TASTEY ~ "someday" when we get a group together for the m.manor, I'll be sure you're invited! :-)

Edited Thu Jul 22 '04 10:40 am

Keep on rocking dude, let me know when you get a CD's worth of stuff done, I may have to get you to mail me one!

Edited Thu Jul 22 '04 11:21 am

...Austin...

You'll never hear anything remotely close to that socialism stuff from me. Capitalism is the most natural thing on Earth. I love nature. But, do you believe DeGrasso is worth $190 million, whatever he was paid? I don't. Some things appear out of kilter and intentionally off scale to me. Some things are not exactly natural, but more like manipulated unfairness, dig? Legally speaking, sometimes we find a culture will call that type of stuff a crime (can you say Enron?). Do you think the Baseball Players Association and other unions are part of an (darth) insidious commie plot? Do you think granny should be able to buy her meds even if she don't have much scratch? I say yes. I will say, it's obvious that democrats always spend money on things like roads and government contracts. History proves this puts people to work in every country, not just yours. We live in a consumer economy, it's that simple. This truth has zero to do with socialism. Pay is earned. However, aside from things like the FDIC demos fashioned out of the experience known as the Great Depression, America does have many entitlement programs that are essentially a socialist response to the problems of an era of want. Fanny Mae? Insurance keeps people on an even keel top to bottom, dig? We're no Western Europe in the USA, though. Those people in Western European countries are smart enough to both have a higher tax base and a higher standard of living than America - that is well documented. As an aside, those cats don't invest as much these days as they once did in our market - that's one reason why Greenspan wants a weaker dollar - go figure. You just watch how all the baby boomers start voting demo once they reach retirement age. They will rant and want the government to take care of them after their lifetimes of hard work; to wit: AVERICE, where for art thou when AVERICE rears it's ugly mug? My last post is all about the truth in the facts. It was a positive affirmation of real statistics and an article with 'expert' opinions attached; I did not proffer opinion. Between the lines the post speaks to fairness. I’m not arguing for nor against fairness in the post. There is zero about socialism in the post. Is life fair? Ought it to be? I leave that decision to you.

Edited Thu Jul 22 '04 11:44 am

oh yea they poked my left hand three times and then once on my right. it looks funny

Maybe someday when I get big I'll buy a digital camera and post some pic's of my gear...later...SD

Edited Thu Jul 22 '04 12:22 pm

do they have any answers? lets go gang show some interest or concern or something!! cripes... yell at me or something... I can't wait and pussy foot around anymore...

I would posit that it was government intervention that created things like the FDIC (FDIC prevents the kind of run on the banks that helped fuel the Great Depression - notice the banks faired ok during the last stock market crash. Why? People were not terrified that their money would disappear, *poof* , into the night.) and the SEC, (without which, both experts and those who are forced to comply admit, corruption would be far more rife in the securities industry). I could further show, and this is in no way opinion based, that it was lack of regulatory government intervention that fueled the corruption that caused the Great Depression (more Coolidge than Hoover, really) and the junk bond fiascos of the 1980s (another de-regulation error which inarguably caused economic chaos) and it was de-regulation that led to the late trading, market timing and related mutual fund fiascos currently rocking almost every securities house in the USA. This also speaks to the combined 6 plus billion dollars Chase and Citibank just set aside for legal fraud settlements pending, not to mention de-regulation and lack of government intervention which led directly to Global Crossing, World Com, Enron, Adelphia, Arthur Anderson scandals of just these past couple years. I cite a mere half dozen to dozen examples of gross abuse, something that is obviously much more far and wide when one speaks to corruption in the free market absent government regulation. I'm certain I could go on and on with sundry facts and examples speaking to this, but what is the point of beating a dead horse? Moreover, the federal minimum wage law is not a socialist idea; it's just a good one. It is said, "Thank the labor movement for bringing you the week-end." Here, we talk about extremes. Certainly, Dickensonian England and child labor left a lot to be desired... Does that mean we're all commies now because we want a week-end off? Paid holidays? Retirement programs? I think not. Have you ever heard of the Golden Parachute? Does that mean corporate America is most communist when it comes to fortune 500 CEO retirement? Child care for low wage workers just makes sense and is not much different than Arnold Swarzeneggar's after school program ideas. Now, back to our regularly scheduled program. I'll eschew further discussion; my point is made.

Edited Thu Jul 22 '04 1:20 pm

clarky: little late but [you're welcome] that was good...lol...

Edited Thu Jul 22 '04 1:45 pm