Your outlook on the state of our Union?

[SkiDoobyDoo]

Many of us know what the President said in his State of the Union address and most know where Congress stands on issues. What do YOU think the future holds for America?

Inflation, USD watered down by printing & borrowing
Deflation, dropping values in property, stocks, etc...
Government growth bubble
Unemployment, 17% real now, going higher
Tax increases, 2010 & 2011 hold significant increases on everybody, including unemployment checks
Energy, killing of nuclear and other reliable sources, "green" sources not worthy
Other issues...

Do not blame here, just what you think will *actually* happen. Names should not be needed. Remember, Citizens did stop the 'cap & trade tax' once and the healthcare takeover once.

Thanks.

 

[woodzy]

Citizens also stopped total government control at one time too. I think that time is near again

 

[POLZIN]

We are hosed at this point!( have been for a while)There Must be a revolution and our leaders must fear death Before anything will change .

 

[mold]

We are hosed at this point!( have been for a while)There Must be a revolution and our leaders must fear death Before anything will change .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB3GKRiCpOw

 

[FriscoProx]

Its down to simple math at this point, the World doesn't have enough capitol to finance our debt at these levels. Stagflation for another few years, then currency collapse turns into anarchy.

 

[POLZIN]

How do you view the votes ? who voted for what ? I have to know who think recovery is coming so I can openly mock the idiot ! Geez i hope they where kidding!

 

[ruffryder]

recovery is a long ways out.... I doubt the libs will take over everything though. People are getting sick of being constantly sold out to big businesses and special interests.

talked to my dad the other day. He needed some construction supplies for concrete. He had to call 4 different places that he used to get supplies from, as they were all out of business. With all the business out of business, commercial land is going to sink as well.

and yet the stock markets increase..... tells you who the government is working for.. it isn't "the people".

 

[SkiDoobyDoo]

there is no other place with liquidity to put money now, so people with 401ks and stocks or money needing interest have all run to the market, this volume has run it up

if the USD tanks or something appealing comes along, people will pull out of the stock market fast

it's not 'fat cats', it's normal middle class hoping to retire some day

 

[ruffryder]

it's not 'fat cats', it's normal middle class hoping to retire some day

mmm... I didn't imply that, but if you are gong there...

who rules america..

the bottom 80% of wage earners own less then 10% of all stocks. Where do you think middle class is?

Check out figure 5 in the link above... scary stuff man.

another one...

I got nothing against rich people, I just don't like the fact that the concentration of money and power in this country keeps going to a smaller and smaller pool..... very dangerous when you get to that point.

You are right though, there isn't really any good places to put money right now. Savings - nope, not at those rates, housing, nope, commercial real estate... mmm nope.. There really isn't anyplace to put money, unless you put it into yourself.

 

[SkiDoobyDoo]

i don't see any big changes in the distribution, some, but not a great deal

it is dangerous, but that 1% also pays over 40% of all federal income taxes
they're the ones that invest their money (and employ people) rather than buying stuff, like i have been doing
that's what the middle class does, the upper crust didn't find a spot where they wanted to call "good enough", their investments in turn buy big stuff that makes us jealous & we call them names like greedy

per the IRS, the top 25% of households earn over $66,532 and the top 50% earn over $32,879. The bottom 50% pay less than 3% of federal income taxes.

http://www.ntu.org/main/page.php?PageID=6

 

[SkiDoobyDoo]

Small business employ most Americans & they're "uncertain" (read scared) mainly about Taxes & Sales.

Gov talk about taxes/regulation costs businesses money which = cutting staff.

If people are worried about losing their job, they don't buy stuff, sales go down, business layoff.

Without employees income taxes, business taxes, and sales taxes, gov demands more money & compounds the problem.

http://www.nfib.com/Portals/0/PDF/s...er&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning+Bell

 

[ruffryder]

i don't see any big changes in the distribution, some, but not a great deal

the figure showed the reduction in capital income for those at the bottom 80%. A reduction of 10% in ten years. Extrapolate that another 10 - 20 years and it COULD be a very small number.

it is dangerous, but that 1% also pays over 40% of all federal income taxes
they're the ones that invest their money (and employ people) rather than buying stuff, like i have been doing
that's what the middle class does, the upper crust didn't find a spot where they wanted to call "good enough", their investments in turn buy big stuff that makes us jealous & we call them names like greedy

per the IRS, the top 25% of households earn over $66,532 and the top 50% earn over $32,879. The bottom 50% pay less than 3% of federal income taxes.

http://www.ntu.org/main/page.php?PageID=6

agreed on all that.

agreed that taxes on small businesses is a problem.

 

[SkiDoobyDoo]

the figure showed the reduction in capital income for those at the bottom 80%. A reduction of 10% in ten years. Extrapolate that another 10 - 20 years and it COULD be a very small number.

i keep reading more of the piece, statistics are so easy for someone to skew and used to lie, so re-re-reading

the author believes money yields power, and to a good degree it may, but it is by no means a the whole story
what is left out is knowledge, those that know how to make money work for them, rather than just working for money, gain power and money

so the disparity may be more accurately put as the bottom 80% has insufficient knowledge about money

now that may be done on purpose by the top 1%, according to some authors today

.

 

[ruffryder]

so the disparity may be more accurately put as the bottom 80% has insufficient knowledge about money

now that may be done on purpose by the top 1%, according to some authors today

.

I would agree definitely. I see many people my age and younger that are doing completely stupid things with their money. It seems that most, not living in hard times, don't know any better. Money makes the world go round, yet so little time is spent in schools about finances and business and money. I don't get it.

Though, I would say that the bottom 80% have insufficient funds to make a lot of money. I have witnessed this a lot. Wealth increases exponentially. It DOES take money to make money. You are right, it also takes knowledge.

 

[SkiDoobyDoo]

Though, I would say that the bottom 80% have insufficient funds to make a lot of money. I have witnessed this a lot. Wealth increases exponentially. It DOES take money to make money. You are right, it also takes knowledge

bill gates got started in his garage, the do-it-yourself lumber marts got started in garages, walt disney was broke & bankrupt several times, almost all people in business have been broke at LEAST once

some savings, good history, a solid plan would normally get an entrepreneur what is needed from a bank or investor
now days that's messed up due to government meddling (fannie/freddie)

 

[ruffryder]

bill gates got started in his garage, the do-it-yourself lumber marts got started in garages,

true, though I would say they are the exceptions.

walt disney was broke & bankrupt several times, almost all people in business have been broke at LEAST once

be careful not to equate a business being broke with people that are broke..

some savings, good history, a solid plan would normally get an entrepreneur what is needed from a bank or investor

very true

 

[woodzy]

Bill Gates needed about 50 grand to get started Just cuz it was in his garage, he still had money. Well, his buddies had access to money anyways.

 

[SkiDoobyDoo]

true, though I would say they are the exceptions.

I would say America is full of successes, these are just the headliners.

be careful not to equate a business being broke with people that are broke..

A small business IS the owner. Most finance everything they have in order to get started or make it through tough times. If the business is broke, the person is broke.

All those "evil people that make over $250,000" are most likely small business owners.

 

[ruffryder]

I would say America is full of successes, these are just the headliners.

yah, you gave examples of some small business that made it big, I said it was the exception not the average. You are right, it is full of success.

A small business IS the owner. Most finance everything they have in order to get started or make it through tough times. If the business is broke, the person is broke.

correct, most due, but your examples were of people that I doubt "Lost everything" when they went bankrupt. Look at trump, he has gone bankrupt many times, I doubt he has been broke during those times though..

All those "evil people that make over $250,000" are most likely small business owners.

Why are you calling them evil?

 

[SkiDoobyDoo]

correct, most due, but your examples were of people that I doubt "Lost everything" when they went bankrupt. Look at trump, he has gone bankrupt many times, I doubt he has been broke during those times though..

"broke" is relative to the standard of living and people like that (that plan a little anyway) have an exit strategy just in case, so they don't starve

Why are you calling them evil?

they've been demonized for the last 2-3 years in the election and media, I know they're not evil, but too many petty Americans bought into it, got "sold" the idea