Inflation is very low? (Hint: I can't eat an iPad)
Inflation is very low? (Hint: I can't eat an iPad)
Last edited by Veldan Rath; 10-30-2012 at 08:28 PM. Reason: Vowles are inportant!
Brevior saltare cum deformibus viris est vita
That kind of "thought" runs a cold chill down neo-conservative military hawk spines: the US is supposed to be a global Super Power, not just economically but militarily. Even when our economy is contracting, our budget is stretched thin, we're deep in deficit spending, and gov't expenditures are to be rationed....they want to INCREASE military spending. All the while reducing taxes, slashing programs that are meant to protect/advance our own nation-building. Good luck convincing the interventionist neo-cons to change their minds on that. (You commie-pinko sssocialist lib'rul.)Originally Posted by EyeKhan
Let's ask Cheney and his cronies in congress, especially those on special committees with access to classified info. They profited from Halliburton and Lockheed-Martin (et al) while making policy. Hard to believe it took until this year to put some limits on that. Jury is still out if it'll work.-My first thought was that the US defense industry makes a LOT of money selling weapons systems around the world and a lot of those sales are subsidized as military aid to allies. Given that, and a host of other concerns I'm sure, this policy would be politically difficult to implement I imagine.
That said, congress is great at demanding "subsidies" for military-related industries for their owncampaign donorsindividual states. It's good for employing their constituents, and getting re-elected. The whole DC corridor and Space Coast (and to a degree Silicon Valley) is part of that scheme. Yeah, difficult to implement changes and incentives.
I've wondered about that, too. Our history of defining allies by Oil (and Israel) is quite long. We used to prefer 'installing' certain dictators in exchange for having some power over Oil (and Israel), but it changed. Not sure exactly when technically, but the Oil Embargo, coupled with auto MPG standards and Japanese imports, and the Iranian hostage crisis were the tipping point in my personal life.B. Thoughts on the US overtly billing our allies? It has cost a huge load of money and lives to "manage" the Persian Gulf region, so what if we billled everyone that uses - and sells - Gulf oil? Do we already, after a fashion, indirectly say through the activities of our oil and related industries? And keeping peace in Europe - during the cold war and after - has been very costly too. Why shouldn't we get compensated so we cana have a decent health care system too?
Desert Storm was another wake-up call. Kuwait was dripping in oil and oil wealth, and could have reimbursed us in full. But that would have made us something like a mercenary military, with a nation attached. That might have been the more honest approach, but doubtful US citizens would have gone for it. Historically, Americans are willing to go to War for things like promoting democracy, national sovereignty, or preventing mass killings by crazy dictators or guerilla militias. But that would have us intervening across the globe, active in every tribal war on the African continent and South America.
<Blackhawk down>
Hope is the denial of reality
How might those that paid for the US operation have affected that operation? The advantage of working in a large coalition is that there are more resources and more political capital to accomplish a given end. The problems associated with a large coalition are the compromises and constraints that must be adhered to so as to maintain that coalition. While there was general agreement that Iraq should be removed from Kuwait, there was less consensus that Iraq should be invaded and the Iraqi government replaced.
A coalition vs 'going it alone' involves more than just money. That was just one tiny part of my post -- the rest questioned how we define our own national interests, international allies, Defense -- and mission creep. You don't have to agree with me, but you could at least answer Choob's post with your own opinions.
It's not that I don't agree with; it's that reality doesn't agree with you.
Hope is the denial of reality
Do you mean your costs for food are way up?
The Rules
Copper- behave toward others to elicit treatment you would like (the manipulative rule)
Gold- treat others how you would like them to treat you (the self regard rule)
Platinum - treat others the way they would like to be treated (the PC rule)
"Inflation" is mostly a technocratic term used by economists, bankers, and politicians. Most people know their wages haven't kept up with rising costs of living or maintaining current lifestyles. There's either a constant goal to make more money (take another job, get a better paying job, hope Wall Street has some gains, win the lottery) or reduce personal spending. Staycations, DIY home improvements, movies at home instead of cinemas, less restaurant outings, one car instead of two, or no car at all, paying cash instead of credit. Downsizing in general.
Personally, I can do without the latest tech gadget, iPad or iPhone. And I'm not keen on paying some crappy "service provider" who wants me to Bundle all things, just to connect those gadgets to the grid.
I'd rather The Grid itself be excellent.
Last edited by GGT; 11-01-2012 at 06:31 PM.
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Yeah, it's a made up term. It's not like it has any relation to the change in prices of the goods that the average person spends their money on."Inflation" is mostly a technocratic term used by economists, bankers, and politicians. Most people know their wages haven't kept up with rising costs of living or maintaining current lifestyles. There's either a constant goal to make more money (take another job, get a better paying job, hope Wall Street has some gains, win the lottery) or reduce personal spending. Staycations, DIY home improvements, movies at home instead of cinemas, less restaurant outings, one car instead of two, or no car at all, paying cash instead of credit. Downsizing in general.
Personally, I can do without the latest tech gadget, iPad or iPhone. And I'm not keen on paying some crappy "service provider" who wants me to Bundle all things, just to connect those gadgets to the grid.
I'd rather The Grid itself be excellent.
Hope is the denial of reality
You probably run in circles where the term "inflation" is used a lot. I don't, and I've never run into folks at the grocery or gas station who talk about "inflation", but they do complain about rising costs. I didn't say it's a made up term, just not used frequently in the course of general conversation.Yeah, it's a made up term. It's not like it has any relation to the change in prices of the goods that the average person spends their money on.
Except if there is no inflation...*drum roll*...then there is no increase in prices for the average family. Individual components of a family's budget might increase in price, but that implies that other equally important components decrease in price.
Hope is the denial of reality
Loki, you're not reading what I write. I'm not arguing what Inflation is or isn't....just that it's not a word used in common conversation (in my experience).
Why are you arguing that?
It was a fluid discussion.
Do conversations on these forums regularly reflect the conversations you have with people at gas stations and grocery stores?It was a fluid discussion.
Yes, sometimes conversations on "these" forums include tangents, even personal anecdotes!
Like US Defense Spending taking a turn to Inflation, or Choobs mentioning compensation so we can have a decent healthcare system, too.
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