Do you fear the desintegration of society as we know it?

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Do you fear society as we know it changing?
Dread it 10%  10%  [ 4 ]
Apprehensive 23%  23%  [ 9 ]
Indifferent 25%  25%  [ 10 ]
Other ______________________________________ 43%  43%  [ 17 ]
Total votes : 40

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26 Sep 2009, 8:17 am

I am in favor, for all of the good things that ever happened have the same explanation.
It happened because we stopped doing it wrong.
Wrong is a habit that is not noticed till it causes a problem, and something that can end broadly, quickly.

Our current problems are caused by doing good, the wrong way.
We wish to aid the poor, disabled, so we create programs to provide food, housing, then let them be run by government emloyees, which use up most of the funding, creating real jobs, and the other programs are run by banks, realtors, such as FHA housing, and the result is producing a lot more poor people.

The goals of the programs were not shared by those who ran them.

Now that banks, realtors, builders, are collecting first unemployment, then food stamps, having lost everything they were in debt for, but not the debts, they have a clearer view of the problems of the poor.

Unemployment is mostly private sector, so tax increases to pay for the government failures will fall mostly on the half that work for government. Many will find that when everyone is broke there are not the taxes to pay them to regulate, so they will join the displaced masses.

Recent protest marches by the Califonia public employees are funny. Their hours have been cut, the other choice would be firing half of them, and they protest. If the poor had protested, these are the people who would have sent in the Riot Squad and the National Guard, and put them in their place.

It would have been much cheaper to give the aged, blind, disabled, a house, twenty years of food stamps, medical care, and a monthly check. Then there would have been little need for the government welfare jobs that are now falling, and taking a lot more with them. Perhaps they could have even found productive employment.

The blessed with social connections and power are now behind on a $35 Million loan, malls, office buildings, hundreds of new houses, and their net woth carries a minus sign, followed by more than they could ever earn.

In the 90s the Resolution Trust cleaning up the Savings and Loan sold $90,000 homes to poor people for $12,000 with nothing down, financed at low rates. The FDIC now owns a lot of homes through failed banks, and the government through taking over Fanny and Freddie. They have to get rid of them within a few years, and the housing market might not show signs of life for decades.

This is much worse than prior recessions, the houses will have to sell very cheaply, for they will not go up in value, and are an expense to keep. The second factor is the inflation that will follow this mess will reduce the value of the dollars that will go for paying off the house.

The new rich are those who lived modestly, owned what they owned, had their own income, and that group is saving and paying down their debt at a very high level. They are only spending what they have to, and that is bad news for banks and credit cards. The good debt paid off, and them left with the bad.

The only way to get a living wage for the poor and those just starting is not through raising pay, but by reducing the cost of housing, food, utilities, till someone who is working can afford them.

Those who wish the economy to be restored are living in a dream, even if it was it would take years to put people back to work, and there is nothing to base it on, companies are profitable because they have laid off the workers and quit producing, that will not last long without customers and production.

Our system was based on the social climbing ways of Yuppi Scum, and now that is gone, never to return.

Government has overthrown it's self. They had to cover their bets when all lost, and now if they do not feed the people they will be eaten. It is a new concept for Government, to serve the People, but they better get used to it real fast.

Disintegeration is the right word, for only an Illusion can vanish as quickly.

Reality, is that which even if you do not believe in it, is still there.

For the period of transition I have plans of a long camping trip, outdoor clothes, self contained, in places with few people.

One more for the mountains.



ruveyn
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26 Sep 2009, 8:21 am

The old disintegrates, the new emerges. So it has always been.

ruveyn



TheDoctor82
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26 Sep 2009, 2:17 pm

ruveyn wrote:
The old disintegrates, the new emerges. So it has always been.

ruveyn



Thank you.

The only thing no one seems to understand, somehow, is that second part...since y'know....the news never covers it, and the people who've lived and experienced never want to pay attention to it either. So that has always been as well. :lol: :lol: :lol:



Dilbert
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26 Sep 2009, 4:54 pm

BRING! IT! ON!

I'm former .mil with survival skills. I'd be fine.

If it came to it, I would take about 15 minutes loading the gear into the Jeep and I'd leave the city. I know a little forest service road to take through the mountains.



Callista
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26 Sep 2009, 6:25 pm

I don't dread it, I prepare for it.

Actually, I hang out here---
http://zombiehunters.org/forum/

Basically, a bunch of zombie movie fans who are into sustainable living, hunting, guns, and generally being as self-sufficient as possible... I figure if you can survive a zombie apocalypse, you can survive anything. The zombie thing kind of helps it not to get so tinfoil-hatty. Tends to be politically conservative, but with a specific rule about not talking politics lest the forum explodes, so it works out OK, at least for political moderates like me.

Realistically, of course, a focus on being able to survive alone will--odds are--only come into general use during minor disasters, like getting hit with a tornado, having your house burn down, a long-term power outage, or getting evicted after getting fired and not being able to pay the rent. The odds for really major disasters are low. Some people, though, can't ignore even the low odds; so they make common sense preparations like keeping a decent amount of food around, learning to defend themselves and their families, having a plan to evacuate, and learning useful skills like growing food, raising animals, and doing basic medical care.

They are quite annoyed with conspiracy nuts and katana fanboys, though. :)


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26 Sep 2009, 6:50 pm

Greentea wrote:
I find many, many Aspies on WP who don't seem to feel the same way, and the possibility of society change doesn't make them feel threatened.


Children with Asperger's Syndrome need structured routine.
Google: "Asperger's Syndrome routine"
Here we go: http://www.google.com/#hl=en&safe=off&q ... 451c9fb627