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ParticipantThis is surely the cycle of politics, anywhere in the democratic world. A period in which the state is rolled back, until corporate and financial scandals and crises hurt the people, followed by corrective surgery by state intervention, until people resent the intrusiveness. Does one vote for one’s country or self-interest? Are voters well enough informed and educated on the issues to vote? I wasn’t convinced that anyone in the recent democratic debate was the right person to become president, but as a whole they all had something to offer. One day, issues will be quantifiable and vast computers will calculate the enormous variables to ‘what if?’ scenarios. Our great, great, great grandchildren will then look back with a smile at our quaint and antiquated muddling through. Of course that will all be wrong as well.
I think what may shape American politics over the next decade, are issues like regaining lost credibility on the world stage, coming to terms with the new major economic players, and following a root that seeks to appease the dichotomous population. Whereas, Sarkozy is encouraging the French to ‘think less, and do more’, maybe this should be a reflective period for Americans in which the reverse is true.
ParticipantThis is surely the cycle of politics, anywhere in the democratic world. A period in which the state is rolled back, until corporate and financial scandals and crises hurt the people, followed by corrective surgery by state intervention, until people resent the intrusiveness. Does one vote for one’s country or self-interest? Are voters well enough informed and educated on the issues to vote? I wasn’t convinced that anyone in the recent democratic debate was the right person to become president, but as a whole they all had something to offer. One day, issues will be quantifiable and vast computers will calculate the enormous variables to ‘what if?’ scenarios. Our great, great, great grandchildren will then look back with a smile at our quaint and antiquated muddling through. Of course that will all be wrong as well.
I think what may shape American politics over the next decade, are issues like regaining lost credibility on the world stage, coming to terms with the new major economic players, and following a root that seeks to appease the dichotomous population. Whereas, Sarkozy is encouraging the French to ‘think less, and do more’, maybe this should be a reflective period for Americans in which the reverse is true.
ParticipantThis is surely the cycle of politics, anywhere in the democratic world. A period in which the state is rolled back, until corporate and financial scandals and crises hurt the people, followed by corrective surgery by state intervention, until people resent the intrusiveness. Does one vote for one’s country or self-interest? Are voters well enough informed and educated on the issues to vote? I wasn’t convinced that anyone in the recent democratic debate was the right person to become president, but as a whole they all had something to offer. One day, issues will be quantifiable and vast computers will calculate the enormous variables to ‘what if?’ scenarios. Our great, great, great grandchildren will then look back with a smile at our quaint and antiquated muddling through. Of course that will all be wrong as well.
I think what may shape American politics over the next decade, are issues like regaining lost credibility on the world stage, coming to terms with the new major economic players, and following a root that seeks to appease the dichotomous population. Whereas, Sarkozy is encouraging the French to ‘think less, and do more’, maybe this should be a reflective period for Americans in which the reverse is true.
ParticipantThis is surely the cycle of politics, anywhere in the democratic world. A period in which the state is rolled back, until corporate and financial scandals and crises hurt the people, followed by corrective surgery by state intervention, until people resent the intrusiveness. Does one vote for one’s country or self-interest? Are voters well enough informed and educated on the issues to vote? I wasn’t convinced that anyone in the recent democratic debate was the right person to become president, but as a whole they all had something to offer. One day, issues will be quantifiable and vast computers will calculate the enormous variables to ‘what if?’ scenarios. Our great, great, great grandchildren will then look back with a smile at our quaint and antiquated muddling through. Of course that will all be wrong as well.
I think what may shape American politics over the next decade, are issues like regaining lost credibility on the world stage, coming to terms with the new major economic players, and following a root that seeks to appease the dichotomous population. Whereas, Sarkozy is encouraging the French to ‘think less, and do more’, maybe this should be a reflective period for Americans in which the reverse is true.
ParticipantIf the European cars gets 10-20k more expensive, would you buy a base 3-series/C-class or a loaded GS460/M45 etc?
It seems to me, European cars have been (are) more expensive even when unloaded. They are not necessarily better but consumer fickleness spawns this thing called ‘cache’ which equates to ‘the price you paid’. People will always want other people to know that they paid more for their car.
ParticipantIf the European cars gets 10-20k more expensive, would you buy a base 3-series/C-class or a loaded GS460/M45 etc?
It seems to me, European cars have been (are) more expensive even when unloaded. They are not necessarily better but consumer fickleness spawns this thing called ‘cache’ which equates to ‘the price you paid’. People will always want other people to know that they paid more for their car.
ParticipantIf the European cars gets 10-20k more expensive, would you buy a base 3-series/C-class or a loaded GS460/M45 etc?
It seems to me, European cars have been (are) more expensive even when unloaded. They are not necessarily better but consumer fickleness spawns this thing called ‘cache’ which equates to ‘the price you paid’. People will always want other people to know that they paid more for their car.
ParticipantIf the European cars gets 10-20k more expensive, would you buy a base 3-series/C-class or a loaded GS460/M45 etc?
It seems to me, European cars have been (are) more expensive even when unloaded. They are not necessarily better but consumer fickleness spawns this thing called ‘cache’ which equates to ‘the price you paid’. People will always want other people to know that they paid more for their car.
ParticipantIf the European cars gets 10-20k more expensive, would you buy a base 3-series/C-class or a loaded GS460/M45 etc?
It seems to me, European cars have been (are) more expensive even when unloaded. They are not necessarily better but consumer fickleness spawns this thing called ‘cache’ which equates to ‘the price you paid’. People will always want other people to know that they paid more for their car.
ParticipantIn T R Reid’s book “The United States of Europe” he points to a growing threat from the Euro which is ignored by the US at its peril
He points out that the inflow of US dollars from foreign purchase of Treasury bonds, has historically eased the pain of (or funded, if you like) the huge trade deficit ($700m 2005). In 2004, Euro denominated bonds rose to $4 trillion, almost equal to the amount invested in dollar-denominated bonds. In a 2005 survey, two-thirds of the world’s richest nations were planning to shift out of the dollar and into the Euro. If this happens -and many economists say it will- the US Treasury may have to raise the rates it pays to attract investors, which means it would end up paying even more to finance it’s huge deficits. The dollar would then lose more value, and foreign investors would pull out of US markets, sending indices tumbling, and a hike in tax would follow to make up the short fall from lost sales of bonds.
ParticipantIn T R Reid’s book “The United States of Europe” he points to a growing threat from the Euro which is ignored by the US at its peril
He points out that the inflow of US dollars from foreign purchase of Treasury bonds, has historically eased the pain of (or funded, if you like) the huge trade deficit ($700m 2005). In 2004, Euro denominated bonds rose to $4 trillion, almost equal to the amount invested in dollar-denominated bonds. In a 2005 survey, two-thirds of the world’s richest nations were planning to shift out of the dollar and into the Euro. If this happens -and many economists say it will- the US Treasury may have to raise the rates it pays to attract investors, which means it would end up paying even more to finance it’s huge deficits. The dollar would then lose more value, and foreign investors would pull out of US markets, sending indices tumbling, and a hike in tax would follow to make up the short fall from lost sales of bonds.
ParticipantIn T R Reid’s book “The United States of Europe” he points to a growing threat from the Euro which is ignored by the US at its peril
He points out that the inflow of US dollars from foreign purchase of Treasury bonds, has historically eased the pain of (or funded, if you like) the huge trade deficit ($700m 2005). In 2004, Euro denominated bonds rose to $4 trillion, almost equal to the amount invested in dollar-denominated bonds. In a 2005 survey, two-thirds of the world’s richest nations were planning to shift out of the dollar and into the Euro. If this happens -and many economists say it will- the US Treasury may have to raise the rates it pays to attract investors, which means it would end up paying even more to finance it’s huge deficits. The dollar would then lose more value, and foreign investors would pull out of US markets, sending indices tumbling, and a hike in tax would follow to make up the short fall from lost sales of bonds.
ParticipantIn T R Reid’s book “The United States of Europe” he points to a growing threat from the Euro which is ignored by the US at its peril
He points out that the inflow of US dollars from foreign purchase of Treasury bonds, has historically eased the pain of (or funded, if you like) the huge trade deficit ($700m 2005). In 2004, Euro denominated bonds rose to $4 trillion, almost equal to the amount invested in dollar-denominated bonds. In a 2005 survey, two-thirds of the world’s richest nations were planning to shift out of the dollar and into the Euro. If this happens -and many economists say it will- the US Treasury may have to raise the rates it pays to attract investors, which means it would end up paying even more to finance it’s huge deficits. The dollar would then lose more value, and foreign investors would pull out of US markets, sending indices tumbling, and a hike in tax would follow to make up the short fall from lost sales of bonds.
ParticipantIn T R Reid’s book “The United States of Europe” he points to a growing threat from the Euro which is ignored by the US at its peril
He points out that the inflow of US dollars from foreign purchase of Treasury bonds, has historically eased the pain of (or funded, if you like) the huge trade deficit ($700m 2005). In 2004, Euro denominated bonds rose to $4 trillion, almost equal to the amount invested in dollar-denominated bonds. In a 2005 survey, two-thirds of the world’s richest nations were planning to shift out of the dollar and into the Euro. If this happens -and many economists say it will- the US Treasury may have to raise the rates it pays to attract investors, which means it would end up paying even more to finance it’s huge deficits. The dollar would then lose more value, and foreign investors would pull out of US markets, sending indices tumbling, and a hike in tax would follow to make up the short fall from lost sales of bonds.
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