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BASE cause of 2008 and what the American Dream IS

by seasoned
12 replies
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First, this is not meant to be political, or create strife:

A nice cartoon showing how the fed, irs, bankers, inflation, and deflation all interrelate. Even some of the most absurd parts ARE historical FACT!


Someone here echoed the myth of the american dream

You can look at past papers from early settlers, etc..., tales of the titanic, early histories of some companies, old films, or just use LOGIC, and you will see the following writeup is TRUE! They didn't come here to get a house. They came here for a better life. In many cases, they started companies. Some even became big companies that were gobbled up and are here today. HECK, as I understand it, SEARS started out with ONE guy with a menial job at a train station. The idea fell in his lap when people didn't pick up an order of watches! Harley davidson started with a couple of guys trying to make a nice bike. And we all know of the two kids that wanted to create a powered airplane. What about Boiardi? As I understand it one pet peave he had was nobody could pronounce his name. Today, probably everyone can! He came out with food labeled "Chef Boyardee".

History of the American Dream

The 'American Dream' is an idea of a liberal and prosperous America. The term 'American Dream', was coined by James Truslow Adams (an American writer and historian said to have published the term n 1931), a writer and historian.

What is the American Dream
The following quote by Mr. Adams provides us with an insight of his idea of the American Dream.

The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.

The United States has always been considered a land of opportunities. Many people, from the world over, have migrated to US, in search of employment and freedom of religion.
As statements from Robert T. Kiyosaki (author of rich dad poor dad) hae suggested, the typcal way of buying a home runs COUNTER to the American dream! So many have gotten such a home AND, with a bad market, such as today, have found it has DEcreased their chance to have the better life of the American Dream.

Steve
  • Profile picture of the author myob
    The dream is working; opportunities continue to grow at an ever-increasing rate. Over the past 30 or so years, the US has produced more wealth per capita than another period in history. And the US continues to have the highest concentration of wealth than any other region in the world.
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by myob View Post

      The dream is working; opportunities continue to grow at an ever-increasing rate. Over the past 30 or so years, the US has produced more wealth per capita than another period in history. And the US continues to have the highest concentration of wealth than any other region in the world.
      I don't know HOW you figure. If the opportunities increase a dozen times, it would be a REDUCTION, due to the population. If the average person made about 12 times as much(1930-2011, that is not far off), then the average income DROPPED due to inflation. If the base income tax dropped by 50%, then it went UP because of all the deductions that have been thrown out. HELL, if sales of products QUINTUPLED, then sales of american products FELL because so many are made ABROAD!

      Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author TLTheLiberator
      Originally Posted by myob View Post

      The dream is working; opportunities continue to grow at an ever-increasing rate. Over the past 30 or so years, the US has produced more wealth per capita than another period in history. And the US continues to have the highest concentration of wealth than any other region in the world.

      You must mean for the years of 1945-1980.


      TL
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      "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. -- Mark Twain

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      • Profile picture of the author myob
        According to economic reports I've seen, the US is expected to remain the largest wealth generator in the world with total household wealth of $82 trillion by 2016. China is the closest for second place, with total household wealth increasing to reach $39 trillion in 2016. Since 2007, the number of millionaires in the US has reached an all-time record of over 8 million. Opportunities in emerging markets have considerable scope for these large increases in personal wealth.
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        • Profile picture of the author seasoned
          Originally Posted by myob View Post

          According to economic reports I've seen, the US is expected to remain the largest wealth generator in the world with total household wealth of $82 trillion by 2016. China is the closest for second place, with total household wealth increasing to reach $39 trillion in 2016. Since 2007, the number of millionaires in the US has reached an all-time record of over 8 million. Opportunities in emerging markets have considerable scope for these large increases in personal wealth.
          Well, you know the trillions are manufactured because there isn't that much on an absolute basis. the yuan is artificially depressed, and such statistics may not be accurate.

          Millionaire USED to mean millionaire! It DOESN'T anymore, even though many THINK it does!
          So in 1930 a millionaire could have about 1 million dollars. Let's use GOLD to illustrate my point! OK, in 1930 a millionaire had to be able to buy OVER 48426.15oz of GOLD! SO, a millionaire TODAY has to have OVER $75,721,549!

          Let's take a line from the report you probably read:

          "The number of Americans with $30 million is still slightly below the pre-crisis peak. In 2010 there were 40,000 North Americans with $30 million or more, up from 36,000 in 2009."

          Use THEIR formula, and that is MEANINGLESS! After all, if the value of a dollar dropped to 10% of what it is, I could be a multimillionaire! Would I be happy? NO! Could I buy more stuff? NO! Could I retire? NO WAY!

          OK, lets see what 36000 would increase to on the same basis. OK, it should have increased to 45336! So the "increase" to 40,000 could be an over 11% DROP! And HOW could a millionaire have ONLY $30million? REMEMBER, as inflation increases, the prestige of any value of money goes DOWN! TODAY, I make as much as the average person in 1930 would make in 34 years, if there had been no inflation. Am I doing that much better? NO WAY!

          You COULD buy danish krone, and have FIVE times the base currency! You could buy yen, and have about a HUNDRED times! At one point, you could buy over 4000 as much of the mexican currency. Does that make you richer? NOPE! So it is NOT the quantity, but the absolute value.

          Steve
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          • Profile picture of the author myob
            If you really had read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" you would understand why you have become such a miserable failure keeping up with the inflationary devaluation since the 1930 base. The book advocates financial independence through investing, real estate, owning businesses, and the use of finance protection tactics. Using these principles, fortunes were made from major downturns, (including the most recent) and continue to be a major source of wealth generation. Working for wages alone (ie a "job") has never been and will never be a way for living the dream.
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            • Profile picture of the author seasoned
              Originally Posted by myob View Post

              If you really had read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" you would understand why you have become such a miserable failure keeping up with the inflationary devaluation since the 1930 base. The book advocates financial independence through investing, real estate, owning businesses, and the use of finance protection tactics. Using these principles, fortunes were made from major downturns, (including the most recent) and continue to be a major source of wealth generation. Working for wages alone (ie a "job") has never been and will never be a way for living the dream.
              Regardless of the veracity of that, it did not change the veracity of anything I said! YOU are talking about using inflation to try to get richer. BESIDES, many investments LOST money! Real estate has LOST money! MOST businesses go belly up within 3 years and some that have been around over 100 years are TEETERING or have gone bankrupt!

              COULD money be made from that, or in spite of it? CERTAINLY! HAS IT? OF COURSE! Has the average person? NO WAY! Does it have ANYTHING to do with the general population and an increase in their income? NOPE! No real increase has occurred!

              BTW I'll admit I didn't read rich dad poor dad. I never said I did! The statement I took was from his lips on an infomercial. He said buying a home represents a liability or DEBT, and NOT an asset!

              That makes sense since what happens is the bank pays for the right to stay there and care for the property, and they give YOU the right as long as you pay the DEBT on THEIR TERMS. Think about it. The ONLY way you can claim an asset is to sell it at a higher price, or better terms, and pocket the difference. Otherwise, it is PURE DEBT! You COULD maybe borrow more, IF it goes up in price, but that TOO is a debt. Could you take the extra money, invest in gold, and maybe sell at a higher price and pay off the home? SURE! Could you start a company, and become a bllionare? MAYBE! Still, that home starts out as a DEBT!

              Steve
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              • Profile picture of the author myob
                What Kiyosaki said in the infomercial is exactly right. And based on what you learned from that infomercial, you are also exactly right. LOL!
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  • Profile picture of the author Roaddog
    A million just ain't what it used to be....Man tried to use $1M bill at NC Walmart
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    WOW! You know, I think MOST counterfeiters are smart enough to not use bills over $20! MAN, h should be locked up for being so INCREDIBLY stupid! Suppose it WERE real, did he REALLY think they would have like $999,500 in change lying around? I have at times brought hotels or vendors to their knees with FAR less. Sometimes they just don't have much cash.

    And walmart may be a bigger store, but the amount of cash at each register is NOT that much. I could only imagine. If they BELIEVED him, and decided to do that, the BEST they could do would be to nearly wipe out EVERYONE'S cash reserves, and call the manager to get the rest and S/HE would probably INSIST on STORE CREDIT! It would be dumb to clean out everyone's cash drawer only to find that another customer needs cash.

    But 1 Million would be too much of a risk. If I were there, I would ask for ID, and probably call the FBI. They are interested in things like this. I doubt that ANYONE would dare carry a million dollars, let alone as one bill. NOT EVEN BILL GATES!

    Foolproof! Man Somehow Caught Trying to Pay With Homemade Million Dollar Bill

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Roaddog
    LOL. Steve, it's gotten to the point, where not much surprises me when it comes to people.

    A lot of conjecture and conspiracy theories and flat out fiction are no where near as interesting as what REALLY happens. Truth is far stranger than fiction.
    I've seen things over the years that I still to this day don't try to use as 'party' stories...if you will....because no one would believe them.
    Even though I know for a fact they are true.....Yet, if I told someone that a three legged green Paraguayan midget was stealing their last beer...
    they'd go.... "Really?"



    I wonder if that illustration on the Gizmodo site is what the one he tried to use, looked like?.

    Who's face is on the million dollar bill? The Statue of Liberty....lol

    And your right...they should have a dunce jail for that kind of stuff.
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by Roaddog View Post

      LOL. Steve, it's gotten to the point, where not much surprises me when it comes to people.

      A lot of conjecture and conspiracy theories and flat out fiction are no where near as interesting as what REALLY happens. Truth is far stranger than fiction.
      I've seen things over the years that I still to this day don't try to use as 'party' stories...if you will....because no one would believe them.
      Even though I know for a fact they are true.....Yet if I told someone that a three legged green Paraguayan midget was stealing their last beer...
      they'd go.... "Really?"



      I wonder if that illustration on the Gizmodo site is what the one he tried to use, looked like?.

      Who's face is on the million dollar bill? The Statue of Liberty....lol

      And your right...they should have a dunce jail for that kind of stuff.
      Well, I had heard that they made VERY large bills, but they were only for the FED, and exchanged through some major banks. The article says the largest ever made was $100,000. AGAIN, ONLY for the FED. It says that people USED to have $10,000 bills, but not any more.

      Still, if you want to pass counterfeit bills, etc..... FIRST RULE! The one that is not too often discussed, but almost ALWAYS followed? Keep perceived risk LOW! So if you use a $100 bill, your chances are SUBSTANTIALLY better at ending up in jail than if you use a $1 bill. Use a $1,000,000 bill, and the chances of not getting caught are SO unlikely that if you aren't caught, it should be in ripleys and international news! Did this guy WANT to end up in jail?

      Steve
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