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Just thinking out loud.  I miss the time when I (we-me and hubby) had a little bit of money.  We weren't rich mind you, but we weren't living week to week either.  I miss not having to stress about how the mortgage will be paid this month (thankfully, Nov. is paid, now Dec. is looming).  Not whining by any means.  I have my health, he has his.  He is employed (many of us are not)  Our daughter is healthy (albeit awake, hence I am here....grrrrr little Sera! go to sleep!) My stepkids are healthy and we have a roof over our heads and food to eat, even have enough for presents for christmas.  Lot of families are MUCH worse off, I know that. 

Being squeezed for every penny in this recession is horrible.  Every fee you can think of has gone up, except the hubby's pay.  We haven't been on vacation in two years, and its rough to see all the opulance on tv (MTV, why oh why do we put CRIBS on tv at all in these tough times?)  Every other show on the tube (mostly reality or TMZ type shows) are wall to wall with the rich and famous and what they have.  Hey, its the American way to make as much as you can.  So, kudos to the rich for being paid, but why does it have to be front and center for me to see everyday?

What was the point of this?  I don't know just thinking is all.  Hopefully 2010 will be better, for all of us. 

I have been pretty much a "live for today" free spender all my life.  However, I've had to cut back quite a bit in recent months.

Yes indeed Paula, I can relate.  My wife stays home with our kids because her working would pay for daycare alone so in our opinion, whats the point of her working right now.  I have a job I'm fortunate for which pays the bills that I enjoy but it really is a paycheck to paycheck situation in my house.   Mix that with sh*t breaking down (cars, fridge, heaters) and we're getting killed with bills.  So IOW, just like you said I am beyond fortunate for what I have yet its been very rough.  

yep, it sucks. This has been the hardest year for us. I cant wait for 09 to be over with. Its been one step forward, two steps back all.freaking.year.   :hatred:  If it wasnt for my sweeping hobby it would be a slim xmas around here this year.


I hope the rest of the year is better for everyone.

This is just my opinion from my analysis of the world situation which is I admit imperfect at best but.... I actually think the recession will get worse, the wealth gap will increase and more people will live in poverty, that is the outcome of neo-liberal economic policies the world over. They do not benefit anyone except the top 1%, cause they have the most influence, they set policy cause money talks. And Paula all that s**t on TV is there to make you believe that the fabled "American Dream" has ever been or ever will be a reality for the majority of people, propaganda really, to keep people supporting policies that are actually harmful to everyday working people but helpful to CEO's and shareholders. It's class war through economics. :cheers: Rant over :bouncegiggle:

Aren't you a slice of sunshine?

Sadly, I agree.  We haven't seen the worst of this yet. I am a Democrat, but I had a bad feeling things were gonna go this route. But, to be realistic, Obama is getting blamed for the carry-over from the last administration's excesses. I hope he is smart enough to balance things out in the next couple of years, but I doubt it.

Man there is always hope, and it is definitely not Obamas fault, just like it wasn't Bushs, it goes deeper than one presidential term, it is an accumulation of many different factors and Americas* seemingly unalterable self perceived role as the center of the universe, this goes for other countries as well.

*Government and Industry, not the Citizens, though I'm sure some do.

the bailout was for

1. wall street and

2. wall street

we did welfare for the very richest people in the country!!

total insanity

Isn't it though?

It's been a tough year for me too. No splurging big time on Christmas this year. Still looking forwad to it though.

I'm the same way and have had to do the same. 

This Christmas, try not to fulfill every wish, but choose and select carefully, and take joy in sacrificing for yourself and your spouse.  We're doing without this year as far as presents, which is okay, only children need the wonder of gifts.  I'm old enough to know that that person calling me on the phone, or dropping by, or beside me, or at my elbow, is the only gift I need.   :smile:

I agree, skullbat, except I wouldn't single out "neo-liberals" or any other meaningless political label, because it's really all the same.

I don't think employment figures are ever going to go back up.  We don't manufacture anything anymore, and signing onto the WTO has essentially made it illegal to do anything that would allow us to change that.  We can't continue to employ people forever based on a service- industry-only economy.  The middle class will continue to shrink, and there won't be enough people left who are able to afford the services.  Unemployment will keep rising accordingly.

Here is an interesting story that is all over the internet.  I don't know if it's true, but it wouldn't surprise me.  The US has been heading in this direction for quite some time.


  
FEDS GRANT EMINENT DOMAIN AS COLLATERAL TO CHINA FOR U.S. DEBTS
 
BEIJING, China -- Sources at the United States Embassy in Beijing China have just CONFIRMED that the United States of America has tendered to China a written agreement which grants to the People's Republic of China, an option to exercise Eminent Domain within the USA, as collateral for China's continued purchase of US Treasury Notes and existing US Currency reserves.
 
The written agreement was brought to Beijing by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and was formalized and agreed-to during her recent trip to China.
 
This means that in the event the US Government defaults on its financial obligations to China, the Communist Government of China would be permitted to physically take -- inside the USA -- land, buildings, factories, perhaps even entire cities - to satisfy the financial obligations of the US government.
 
Put simply, the feds have now actually mortgaged the physical land and property of all citizens and businesses in the United States. They have given to a foreign power, their Constitutional power to "take" all of our property, as actual collateral for continued Chinese funding of US deficit spending and the continued carrying of US national debt.
 
This is an unimaginable betrayal of every man, woman and child in the USA. An outrage worthy of violent overthrow.

Eminent Domain is the power of government to TAKE private property
for public use without the consent of the property owner. Under our
Constitution, the government can only "take" when providing "just
compensation" for what they've taken.

Who decides what constitutes "just compensation?" The government!

Homeowners who felt the government was not paying them enough for
property in past "takings" have filed lawsuits. In absolutely every such
case, the value placed upon the property by the government was upheld
by the courts.

Our federal government has now granted to China, this power to
"take"our homes and businesses in the event the US Gov't defaults on its
debts. Let's play this out as a worst case scenario. . . .

The US Gov't goes belly-up and China comes in and says, "they owed us
$2 Trillion in Treasury Notes and another $2 Trillion in actual cash
money which is now worthless. We are taking the entire state of Hawaii
and the entire state of California in lieu of this bad debt. "

With the stroke of a Chinese chop stick, Hawaii and California -- all the
land and buildings in those states -- are now owned by China.

The "taking" would be a "valid public use" because it was "taken" in
payment of the public debt!!!!

China could then turn around and declare the value of all that land to be
worth. . . . . I dunno, ten cents on a dollar?

For your $200,000 house, you get a Chinese check for $20,000.

Needless to say, the property owners would go ballistic and demand "just
compensation" for what was taken. Who gets to decide what is "just?"
China! Don't think you got a fair price for what they took? No problem,
sue China.

You'll lose.

Where'd you copy that from The Ghoul?  Do you have a link?  "All over the web...?"  I didn't see that, but I'm hardly "all over the web."  Please advise and thanks. 

I found the story in the text portion to the right of this video about China buying up Australian interests on youtube.  Then I googled the words China, eminent domain and US and found out that this story has been around since February or March. 

Some say it is true, some say it isn't, but it would be hard to prove either way since we can't count on the media or the politicians to give us the real story about ANYTHING. 

Even if it's not true, we are in a bad situation.  Even the mainstream media is admitting that the US will no longer be able to complain about human rights in China because we are beholding to them.

Here's where I found it originally.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1vfug4LVxw&feature=related

Poison the world for money.   :thumbdown: