tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5801768329447624769.post4054585369250339254..comments2023-10-02T02:40:02.865-05:00Comments on Alright Hamilton!: Notes of no particular relevancehaasertimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599382952834537011noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5801768329447624769.post-32766519374122721442008-11-30T21:53:00.000-06:002008-11-30T21:53:00.000-06:00In Feudal and Anchient China and Japan, merchants ...In Feudal and Anchient China and Japan, merchants where considered lower than the peasants, because peasants at least farmed and produced neccessaties, while the merchants just sold things that people didnt need.bizmarkie507https://www.blogger.com/profile/02338087361037043540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5801768329447624769.post-29569530160163945802008-11-29T22:13:00.000-06:002008-11-29T22:13:00.000-06:00'why are people doing this? waking up at 4am to st...'why are people doing this? waking up at 4am to stand in line just to get a good deal'<BR/> <BR/>Yeah, I don't know. I suspect that it's more than just good deals. I think to many people it's some kind of tradition or ritual. I once woke up at 5am to be the first person to enter the Cub Foods in Arden Hills.<BR/> <BR/>Our grandparents, and even our parents, view possessions very differently than we do. For much of our grandparents' lives they didn't have much stuff. Rationing for two world wars with the Great Depression in between made it impossible for most people to spend stuff they didn't need until the 1950s. War spending boosted our economy out of the depression and people took advantage of it. Spending increase tremendously. People bought many things they "didn't need" like dishwashers, TVs, and cars. So, our grandparents and parents did spend and consume. But each generation in America has more than the last, so we can find more useless things to spend our money on. Also our generation sucks at using credit.<BR/> <BR/>"But buying stuff is supposed to be good for our economy."<BR/> <BR/>Unfortunately only in the sort term. Our economy needs investment expenditures for long term economic growth. So, if people spend all of their discretionary income and don't save or invest any - that's good in the sort term, but bad in the long term. When congress gave people rebates last spring, people spent money and we had economic growth (barely). But that didn't solve the problem. It just delayed the recession.<BR/> <BR/>The problem with our economy right now is the lack of investment or credit. Obama has hinted that he will delay his tax increases. This makes sense, especially with the increase of the capital gains tax. It doesn't make sense to punish investment when there is a lack of credit available (or ever in my opinion). But it's going to take time to fix this thing. Our best hope is that taxes and interest rates stay low so people invest again.<BR/> <BR/>long story longer, I don't think consumerism is bad for our country, but it's not something our economy should rely on for long term economic growth.souphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13094300642541520233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5801768329447624769.post-7721073463897579752008-11-29T10:17:00.000-06:002008-11-29T10:17:00.000-06:00I just emailed LaVelle and asked about cuban signi...I just emailed LaVelle and asked about cuban signing process. <BR/><BR/>Speaking of economics. Soup I'd like your thoughts on this. <BR/><BR/>I've never taken an econ class, but with Black Friday yesterday, I thought to myself..'why are people doing this? waking up at 4am to stand in line just to get a good deal'<BR/><BR/>Seems like consumerism run amuck. I thought of our grandparents generation. Seems like they view money and physical possessions differently than we do. They would never trample a walmart clerk to buy stuff they don't need. I'm sure it happened in the depression, but it was probably to get food or work. <BR/><BR/>But buying stuff is supposed to be good for our economy. There are huge industries devoted to manufacturing junk (mostly outside the U.S.) and industries to convince us that we need it, and industries to sell it. <BR/><BR/>But with such a large part of our economy based on stuff that isn't necessary to life, what happens when people don't or can't buy anymore. Seems like one of those glass ceilings or domes or whatever. <BR/><BR/>So that's my anti-consumerism rant. Not very well thought out. Just thought of it after that ridiculous wal-mart episode.haasertimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03599382952834537011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5801768329447624769.post-34805879534005997522008-11-28T12:13:00.000-06:002008-11-28T12:13:00.000-06:00I hope that girl does really well. and I found th...I hope that girl does really well. <BR/><BR/>and I found that onion article about having to see all those assholes from highschool at the bar on thanksgiving<BR/><BR/>http://www.theonion.com/content/news/26_year_old_to_see_every_asshole<BR/><BR/>Thats honestly the best article I've ever read from the onion.bizmarkie507https://www.blogger.com/profile/02338087361037043540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5801768329447624769.post-85085397245021873982008-11-28T10:48:00.000-06:002008-11-28T10:48:00.000-06:00Yes, I'm curious about the process of signing a Cu...Yes, I'm curious about the process of signing a Cuban baseball player as well. They have to defect, right? Do the white sox have undercover scouts in Cuba looking at these players and convincing them to defect from their homeland? I heard no other teams even mentioned when that guys name was brought up. <BR/><BR/>Nice international edition of AH!haasertimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03599382952834537011noreply@blogger.com