I watched someone somewhere this past week explaining the economic mess - they all lie but what are you going to do? - and one thing that came out of it was that the Bush administration will not admit nor broadcast that inflation is actually somewhere up around 10% and not the 3 % he keeps telling people. This is because any programs like social security are tied to inflation and therefore, if you don't admit it you don't have to pay it out. This way, that $1,000 a month check that goes out to 85 year old granny, the one the government takes $100.00 bucks off for the health insurance even if its her only source of income, doesn't have to be increased - even when her food is up 50%, her heating costs are up and the little gas she needs to drive are up. But wait! ...how much was that last raise that all the government officials got?..sammieswife.
Are Any Of You Having Difficulty Making Ends Meet?
by minimus 47 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
Layla33
Someone emailed this to me, not sure how much of this is the newsarticle itself or someone's commentary of the newsarticle that my friend copied, anyway I thought it was interesting nonetheless:
Now, the cruel reality of Collapsing America has an even crueler put-down: according to a New York Sun article, Americans now threatened with food shortages and massive starvation:
Food Rationing Confronts Breadbasket of the World
BY JOSH GERSTEIN - Staff Reporter of the Sun
April 21, 2008
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Many parts of America, long considered the breadbasket of the world, are now confronting a once unthinkable phenomenon: food rationing. Major retailers in New York, in areas of New England, and on the West Coast are limiting purchases of flour, rice, and cooking oil as demand outstrips supply. There are also anecdotal reports that some consumers are hoarding grain stocks.
At a Costco Warehouse in Mountain View, Calif., yesterday, shoppers grew frustrated and occasionally uttered expletives as they searched in vain for the large sacks of rice they usually buy.
"Where's the rice?" an engineer from Palo Alto, Calif., Yajun Liu, said. "You should be able to buy something like rice. This is ridiculous."
Spiking food prices have led to riots in recent weeks in Haiti, Indonesia, and several African nations.
Hey, , you reading this? You are now in a category with Haiti, Indonesia, and "several African nations"! Thanks for making me laugh today. What is more funny than imagining the fattest gluttonous fuckers on a planet earth, Americans, having to live on food rations. Poor Haiti people, I can understand why they always are so poor, always have American putsches that put beasts into power in order to enrich sleazy American businessmen. I can understand Africans problems, they never had a chance after centuries of exploitation by American slave holders, and Western European colonialists. But what are your fucking excuses for needing food aid, Americans?
I can tell you why dumbfuckers about to starve to death: America can no longer steal everything from other countries--can't steal the world's oil, their gas, their food, because they elected a dumbfucker twice, who destroyed your mighty empire in just a few years. So now, days of stealing from other countries are over! You now stuck having to make your own goods, to produce your own wealth. What? You don't manufacture? You don't have a shit in your country that is worth anything? You only have the financial markets to trade (I mean "steal") other people's goods and commodities? Oh, so that why you collapsing like a shitty African country!
Won't be long before the collapse reveals the true America to the world, and everyone sees, America is nothing but a nation of plotting thieves, stealing oil and bribing people from around the world, including top scientists, to come to America and keep the empire afloat. Well, the house of cards is collapsing, and all must now regret leaving to a failed empire.
Man, I thought it was almost getting boring watching America collapse. But the news today proved that it can be really fun watching the nation of savage retards digging they own graves. Every day, price of oil soars to new high against pathetic collapsing U.S. dollar, every day, dumbshit Americans think that the war in Iraq is going great.
Now, you gluttonous pigs will learn how to diet, and it will be fun (and ecologically good for rest of the world) to watch you fat ugly fuckers get really skinny. -
maxwell
I am not doing too bad. I don't have any children or other dependents presently, and I'm fortunate enough to live in a city with fairly good public transit. So I don't own a car. Yes, the rent is high, and the trade off between living in a cheaper building farther away from the city might be about even, but I am glad to be shielded at least a little from high fuel costs. I'm probably seeing the high fuel cost in the price of food. I haven't been paying much attention though I probably should. I've seen stories about the price of rice jumping high, but it's probably still relatively cheap. It's summer and I want to ride my bicycle more so my at home food preparation revolves around rice, beans and pasta and a little fish. I throw in some canned vegetables and salads and try to resist the temptation to order in or eat out so often.
I haven't had cable tv for over a year and seriously doubt I'll give in to the temptation to pay for TV any time soon, especially when it includes channels that run 30 minute commercials consecutively for several hours a day. All the utilities are in the rent, so my only other regular bills are Internet (not expected to change very much, if at all) and cell phone (locked in by contract for at least another year). Food prices are the only thing that fluctuates unexpectedly and out of my control. I just got the 5.5% rent increase and that's locked in for another year.
-
momzcrazy
I see a vegetable garden in my near future. Again. At least my kids are old enough to help weed now.
And a Honda Accord, the most full efficient sedan or something like that. Bye Tahoe, bye take out from El Alteno.
momz
-
BreakingAway
Someone emailed this to me, not sure how much of this is the newsarticle itself or someone's commentary of the newsarticle that my friend copied, anyway I thought it was interesting nonetheless:
Now, the cruel reality of Collapsing America has an even crueler put-down: according to a New York Sun article, Americans now threatened with food shortages and massive starvation:
Food Rationing Confronts Breadbasket of the World
BY JOSH GERSTEIN - Staff Reporter of the Sun
April 21, 2008
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Many parts of America, long considered the breadbasket of the world, are now confronting a once unthinkable phenomenon: food rationing. Major retailers in New York, in areas of New England, and on the West Coast are limiting purchases of flour, rice, and cooking oil as demand outstrips supply. There are also anecdotal reports that some consumers are hoarding grain stocks.
At a Costco Warehouse in Mountain View, Calif., yesterday, shoppers grew frustrated and occasionally uttered expletives as they searched in vain for the large sacks of rice they usually buy.
"Where's the rice?" an engineer from Palo Alto, Calif., Yajun Liu, said. "You should be able to buy something like rice. This is ridiculous."
Spiking food prices have led to riots in recent weeks in Haiti, Indonesia, and several African nations.
Hey, dumbfuckers, you reading this? You are now in a category with Haiti, Indonesia, and "several African nations"! Thanks for making me laugh today. What is more funny than imagining the fattest gluttonous fuckers on a planet earth, Americans, having to live on food rations. Poor Haiti people, I can understand why they always are so poor, always have American putsches that put beasts into power in order to enrich sleazy American businessmen. I can understand Africans problems, they never had a chance after centuries of exploitation by American slave holders, and Western European colonialists. But what are your fucking excuses for needing food aid, Americans?
I can tell you why dumbfuckers about to starve to death: America can no longer steal everything from other countries--can't steal the world's oil, their gas, their food, because they elected a dumbfucker twice, who destroyed your mighty empire in just a few years. So now, days of stealing from other countries are over! You now stuck having to make your own goods, to produce your own wealth. What? You don't manufacture? You don't have a shit in your country that is worth anything? You only have the financial markets to trade (I mean "steal") other people's goods and commodities? Oh, so that why you collapsing like a shitty African country!
Won't be long before the collapse reveals the true America to the world, and everyone sees, America is nothing but a nation of plotting thieves, stealing oil and bribing people from around the world, including top scientists, to come to America and keep the empire afloat. Well, the house of cards is collapsing, and all must now regret leaving to a failed empire.
Man, I thought it was almost getting boring watching America collapse. But the news today proved that it can be really fun watching the nation of savage retards digging they own graves. Every day, price of oil soars to new high against pathetic collapsing U.S. dollar, every day, dumbshit Americans think that the war in Iraq is going great.
Now, you gluttonous pigs will learn how to diet, and it will be fun (and ecologically good for rest of the world) to watch you fat ugly fuckers get really skinny.These disgusting, hate filled anti-american words are a commentary (on the New York Sun article) from "liveleak.com" that praises the supposed "end of america".This idiot has serious issues.
As for the "food shortage", it's simply the result of panic and panic breeds panic.Some people and restaurants are hoarding some food staples.It's not any different than when a snowstorm is predicted and people immediately run to the grocery store for bread and milk.For a more balanced view see this article: "Food prices rising, but no shortage in U.S." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24316114/
High drama is good for the news media and their ratings and so they are going to play this thing to the hilt.That doesn't mean that gas prices haven't hurt the economy, because they have, quite severely.But while one sector is doing poorly another is doing quite well.The money is still out there it's just being shuffled around.It's going to take time for people to come to grips with the situation and make the necessary adjustments.Some companies see their profits sink and their immediate answer is to layoff, the laid off individual employees naturally will be affected by this but the combination of unemployment pay and not having to spend money on high gas prices usually used to get to work can balance each other out.It's always good to be diligent and prepared but panic only leads to bigger problems.This country has been through similar, and much larger, problems before, and it will get through this one too.I truly feel for those currently affected by this economic pinch.Sometimes it feels like one step forward and two steps back.
There are some postives that can come from all of this however.People may now be more fully able to relate to those who have had to struggle everyday of their life before this "crisis" even hit this country on such a large scale.Many people have to "bite the bullet" everyday without much notice from those more well off.For those who have been quite comfortable it will likely call for some lifestyle changes and perhaps motivate them take a good look at how they're managing their affairs without the careless concern they previously demonstrated and they shoud remember the lessons learned even when the crisis has passed.Things like this cause some to slow down in life and look at the more important things besides their bank account.To more fully appreciate what's truly most valuable to them.To get outside and experience nature or plant a garden to save money on vegetables.These are good things.Our ability to adapt to a given situation makes a monumental difference, both for ourselves and those around us.
-
Layla33
I can eat oodles of noodles every day and not care. (Just get rid of those salty packets).
I agree that those that have not struggled before will get a wake up call.
And I also agree that some of it is media created panic, as I believe this whole crisis is a very well plotted and orchestrated event, but it doesn't make it any less difficult for some.
-
Robdar
Hey, dumbfuckers, you reading this? You are now in a category with Haiti, Indonesia, and "several African nations"! Thanks for making me laugh today. What is more funny than imagining the fattest gluttonous fuckers on a planet earth, Americans, having to live on food rations.
Hah! Those comments shoot the "enlightened, noble, non-American" theory all to hell. Assholes come in all flavors--not just American.
-
minimus
Having difficulty making ends meet just proves we're living in the last days, you know.