Obama and world: US can't live like before, yet we have to?

DougMD · 01-09-2009, 11:36 AM

I find it ironic that Obama said we can't be the consumer, living beyond our means society that we have been, on the one hand, yet we need to get our economy back to where it was on the other hand. That's saying that indeed we do need to live large again so everyone is employed and he can jack up taxes. Other countries are the same way. They hate our nation's lifestyle, but now hope and praythat it be restored to what it was so we buy their goods and keep their own economies from faltering. Frankly, I agree that we need to live within our means, and think that propping up housing prices to artificially high levels by keeping interest rates low and people from defaulting is not the answer, and ultimately won't work anyway! Maybe Obama should stick with his earlier comment and not contradict it by pouring trillions of dollars we don't have into it!!

cascadedad · 01-09-2009, 11:46 AM

Doug, you just don't understand!!!!

slicendice · 01-09-2009, 11:51 AM

The way I look at it is that economy goes through fat times and lean times. It's just the way it works. We got too fat and now the economy is trying to purge itself. We need to the gov't to do less and let the economy right itself on it's own or else we're just prolonging the process.Look at the housing crisis for instance.11 years ago, I bought a house for next to nothing. A few years later, people who had bad creditstarted getting loans and the price of houses went through the roof. A house that was$100,000 when I bought mine was suddenly going for $300,000. People who had good credit couldn't afford a house anymore. Now that the people who shouldn't have gotten loans to begin with are foreclosing and the housing market is in shambles. Let it happen. Let these people lose their houses andthen the market will purge itself and soon enough people will be able to afford houses again.

As far as the world saying they needus to right our economy, I say screw em.Take care of ourselves first, then let the world ride our coat tails after the fact.

burniegoeasily · 01-09-2009, 11:57 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: slicendice

The way I look at it is that economy goes through fat times and lean times. It's just the way it works. We got too fat and now the economy is trying to purge itself. We need to the gov't to do less and let the economy right itself on it's own or else we're just prolonging the process.Look at the housing crisis for instance.11 years ago, I bought a house for next to nothing. A few years later, people who had bad creditstarted getting loans and the price of houses went through the roof. A house that was$100,000 when I bought mine was suddenly going for $300,000. People who had good credit couldn't afford a house anymore. Now that the people who shouldn't have gotten loans to begin with are foreclosing and the housing market is in shambles. Let it happen. Let these people lose their houses andthen the market will purge itself and soon enough people will be able to afford houses again.

As far as the world saying they needus to right our economy, I say screw em.Take care of ourselves first, then let the world ride our coat tails after the fact.

I agree.

DougMD · 01-09-2009, 12:30 PM

Me too, that's the point of my thread, let the market work it out. All we're doing is trying to add more pain to our future generations on top of the normal problems they will already endure with normal ups and downs, just so we don't have to go through and hardship now, and that's rather selfish! Don't we care about our kids and grandkids enough to give them an opportunity of having a decent life?

cascadedad · 01-09-2009, 01:15 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: slicendice
I say screw em.

Sorry, can't do that. Our economies are so tightly woven (messed up), we need them as much as they need us. [:@]

falcon · 01-09-2009, 01:35 PM

The four presidents and the congressmen/womenwho are responsible for over 90 percent of our national debt could care less about future US generations. Those political pukes care only about those whose pockets they are in. I watched a generic political blissninny gush on TV: "We have pulled one billion Indians and Chinese out of poverty." Never mind that the US standard of living is fast going into thesewer.

Aught Six · 01-09-2009, 04:09 PM

Quote:

The four presidents and the congressmen/womenwho are responsible for over 90 percent of our national debt could care less about future US generations. Those political pukes care only about those whose pockets they are in.

And that makes politicians unique?

We're all looking after our own interests...

Centauri · 01-09-2009, 07:06 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Aught Six

Quote:

The four presidents and the congressmen/womenwho are responsible for over 90 percent of our national debt could care less about future US generations. Those political pukes care only about those whose pockets they are in.

And that makes politicians unique?

We're all looking after our own interests...

They work for us though. By being a politician, you sacrifice your interests.

James B · 01-09-2009, 09:17 PM

Well he is right about one thing. Many Americans have been living way beyond their means. We are going from the American dream to the American nightmare.

I drive around our town and see people's houses and yards. Many have three or four SUV's, Motorcycles, Four Wheelers, two or three boats, a motor home, Big Garden Tractors and a three acre yard. I can't help thinking Man, they are making big money OR they mortgaged their homes to the hilt. I guess I know which one it was as many of those places are for sale. However they paid 300,000 for a 80,000 dollar house which they can't even sell for 80,000.

As some of you said, the government just can't buy everyone out of the hole they dug themselves into. The government only has what they take from us or of course keep doing what we have been for many years, print more money which has no value behind it. Print more money so the game can go on and on? OR WHAT.

They can only give to some, what they take from someone else.