Jump to content
House Price Crash Forum

The Bachelor of Arts

Members
  • Posts

    277
  • Joined

  • Last visited

About The Bachelor of Arts

  • Rank
    Newbie
    Newbie
  1. http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/council-offices-to-grind-to-whatever-is-slower-than-a-halt-201106143943/
  2. +1 The only thing trade (ie import) restrictions will do is put up the price of everything (such as toasters, imported cars, food etc) so people have less disposable income to spend within the rest of the economy. What Labour did was rather than trying to 'rescue' our declining industries by taxing imports, was to cut out the middle man. The 'taxed' import or more expensive home-made item will cost more - why not tax the UK citizen and then just pay the redundant workers dole money directly! I think we are at some kind of game changing point which has slowly been brewing for decades. We have had a 60 year credit expansion and most (not all) of us have paid for items out of tomorrow's earnings - tomorrow is now here. I personally define money as 'a future claim on someone's time (labour), property or intellect (or a mixture of these)'. If that is the case and we have been living on debt, then we have to pay in the future with our time, property or intellect. Which means falling living standards. I also believe however that all debts must be repaid, either by the borrower (in future) or the lender (in effect it was already paid at the time of the loan) - so we could all just default instead. But all up I think the following will happen. Wages and living standards in the developing world will rise, and will fall in the developed world (esp for jobs that can be outsourced easily!) until there is some kind of equilibrium. There will be huge amounts of underemployed people (compared to their ability), and some will see the upcoming change and protect themselves - and others won't. Most people I know still don't 'get' what is going on, and as such they will be destined to a life of hard graft and a retirement of poverty..........shame really.
  3. Over the past year I've noticed my own job becoming more and more bureaucratic compared to what it was 3 years ago. My job title is Project Manager, and that is what I used to spend most of my time doing (I work in Africa by the way). However now, I'm more of a glorified clerk, having to send endless reports back to our head office in London, risk assessment forms, and other such things. I have done my best to cultivate a 'no blame' culture as I want people to be self supporting problem solvers, and make decisions. However, more and more, I find that most people refuse to make decisions and take accountability for their actions. I find this incredibly depressing. The other day, in one of my many musings, I wondered about the world and technology. Simply put, what happens when basic manual labour is automated (as much has been) and certain people can no longer be employed in those sectors? The conclusion I've reached is that those people who can't adapt either do one of the following: a. welfare recipient. b. health and safety rep. c. bureaucrat. So my view is that the amount of red tape, bureaucracy, and taxes we pay to non-productive elements of society is inversly proportional to the advances in technology! Not a particularly well thought out theory of mine, but one I'd love to discuss with others and get some feedback on. So the question is: what does the person who would have been '2nd assistant book-keeper' in some dusty non-descript office in Liverpool St railway station do now? (The only way is Essex? Big Brother?)
  4. I've been using Goldmoney.com, however I'm changing to buy gold sovs from Baird and Co as post 1837 gold sovs don't get charged CGT on any appreciation. For a small fee, Baird will store and insure them for you. Hope this helps
  5. Do you jump out during the summer and re-enter in the Autumn? The sell in May and go away plan.
  6. Good point. That is because although Economists desperately want it to be considered as a science, they are in my opinion a branch of psychology.
  7. Can most people here agree that there is a difference between: 1. How an organisation is run (the culture, ability of staff to make decisions, rewards for dedication, rewards for zero dedication, red tape, paperwork, layers of management etc,.) 2. People who are hard working and dedicated. 3. People who are not hard working and dedicated. It seems to me that as soon as someone states that the NHS could possibly be better run, and more cost effective (they have the right to, as our money does fund it), they get slated for 'bashing the professionalism of the hard working NHS staff'. My view is that to point out the failings of the NHS is in fact in support of the NHS staff who are hard working, and dedicated - as these people are able to do a sterling job and 'carry' the NHS despite the people who are not hard working, and the layers of management (mis-management?) in the system. Surely we should be pointing out floors in how the NHS is run, so that the hard workers don't get disillusioned by the fact that they get v little reward for their efforts if they are over and above their peers.
  8. When I was a poor student, I did some drug trials for money. I spent 8 weeks on anti-depressants (and blood thinner) to see how the AD affected the BT. All I can say is that they are horrible things. OK if a guy is close to suicide and all you are doing is buying time, however it is like being permanently stoned, and you have no way of dealing with the problem that made you depressed in the first place. Personally I'd spend a week in a health spar in Thailand, then 2 weeks at a non-touristy beach, and try to work things out for myself.
  9. + 1 re deflation. A few concerns I would have about this central digital 'coin'. What organisation owns it? Who owns the organisation? Do they profit by 'lending' the coin to support fiat currencies? Can they expand or subtract the quantity of the 'coin' with the beating heart of economic growth? If money is a function of production (as that is what it is traded for) how can you create money out of thin air and not call it theft of someone's production? Will they expand the supply as an emergency measure when times get tough - and will they have the guts to contract it again and stifle recovery? Will we have 'benign' inflation so that money is stolen from savers and given to debtors? Will data be hacked, stolen and money go missing from one country's pocket to another? Can I opt out? If the system gets corrupted and governments are in collusion, how do I vote out and get rid of this monetary system? Will my children and grand-children become slaves? Why can't we back a currency with things that people desire (gold, oil, land, silver, whatever) rather than trust and a computer? Can anyone not see that a global fiat currency is not the answer to a crisis caused by national fiat currencies? Am I alone and shouting in the dark?
  10. In Africa the old 70's/80's Landrovers are still out and about, overworked & treated like s**t, but they are still there driving around. Then Landrover decided to focus on the Chelsea tractor and lost a huge market to Toyota with their extremely good landcruiser. Bad move, to lose the market that made you. I bet back in the day, there were some old timers aghast at the route they were taking, and knew the ultimate consequences. The Brit Army LR Wolf was quite good though. Problem is, you can't fix them in the 3rd world with bush mechanics. You can with the Toyota.
  11. Heard this was going to happen. Down the slope we go! Best start breeding some shire horses.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information