips.
I worked for Dow Corning, at the time the world's leading silicone company, we also led the world making silicon metal (which is the material used to make computer chips and solar panels, we had 40% of this global business). As for Jack Welch he was admired by Dow Corning management at that time largely for his push for Six Sigma and global reputation. At the time GE was all the rage and Jack was portrayed as the world leader in management. Dow Corning essentially pushed GE to sell their silicone business. I like to think it was because we reduced costs and made higher quality products for less and GE's chemical / silicon arm became less profitable or at least enough to be sold off by GE.
But then GE ran into troubles with its financial arm, which Jack had built, dominating GE. After the financial troubles Jack left the business and Jeffrey Immelt took over. Then the company became less profitable. My view is that Jeffrey liked flying around in big jets, the personal type, and the company had plenty of financial troubles. While Jack ramped up the Six Sigma process and pushed it to fame the company fell apart. Jack ran off with his secretary / executive as the company fell into disrepair. The story made a lot of sense giving what I saw from their management executive's styles as they came into Dow Corning.
I tell this story because it all falls into the category of executive hubris failing a company, losing track of their real job which is making or keeping the company profitable and building a team that loves their work and wants to contribute to the company and their other team players and in the mean time making a lot of money for the players. Same old story!
I could turn out wrong but I see the same thing happening with Big Tech and Big Pharma and main stream media and US leadership. The hubris, in my opinion, is outrageous. They are working to take away freedom of speech, control society and forcing them to take toxic vaccines. Look at CNN as a primary casualty. They think they can control voting and influence elections and carry on wars that US citizens don't want. I really love the saying "lies have short legs". Because hubris has a way of making the leaders blind to the most important forces like truth, honesty and integrity and OH yea,... hard work of the entire company team.
This comment appears a little off base of Bill's article but it is pointing out the hubris and it is pointing out that our leaders don't care about the American people. Their economics is foolish and lacks integrity and stability beneficial to the entire team. Printing money or growth through excessive credit and debt shows the lack of integrity and poor leadership that will ultimately fail, just like the global "leader" GE.
Exactly. Yes, we have all these marvelous conveniences via technological advances, then, why, you and Bill Bonner ask, did we have to run up such enormous debt?
You can still probably find a 1970 Ford in working order, and can probably tinker with it to keep it running if you're mechanically inclined. I doubt you'll find a 2023 Ford on the road in 2076. And if you do, heaven forbid if something goes wrong with the electronics. Good luck repairing it with obsolete technology from 2023.
The most profound concept in this piece IMHO is the notion that a lot of the “advances” in technology and science haven’t made life easier, healthier, or contributed to human happiness. I would argue that in the USA overall people are more unhappy than 50 years ago, less healthy but more medicated, and less well off. Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.
Right. We have lost touch with family, community and physical exertion as being a necessary part of life as opposed to being something to check off on our schedule. Busy, busy, busy. Not very productive either. Cb
You crack me up. I just love the way you shine the bright light on all the deception and hogwash we have to endure daily. If George Gilder takes exception to your thinking then he just dropped down a notch on my totem pole. Simple logic that even and octogenarian like myself can see your follow your witty and hilarious logic. And today we see the UAW lobbying for a 4 day work week and, by the way, much more money to stay at home. What a culture we have today.
For the prior day's naysayers how about this to ponder. Used to be in the Ozzie & Harriet/Leave it Beaver days dad went to work, mom stayed home, kids went to school, and they lived in a house in a nice suburban neighborhood. How many families do you know in their 30's-40's that meet those metrics? Just saying.
Growing up in a small Mid-west agricultural community, our Main Street supported residents through small family-run businesses - grocery stores, hardware stores, bakery, dry cleaner, service stations, implement dealers, auto dealerships, movie theater, bars, banks, restaurants, etc, etc. Today? All gone. What happened? WalMart came to the county seat. Drive 20 miles and save! 10% on the groceries, 5 cents a gallon to fill the station wagon, $25 on that new refrigerator. Oh, and let’s eat lunch while we’re here. The local businesses failed one by one, the owners fleeing to jobs in the city. The cost of globalization? The hollowing out of America.
Modern Feminism. "You don't need no man honey. Don't be submissive to no husband (be submissive to your male boss instead.) Kids and family are a dead end. You will be much happier as a Boss Babe. Do what makes you happy NOW, and do it every day."
We're fixing to have hundreds of thousands of women (the truly beautiful, wonderful and worthy gender IMO) waking up to realize how unhappy their choices have left them and how unfixable their predicament is - for the rest of their lives. Feminism denies the ONE BASIC FACT we all should acknowledge: as time goes by, a woman's "value" goes down (looks, child-bearing ability, independence), while a man's "value" increases (assets, stability, wisdom.)
The statistics don't lie folks. Go long on Cat Food manufacturers...
SE: It depends on the statistics you read.. As time goes by a man's looks, value, stability and wisdom does not necessarily increase. Just look around you. Gone are the days when men are the only "bread winners." We women have come a long way..Welcome to the 21st century. The only unhappiness I have heard from women is that it took too long to get here we are today.
Buda: A lot of women had to be bread winners for a variety of reasons i.e., their spouses either died, were injured and couldn't work, left their spouses, for whatever reason. And the list goes on.
Well, that was an idealized version of life. Not sure if that was really a fair representation of life. I must say, however, I like the whole idea of placing one’s family front and center, but I also like the model of SHARED responsibilities as opposed to the “Leave it to Beaver” tv show of a strict division of duties. And I do agree that women have misunderstood that opportunity to work does not mean an inexhaustible fertility window that permits a woman to put off child bearing forever and ever. Jordan Peterson talks about that and he is right.
I was referring to the point made by Pete where families used to have only one worker and had less debt than now. How many families today meet those metrics?
Thanks Bill... keep at it... anyone paying attention knows that we should be asking questions about where we've been and where we've gotten to... there is little doubt in my mind that there has been a whole lot of misallocation of capital and the the debt we are surrounded by, government and private, is drowning us... I appreciate your inquiries and quest.
I repeat my comment of two days ago since Bill’s assistants didn’t seem to read it.
Why would you expect the average wage to rise? After all, in the long run, prices are set by supply and demand. The supply of labor has risen rapidly, without regard to the demand for it. Productivity has increased which means you need fewer people to do the job, therefore, the price of labor must go down.
Here’s a thought experiment. Assume industrialization reaches infinity - machine do all the work producing goods and services. In this impossible world, human jobs are non-existent and so the price of labor is zero. That supports your hypothesis. As a corollary, what do humans use to purchase goods and services? Or are they simply free for the taking?
Yes Kam, we are living in the “free for the taking” days of morons simply gathering in mass numbers, charging into shopping centers, and “taking” as they please, for free…as we working morons allow it🤔
For several years now I have had a recurring thought about the "peaceful" rioters, the statue topplers and now, the thought bleeds over into what we are seeing with the rampant shop lifting and smash-and-grabs (thankfully not happening here in FLA - yet. My prediction is first time it does, some low life is gonna get shot by an anonymous bystander aka Florida Man. Meh, sorry-not sorry.)
Here's the thought -
When these criminals/morons/pantifa (always in a bunch)/dimocrats roll up to do their nefarious deeds.......
🤔 I think an even better idea is reinstating our laws in America and putting an end to this insanity! Flat tire? Be much better off for all good humans concerned, placing them behind bars, like the animals they are 🤔
In this backward Judicial environment, we are limited to considering non-violent ways to maximize "inconvenience" for the criminals since there is little/no fear of prosecution and jail time. At least until people have finally had enough and it becomes open season for Patriots to take out the garbage themselves...
Us “non violent” productive hard working people, having to fear the lowest form of this evil cabal 🤔. Sorry my friend, it’s just the beginning of a communist revolution and we are losing…
What to do with all the "surplus to requirements"people is the issue, I think that "they" have a plan to deal with that problem. Social credit score a bit low, well bye bye ! George B Shaw thought that a review of your life, and value to society every five years would help in making a decision on your future .
Thanks Bill, I'm old fashioned but I like and trust your style and thinking. I could always be wrong about certain points I make but my experience of 73 years seems to consistently turn out right about honesty, integrity, discipline and hard work being the most critical factors in success of an enterprise.
Mr Bonner, I have enjoyed your opinions for years. [since the early '80s]. This one on time value hits home. I was hired as a pilot in the late 1970. Captains at that time could buy a Cadillac for cash with one months salary. He was about 30 years old. When I became Captain flying the same equipment it took 3 months of my salary to buy a new Cadillac. I was in my early 30's. Inflation had cut my effective salary to a third of the earlier pilot. He had ten years of excess income to save and enjoy. Time and inflation reduced my standard of living.
From “1948, when the Ford F series began,”(& coincidentally the year I was born) via
“the most humble working man in America can eat fruits and vegetables out of season. He can enjoy entertainments – 24/7 – that Louis XIV couldn’t even imagine.” and then
“More scientists. More capital. More Ph.Ds. Eight trillion in ‘stimulus’ from the Fed. More economists. More technology. More accumulated ‘knowledge’…available on our laptops.” Interspersed with the reality check on the one time business guru..
“Jack’s idea seemed new…but there was nothing new about it. Stripped of its trendy jargon, it proved only what we already knew, that credit only works when it is used to increase efficiency and output. Just buying things – whether consumer items or businesses – doesn’t help.”
Then it’s that Ford again.
“The new Ford F-150 is said to have 1,000 silicon chips in it. What if none of them takes you where you really want to go?”
What a smorgasbord of eclectic mind bubbles, to get one to focus or is it just peripheral to just sitting around staring at one’s navel and thinking dreamily...
“No it’s no really going to end this way, because....
As a whole, we're exactly where we want to be, aren't we? The choices we have made have led us to where we are today, and where we will be tomorrow. An "amish" lifestyle is available to all, but no one wants that.
I disagree. “We” should not be applied as a blanket statement to me. Nor does it apply to everyone else. Decision-makers and giant corporations have created a momentum all of their own. Fortunately, i havent made those kinds of choices. I have striven to stay away from the burden of credit to the best of my ability. Cb
I think you proved my point. "We" as a whole, the majority of people, are where we want to be. "You" may not like it, but it is what it is. "You" also, individually, are where you want to be. Good for you!
I was born in 1953 and my dad later told me that the total hospital and doctor fee was $75, including two nights in the hospital for my mom and me. But then my mom insisted that we needed our own fridge, rather than sharing with my uncle and aunt next door, as they had been doing. My dad bought a good used refrigerator for $200. You can probably still get a decent used fridge for around $200, but the delivery fees for an uncomplicated birth, assuming you pay out of pocket, are well north of $10,000. The tendency over these seven decades has been for things to get cheaper, but services have gone through the roof. Medical expenditures now make up nearly 20% of the US GDP, and overall health has not appeared to improve. Life expectancy is up a little, but nearly everyone is on medications of some sort, it seems. Fifty years ago "plans" were virtually unheard of. Now we have medical, legal, cell phone, cable TV, internet, and many other "plans" that eat up a large chunk of our income, and most of them are not really optional, but mandatory, or at least necessary. When comparing prices, we tend to compare like to like, F150s, a dozen eggs, or whatever, but it is the expansion of all the expenses that didn't even exist two generations ago that are bankrupting us. Oh, and don't forget credit card interest. The list goes on.
What are we getting from all that money spent on "health care"? Not actual health, that's for sure. I haven't been to an allopathic doctor in the last 50 years. I do have health care, but it's free; all I have to do is listen to and cooperate with the Divine Physician. A good start would be the health 'laws' He so graciously gave us. I should also mention I have been a vegan for the last 40 years. I can work all day in the hot sun... Which is not unusual, but I should have died long ago.
And all those chips in you new F150 can track you, gather your data, feed it back to Ford, who sells it to others.
It won’t be long before Ford can take remote control of your F150, and have it drive itself back to the dealership when you miss a payment. Thanks to all those chips.
Or they can drive it off a cliff for you, collect the insurance, whats left owing is your gratitude it didn t take you with it.
A bit like Maui perhaps ?
Well if your social credit score is OK ,then happy days, but any transgressions and a pushbike will be all you can use.
JP: Your second paragraph actually sounds doable.
Hi Dot -
You say that like it's a good thing...
I worked for Dow Corning, at the time the world's leading silicone company, we also led the world making silicon metal (which is the material used to make computer chips and solar panels, we had 40% of this global business). As for Jack Welch he was admired by Dow Corning management at that time largely for his push for Six Sigma and global reputation. At the time GE was all the rage and Jack was portrayed as the world leader in management. Dow Corning essentially pushed GE to sell their silicone business. I like to think it was because we reduced costs and made higher quality products for less and GE's chemical / silicon arm became less profitable or at least enough to be sold off by GE.
But then GE ran into troubles with its financial arm, which Jack had built, dominating GE. After the financial troubles Jack left the business and Jeffrey Immelt took over. Then the company became less profitable. My view is that Jeffrey liked flying around in big jets, the personal type, and the company had plenty of financial troubles. While Jack ramped up the Six Sigma process and pushed it to fame the company fell apart. Jack ran off with his secretary / executive as the company fell into disrepair. The story made a lot of sense giving what I saw from their management executive's styles as they came into Dow Corning.
I tell this story because it all falls into the category of executive hubris failing a company, losing track of their real job which is making or keeping the company profitable and building a team that loves their work and wants to contribute to the company and their other team players and in the mean time making a lot of money for the players. Same old story!
I could turn out wrong but I see the same thing happening with Big Tech and Big Pharma and main stream media and US leadership. The hubris, in my opinion, is outrageous. They are working to take away freedom of speech, control society and forcing them to take toxic vaccines. Look at CNN as a primary casualty. They think they can control voting and influence elections and carry on wars that US citizens don't want. I really love the saying "lies have short legs". Because hubris has a way of making the leaders blind to the most important forces like truth, honesty and integrity and OH yea,... hard work of the entire company team.
This comment appears a little off base of Bill's article but it is pointing out the hubris and it is pointing out that our leaders don't care about the American people. Their economics is foolish and lacks integrity and stability beneficial to the entire team. Printing money or growth through excessive credit and debt shows the lack of integrity and poor leadership that will ultimately fail, just like the global "leader" GE.
Exactly. Yes, we have all these marvelous conveniences via technological advances, then, why, you and Bill Bonner ask, did we have to run up such enormous debt?
You can still probably find a 1970 Ford in working order, and can probably tinker with it to keep it running if you're mechanically inclined. I doubt you'll find a 2023 Ford on the road in 2076. And if you do, heaven forbid if something goes wrong with the electronics. Good luck repairing it with obsolete technology from 2023.
The plan is no more petrol or diesel fuel by 2035, so what are you going to run it on in the future.
Odin: Heard about Electric cars? But I'm sure 2035 will come and go and you'll still be able to buy Gas. Well,...maybe.
Hiya Buda -
No biggie. We can fill in the holes with all the discarded batteries...
The most profound concept in this piece IMHO is the notion that a lot of the “advances” in technology and science haven’t made life easier, healthier, or contributed to human happiness. I would argue that in the USA overall people are more unhappy than 50 years ago, less healthy but more medicated, and less well off. Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.
Right. We have lost touch with family, community and physical exertion as being a necessary part of life as opposed to being something to check off on our schedule. Busy, busy, busy. Not very productive either. Cb
You crack me up. I just love the way you shine the bright light on all the deception and hogwash we have to endure daily. If George Gilder takes exception to your thinking then he just dropped down a notch on my totem pole. Simple logic that even and octogenarian like myself can see your follow your witty and hilarious logic. And today we see the UAW lobbying for a 4 day work week and, by the way, much more money to stay at home. What a culture we have today.
Go back and look at what the unions did to the steel industry. Start with the 26 week vacations.
I didn't know TraitorJoe was in a Steel Workers union...
;)
“Me, me, me” culture. Cb
For the prior day's naysayers how about this to ponder. Used to be in the Ozzie & Harriet/Leave it Beaver days dad went to work, mom stayed home, kids went to school, and they lived in a house in a nice suburban neighborhood. How many families do you know in their 30's-40's that meet those metrics? Just saying.
Growing up in a small Mid-west agricultural community, our Main Street supported residents through small family-run businesses - grocery stores, hardware stores, bakery, dry cleaner, service stations, implement dealers, auto dealerships, movie theater, bars, banks, restaurants, etc, etc. Today? All gone. What happened? WalMart came to the county seat. Drive 20 miles and save! 10% on the groceries, 5 cents a gallon to fill the station wagon, $25 on that new refrigerator. Oh, and let’s eat lunch while we’re here. The local businesses failed one by one, the owners fleeing to jobs in the city. The cost of globalization? The hollowing out of America.
Globalism vs America. Cb
Hiya Pete -
Most damaging LIE of the last 100 years?
Modern Feminism. "You don't need no man honey. Don't be submissive to no husband (be submissive to your male boss instead.) Kids and family are a dead end. You will be much happier as a Boss Babe. Do what makes you happy NOW, and do it every day."
We're fixing to have hundreds of thousands of women (the truly beautiful, wonderful and worthy gender IMO) waking up to realize how unhappy their choices have left them and how unfixable their predicament is - for the rest of their lives. Feminism denies the ONE BASIC FACT we all should acknowledge: as time goes by, a woman's "value" goes down (looks, child-bearing ability, independence), while a man's "value" increases (assets, stability, wisdom.)
The statistics don't lie folks. Go long on Cat Food manufacturers...
SE: It depends on the statistics you read.. As time goes by a man's looks, value, stability and wisdom does not necessarily increase. Just look around you. Gone are the days when men are the only "bread winners." We women have come a long way..Welcome to the 21st century. The only unhappiness I have heard from women is that it took too long to get here we are today.
Buda: A lot of women had to be bread winners for a variety of reasons i.e., their spouses either died, were injured and couldn't work, left their spouses, for whatever reason. And the list goes on.
Buda: Yes, that would be nice, but not reality in the real world.
Well, that was an idealized version of life. Not sure if that was really a fair representation of life. I must say, however, I like the whole idea of placing one’s family front and center, but I also like the model of SHARED responsibilities as opposed to the “Leave it to Beaver” tv show of a strict division of duties. And I do agree that women have misunderstood that opportunity to work does not mean an inexhaustible fertility window that permits a woman to put off child bearing forever and ever. Jordan Peterson talks about that and he is right.
fantastic point !
I was referring to the point made by Pete where families used to have only one worker and had less debt than now. How many families today meet those metrics?
Thanks Bill... keep at it... anyone paying attention knows that we should be asking questions about where we've been and where we've gotten to... there is little doubt in my mind that there has been a whole lot of misallocation of capital and the the debt we are surrounded by, government and private, is drowning us... I appreciate your inquiries and quest.
Right on. Cb
I repeat my comment of two days ago since Bill’s assistants didn’t seem to read it.
Why would you expect the average wage to rise? After all, in the long run, prices are set by supply and demand. The supply of labor has risen rapidly, without regard to the demand for it. Productivity has increased which means you need fewer people to do the job, therefore, the price of labor must go down.
Hello Tom,
Here’s a thought experiment. Assume industrialization reaches infinity - machine do all the work producing goods and services. In this impossible world, human jobs are non-existent and so the price of labor is zero. That supports your hypothesis. As a corollary, what do humans use to purchase goods and services? Or are they simply free for the taking?
Humans would not exist at that point!
Exactly Tom, and Human they’re not🤔
The perfect future for the Technocrats, no people, or maybe a few in a zoo, for entertainment for the robots, or the "Meta" life forms.
Yes Kam, we are living in the “free for the taking” days of morons simply gathering in mass numbers, charging into shopping centers, and “taking” as they please, for free…as we working morons allow it🤔
Hiya Steve -
For several years now I have had a recurring thought about the "peaceful" rioters, the statue topplers and now, the thought bleeds over into what we are seeing with the rampant shop lifting and smash-and-grabs (thankfully not happening here in FLA - yet. My prediction is first time it does, some low life is gonna get shot by an anonymous bystander aka Florida Man. Meh, sorry-not sorry.)
Here's the thought -
When these criminals/morons/pantifa (always in a bunch)/dimocrats roll up to do their nefarious deeds.......
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘃𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀?
Think it through. Nobody gets hurt, the charges if caught would be minimal and it would CERTAINLY put these jerk-offs in a pickle...
🤔 I think an even better idea is reinstating our laws in America and putting an end to this insanity! Flat tire? Be much better off for all good humans concerned, placing them behind bars, like the animals they are 🤔
I hear ya and obviously agree COMPLETELY!
In this backward Judicial environment, we are limited to considering non-violent ways to maximize "inconvenience" for the criminals since there is little/no fear of prosecution and jail time. At least until people have finally had enough and it becomes open season for Patriots to take out the garbage themselves...
Us “non violent” productive hard working people, having to fear the lowest form of this evil cabal 🤔. Sorry my friend, it’s just the beginning of a communist revolution and we are losing…
Or shot.
What to do with all the "surplus to requirements"people is the issue, I think that "they" have a plan to deal with that problem. Social credit score a bit low, well bye bye ! George B Shaw thought that a review of your life, and value to society every five years would help in making a decision on your future .
Odin: Sounds like you are reading too much of China's history. What you are suggesting is totally UNAMERICAN. Maybe you are in the wrong country!
Thanks Bill, I'm old fashioned but I like and trust your style and thinking. I could always be wrong about certain points I make but my experience of 73 years seems to consistently turn out right about honesty, integrity, discipline and hard work being the most critical factors in success of an enterprise.
In the long run.
Your closing thought is beautiful. Sad...but beautiful.
Perhaps there is a loose rule of thumb here. When readers just are unable to contain themselves,
and get so incensed that they must write and let the writer know that he is an imbecilic moron,
then maybe, just maybe, there is more truth in the writing than one might suspect.
Maybe it's a "Southern" thing, but have you ever heard the saying:
"The hit dog yelps"...
😂
The arrow strikes home. Cb
"He must be a new reader" etc.
The punch line made my day.
Thanks Bill.
another Bill
I agree it was funny; Bill’s acerbic wit and humility simultaneously.
Mr Bonner, I have enjoyed your opinions for years. [since the early '80s]. This one on time value hits home. I was hired as a pilot in the late 1970. Captains at that time could buy a Cadillac for cash with one months salary. He was about 30 years old. When I became Captain flying the same equipment it took 3 months of my salary to buy a new Cadillac. I was in my early 30's. Inflation had cut my effective salary to a third of the earlier pilot. He had ten years of excess income to save and enjoy. Time and inflation reduced my standard of living.
It is possible for pilots to buy a new car on a month's earnings today.
I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. (Nehemiah 5:10)
Hi Jimm -
It was the Hebrews that said/wrote that down. Not the Ashkenazi imposter "Jews" we are surrounded by today.
Big difference...
From “1948, when the Ford F series began,”(& coincidentally the year I was born) via
“the most humble working man in America can eat fruits and vegetables out of season. He can enjoy entertainments – 24/7 – that Louis XIV couldn’t even imagine.” and then
“More scientists. More capital. More Ph.Ds. Eight trillion in ‘stimulus’ from the Fed. More economists. More technology. More accumulated ‘knowledge’…available on our laptops.” Interspersed with the reality check on the one time business guru..
“Jack’s idea seemed new…but there was nothing new about it. Stripped of its trendy jargon, it proved only what we already knew, that credit only works when it is used to increase efficiency and output. Just buying things – whether consumer items or businesses – doesn’t help.”
Then it’s that Ford again.
“The new Ford F-150 is said to have 1,000 silicon chips in it. What if none of them takes you where you really want to go?”
What a smorgasbord of eclectic mind bubbles, to get one to focus or is it just peripheral to just sitting around staring at one’s navel and thinking dreamily...
“No it’s no really going to end this way, because....
As a whole, we're exactly where we want to be, aren't we? The choices we have made have led us to where we are today, and where we will be tomorrow. An "amish" lifestyle is available to all, but no one wants that.
I disagree. “We” should not be applied as a blanket statement to me. Nor does it apply to everyone else. Decision-makers and giant corporations have created a momentum all of their own. Fortunately, i havent made those kinds of choices. I have striven to stay away from the burden of credit to the best of my ability. Cb
I think you proved my point. "We" as a whole, the majority of people, are where we want to be. "You" may not like it, but it is what it is. "You" also, individually, are where you want to be. Good for you!