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How can we saddle our grandchildren with debt?
Thursday, March 19, 2009 6:26 AM PDT
We are living in turbulent times. This financial debacle we're swimming in was brought about by two bubbles — the real estate bubble and the associated credit bubble — and we're at ground zero of their bursting.
We can blame our plight on the greedy shark frenzy feeding on the carcasses of our bank accounts, stocks and property values, but the truth is, while greed was necessary for this mess at the lowest levels, it was also necessary at the lowest levels — i.e., the mis-aligned interests of all looking to selfishly milk the system.
The root cause of all social crises is our immorality, and it is sure blatantly evident in this awful mess, whether it was contrived or not. Our selfish materialistic gratification is rocking our world.
This mess cannot be fixed until justice, truth, judgment and trust are established. There must be recompense and reparation — thieves must be jailed, ill-gotten gains returned and bystanders learn the hard lesson.
Every day we hear about bailouts in the billions, and we see increasing taxpayer liabilities being added by various "bailout" programs and spending schemes. Shouldn't common sense tell us we can't spend money we don't have to buy whatever we don't need as the solution for our financial problems? Credit is the life blood of our economy, but are we going to leave our grandchildren and great-grandchildren with a trillion-plus dollar debt accruing interest daily?
Do you know how much a trillion dollars is? It is the sum of all the government borrowing in the history of 42 administrations from 1776 to 2000 — the first 224 years of our U.S. history. If we were paid $1 per minute, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, it would take 2 million years to collect $1 trillion.
How can we in good conscience and faith saddle our great-grandchildren with this immoral, corrupt and crippling debt? Indeed, fear is the opposite of faith, and so it is not surprising that our nation is drowning in this sea of debt and fear.
William Van Amber Fields
Morada
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Lodian wrote on Mar 25, 2009 11:12 AM:
I think he is okay with whatever is in the house. "
Lodian wrote on Mar 25, 2009 11:01 AM:
Brian/onelastthing: Remind me again when you were "nice". LOL! "
Leonard wrote on Mar 25, 2009 8:57 AM:
" Leonard,
I like my two handles. Like it or lump it
I am not complaining per se.
I am just a little curious. Is there a difference between "Brian" and "onelastthing"?
Is one a merlot guy while the other prefers Bud? "
onelastthing wrote on Mar 24, 2009 8:25 PM:
You've been "out" for awhile now, Brian. "
When you make remarks such as this how can you expect me to hold back and not fire back with something else?
Are you going to call me childish, schoolyard names now? "
onelastthing wrote on Mar 24, 2009 8:08 PM:
I like my two handles. Like it or lump it. At least I'm up front about it.
I suspect there are many here who post under many handles. I often see mainframe appearing out of nowhere complementing Lodian. I wouldn't be surprised if the many people on here who may seem to be others are actually
one person posting under multiple handles. It was never my intention to hide under another name otherwise I would be denying that I am the other handle. "
onelastthing wrote on Mar 24, 2009 8:00 PM:
And when have I made any of the remarks you say I've made on THIS blogg? Perhaps you should just give it a rest or do you want me to remind the people that Aimee thought some of your remarks to her when she took you to task were quite childish and something we might hear on a gradeschool playground. You don't have any room to talk. I'm trying to be nice to you. But you make it exceedingly difficult. "
Leonard wrote on Mar 24, 2009 10:12 AM:
Lodian wrote on Mar 24, 2009 10:03 AM:
Brian wrote on Mar 24, 2009 8:19 AM:
I offered my condolences to the Pullen family. Perhaps you could step out of character and do the same. I don't think that's too much to ask. "
Lodian wrote on Mar 23, 2009 2:44 PM:
You've been "out" for awhile now, Brian. "
Lodian wrote on Mar 23, 2009 2:42 PM:
onelastthing wrote on Mar 23, 2009 8:47 AM:
tell you I'll be out for a while. You do know what 10-7 means? And, since Leonard gave me the knickname in the post I thought we'd get a good laugh.
It really was skilos who inferred about the navy seal thing. It wasn't me at all.
Sorry to overwelm you with such a diverse thing as talking in the third person. :) "
Lodian wrote on Mar 22, 2009 8:57 PM:
Onelastthing/Brian: Why are you writing in third person? "
onelastthing wrote on Mar 22, 2009 12:22 PM:
onelastthing wrote on Mar 22, 2009 12:21 PM:
Have a good one. :) "
Onelastthing wrote on Mar 22, 2009 10:20 AM:
The idea that we cannot call for improvement in something but rather must either love it or leave it has always puzzled me.
-I get the impression that Leonard may not be whining had the letter been modified to his liking. Chuckle. :) "
Onelastthing wrote on Mar 22, 2009 10:16 AM:
This mess cannot be fixed until justice, truth, judgment and trust are established. There must be recompense and reparation thieves must be jailed, ill-gotten gains returned and bystanders learn the hard lesson.
-I figure by just this paragraph alone, Leonard might be able to warm up to Field's grievances. But Leonard chooses
to criticize him because Field's point, though somewhat flawed, about government borrowing, is relevant enough
for most people to understand what he is getting at. But not Leonard. "
Onelastthing wrote on Mar 22, 2009 10:08 AM:
I never said that they ought to not be able to run Mr. Van Fields letter every week ad infinitum.
What I did say was that doing so makes me respect them less. As a consumer of their product, I think I have a right to express my opinion.
-Hmm, I don't have any less respect for the LNS because they decided to reprint a letter. There are people out there that don't have computers and perhaps it was because of some request by these people that the LNS decided to reprint it. But, I suspect that it's really the fact that Leonard doesn't agree with the letter that this the reason why he is whining. "
Onelastthing wrote on Mar 22, 2009 9:47 AM:
Onelastthing wrote on Mar 22, 2009 9:45 AM:
Onelastthing wrote on Mar 22, 2009 9:42 AM:
Onelastthing wrote on Mar 22, 2009 9:38 AM:
" To those that do not support the stimulus plan/package... what would you like to see happen or done in this country right now? Be realistic. No pipe dreams. :-) "
-Hmm, it's a pipe dream that Obama's plan will stimulate the economy. Perhaps Obama realy doesn't understand that his New Deal II will not do anything different than the original New Deal.
Just as the economy turned around under Harding in the 20's because he let the free markets mend themselves, so will it take the free markets to mend themselves today. Not that we don't need some sweeping changes in the finance sector, there the government can change the regulations. But throwing cash at an ailing economy is not the remedy. "
Cogito wrote on Mar 21, 2009 4:45 PM:
Lodian wrote on Mar 21, 2009 3:45 PM:
WY wrote on Mar 20, 2009 10:27 PM:
WY wrote on Mar 20, 2009 10:27 PM:
Leonard wrote on Mar 20, 2009 7:08 PM:
" So Leonard, you think 8 years vs. 2 months is a fair comparison?
No, I am simply saying that Mr Amber Fields' statement is demonstrably false and he knows it.
That makes him a bald faced liar.
Comprende? "
Cogito wrote on Mar 20, 2009 6:12 PM:
Lodian wrote on Mar 20, 2009 2:17 PM:
Yes, I think you're right. I feel used. "
Inquisitor wrote on Mar 20, 2009 12:07 PM:
Leonard wrote on Mar 20, 2009 11:50 AM:
" Leonard, I do agree with your right to express yourself. But, just out of curiosity, you call this letter a "pack of lies". Could you point out just a few of those lies for me. I had trouble finding any. "
Certainly. The following statement is a flat out absolute lie, as I pointed out to Mr. Amber Fields the last time he told it.
Amber Fields wrote: Do you know how much a trillion dollars is? It is the sum of all the government borrowing in the history of 42 administrations from 1789 to 2000, the first 211 years of our U.S. history
As I noted before, (at 7:38 AM on March 19, 2009, since you seem to have missed it) between 1981 and 1988 Ronald Reagan ran up a deficit of roughly 1.3 trillion dollars. Adjusted for inflation, of course, this number is even higher. "
wtf wrote on Mar 20, 2009 9:58 AM:
Cogito wrote on Mar 20, 2009 8:46 AM:
Leonard wrote on Mar 20, 2009 3:50 AM:
Leonard wrote on Mar 20, 2009 3:50 AM:
Leonard wrote on Mar 20, 2009 3:47 AM:
" It seems to me that those who simply disagree with what people have to say (or write) find it acceptable to suggest that they (those whom they oppose) should be limited in their speech.
Hmmm... who could Jerome possibly be talking about? "
Leonard wrote on Mar 20, 2009 3:43 AM:
" Ahhh Leonard, you're missing the point. If it was your newspaper, you could print it as often as you like. Or not.
I never said that they ought to not be able to run Mr. Van Fields letter every week ad infinitum.
What I did say was that doing so makes me respect them less. As a consumer of their product, I think I have a right to express my opinion. "
LodiSafeway wrote on Mar 19, 2009 9:04 PM:
The solution, as Cogito made crystal clear, is to simply ignore those who frighten or offend them. Of course, I have always welcomed opposing opinions to what I post here; no matter how silly I find some of them to be. "
Cogito wrote on Mar 19, 2009 7:30 PM:
wtf wrote on Mar 19, 2009 1:03 PM:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29756163/displaymode/1107/s/2/framenumber/1/ "
Leonard wrote on Mar 19, 2009 10:54 AM:
Your best bet is to make as many people happy as you can without compromising your integrity. "To thine own self be true", Billy Shakespeare once wrote. "
Not printing the same letter by the same savant twice would seem to fall within those parameters. "
Leonard wrote on Mar 19, 2009 10:53 AM:
"make as many people happy as you can without compromising your integrity."
And then you wrote, "To thine own self be true."
I like the second one better. If you pick the first, you haven't chosen your friends very well.
I believe Cog was referring to customers which are not necessarily the same thing as friends. "
danielh wrote on Mar 19, 2009 9:50 AM:
"make as many people happy as you can without compromising your integrity."
And then you wrote, "To thine own self be true."
I like the second one better. If you pick the first, you haven't chosen your friends very well. "
danielh wrote on Mar 19, 2009 9:45 AM:
There is a death toll around the economic downturn.
Therefore this is a capital offense. "
danielh wrote on Mar 19, 2009 9:43 AM:
Today, the masses of people still don't understand the full extent of the crime and the deception. "
Cogito wrote on Mar 19, 2009 9:14 AM:
wtf wrote on Mar 19, 2009 7:57 AM:
Well said, Leonard! And woe to those who would criticize or complain about the government....from **either** side of the aisle.
Peaceful Dissent and Government Witch Hunts
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php "
Leonard wrote on Mar 19, 2009 7:56 AM:
" Leonard, you quit watching TV? Exactly my point. What puzzles me is people who feel that they should have a decision making hand in someone elses business.
Interesting.
As a business owner, my policy is that the happiness and satisfaction of our customers (within reason) is our first priority.
Without my customers, I would have no business. "
Cogito wrote on Mar 19, 2009 7:45 AM:
Cogito wrote on Mar 19, 2009 7:44 AM:
Leonard wrote on Mar 19, 2009 7:38 AM:
To take one example:
Amber Fields wrote: Do you know how much a trillion dollars is? It is the sum of all the government borrowing in the history of 42 administrations from 1789 to 2000, the first 211 years of our U.S. history.
This one is a real stinker.
Between 1981 and 1988 Ronald Reagan ran up a deficit of over 1.3 trillion dollars. Adjusted for inflation, of course, this number is even higher.
Given the fact that I pointed this out to Mr Amber Fields the first time around, I can only assume that this second iteration is a expression of deliberate dishonesty.
Shame on you Mr Fields!!! "
Leonard wrote on Mar 19, 2009 7:35 AM:
" Leonard, then quit reading it. Isn't that what we're always told to do when were appalled by the junk on the television that Hollywood puts out? Nobody's forcing you to read the LNS. It's a choice.
The idea that we cannot call for improvement in something but rather must either love it or leave it has always puzzled me.
As for TV, I cut the cable when my kid was born. "
Cogito wrote on Mar 19, 2009 7:25 AM:
Leonard wrote on Mar 19, 2009 5:30 AM:
Sigh...
It was bad enough when the LNS decided to let Jerome Kinderman publish a letter once a week but now they are allowing Mr Van Fields to publish THE SAME, IDENTICAL LETTER that he submitted on March 5, 2009.
http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2009/03/05/opinion/letters/ltr_van-amber-fields_090305.txt
I guess Van Fields must own stock in the company. Frankly, I think this practice is disgraceful. "
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