I have a question.

[tomywishbone]

When was it, that the last sane, decent, strong empire was destroyed? Not erased from exsistance, just shown the right way. Was it those Roman cats?

I've got bad vibes about our current direction.

 

[BrownTown]

EVERY civilization comes to an end after some amount of time. If you want to commpare us to Rome than note that the "pax romana" lasted 200 years, and so far the US has only been the dominant country for 60 years, so if we follow Romes example youll be dead well before it comes back to bite us in the ass.

 

[animalia]

great britain?

 

[SSSnail]

The downwards spiral has already started, just bring your money to the UK and you'll realize this fact really quick.

 

[animalia]

Originally posted by: SSSnail
The downwards spiral has already started, just bring your money to the UK and you'll realize this fact really quick.

are you reffering to the US dollar?

 

[Czar]

Great Brittain, before that probably the Austrian empire

 

[SSSnail]

Originally posted by: animalia

Originally posted by: SSSnail
The downwards spiral has already started, just bring your money to the UK and you'll realize this fact really quick.

are you reffering to the US dollar?

Yes.

 

[jrenz]

Originally posted by: SSSnail

Originally posted by: animalia

Originally posted by: SSSnail
The downwards spiral has already started, just bring your money to the UK and you'll realize this fact really quick.

are you reffering to the US dollar?

Yes.

Wow. Much for the melodramatic?

 

[SSSnail]

Originally posted by: jrenz

Originally posted by: SSSnail

Originally posted by: animalia

Originally posted by: SSSnail
The downwards spiral has already started, just bring your money to the UK and you'll realize this fact really quick.

are you reffering to the US dollar?

Yes.

Wow. Much for the melodramatic?

No, not really, when you realize that your money is worth less than half of its value (after commission), then you've got a problem. http://www.xe.com/ucc/ <-- click here for hours of fun.

 

[jrenz]

Originally posted by: SSSnail

Originally posted by: jrenz

Originally posted by: SSSnail

Originally posted by: animalia

Originally posted by: SSSnail
The downwards spiral has already started, just bring your money to the UK and you'll realize this fact really quick.

are you reffering to the US dollar?

Yes.

Wow. Much for the melodramatic?

No, not really, when you realize that your money is worth less than half of its value (after commission), then you've got a problem. http://www.xe.com/ucc/ <-- click here for hours of fun.

So you equate a short term weakness in the dollar to a "downward spiral"? What about when the dollar is stronger than another nation's currency? Does that set them in a "downward spiral"? Did the Great Depression cause the end of our society? What about the subsequent depressions/recessions since then? Answer any of these questions and you'll answer your own.

Fact of the matter is, our economy continues to grow stronger each day, despite what some people here would like to think. We're in no danger of an economic disaster anytime soon.

 

[SSSnail]

Originally posted by: jrenz

Originally posted by: SSSnail

Originally posted by: jrenz

Originally posted by: SSSnail

Originally posted by: animalia

Originally posted by: SSSnail
The downwards spiral has already started, just bring your money to the UK and you'll realize this fact really quick.

are you reffering to the US dollar?

Yes.

Wow. Much for the melodramatic?

No, not really, when you realize that your money is worth less than half of its value (after commission), then you've got a problem. http://www.xe.com/ucc/ <-- click here for hours of fun.

So you equate a short term weakness in the dollar to a "downward spiral"? What about when the dollar is stronger than another nation's currency? Does that set them in a "downward spiral"? Did the Great Depression cause the end of our society? What about the subsequent depressions/recessions since then? Answer any of these questions and you'll answer your own.

Fact of the matter is, our economy continues to grow stronger each day, despite what some people here would like to think. We're in no danger of an economic disaster anytime soon.

Short term weakness? I will believe it when I see otherwise. Things haven't changed for years now in regards to the strength of the dollar versus other currencies. From the outlook to things to come, it is unlikely that we'll see the dollar regain its power anytime soon, so I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

[Corbett]

Originally posted by: tomywishbone
When was it, that the last sane, decent, strong empire was destroyed? Not erased from exsistance, just shown the right way. Was it those Roman cats?

I've got bad vibes about our current direction.

So why do you think we are about to be destroyed and how and by whom? I would love to know the answer.

 

[rudder]

Maybe if the Romans had subs all over the world armed to the teeth with nukes... they may still be around.

Well look at China... its all cyclical. Only they have been around much longer. Periods of great power... followed by periods of do what it takes to simply survive as a nation. The U.S. has experienced this as well although in a much more compressed time frame.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: SSSnail

Originally posted by: jrenz

Originally posted by: SSSnail

Originally posted by: jrenz

Originally posted by: SSSnail

Originally posted by: animalia

Originally posted by: SSSnail
The downwards spiral has already started, just bring your money to the UK and you'll realize this fact really quick.

are you reffering to the US dollar?

Yes.

Wow. Much for the melodramatic?

No, not really, when you realize that your money is worth less than half of its value (after commission), then you've got a problem. http://www.xe.com/ucc/ <-- click here for hours of fun.

So you equate a short term weakness in the dollar to a "downward spiral"? What about when the dollar is stronger than another nation's currency? Does that set them in a "downward spiral"? Did the Great Depression cause the end of our society? What about the subsequent depressions/recessions since then? Answer any of these questions and you'll answer your own.

Fact of the matter is, our economy continues to grow stronger each day, despite what some people here would like to think. We're in no danger of an economic disaster anytime soon.

Short term weakness? I will believe it when I see otherwise. Things haven't changed for years now in regards to the strength of the dollar versus other currencies. From the outlook to things to come, it is unlikely that we'll see the dollar regain its power anytime soon, so I wouldn't hold my breath.

Bush has made it clear from the beginning of his presidency he was going to implement a weak dollar policy. The obvious advantage to this is our products are cheaper for export.
Clinton on the other worked on a strong dollar policy.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

 

[SSSnail]

Originally posted by: Genx87
Bush has made it clear from the beginning of his presidency he was going to implement a weak dollar policy. The obvious advantage to this is our products are cheaper for export.
Clinton on the other worked on a strong dollar policy.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Alright, I'll bite. So the obvious advantage are cheaper exports? at what expenses? The only thing that does is it allows for other countries to buy MORE of our goods, for the same amount of their money. Since when it's better to sell products cheaper? Not to mention the amount of goods that we'll be able to buy back. Lets not get into wages and inflation.

With economic geniuses like Bush at the wheel, it is no wonder we are where we are today. You and I are on the same ride buddy, and I don't want to go down with the ship.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: SSSnail

Originally posted by: Genx87
Bush has made it clear from the beginning of his presidency he was going to implement a weak dollar policy. The obvious advantage to this is our products are cheaper for export.
Clinton on the other worked on a strong dollar policy.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Alright, I'll bite. So the obvious advantage are cheaper exports? at what expenses? The only thing that does is it allows for other countries to buy MORE of our goods, for the same amount of their money. Since when it's better to sell products cheaper? Not to mention the amount of goods that we'll be able to buy back. Lets not get into wages and inflation.

With economic geniuses like Bush at the wheel, it is no wonder we are where we are today. You and I are on the same ride buddy, and I don't want to go down with the ship.

They buy them period. Where the costs may have been too much under Clinton they can afford them now. The Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans have been trying to prop up our dollar to keep the status quo for this reason.

I dont pretend to know all of the intricate details. But I believe a weak dollar also hurts foreign investors and corporations who bought our currency or do business here from sending money back home.

Like I said, there are advantages and disadvantages of each policy.

 

[blackangst1]

I would say Russia

 

[dmcowen674]

The end of the U.S. as told by rich Republican Bloomberg and Democrat Schumer:

1-22-2007 NYC may lose top financial spot

NEW YORK - The city is losing its competitive edge and could give up its place as the financial capital of the world in as little as 10 years, a report commissioned by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sen. Charles Schumer

The report concludes that New York and the nation are losing the advantage because of three main factors:

? The American regulatory framework, particularly the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, is "a thicket of complicated rules, rather than a streamlined set of commonly understood principles, as is the case in the United Kingdom and elsewhere."

? While New York offers a promising talent pool for its financial services work force, "we are at risk of falling behind in attracting qualified American and foreign workers."

? The legal environments in other nations "far more effectively discourage frivolous litigation."

The report also raises the idea of creating a special "international financial services zone" in New York, where tax breaks and other incentives could be used to lure new foreign firms.

He and Schumer, a Democrat, were to discuss the report's findings and recommendations, which include some changes specific to Sarbanes-Oxley, the anti-fraud law enacted in 2002 amid a spate of corporate scandals.
==========================================

Awwwwwww the rich boys are upset they got caught with their corruption.

 

[Genx87]

Dave, you need to realize there is a need for govt to regulate the markets to some extent and protect the consumers.

However many of these for show legislative acts hamper business and restrict the flow of money. Investors look at the costs involved and decide to move elsewhere.

Did you know the avg Fortune 100 company spends 3.8 million a year on Sarbanes Oxley compliance?

Edit: What gives me hope for our country is a partisan hack like Schumer understands the problem. I dont like the guy but I do give him credit for acknowledging the issue.

 

[blackangst1]

You know Dave...you are one of the most anti-American people on this board. You complain yet not offer a viable alternative. Where's your pride?

Why do you hate America so much?

 

[Witling]

Tommywishbone, "When was it, that the last sane, decent, strong empire was destroyed?" I don't think there ever has been a sane, decent empire. Your use of the verb "destroyed" implies an external cause and Corbett is an example of how people interpret that. "Who's gonna destroy us?" Many, many empires fade when the cost of acquiring what they need becomes more than the society can bear. This should turn your thoughts to $400 billion in Iraq for oil. As the society looses wealth, in our case because of military expenditures and an unsustainable trade balance, it can no longer afford to spend more than the combined rest of the world does on "toys for boys" (military weapons). And, will be increasingly required to take the opinion of others into account to solve problems, e.g., corporate taxation, immigration, terrorism, intellectual property. We won't be "destroyed," we'll just fade.

 

[2Xtreme21]

I'd say in about 20 years the US is gonna take a turn for the worst when oil shortages become real problems. We could easily prevent this by throwing more money at alternative fuel sources, but nah... keep lining the pockets of those blood-sucking oil companies.

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: blackangst1
You know Dave...you are one of the most anti-American people on this board. You complain yet not offer a viable alternative. Where's your pride?

Why do you hate America so much?

You know, blackangst1, your attack on Dave for exercising his First Amendment right to free speech is far more anti-American than anything he posts. :thumbsdown:

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: blackangst1
You know Dave...you are one of the most anti-American people on this board. You complain yet not offer a viable alternative. Where's your pride?

Why do you hate America so much?

You know, blackangst1, your attack on Dave for exercising his First Amendment right to free speech is far more anti-American than anything he posts. :thumbsdown:

If anyone, you of all people should know that AT forums have nothing to do with "free speech."

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: Czar
Great Brittain, before that probably the Austrian empire

His requirements are: sane, decent, strong empire

The British Empire was neither sane nor decent.