Momma says she has never seen it so " dark"

[Nesikep]

That's exactly what I mean, the 'speculative economy' rides on top and is a parasite to the real economy

what really gets me is everyone hoots and hollers about 'survival of the fittest' in the economical sense, but after they've burnt the house down, you and I are left holding the bag, bailing them out...

I give kudos to Iceland that told the banks to go stick it where the sun don't shine, they weren't getting bailed out

I wonder where we'd be today had there been no bailouts, Fanny mae, freddy mac, AIG, all history... Meanwhile I hear GM now means Government Motors


Keeping up with my homeland, Switzerland, they had to finally peg the Frank to the Euro.. you see, several years ago, the swiss frank was actually 40% covered by gold, that was when gold was $350/oz... now that there has been a run on gold, it is more than 100% covered, which is why people invested in it... I remember 10-20 years ago, the frank was about 0.60 USD... it's now about 1.20 USD
but since a high curency value is bad for your own economy, they had to put a stop to the rising frank... kinda like what china does with the USD

 

[john250]

[quote/Nesikep]
Keeping up with my homeland, Switzerland, they had to finally peg the Frank to the Euro.. you see, several years ago, the swiss frank was actually 40% covered by gold, that was when gold was $350/oz... now that there has been a run on gold, it is more than 100% covered, which is why people invested in it... I remember 10-20 years ago, the frank was about 0.60 USD... it's now about 1.20 USD
but since a high curency value is bad for your own economy, they had to put a stop to the rising frank... kinda like what china does with the USD [/quote]

I saw a report in the last few days on this "Swiss Franc" situation. Seems the Swiss are suffering for being good managers. It is an old story. When the neighbors have trouble of any kind, sooner or later everyone has trouble.
An uncle (by marriage not blood) of mine has family in Switz. When his Swiss cousin visited in the 1980's it was July and I had just finished harvesting wheat (soft, red) and I was cleaning the combine. Grain accumulates at the base of the unloading auger on combines and it amounted to nearly a bushel. As I scooped and washed that out on the ground I think the Swiss cousin had a near stroke. He had 27 acres (I converted from hectares) and a dairy. He had Yugoslavian workers who picked up twigs which fell from the trees. I think he would have probably taken that bushel of wheat and somehow made $500 from it.

 

[Beefy]

theres no point in "worrying" about it. when it all goes to hell in a handbasket, it doesnt matter how prepared you are. the masses will rob and pillage us all when they get hungry and if you think you can stock up on enough ammuntion to ward them off think again. just lay low and try to make it thru the first 3 or so culls. if you can make it pass the sick and elderly die-off, and dont get killed in a theif versus defender scuffle, and then outlast the lazies, you should be good to go assuming you have SOME survival skills or some skill to barter. personally i'm in favor of a cosmic do-over.

 

[john250]

theres no point in "worrying" about it. when it all goes to be nice in a handbasket, it doesnt matter how prepared you are. the masses will rob and pillage us all when they get hungry and if you think you can stock up on enough ammuntion to ward them off think again. just lay low and try to make it thru the first 3 or so culls. if you can make it pass the sick and elderly die-off, and dont get killed in a theif versus defender scuffle, and then outlast the lazies, you should be good to go assuming you have SOME survival skills or some skill to barter. personally i'm in favor of a cosmic do-over.

I'm glad to meet another "glass half full" kinda guy.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

theres no point in "worrying" about it. when it all goes to be nice in a handbasket, it doesnt matter how prepared you are. the masses will rob and pillage us all when they get hungry and if you think you can stock up on enough ammuntion to ward them off think again. just lay low and try to make it thru the first 3 or so culls. if you can make it pass the sick and elderly die-off, and dont get killed in a theif versus defender scuffle, and then outlast the lazies, you should be good to go assuming you have SOME survival skills or some skill to barter. personally i'm in favor of a cosmic do-over.

I'm glad to meet another "glass half full" kinda guy.

***

Here's another "half full". Geez, I hope it never comes to that, but if it does . . . . I think we could hold our own. First, we'd scoot out the MF135's that seem to think we wouldn't/couldn't/shouldn't defend. Then, we'd deal with the more serious threats.

 

[ANAZAZI]

theres no point in "worrying" about it. when it all goes to be nice in a handbasket, it doesnt matter how prepared you are. the masses will rob and pillage us all when they get hungry and if you think you can stock up on enough ammuntion to ward them off think again. just lay low and try to make it thru the first 3 or so culls. if you can make it pass the sick and elderly die-off, and dont get killed in a theif versus defender scuffle, and then outlast the lazies, you should be good to go assuming you have SOME survival skills or some skill to barter. personally i'm in favor of a cosmic do-over.

I'm glad to meet another "glass half full" kinda guy.

***

Here's another "half full". Geez, I hope it never comes to that, but if it does . . . . I think we could hold our own. First, we'd scoot out the MF135's that seem to think we wouldn't/couldn't/shouldn't defend. Then, we'd deal with the more serious threats.

There are many more serious threats than old reliable tractors; most of which never opinionate anything of the kind. Go directly to the serious threats!