BF2S Forums I was watching a documentary on child sex tourism in the Philippines

Cybargs wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

Shahter wrote:

what makes you think that? why the fuck would you stop that shit when it's been working so well for so long? there are still markets and resources out there to be included in your grand scheme called "global economy" so that you should be able to continue printing bucks faster than the inflation devalues them like you've been doing for, like, forever?

Capitalism clears the market in various ways.  When a country succumbs to comparative advantage without making the necessary changes in infrastructures like education systems to accommodate changes in labor needs, then that country's debts accumulate and eventually come crashing down.

We've been shifting away from manufacturing and toward services for a long time, and that requires many changes to education that haven't come to fruition.  Our labor force is not anywhere near as skilled as it needs to be to continue adapting to changes brought about by outsourcing.  We've attempted to sidestep this issue through importing skilled labor from other countries, but that doesn't resolve issues with our "native" underclass.  When you combine this problem with illegal immigration, it translates to having a rapidly growing lower class amidst an infrastructure incapable of handling the associated burdens that come with poverty.  In the end, this means the average person will experience a lower standard of living.

Imo in America you have no fucking excuse to become homeless. It is all by choice and lack of personal responsibility and will.

I wish I could believe that, but I don't.  Granted, I will say that your chances of becoming homeless are much lower here than in most of the world.

You certainly have more control over your fate here than you do in most of Africa, for example.  However, I try to avoid absolutes.  To say there is "no excuse" is just begging for someone to present an exception.

Cybargs wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

Cybargs wrote:

Imo in America you have no fucking excuse to become homeless. It is all by choice and lack of personal responsibility and will.

I wish I could believe that, but I don't.  Granted, I will say that your chances of becoming homeless are much lower here than in most of the world.

You certainly have more control over your fate here than you do in most of Africa, for example.  However, I try to avoid absolutes.  To say there is "no excuse" is just begging for someone to present an exception.

If your life is so shit join the military. It's a last refuge for many and helped a lot of people out.

True...  and very soon, it may become our primary social program, so to speak.  We can only maintain SS for so long, and welfare is likely to be streamlined again soon.

Shahter wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

Shahter wrote:

what makes you think that? why the fuck would you stop that shit when it's been working so well for so long? there are still markets and resources out there to be included in your grand scheme called "global economy" so that you should be able to continue printing bucks faster than the inflation devalues them like you've been doing for, like, forever?

Capitalism clears the market in various ways.  When a country succumbs to comparative advantage without making the necessary changes in infrastructures like education systems to accommodate changes in labor needs, then that country's debts accumulate and eventually come crashing down.

We've been shifting away from manufacturing and toward services for a long time, and that requires many changes to education that haven't come to fruition.  Our labor force is not anywhere near as skilled as it needs to be to continue adapting to changes brought about by outsourcing.  We've attempted to sidestep this issue through importing skilled labor from other countries, but that doesn't resolve issues with our "native" underclass.  When you combine this problem with illegal immigration, it translates to having a rapidly growing lower class amidst an infrastructure incapable of handling the associated burdens that come with poverty.  In the end, this means the average person will experience a lower standard of living.

that^ is how it is written in your school textbooks on economics, which were printed when? - several decades ago? the world's changed drastically since that - there's no "fair competition" on the international market anymore. usa cannot be allowed to simply "come crashing down", and you, guys, know it.

I'm not sure what you're getting at, Shahter...   What I'm getting at is that it's not about countries as much as it is about class.  Capital accumulation occurs in every country.  The divisions between the very rich and the rest of us are getting more blatant in most of the developed world.  The divisions already are blatant in most of the developing world.   What I'm suggesting is that globalization will eventually erode the standard of living of the average American, while the standard of living for most citizens of the developing world will slowly improve.  Meanwhile, the very rich will get even richer.  This has been the general trend for quite a while now.

Our average citizen here hasn't felt it that much yet, but our rising public debt to GDP ratio has a slow but nearly irreversible effect on our long term financial stability.   There's only so much we can borrow before people stop lending to us.  And as we borrow more, we become more subject to foreign interests.  For example, China owns quite a large chunk of our banking sector now.  This gives them the power to pull some of our strings now when it comes to financial policy.

Turquoise wrote:

Shahter wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

Capitalism clears the market in various ways.  When a country succumbs to comparative advantage without making the necessary changes in infrastructures like education systems to accommodate changes in labor needs, then that country's debts accumulate and eventually come crashing down.

We've been shifting away from manufacturing and toward services for a long time, and that requires many changes to education that haven't come to fruition.  Our labor force is not anywhere near as skilled as it needs to be to continue adapting to changes brought about by outsourcing.  We've attempted to sidestep this issue through importing skilled labor from other countries, but that doesn't resolve issues with our "native" underclass.  When you combine this problem with illegal immigration, it translates to having a rapidly growing lower class amidst an infrastructure incapable of handling the associated burdens that come with poverty.  In the end, this means the average person will experience a lower standard of living.

that^ is how it is written in your school textbooks on economics, which were printed when? - several decades ago? the world's changed drastically since that - there's no "fair competition" on the international market anymore. usa cannot be allowed to simply "come crashing down", and you, guys, know it.

I'm not sure what you're getting at, Shahter...   What I'm getting at is that it's not about countries as much as it is about class.  Capital accumulation occurs in every country.  The divisions between the very rich and the rest of us are getting more blatant in most of the developed world.  The divisions already are blatant in most of the developing world.   What I'm suggesting is that globalization will eventually erode the standard of living of the average American, while the standard of living for most citizens of the developing world will slowly improve.  Meanwhile, the very rich will get even richer.  This has been the general trend for quite a while now.

Our average citizen here hasn't felt it that much yet, but our rising public debt to GDP ratio has a slow but nearly irreversible effect on our long term financial stability.   There's only so much we can borrow before people stop lending to us.  And as we borrow more, we become more subject to foreign interests.  For example, China owns quite a large chunk of our banking sector now.  This gives them the power to pull some of our strings now when it comes to financial policy.

what i'm getting at is that the world needs americans to stay fat and unemployed. if your fellow citizens stopped stuffing themselves with twenty happy meals a day, turq, who else would consume all that shit? chineeze? not bloody likely - they are only allowed a bowl o'rice a day for a reason. usa is the digestive system of the world, it cannot be allowed to fail or even to slow down.
as to becoming a subject to foregn interests: in the modern world it doesn't really matter who's pulling the strings anymore - the show must go on. the transition to global financial capitalism is just about complete - the only markets that aren't fully integrated into that scheme yet are  - surprise! - in the middle east. but you are working on that, aren't you?

Shahter wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

Shahter wrote:

that^ is how it is written in your school textbooks on economics, which were printed when? - several decades ago? the world's changed drastically since that - there's no "fair competition" on the international market anymore. usa cannot be allowed to simply "come crashing down", and you, guys, know it.

I'm not sure what you're getting at, Shahter...   What I'm getting at is that it's not about countries as much as it is about class.  Capital accumulation occurs in every country.  The divisions between the very rich and the rest of us are getting more blatant in most of the developed world.  The divisions already are blatant in most of the developing world.   What I'm suggesting is that globalization will eventually erode the standard of living of the average American, while the standard of living for most citizens of the developing world will slowly improve.  Meanwhile, the very rich will get even richer.  This has been the general trend for quite a while now.

Our average citizen here hasn't felt it that much yet, but our rising public debt to GDP ratio has a slow but nearly irreversible effect on our long term financial stability.   There's only so much we can borrow before people stop lending to us.  And as we borrow more, we become more subject to foreign interests.  For example, China owns quite a large chunk of our banking sector now.  This gives them the power to pull some of our strings now when it comes to financial policy.

what i'm getting at is that the world needs americans to stay fat and unemployed. if your fellow citizens stopped stuffing themselves with twenty happy meals a day, turq, who else would consume all that shit? chineeze? not bloody likely - they are only allowed a bowl o'rice a day for a reason. usa is the digestive system of the world, it cannot be allowed to fail or even to slow down.?

Not sure if serious... China is becoming the fastest consumer market in the world due to their large economic growth. Not every government wants to keep their people as peasants ya know. Obesity rate in China is rising faster than you think.



You think Asians can't get fat? Fuck me that kid is 15 and he lives in China.

Shahter wrote:

i just don't think that resources will really be consumed at the optimal rate the market allows anytime soon, because... they never have been.

What do you mean by that?

Shahter wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

Shahter wrote:

i just don't think that resources will really be consumed at the optimal rate the market allows anytime soon, because... they never have been.

What do you mean by that?

nobody needs twenty happy meals a day.

But some people want it and it's their free choice.