Ever wonder...

Why the cost of living continually rises? Seriously, I know "greed" is the common denominator but where does the blame go for the rise of the cost of living when everybody claims they want to lower it?

Take politicians for example. No matter the party affiliation, they always campaign on "helping out the working middle class." Yet no matter the winner, the cost of living rises.

Sure, there are temporarily small targeted reductions that are usually short lived but the fact is if you take each decade and analyze them everything cost more, taxes are higher and fees for services are raised at their end in stark contrast to their beginning.. How can this be when every single candidate runs on the platform of "easing the burden" and making all "pay their fair share.?"

The answer is two fold. 1. Greedy politicians either succumb to the temptations and peer pressure brought on by their peers or they just lie to begin with to get into office. 2. As the politicians make promises we ( as in you and I ) greedily vote for what benefits us personally without much consideration for long term affects.

The fact is everybody wants more for less. So people tell us what we want to hear to get what they want. Then apologize while simultaneously pointing their fingers at the other guy for "having" to disappoint. If we could abandon our greed and insecurities personally, then we can eliminate them politically.
Thus getting rid of the stereotype fitting politicians we're stuck with today.

Of course that will hurt at first...any takers? For a better tomorrow?

Decius,

In short, yes I'm sure. I see your point about inflation though. But I believe your statement would be more accurate if you had said "inflation devalues pensions and savings more drastically than those readily earning." From my personal perspective a paycheck today doesn't go as far as my paycheck ten years ago went. Even though I make considerably more now. Inflation isn't benign. It exist so government political hacks can by votes. And when government spends frivolously in order to reinforce their importance and presence in our daily lives the cost of living can't help but rise. This is so because government does not generate economic wealth or stability, it only takes from what already exist. Printing more dollars in order to impart upon us the illusion of wealth and stability along the way... In their efforts to appear more effective as they hide what they skim from the top.

Anyway, the main point of my post was that no matter who or what we vote for, the cost of living will rise because the powers that be have an agenda and they're going to work to achieve that agenda, what ever it may be. And our personal agendas right or wrong be dammed. We are just a means to advance their careers and it will take huge sacrifices on our parts to break that cycle. I think from what you're saying about the correlation of decadence and decline between the Roman Empire and the United States; we are in agreement, yes?

Ps.

"This is not normal!"

From what I can tell, it appears to be normal and that's the problem. Guess that would be better explained on another thread though.

Inflation directly affects all income by sheer devaluation of the dollar itself. And wages don't tend to keep up with inflation either. Especially not this borderline hyper inflation.

Compensatory market adjustments make it worse by raising prices to keep up rediculous profit margins that were half the problem to begin with.

I disagree with the hopeless sentiment Decius attributes to the current political situation. Well, I still have some hope

He is quite right about how rediculous it is that Bachman supposedly won the straw poll, but if it is because she is a "tea party" candidate, or perceived to be, then that is an excellent sign.

Not that the tea partiers are all as aware as they should be to the true depth of the issues at play. But they have some of the proper foundations in place for their direction in policy setting.

Although many are still trying hard to undercut or ignore the significance of that straw poll and the debate, Ron Paul's national recognition and acceptance just took a quantum leap forward and that is phenomenal news.

Manbible, if you are looking for a candidate to vote for with trust towards sanity and responsibility attempting to address the real issues, Paul is your man. I'm curious if you are familiar with him.

As with most decadent societies, severe trauma is often needed to reawaken them to personal responsibility.

These wars, home grown tyranny, and specifically this economic situation is starting to cause exactly that. The flow of information from the internet got it started, then alternative media solidified things much more, but now reality is starting to kick people in the teeth bypassing more and more denial.

The advantage America has over the other suffering countries affected by this is our constitution which is far more recent and freedom minded.

We don't have to start from scratch or let our entire society collapse in order to fix our part of the mess. Because this economic situation has very little to do with America specifically, the forces behind the problems are multi national.

Addressing the central banking issues has been attempted and succeeded more than once in America, and failed as well, but it is the core issue that affects all the rest. Giving the solution a simplicity that is both encouraging and refreshing vs. all the bull all the spinners and confused and ignorant people are fighting about.

Which is also why Ron Paul's message resonates so well. Though deep and complicated in certain ways, its remarkably simple.

Stop letting international bankers lend us our own money at interest, stop giving them the power to adjust the flow of money and interest rates with no oversight, stop spending trillions on illegal, immoral, destabilizing wars that actually cause more problems and decrease world safety, brings those troops home have them help defend our borders like they are designed so we can have proper economic trade relations with the world instead of trying to hold it under our thumb for these conspirators.

The results of this straw poll and some of the reactions to it have given me the most hope I've had in the political situation in quite some time.

Paul is finally being recognized as a real candidate who can win and a lot of pundits are having to eat some crow and even some like Sean Hannity, one of the worst, is actually doing so fairly openly.

And actually manbible, governments are one of the primary sources of economic growth through investments, however, there just so happens to be another huge conspiracy behind the rediculous amount of profits being kept from the people.

It has been calculated by insiders that if things were run properly without conspired corruption, we the people would be receiving a check from the government and paying little to no taxes at all, and definitely no income tax.

The comprehensive annual financial reports of all local towns, districts, cities, states, and the federal government have been exposed in the past as sheer frauds foisted upon the people.

Its disturbingly disgusting the numbers that were shown. The whole budget vs. deficit vs. the lesser known true income was shown to be almost beyond comprehension.

So much money is simply left off the books when making the budget and then when the fake budget hits a deficit because we spend too much, up go the taxes raping us even more.

It truly is diabolical.

But once we establish proper transparency and oversight and the people take back their power from this growing tyranny, they will be so shocked, angered, amazed and relieved by how simple the answers are and how much better life will be when we finally break this cycle.

And Paul is the only candidate tackling the true issues and promoting the correct solutions. And that's not some blubbery fan boy talk either. Its a very sad fact.

But he understands and sees the corruption and he refuses to be bought off, but even if he was killed or corrupted, he is educating people and with this knowledge we could survive even that, if we do what is needed.

Ironwood,

I agree with your remarks about inflation.

As far as Ron Paul is concerned I must confess I haven't taken him too seriously. I like what he said a lot back in 2008 but he just didn't have the charisma it takes to win the presidency. Granted, neither did McCain but for some unknown reason the GOP propped him up as the lessor of two evils at the time. I also got the impression he (Ron Paul) wouldn't declare war under any circumstances and although these recent wars are suspect to say the least, I do believe there are things worth fighting for. I will educate myself on his platform before the primaries as well as the other candidates and keep an open mind however.

Lastly, you're correct in that government can contribute to economic growth with investments, however you missed the point of my statement. Government doesn't produce anything tangible i.e. in the way of manufactured or farmed commodities. Those are generally produced by the labor of the private sector. Often because someone decides to to risk all that they have in order to build a business that produces tangible goods for sale. So naturally they should reap the rewards if their gamble pays off. That's not to say there is no corruption in commerce, but government corruption with the authority it has in our lives is far more sinister. The money government uses to invest is taken by way of taxes, fees and bureaucratic offices. All the time with stated good intentions but all too often fall prey to the diabolical corruption that you mentioned.

Ah, but since so much is actually owned by the government, I'm guessing that too can be argued. But none of it would matter if we acted as engaged and informed people who are supposed to keep our government in check. Because in this country we are supposed to be the government.

Paul is not against war, just unconstitutional war.

I am very curious now as too just how suspect to you these current wars are. Because feel great confidence in stating that the evidence suggest they are giant conspiratorial lies of conquest to finalize the new world order one world government.

Paul knows this and he knows where to focus efforts to combat this issue.

My trust in him comes from his solid unimpeachable voting record thirty years strong.

Unlike any other candidate or president I've lived to witness, even though I may not agree with him on all points, I both agree with him on what I feel is most important and I don't fear him pushing his agenda on me on any areas I may disagree.

quote:

"Ah, but since so much is actually owned by the government, I'm guessing that too can be argued. But none of it would matter..."

True, we probably could go back and forth on this...and it would be moot if we could just right the wrong that has become our government.

I conducted a brief study of the bilderbergers, not the in-depth research that I did on the scriptures. It was enough to convince me that official reasons given for government actions with the backing of major corporate interests aren't always the primary reason. And for good reason, their actions would never be supported if the primary reason were revealed.

I should familiarize myself with Pauls voting record, it seems.

Pauls record is interesting. He's known as Dr No because he refuses to pass wasteful spending bills with all manner of special interest agendas added as well. But it can be fairly well summed up as aggressively advocating sound money, balanced budget, pro life, and reinstating the constitution and reducing government to constitutionally authorized limits while promoting engaged and empowered citizens.

All familiar concepts but what is different is that he doesn't just pay lip service to them or make false promises to achieve political points.

When you get to the depths of the bilderbergers you wont be happy with what you find.

I recommend looking into Reece committee congressional investigation. There is a great interview done with the lead investigator, if your not already aware of the agendas and the practices, it may blow your mind. I forget the guys name at the moment but it shouldn't be hard to find and I may edit and add it here.

This is one of the most important videos I've ever seen.

I will have to get back to you on the video when I have time to watch it.

For now though, does Ron Pauls lack of charisma concern you? I realize that if people just voted on what is the right thing to do then it shouldn't be an issue, but the problem is that it is an issue. If he is not seen as electable, he won't be.

I don't think he lacks charisma, he gets quite impassioned at times.

He has old school charm, and he's a fighter, he actually reminds me of the founding fathers in a way.

But I can't speak too much to this absurdity of the farcicle popularity contest nature of what our election process has become and the people who think in such manners, not without a lot of swearing anyway.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I've had candidates I felt that way about but knew I'd be wasting my vote if I didn't vote for mister popular. Very frustrating because if you vote true to your convictions under those circumstances you're enabling the greater of the evils to win depending on your perspective. ARRRRRHHHH!!!

Its easier for me because once you know about the conspiracy you can see that there aren't any other candidates, only more bought and paid for mouth pieces. And I feel the only wasted vote is the untrue vote.

But Paul is coming forward with a grass roots and mainstream that hasn't been seen in awhile. Kind of like ross perot and that consumer advocate guy whose name escapes me.

And if we are lucky, it will be the majority who are educated and active enough to make him the only candidate to bother voting for anyway.