Sermon for Today

[Caustic Burno]

Bear with me as I am not an eloquent writer as many on the board, I have to get in the pulpit for a brief moment after reading the news and tractor board. Did you see where Ford is laying off 30,000 worker GM is laying off 30,000 also. Because we don't want American corporations to make profits that supply American workers with good paying jobs, and benefits. But we want the American consumer to buy our beef and make record profits seems a little one way. That Japanese tractor or car as well as the German,Italian,French one was paid for in American blood, Japan laid 3000 American service men to there death at Pearl Harbor and many thousands more as we marched across the pacific. Countless more thousands died in North Africa, Italy, the beaches at Normandy in the March across Europe to Germany. Germany,Japan, Italy,France and to a lesser extent England were rebuilt with American dollars through the Truman Policy, we pumped billions of American dollars to rebuild these countries, there factories and refining they never repaid one cent.
I pray to God that your grandchildren will be able to place there right hand over their heart and pledge allegiance to the Stars and Stripes and worship in a Christian church.
Every production, assembly plant refining job we lose in this country we lower our standard of living and weaken the strength of our nation.
We are the enemy here, after some research JD is building the 5000 series in Ga. Kioti has an assembly plant in NC that was the only two facilities I could locate in the USA.
We are quickly becoming a service provider nation that produces nothing, which is sapping the very strength of this country. So the next time you start to buy that next purchase think about saving a few dollars on this end just think of the original cost.

 

[mitchwi]

Caustic - I agree with you... and in that same thought process I try to buy from local merchants rather than the "discount stores". This is a rippling effect tearing through our country.

Caustic - on another post here you mentioned "wall street and returns on your investments" I don't mean to get personal, but I am wondering if you "practice what you preach" ;-) from your pulpit and invest in American stock also? I know it can be hard to do, especially when retirement accounts are sifting in the "fund" area.

And now you have me thinking/wondering if there are funds that are 100% american stock available?

Good post by the way!

 

[warpaint]

Preach on, Brother Burno!

Amen :cowboy:

 

[mitchwi]

We are the enemy here, after some research JD is building the 5000 series in Ga. Kioti has an assembly plant in NC that was the only two facilities I could locate in the USA.

Also, I am not sure if I am reading this sentence correctly? Are you talking about ag equipment plants only?

 

[Caustic Burno]

Caustic - I agree with you... and in that same thought process I try to buy from local merchants rather than the "discount stores". This is a rippling effect tearing through our country.

Caustic - on another post here you mentioned "wall street and returns on your investments" I don't mean to get personal, but I am wondering if you "practice what you preach" ;-) from your pulpit and invest in American stock also? I know it can be hard to do, especially when retirement accounts are sifting in the "fund" area.

And now you have me thinking/wondering if there are funds that are 100% american stock available?

Good post by the way!

It is getting harder and harder to find mutual funds with just American companies in them that pay good returns . American Washington Mutual is a good Christian based fund for years averaged 13 or so % on return not this year I still retain shares in this fund in my portfolio out of some sense of loyality.. I have a T Rowe Price fund that was American since incepton in 1969 the fund is now being loaded with ADR's as this is a speciality fund in energy . One of the best funds I have found for being cosistent is a Fidelity bond fund which has a return of 14 to 15 % and deals in American bonds. Funds are safe and usually don't make the money of single stocks it is all about risk tolerance. I have heavyly invested in Valero and Exxon. The situation in Iran makes Valero very dicey in the upcoming year as thay are only a refining company and not diversified as Exxon in all of the energy business from drilling the hole to the consumer.
I am thinking it is time for Valero to go to the salebarn.

 

[Caustic Burno]

We are the enemy here, after some research JD is building the 5000 series in Ga. Kioti has an assembly plant in NC that was the only two facilities I could locate in the USA.

Also, I am not sure if I am reading this sentence correctly? Are you talking about ag equipment plants only?

Tractors assembled in the USA.

 

[Rustler9]

TTCLM:

I saw this on a church sign once it read.... GIT-R-Done Fer god

.

Doesn't the :g: in god need to be capitalized?

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

I hope future generations can not only pledge to the Stars and Bars but to the Stars and Stripes as well, right Caustic? And of course to the Lone Star, for us Republic of Texas patriots. :heart:

 

[lakading]

I agree with you about the moral foundation of this country. However, I take exception with you blaming GM and Ford's problems on the American consumer. Blame the corporate management for not being able to move their product. If I cannot sell all of my yearling bulls, it is not the fault of my neighbors who travel to neighboring states to buy bulls. It is not the fault of the out of state ranches for targeting customers in my area. It is MY OWN FAULT for being a poor marketer. If I cannot fulfill my customers' needs/wants with my product then I do not deserve the sale. If I'm stuck with product that I did not market well, then I over produced.

It seems people think that consumers should just jump at the chance to buy a product because it is mad in America. Maybe they should. That isn't how capitalism works though. You have to convince the customer that your product is superior, no matter what your past.

The real problem is that people don't want to work as hard as generations past. Not only that, but they want to hold somebody else accountable for their failure.

It is a touchy subject, I know. I prefer made in the USA any day. I also expect top quality. As long as they go hand in hand, there isn't a problem.

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

Another part of Ford and GM's problem is that their non-wage payroll related costs are incredibly high --- things such as medical insurance and other very generous benefit items, handsome pensions, ever increasing number of pensioners, etc.

 

[Susie David]

Arnold hit a real sensitive nerve...only a matter of time when the number of folks that receive benefits reaches critical mass and the profit generated by the product is unable to sustain the dollars required to pay the bill. I'm not knocking retirement but the corporate management and stradigists have failed to compensate for the impending crisis. The time of the gravy train has run out and we are going to be more focused on planning for our own retirement.
I'm all for limiting imports and forcing the corporations to buy, hire and produce American...we cannot support the world without taking care of our own first.
DMc

 

[Caustic Burno]

I agree with you about the moral foundation of this country. However, I take exception with you blaming GM and Ford's problems on the American consumer. Blame the corporate management for not being able to move their product. If I cannot sell all of my yearling bulls, it is not the fault of my neighbors who travel to neighboring states to buy bulls. It is not the fault of the out of state ranches for targeting customers in my area. It is MY OWN FAULT for being a poor marketer. If I cannot fulfill my customers' needs/wants with my product then I do not deserve the sale. If I'm stuck with product that I did not market well, then I over produced.

It seems people think that consumers should just jump at the chance to buy a product because it is mad in America. Maybe they should. That isn't how capitalism works though. You have to convince the customer that your product is superior, no matter what your past.

The real problem is that people don't want to work as hard as generations past. Not only that, but they want to hold somebody else accountable for their failure.

It is a touchy subject, I know. I prefer made in the USA any day. I also expect top quality. As long as they go hand in hand, there isn't a problem.

Ah but here in lies the problem you are buying a product that you spent billions of dollars to subsidize in rebuilding there factories and infrastructure .

 

[Caustic Burno]

Another part of Ford and GM's problem is that their non-wage payroll related costs are incredibly high --- things such as medical insurance and other very generous benefit items, handsome pensions, ever increasing number of pensioners, etc.

Ah let see Arnold going back a few years the average American worker had to work till he died and had no medical insurance and didn't earn enough to send his kid to college. The trade Unions raised the standard of living for everyone in this country by winning a fair wage and benefits for their famlies, even the non union workers profited from this as if there companies wanted to attract competent workers they had to pay comparable wage and benefits. Well we can go to a National health plan that would raise our tax base to the 50 % range like Sweden etc.

 

[lakading]

Everyone deserves a fair wage.

Wages would seem more fair if people stopped living above their means.

If you want to reap the rewards from a business you should expect to assume some of the risks. Not just show up for an 8 hour shift.

 

[mitchwi]

Everyone deserves a fair wage.

Wages would seem more fair if people stopped living above their means.

If you want to reap the rewards from a business you should expect to assume some of the risks. Not just show up for an 8 hour shift.

I agree fair wage for work performed.

I can see your point to the risk, kinda...., but I don't think I agree. I think if you are hired for a job, your only risk should be losing it under fault of your own. Not to say you wouldn't lose it if the business fails. Risk for the business is held by the owners/shareholders. An employee doesn't have say on how that business is running (per se). So why should they be accountable for the risk?

 

[lakading]

Everyone deserves a fair wage.

Wages would seem more fair if people stopped living above their means.

If you want to reap the rewards from a business you should expect to assume some of the risks. Not just show up for an 8 hour shift.

I agree fair wage for work performed.

I can see your point to the risk, kinda...., but I don't think I agree. I think if you are hired for a job, your only risk should be losing it under fault of your own. Not to say you wouldn't lose it if the business fails. Risk for the business is held by the owners/shareholders. An employee doesn't have say on how that business is running (per se). So why should they be accountable for the risk?

My point exactly. They shouldn't be accountable for the risk. Therfore, they should not expect anything more than a fair wage. They are trading their time for a wage that they agreed to. The owners/management are leveraging the time that they bought and assuming all of the risk to hopefully produce a profit. The employee has no right to expect a portion of that.

As for unions, I'll admit that I'm ignorant to their workings, however I find them to be a little infuriating.

 

[mitchwi]

As for unions, I'll admit that I'm ignorant to their workings, however I find them to be a little infuriating.

Unions are a necessity!

 

[lakading]

Unions are a necessity!

Please elaborate.

 

[Crowderfarms]

Unions are a necessity!

Please elaborate.

Unions are great as long as some flunky doesn't get protection from them to keep his job, when he should be terminated.That's where I have a problem with Unions, shielding bad employees.

 

[Susie David]

Yeah and God-forbid that the non-performer is a minority or gay. Unions do provide the security of hiring knowledgable tradesmen. I've not been on the "bargaining unit" side of he table but have delt with strikes and threatened walk-outs.
DMc