Are we experiencing the calm before the storm?

[Lillefix]

I think this entire post is hyperbole and overly pessimistic. The EU and USA economies are still the two largest in the world. It will take a century of recession to even see them surpassed, let alone completely fail. I am not of the opinion that China's economy will grow like it has forever. But, even if it does, the EU and USA economies will still be top three.

If you want attention you gotta hit hard you know. But it would be interesting if I had a parallel universe, where I could have made a less sensationalist thread, and compared progress of the two...

But I also wonder what will happen if the oil becomes really expensive, and we haven't yet found a good replacement. I imagine governments will be more and more selfish, a and the threshold for making war will be lower. We had a fuel crisis in the seventies. Anyone who knows how countries handled that?

 

[Takhisis]

How are we not? Carter was the right wing of the Democratic party in the 70s, he would be the far left of the party now. Reagan was the far right of the Republicans then, he would be a Democrat now.

Stop being absolutely right all the time, Cutlass!

 

[Virote_Considon]

So? Russia fighting Turkey after annexing Greece would quadruple the fun.

Because such territorial gains for Russia and the socio-economic factors which force into such a campaign would render its already exceedingly poor chances of being able to integrate into the rest of the European state to almost nil.

And it will also hurt the timeless patriotic European duty of retaking the Second Rome away from the Turks for ourselves!

 

[G-Max]

How are we not? Carter was the right wing of the Democratic party in the 70s, he would be the far left of the party now. Reagan was the far right of the Republicans then, he would be a Democrat now.

Reagan actually WAS a Democrat for a while

But to answer the question, we haven't gone farther right or farther left. We're moving increasingly toward authoritarianism.

 

[aelf]

But to answer the question, we haven't gone farther right or farther left. We're moving increasingly toward authoritarianism.

Smartest thing you've said in a while, though it depends on how "left" and "right" are framed.

 

[Tahuti]

Smartest thing you've said in a while, though it depends on how "left" and "right" are framed.

The word authoritarianism is completely meaningless, especially regarding to economics.

 

[Cutlass]

Reagan actually WAS a Democrat for a while

But to answer the question, we haven't gone farther right or farther left. We're moving increasingly toward authoritarianism.

We are much more anti-labor. We are much more anti-poor. We are much more pro-religion. We are much more pro-business. These are all important trends towards conservatism.

 

[aelf]

The word authoritarianism is completely meaningless, especially regarding to economics.

What?

 

[G-Max]

Bad news, guys. WW3 is coming. China is telling the USA to back off or else:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeQ70AuoJg8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGTcQWv_ESM&feature=related

We are much more anti-labor. We are much more anti-poor. We are much more pro-religion. We are much more pro-business. These are all important trends towards conservatism.

We also spend more on government-sponsored health care than ever before. The Federal Register has never been bigger. Gun laws have never been stricter.

 

[Antilogic]

We also spend more on government-sponsored health care than ever before. The Federal Register has never been bigger. Gun laws have never been stricter.

That's partly because the cost of healthcare is substantially outpacing inflation, and the assault weapons ban has been revoked if I'm not mistaken. You can bring guns on trains and into national parks now.

Sorry, not seeing two of those three points. I don't see the relevance of the Federal Register... it's just a published log, right? Why is its length important?

 

[Cutlass]

Bad news, guys. WW3 is coming. China is telling the USA to back off or else:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeQ70AuoJg8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGTcQWv_ESM&feature=related



We also spend more on government-sponsored health care than ever before. The Federal Register has never been bigger. Gun laws have never been stricter.

We have less government involvement in health care than any other developed nation, which is why we spend so much more than everyone else.

 

[G-Max]

the assault weapons ban has been revoked if I'm not mistaken.

I'm sorry, you're correct. It was allowed to expire in 2004.

I don't see the relevance of the Federal Register... it's just a published log, right? Why is its length important?

It's a loose measurement of how heavily regulated our economy is.

We have less government involvement in health care than any other developed nation

Other nations aren't really relevant... only the USA now and the USA in the past.

 

[Cutlass]

It's a loose measurement of how heavily regulated our economy is.

Well no, it's not. It's a strawman. What matters is how much actual regulation is taking place.

Other nations aren't really relevant... only the USA now and the USA in the past.

Liberals in the situation of 2009-2010 would have at least tried to get Universal Health Care.

 

[G-Max]

Well no, it's not. It's a strawman. What matters is how much actual regulation is taking place.

And how do you quantify that?

 

[Cutlass]

And how do you quantify that?

I'm not really sure. But I do know that putting a billion regs on the books, and then enforcing none of them, cannot be equated with heavier regulation.

 

[G-Max]

O RLY? Name one regulation that isn't being enforced.

 

[Cutlass]

During the Bush years none of the financial regs were being enforced. The mining regs aren't enforced, which is why that coal company thought it was safe to kill a bunch of miners. Safety regs on oil rigs are not being enforced. Airline pilot safety rules are not being enforced.

The SEC was told several times by several people that Madoff was running a ponzi scheme. They let him run with it.

 

[G-Max]

Links and I'll concede.

 

[CavLancer]

I understand that, but without Orbán in power, there will be nobody to enforce his draconian measures to curb the press freedom, for example.



There's no need to invade, they're quite willing to sell them to us so that their rotten regime can maintain an illusion of economic growth and social progress. I know, I know, Europe has grown very boring since 1989, but we like it that way after all the fun we've had in the last century. Perhaps you guys could have a little fun on your own now, try and invade someone with a strength to fight back for a change Someone far, far away, preferably - China, India, Brazil, someone like that.

Nah we picked someone nice and easy a while back, Vietnam, and learned our lesson well... Never invade a country with trees.

 

[Cutlass]

Conclusion
The OIG investigation found that the SEC received numerous substantive complaints since 1992 that raised significant red flags concerning Madoff’s hedge fund operations and should have led to questions about whether Madoff was actually engaged in trading and should have led to a thorough examination and/or investigation of the possibility that Madoff was operating a Ponzi scheme. However, the OIG found that although the SEC conducted five examinations and investigations of Madoff based upon these substantive complaints, they never took the necessary and basic steps to determine if Madoff was misrepresenting his trading. We also found that had these efforts been made with appropriate follow-up, the SEC could have uncovered the Ponzi scheme well before Madoff confessed.

The SEC itself admits that it dismissed claims against Madeoff without proper investigation for 16 years before his ponzi fell apart. http://www.sec.gov/news/studies/2009/oig-509.pdf