Russia, China, Ukraine, Taiwan and Uncle Sam

 

     Russia, China, Ukraine, Taiwan, and Uncle Sam are in the news more and more and will be pumped for all they are worth for the distraction value they bring in taking as many eyes off  Covid and the domestic failures of the current administration as they can. We have a weak POTUS right now and both Russia and China see that far better than those in our own country.

     As things stand right now I will throw my thoughts out here and now, when it comes to Russia moving forward with its invasion of Ukraine it will happen and we the United States and the EU will do nothing more than protest and at the most put into place additional sanctions but nothing more.

     The reason why in my opinion the EU will not get involved directly is that Russia has an energy strangelhold over them, Sanctions of some sort maybe but sanctions mean nothing when the natural gas gets turned off and you freeze to death. Russia while not quite the powerhouse it once was is still a very formidable adversary that you do not want to tangle with especially when they are in their own region. 

     With respect to the United States getting involved over the Ukraine issue I am leaning toward a very slight chance that the US gets directly involved, I do see sanctions as well as the funneling of arms to Ukraine as far more likely ( We are already doing this ) In summation the EU and the US just do not have for the most part anything to gain by going up against Russia in Ukraine and to be honest I think that by the time the world would be able to reach to the invasion it would be all over and Russia would hold most of the country and no world power wants to dig out a Russian bear. 

     China invading Taiwan for me is the larger global concern I believe this invasion will happen in my opinion, and the United States will be involved. Taiwan makes close to 90% of all semiconductor chips and has long been considered Chinese soil and they want it back for both reasons. We have all seen how China respects human rights and laws, ponder the plight of Hong Kong, Uyghurs, Tibet, and any other of the dozens of atrocities they have committed so you can only imagine how the people of Taiwan would be treated. Add to that the stranglehold the Chinese would put on the rest of the world when they have control of the semiconductor industry, this can not happen. 

     As I have said I do believe the invasion will happen and China will choose very carefully when they attack and again the United States, as well as several other countries will be drawn in. China must strike very hard and very fast to achieve this, they must overwhelm the defenses of Taiwan's land, naval, and air forces before US naval carrier groups can aid in defense. Japan has pledged support and following that England, as well as Australia, could lend support if in a position to do so. Indian may be a player as well considering their growing economic ties. 

     There is no doubt that one or maybe both of these potential conflicts may happen and the implications of the top 6 militaries (US, Russia, China, India, Japan, South Korea) all for the most part being involved will be huge, add into this 4 of these nations have nuclear capability and the potential for escalation while always there can not be discounted.

Stay frosty my friends.

Prepology

 

So 2021 told 2020 to hold my beer

      So 2021 told 2020 to hold my beer and that begs the question of what 2022 will bring.

     2021 ended up as much of a $hit show as the previous year "14 days to slow the spread" has turned into years now and if the control freaks have their way it will last much longer. We also have the .gov spending money on projects that will not be completed until several years into the future! Are they taking a precautionary outlook in our best interests or do they want to keep a massive amount of peeps on edge over this. 

     The .gov could not fight it's way out of wet paper bag no matter what party is in office, they have done one thing well though and that is to get the masses to be as divided against each other and be very dependant on big daddy gov. Never should you be more afraid of big government and the last 2 years should be all the proof you need. 

     If any person in this country can say with a straight face that they honestly believe things in this country are in good working order well I have a bridge to sell you. I have said before that we in this country are living on the shirt-tails of the past, we no longer produce or even lead the way in many new technologies but we import and debt our souls into everything new and shiny and all the while dumbing ourselves down to the lowest common denominator. 

     I find it hard to predict what will happen in these next few years but I do not see us coming together on much of anything either foreign or domestic. Take your pick on the issues: Civil strife, China, Russia, North Korea, Economics, Venomous Ducks, Disease or Plague, Mother-in-law, Middle East, Food Shortages, all jesting aside the world is a very fragmented place and we are for the most part just along for the ride while a very small few decide what shitstorm gets thrown our way next. 

     2020 and 2021 has shown us that almost anything can happen and will happen, from lockdowns, shortages, to unemployment, nothing screams vulnerability more. All this and being prepared is still looked down upon but it does seem to be slowly creeping into the mainstream until things get better and then all will be forgotten again. While everyone waits for the "Big one" I am equally concerned with the slow slide that is happening all around us, at the micro-level it may not seem like much but if you look at it in the macro it is clear as day. While the direction of humanity may be clear as day far too many people go out of their way to not see it or outright deny it, everyone wants to feel safe without actually being safe. 

     If you are still with me after what may be considered a gloom and doom article then great because I never try and leave an article on a sour note, I always try and leave on a better note, That said I will give my opinion on how to make it better. I can not overstate how important location, location, location,  and a primary subcategory to that is GET OUT OF THE CITIES. There are few better things that you can do than put as much distance between yourself and cities. 

     Cities equal people and there are no other species as ruthless, vile, dangerous, and evil, look at any black Friday shopping event when the doors open and people fight over the television that is half price! just imagine if that was food they were after. If we were in another lockdown with shortages again, think of the toilet paper aisle on steroids. I will not trust my fellow man when times are tough in a city when we are so deep in the new ME ME ME world. To me a city only offers me one thing and that is high-level trauma centers, everything else you can workaround. 

     Rural living can bring a peace and security level that you just can not get in a city, people again are the focus. Far less people live in a rural setting and those that do want to be there and in my opinion are cut from a different cloth. The bonds you can and will make will be far stronger and by default, you will look out for each other. The advantages of being able to live in a more self-sufficient way will also bring a sense of pride and confidence, we have lost that as a society. Rural living does have it's challenges but life is full of challenges and anyone that puts in an honest effort can meet and surpass any and all challenges thrown their way.

     I hope this may spur in some a reflection of where you are in both life and location and help you make good choices that will benefit how and where you live, decisions and actions have consequences that either help or hurt you so choose wisely.

     "May you live interesting times" while a famous quote is now an understatement, I would add dangerous but opportunity, much like the red pill or the blue pill..... you decide!

Prepology.

     

Corona virus - Why not

Covid-19

     

The Corona Virus, Is there anything else out there at the moment on the minds of just about everyone in the world that is not living under a rock?

     Well as it is now being labeled a pandemic by the W.H.O. what are you and what can you do about it ? The hot word of the day is "Social Distancing" Nothing new for me I have been doing it for years but we are a social animal and need out interactions, You might want to change that for a while. 

     There is a lot going on in the news today that is actually clearing shelves everywhere in the country of you guessed it.....Toilet paper. It has flown off the shelves and out the door along with a whole host of other supplies that you would associate with hurricane and bad weather events, eggs, milk and bread. The country is in a panic over this and if we look at the stock market you can see the fear gripping that as well as circuit breakers trip and records set for losses in a week but hey gas is getting pretty cheap right ;)

    But seriously if you are reading this then you have seen the writing on the wall for a few weeks and added to your hurricane, bad weather, social unrest, alien takeover and the like. Many people are just this week doing a double take at the news or what a fellow co-worker has said and thought it might be time to put a little extra into the kitchen cabinet.... Good I think you should considering that the average person has under a week of food at home. 

     If you are new here I would like to suggest the following basic supplies that actually do not at all seem out of the ordinary from what you might get over the coarse of a few shopping trips but with supplies dwindling with out just in time shipping it may be wise to put a little extra in the grocery cart.

     We are most happy when we have what we normally have to eat, put aside going out to eat for a while as that puts you in contact with people and let me tell you that even those 5 star restaurants are nasty and dirty trust me, not only that but people are really lax about washing hands, they just are so if you can cut back on the eating out.

     Now your list, buy what you eat its just that simple and the only change I would make is to just add to it but I would put an emphasis on some items that last longer, do not need refrigeration and can be eaten with as little preparation as possible, simple right? 

  

     My list and it has been shortened down a bit for brevity and generalization. 

1. Water (Because you can just not have enough)
2. Bleach (Disinfecting surfaces or worst case used to purify questionable water)
3. Canned foods ( open can insert spoon, done ) 
4. Batteries ( More uses that you can list on a chalk board )
5. Soup making ingredients ( big pot, lots of options and pretty easy ) 
6. Pastas, rice, beans ( It may get old but it is pretty easy and cheap ) 
7. Spices ( DO I really need to explain here lol )
8. Canned meats or regular meats if you are sure you will not lose power 
9. Paper products, Toilet paper, paper towels and paper plates ( Clean butts and less water usage )
10. General cleaning supplies (Gotta keep things clean) 

     This is a very basic list that can be manipulated to do what you need to work for you and is in now way complete, It could go into the hundreds of items but honestly nobody would want to read that so keep it simple, basics rule. 

     Keep in mind the 5 basics.

• Food
• Water 
• Shelter 
• Protection
• Information

     Everything else is a luxury.

KYPD 

Covid-19 active map link from Johns hopkins University

Dow Jones, today's causality

     Well today did not go to well for the American stock market, the Dow ended up -634.76 points to cap the day or -5.5% down.

     Asian markets took a beating as well last night and so did the markets in Israel, Global economy at it's best. You can say that the downgrading by S&P last Friday really rocked the world's financial markets and in a way that might be a good thing, yes I know people lost money and that sux but if you invest in what amounts to legalized gambling then there will always be those risks. The reason I see it as a good thing is that we have been  living beyond our means for some time and the reality of it all has finally come home to bite us in out collective ass.

     We never seem to learn a good lesson until it is too late, we are going learn a lesson off of this one way or another, I hope. I am not going to hold my breath though, common sense seems to have left the building a long time ago especially when it is something government is involved in.

     To me we are just one step closer to being in a world of hurt, I would love to know when or how far it will go but a psychic I am not so I will just go with the good old gut and ear-ball it. I will say though that we are in for some changes in the future and they are not the good hoe and changes that were muttered years ago by a certain person, time will tell. 

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Question for the readers

     OK everyone seems to have an opinion as of late on how the markets will fair when they open, it went terrible for the markets in Israel today and I have seen predictions that the Asian markets will not fair even better. What in turn does this mean for the US markets? Who knows but we will find out come Monday.

I do not expect for it to be too devastating but I would think it may not be too good either.

What are your opinions? I would like to hear them.

Update: As of 6:38 pm the New Zealand markets are already 100 points down. Yikes

Update as of 11:15 pm: all Asia/ Pacific markets are down, not terribly but they are still down and that may be a pretty good indication of how our markets may go come Monday, oh well such is life, the pied piper will be paid.

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S&P downgrades US debt from AAA

     Well I just saw a news blurb that the S&P has downgraded our debt from Triple A status, This should be interesting, it is funny how this is released late on a Friday after the markets close so I wonder how the markets will be affected come Monday. Are We SCREWED? Link below

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_US_DEBT_RATING?SITE=KYB66&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT



Edit to add: I do wonder how many people knew about this impending downgrade and if it can be attributed to the 500+ point stock market crash this week, Things that make you go HHHMMM

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This months jobs numbers, up, Really?

     So everyone is all excited about this months jobs numbers of around 117,000 + or -

Well on the front side yes it would look like things are moving forward for a change, pun pun.  I have one small problem though that ruins the party, the above number does not take into the account the fact that you have new people coming into the job market every month as well.

That number of new employment seeking individuals is roughly the same as the jobs added this month so I wouldn't call this report good at all, it just means we stopped the bleeding for one month and who knows what next month will bring. Now a good month will be a quarter or a half million jobs added followed by about four dozen months of the same numbers and I just do not see that happening either.

So where does this lead us? No where good that's for sure, the only place it will lead us is to where sooner or later and I am betting the latter we wake up and force Government to get the hell out of the way and quit meddling  and regulating us to death. It is tough enough to do business in this country as compared to other countries, now do not get me wrong I do not want out of control business practices that would harm the environment or workers but you have to be able to compete and we make that pretty hard right now. Another aspect that we really need to do is to shift our purchasing choices to more products made right here, that means jobs here. I really believe in taking care of our own workers first, I want to keep the money here. Will that product cost more? most likely yes but what is the cost of not buying it, lost jobs is the cost and you will pay for it dearly in other ways, food for thought....

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Question, Are We Really Broke?

     I was asked a question the other day, " Is the US really broke "

Now everyone has their own opinion on this and they are pretty varied. My answer to the question was pretty short, in fact I turned it around with my own question " You do know that the US BORROWS  about 5 BILLION  dollars a day right? "

Now I am no rocket scientist but to me when you have to borrow money everyday to support your habit and yes it is a habit then you have problems, namely that your broke right?


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Sunday Misc Thoughts, Debt Ceiling, Jobs and Adult supervision?

     For those of you who are familiar ICS-100 or other parts of the incident command system you know about "span of Control" now apply this to our Washington D.C. situation and we are clearly exceeding it on many fronts.
     A civilization needs it's rules and laws or else you have anarchy and a pretty poor standard of living, The District of Criminals or D.C. is making decisions for us that for a while now do not seem to be in our best interest, an echo from our past as I seem to recall we fought a war to break free from another ruler a couple of hundred years ago. Are we ready for another change? I think so. I have the feeling that being elected and moving to D.C. has an immediate negative affect on the I.Q. of said elected person, they seem to loose touch quite quickly with those who sent them there and thus fail to represent, Shocker huh. You have all heard that "all politics is local" well it should be but it is not, more and more it seems to be dictated by a few in D.C. that have lost all sense of reality in what it means to be a common working stiff, Oh they think they know whats best for us but do they really?
       
     As is painfully obvious right now these ( Insert Colorful Adjective Here ) have no concept of basic math and therefore have no clue in how to balance a budget hence our growing debt problem, you have to do it, I have to do it, most states have to do it, so why not our government? A common theme running around is that the rich need to pay more or corporations need to pay more, tax this or tax that well good luck with that because the rich already pay the bulk of taxes, corporations pay as well, GE didn't pay anything you say, yes they do but by other means, sales, property, payroll and other forms of taxes, keep in mind though that they employ people, but if you tax them more you will earn less and there product cost will go up and you will have one big vicious cycle.
     I have some novel concepts, how about for one we spend less, SHOCKING. how about we stop giving BILLIONS away to other countries, WW2 is over we won, how about we close all of the bases in Europe and Japan and let them be adults and spend their own money of their defense instead of us subsidizing them. Iraq, Afghanistan? we will in now way change thousands of years of culture or religion so why try, if we were to leave today or in ten years the end result will be the same they will both plunge into civil war the minute we leave, the only reason we are still there is that the Big O doesn't want it to happen on his watch.

     Entitlements, the nastiest third rail of all, Government promises that they can't keep and should have never made, Social Security I.E. Ponzi scheme on steroids who's time should end, too many people collecting when they have never paid in, not adjusted for inflation or a falling dollar, not adjusted or never meant to support you for twenty or thirty years after you retire. Sorry government was not created to take care of you, your supposed to have a brain for that but we have become lazy and greedy to the extreme as well as dependent on someone else taking care of us and we are now more happy than ever to vote in the people who will give us more of this.

     Granted there are still quite a few people out there with their heads screwed on tight but some still fail to recognize the fact that voting for the other party will change anything, I have long ago come to the conclusion that both the R's and the D's are but two shades of the same color yellow, as in chicken yellow and gutless to boot when it comes to dealing with the problems. We have example after example of how countries fail but we seem to at every chance decide to follow their lead down the wrong path, We are the United States we do not know failure, well we are not so United anymore and we will know failure, to what extent is unknown.

     Jobs, whats there to say, the numbers are IMHO still under reported , the funk seems to be with us still. There is demand out there for products and service, unfortunately too many people are buying those products that are made in other countries , hell I will be lazy on this one so as to not duplicate a previous post just go here and you can see my thoughts on the situation.

Repost on the Buy American Circular Firing Squad

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The Middle East, The Economy, Oil and Food

     To say that this month has been interesting would be an understatement, World wide events have been shocking, bloody and historic and it is not yet over. Egypt seems to have been the spark that has fanned the fire to a half dozen countries through out the middle east, fighting in the middle east is nothing new, The area has been fought over for as long as anyone can remember.  Current fighting seems to revolve around the removal of long standing dictators and an eye on some form of freedom.  Now I will never begrudge anyone or any group wanting to break away from a long term repressive dictatorship but there will be consequences. The question arises, who will take over, what will be different, how will my life be better or worse and will I be trading one dictator for another?  Leadership will eventually change that's a fact and more often than not the face changes but policy stays the same, there may be a change here and there for appeasement  but for the most part real change is slow to implement and in fact many people are scared of change due to the unknown. I wish them the best of luck.

     100 years ago no one would have batted an eye if the middle east decided to tear itself apart, that changed with the discovery of oil in Persia in 1908 and Saudi Arabia in 1938. Those two events would shape how the economies of the world grew and developed and it is more vital to the world economy now then ever. Like it or not, want it or not the world economy now revolves around what happens in any one country, we are in a sense interconnected like never before. Long ago when Man and Woman lived, worked and died within the range of 20 miles very little outside of that circle was a concern or even known about for that matter, global events were not an issue, that has changed for better and worse.


     The events of the middle east are on the radar of many countries due to the fact of trade  routes and yes oil. Oil is the life blood of many developed countries and without it they shut down it's just that simple. I remember and see on occasion those that protest with their signs that read "NO BLOOD FOR OIL" well whether you agree with the concept or not we are and will be for the foreseeable future an oil driven world and for those who want to do without you need to keep in mind that Oil is a part of everything we eat, wear live in and pretty much touch, you would be hard pressed to find an item that is not tied to oil either directly or indirectly. One of the largest areas we can tie oil to is our food supply, we as a whole no longer live in a farming type community, we have gone urban and dependent upon large commercial farming techniques to supply us. Long gone are the days of mule drawn plows, they have given way to half million dollar tractor systems that yes, run on fuel. That same fuel is now also used to truck and ship the food we eat on average over a thousand miles. There is no way we can go back to the old ways and sustain the population levels we have, some say we can not sustain what we have anyway but that's another article.

    In closing is is without doubt that we live in perilous and ever changing times, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Also with our constantly shrinking and inter-connected world it seems that even far distant events have an impact upon us. Now more then ever it would be very wise to take steps in order to lessen the effects of these world wide events upon yourself and your family.

Prepology    
Please feel free to re post or quote with proper attribution.

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Cotton Shortages And Clothing Pricing Going Up

      I caught on one of the network news channels the other day that stores will be charging up to 10% more for cotton related clothing, I had an article on this early last month:

World is almost sold out of cotton, ICAC reports

 Hopefully many of you took advantage of the situation ahead of time so as to not  endure the price increases. In this economy every dollar counts. Please check out the above linked article as there is some other information available. 

Prepology

Misc Thoughts 2-13

Image via Wikipedia

     Egypt: So unless you have been in a hole for the last few weeks the people over in Egypt have decided they are done with their president H. Mubarak, well after 30 something years in office I think I would agree. From what I have seen on the sphere here is that there roughly 2 groups of people or 2 trains of thought going about.

#1 Being that everyone is so happy the people of Egypt are rid of their oppressive Government and that they can now move towards something better. Somewhat reminds me of when the Soviet Union dropped communism  and tried Democracy/ Capitalism, They are still trying to figure it out as of now.

#2 Being that many are worried about the power vacuum that now exists and who will fill it, will it be a Democratic or an Islamic form of Government? No one knows at this point but many other Governments are watching and waiting, what Government is chosen though will define the region for better or worse.

There are a few reasons why Egypt is such a strategic area, one being the Suez Canal, this is a vital trade route and if there are any disruptions ( Minor ones when the internet was shut down ) They can affect the global market and create shortages and increased prices that will hurt everyone. This is the plan and goal of the Muslim Brotherhood who is one contender to fill the power vacuum in the country. Another stated goal of the MB is the destruction of Israel as the country shares a border with the country, Currently the two countries have a peace treaty and the military is honoring it at this time but with new leadership comes new or disregarded foreign policy. Needless to say Israel is watching very closely the events that are unfolding.

USA:  Same stupidity different day it seems. The ATF is catching more heat by the day for the Project gunrunner episode where they apparently let firearms be taken into Mexico and where one was used to kill a Border Patrol Agent , Check out  http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/   Mike V. has been covering it along with David C. over at the http://waronguns.blogspot.com/ 

Unemployment dropped to what 9% but we only added around 36,000 jobs, Um I am going to call B/S on that one, we need in this country to add 120,000 to 150,000 jobs every month just to keep up with the amount of new people coming into the job market so until we see huge numbers coming in every month that 9% means nothing, It really means nothing anyway as it does not count underemployed or those who have Quit looking, it is a feel good number and a flat out LIE.

I saw here the other day where a Congressman or a Senator said that not having a budget and the result would be congress shutting down might not be to bad of a thing, well I have to agree in a way that it would be good because then they couldn't spend and waste tax payer money but alas I woke up from that wonderful dream because the system is rigged in that they have to stay in business or the people will starve and die or not get their checks. Damn.

Cabin Update: We are working on electrical so there is not much to show but I will have enough to make a post of it here soon, we are going to try and pull the 2/0 wire today so if that happens ( Weather permitting  ) I will try and get some of the highlights up.

Related articles

• Muslim Brotherhood: Suez Canal Must be Closed, Egypt Should be Ready for War with Israel (wizbangblog.com)
• Opinion: Egypt needs more aid (politico.com)
• Egypt says Suez Canal to stay open, working well (reuters.com)

Raising The Debt Ceiling?

     Well not if you go by what the voters want. 62%  in a recent poll at The Hill  say that we should not raise the Debt Limit past the $14.3 Trillion mark and I agree. The problem though is that if you do not raise the limit then you risk the possibility of a default or a revision of the AAA bond rating and that causes all sorts of problems that we do not want.

     With this issue coming to a head here soon the options include either raising the limit with spending cut strings involved or the debt limit not being raised and immediate spending cuts being used to forgo default.  I choose the latter due to the fact that like anything if you give an inch they take a mile and when it comes to the debt history tells all.

     I have a real issue with us having a debt in the first place, that's  $14.3 Trillion remember, can you imagine the interest on this debt?  Government like the people should live within their means and that does not mean taxing us to death or spending our money to study the mating habits worms in some unheard of country. Speaking of taxes while most people want to increase them on the rich who already pay most of the taxes we would do better to look at the 47% who pay little or no federal taxes whatsoever, but that's another debate entirely.

     For the readers here what are your opinions about the debt? If you have an idea or strategy please comment on it and we will see if a new post can be made out of it.

Prepology

Jonathan Emord -- Federal Mandates: Bankrupting States and Destroying Federalism

Jonathan Emord -- Federal Mandates: Bankrupting States and Destroying Federalism

If you get a chance check this one out, not a bad read at all.

Prepology

Repost on the Buy American Circular Firing Squad

      I have touched on this concept a few times in the past in several different ways and my opinion on how well we Americans like to deliberately fail ourselves  remains unchanged. One area in particular that I do not think many people think through is the vicious cycle that we are in with regards to our economy, at this point in time who or what event caused it is not important  but the solution in getting out of it is!  I have no faith in our government or any other entity for that matter to get us out of it, for that matter I see it as a people issue, that's you and me folks. We have to fix this problem, yes it is a big problem, yes it take some sacrifice and yes if we do not fix it we will pass it on to our children to deal with in the future, that is if we have a future!

     OK in the simplest terms one problem I see that puts us in that circular firing squad with the economy is for example Joe schmuckatelli  ( sorry Joe ) is either unemployed or underemployed and has filed for unemployment insurance. Joe now with a reduced income tightens his belt to make ends meet, We all do this right? we all want the best price we can find  no matter what we shop on, we compare, we look for the deal. Now we do it even more to stretch the dollar and that is where most people leave it, right there with the lowest price for that product. This is where we have our problem and how we screw ourselves, Do you know where the product was made? Do we even care? Sadly most people do not know or worse yet even care they are just out for the best price, Best price on the face anyway but we fail to look at the overall cost or the human cost.

     Consider this, Joe used to work in a manufacturing plant making toasters ( substitute any consumer product ) As demand for this toaster went down people started to get laid off now you know people suddenly did not decide to give up their toast, What happened? well someone in another country decided to make that same toaster but the labor they use to make it with only costs them about a dollar a day so therefore the overall cost for this toaster in your local department store is much lower then the toaster Joe produces. Lower cost in a bad economy means people are more willing to buy a cheaper product both in cost and maybe quality. Now if people go out and buy more of the toaster that is made out of the country versus the toaster made in your country you will eventually end up with that person in this case Joe being laid off because his product is no longer in as high a demand, that means he will need his unemployment check or maybe food stamps so what does that toaster really cost you?

     Now I know some people will scream protectionism or that in some way a job created overseas will create a better job over here or that we will switch to a technology/ service economy but I will disagree. Why I will disagree is that not everyone is cut out for a technology job or a service job, take your pick. I hate to say it but there are a lot of people out there that have limited skills and have no desire to make better of themselves and therefore they will fit into a certain low level job market. This is not good nor is it bad, it is their choice to do as they wish and I would much rather buy a product that they make and keep them employed versus someone outside of the country. I believe that this should also apply to other countries too, they should take care of their own countrymen first as well.
The bottom line here is that where the product was made is important. Do you want your money to stay  in your country and be paid out as a salary to one of your countrymen or do you want it to leave the country and eventually hurt a worker here? There will always be a demand for a specific specialty product that is made in some other country and that is a good thing but for the majority of things I would like them to be made in their host country so as to benefit that country because there will never ever be parity in cost between different countries.

Prepology

CBO Says Social Security Is Broke, No Kidding

      So the Congressional Budget Office said on Wednesday that our Social Security program is going to start running deficits here real quick, like NOW. How does this sound, we are going to be paying out 45 BILLION more this year then we are collecting and we are expected to run completely dry 2037. I smell a problem brewing.

     Social Security is a failure and to me a flawed concept in the first place that is too susceptible to the changes of age demographics, inflation and thieves that raid it in Government. When initially envisioned and implemented you could expect at most to collect a year or two if you made it to retirement age at all, those times have changed to the point to where you will collect  for over 10 to 20 years. This is a level that can not be maintained  as has been seen from almost the start of the program but largely ignored.

     Good intentions may have been the goal of this program but people are now starting to realize that it may be impossible to maintain it in it's existing form if at all, I for one consider it no more than an elaborate PONZI  scheme that due to my age I guarantee I will loose out on but that's not the point. I feel I am responsible for my retirement plan and I want the opportunity to finance in ways that I feel will keep up with inflation and not be at the whims of someones decision.

     Why is the Issue of Social Security important, Simple it's your money that you are giving away every day you work that you may or may not get back, I have no doubt in my mind I will never see a dime. I in a heartbeat would sign a piece of paper from the Government saying I will never apply for SS and in return not have to pay into the system but the chances of that happening are next to nil as they need my money now to pay for a hundred things not related to SS.

     So what are the alternatives to SS, well none that I know of at the moment unless you want to totally drop off the grid but that is something most people can't or won't do. What I will suggest though especially if you are young it to plan like it does not even exist, I would just put it out of your mind and make your own plan to fund your golden years and if I am wrong then you get a bonus.

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12 Economic Collapse Scenarios

The Economic Collapse has a good article out today well worth reading dealing with some collapse scenarios.

Check them out:

12 Economic Collapse Scenarios That We Could Potentially See In 2011

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Obama Wants to Shed Rules That Hurt Job Growth

 By: Reuters

President Barack Obama Tuesday ordered a government-wide review of regulations with the goal of eliminating those that hurt job creation and make the U.S. economy less competitive. Read more.

I would hope that this is true and really happens but I have my doubts, Call me crazy but the Government does not reverse its self on stupidity bad regulations very often. I would go out on a limb here and say that we could drop half  of the regulations that stifle business right now and we would still be safer, cleaner and more responsible the most other countries out there. What really bothers me right now is that something like this should have been done 2 years ago instead of all the other legislation that has clogged up congress, Jobs should be the only thing on the mind of the legislature, I would prefer that they work on freeing things up versus adding another obstacle that will only drive out jobs to other countries. 

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Related articles

• Obama Orders Review Of Regulations (blogs.forbes.com)
• Obama Seeks to Cut Job Blocking Rules (time.com)

States Warned of $2 Trillion Pensions Shortfall

By: Nicole Bullock, Financial Times

US public pensions face a shortfall of $2,500 billion that will force state and local governments to sell assets and make deep cuts to services, according to the former chairman of New Jersey’s pension fund. Read more.

You know when you see numbers like the ones in the article it makes a million sound like a small number, Damn that's bad when yo can say that a million sounds small  but in the big scheme I guess it is.  When you see these article that keep coming out about how pensions are unfunded or need bailouts or are in serious trouble I have to wonder how they were set up in the first place. I would imagine that the people who set these things up are well above room temperature and that these plans are well thought out, are they? That said why would you set something up that is doomed to fail and when it fails you try to Joe public to bail them out, WRONG, WRONG and how can I say WRONG. Like too big to fail  or theft, when I see a pension that fails and I am not a party to it why the hell should I be on the hook for it, I didn't make the problem, neither do I want to be a part of the  problem. People are going to be hurt by poorly set up and run pensions and that sucks, stupid should hurt and then you should learn from it and not make the same mistakes. To do otherwise or to steal from me to cover your mistakes is just that, stealing.

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Related articles

• On risk (economist.com)
• N.J.'s unfunded pension liability grew 18 percent in a year (philly.com)
• The War on Public Employees, Cont'd (news.firedoglake.com)

Energy, Food and the Chinese Economy article

A reader Rick In CO  here flagged an article over at naked capitalism worth reading with some insight on our energy, food and how it has and might affect China.

La Niña as Black Swan – Energy, Food Prices, and Chinese Economy Among Likely Casualites

Rick is also a blogger with his own site so check him out when you get a chance Family Prep

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