What should the average American fear the most?

[JoseCuervo]

Anything can be a political hot button if you want it to be. Although, I'm not sure how you bring politics in to race car driving. I'm sure there's a way, I'm just not seeing it off hand.

And the media is freaking out (justifiably) about the economy and the deficit. Inflation itself is not something anyone seems to want to touch. And I would only call it political if one could rationally blame one party over the other for the issue. Key word is rationally.

Could you let me know which way the deficit has been heading since January 20, 2009?

Could you let me know how the economy has been doing since January 20, 2009? Maybe a jobs created metric? Contrasted to the immediate 4 years prior?

Could you let me know what the annual rate of inflation has been the last few years?

Instead of operating on fear, operate on facts.

 

[SCCutler]

Intrusion of government in our personal lives, and the concomitant loss of personal freedoms.

 

[Concorde]

shortage of duct tape.

 

[JoseCuervo]

inflation is a sustained increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.[1] When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation reflects a reduction in the purchasing power per unit of money.

Electric, beef, milk, eggs, gasoline, coffee and car prices are all at record levels since 2009. That's called inflation, dude.

Ahhhh...... so other goods that are at record lows, or lower than they were in 2009 must be excluded from your basket of goods that you use?

Do you know why beef is high?

Do you know why pork is where it is?

Do you know why chicken is where it is?

Gasoline, at least where I am, is not at record highs. And, I don't think my electric is at a "record high".

And, I know housing around here is not at "record high"....

Instead of a specifically picked "basket", why not use a commonly accepted measure of inflation? Might just be a better discussion point, dontcha think?

 

[JoseCuervo]

I don't know how you garner that from my quoted comment. I was making an aside remark on the price of beef, not claiming that inflation is indicated by the price of a single commodity, if that is what you are implying.

I was hoping you weren't making a comment on "inflation" based upon your statement of "Well, yeah, and auto gas more at least as much. The last time I was in the store to get something to bbq, every single cut of beef except for tri tip was priced at more than I was willing to pay for it. So I got pork instead."

I imagine your comment was more about the price of beef increased due to Tony Stewart eating his true feelings, and not about ISIS or the Ferguson PD.

 

[Sac Arrow]

Could you let me know which way the deficit has been heading since January 20, 2009?

Could you let me know how the economy has been doing since January 20, 2009? Maybe a jobs created metric? Contrasted to the immediate 4 years prior?

Could you let me know what the annual rate of inflation has been the last few years?

Instead of operating on fear, operate on facts.

The fact is, gasoline prices doubled since 2009. So did pretty much everything else. That means half of my savings has evaporated since 2009. The fact of the matter is, I can't safely earn an investment rate of return that even comes close to offsetting that.

 

[MAKG1]

Fear all the time is bad. Fear at the right time focuses you in the right way.

The dumb animals at the back of the pack who are oblivious to the predators get eaten first.

Study how predators hunt, particularly wolves. They use fear to manipulate the herd to do things against their interest.

The one that panics and does stupid stuff gets eaten. And it's hard to come up with a less "right time" for fear than when being chased by a wolf trying to eat you.

 

[Sac Arrow]

I was hoping you weren't making a comment on "inflation" based upon your statement of "Well, yeah, and auto gas more at least as much. The last time I was in the store to get something to bbq, every single cut of beef except for tri tip was priced at more than I was willing to pay for it. So I got pork instead."

I imagine your comment was more about the price of beef increased due to Tony Stewart eating his true feelings, and not about ISIS or the Ferguson PD.

Actually a large factor in the high cost of beef is the drought in California. Entire herds have been culled due to reduced grazing lands, causing a shortage. I think (hope) that is a temporary condition.

 

[Marauder]

A thread on what the average America should fear the most...

 

[dans2992]

IPv4 address exhaustion.....

(IT and aviation seem to attract the same people....)

 

[JoseCuervo]

The fact is, gasoline prices doubled since 2009. So did pretty much everything else. That means half of my savings has evaporated since 2009. The fact of the matter is, I can't safely earn an investment rate of return that even comes close to offsetting that.

What happened to the price of your home since 2009?

What happened to the price of every home in Las Vegas since 2009? Or Stockton, or Salt Lake, or Lincoln, or OK City, or etc....or 95% of the rest of the country?

Why are you struggling earning a an acceptable rate of return? Making money in the stock market since 2009 has been dirt simple. Just buy baskets of stock, and watch them increase. Doesn't even take work to find stocks.

 

[steingar]

The average American should be afraid of heart disease and cancer, since that's how the average American perishes.

 

[FormerHangie]

The fact is, gasoline prices doubled since 2009. So did pretty much everything else. That means half of my savings has evaporated since 2009. The fact of the matter is, I can't safely earn an investment rate of return that even comes close to offsetting that.

You're cherry picking your dates. In 2009, the world was facing the worst economic crisis it had seen in 70 years. How about you compare prices to those in 2007, when the (temporary) bubble in energy prices hadn't yet happened, and before the collapse of the economy? That year, gasoline was selling for slightly less than three dollars most of the year. So, we're up about 15 percent over the last seven years.

 

[JoseCuervo]

You're cherry picking your dates. In 2009, the world was facing the worst economic crisis it had seen in 70 years. How about you compare prices to those in 2007, when the (temporary) bubble in energy prices hadn't yet happened, and before the collapse of the economy? That year, gasoline was selling for slightly less than three dollars most of the year. So, we're up about 15 percent over the last seven years.

Exactly. He is looking for something to fuel his own fear, for some reason.

August 8, 2008, gas prices hit a record high, higher than they are today. We have actually had DEFLATION in gas prices, but that won't sell FEAR to those who want to be gripped by fear.

 

[Henning]

Where in the hell did someone find gas for $1.85 in 2009?

 

[FormerHangie]

Where in the hell did someone find gas for $1.85 in 2009?

I did see it for under $2 for a while.

 

[Sac Arrow]

Exactly. He is looking for something to fuel his own fear, for some reason.

August 8, 2008, gas prices hit a record high, higher than they are today. We have actually had DEFLATION in gas prices, but that won't sell FEAR to those who want to be gripped by fear.

Draw a straight line then from 2004 then, I don't care. I'm not sure I understand what your overall point is. I have made the point that my dollars buy less than they used to. It's not an issue of fear, it's an issue of reality.

 

[JoseCuervo]

Draw a straight line then from 2004 then, I don't care. I'm not sure I understand what your overall point is. I have made the point that my dollars buy less than they used to. It's not an issue of fear, it's an issue of reality.

How much of a piston twin engine plane would your dollars buy in 2008 vs today?

How much of a 210 can you buy today vs 2008?

How much of a house can you buy today vs 2008?

It looks like your dollars buy you more.

 

[Henning]

How much of a piston twin engine plane would your dollars buy in 2008 vs today?

How much of a 210 can you buy today vs 2008?

How much of a house can you buy today vs 2008?

It looks like your dollars buy you more.

About the same hours for the same dollars for a couple of years, then the fuel price inflation over takes the capital savings. House? Who wants a house?

 

[JoseCuervo]

Well, yeah, and auto gas more at least as much. The last time I was in the store to get something to bbq, every single cut of beef except for tri tip was priced at more than I was willing to pay for it. So I got pork instead.

What is the point of your beef story, if you aren't blaming, ISIS, Tony Stewart, Inflation, or the Ferguson PD?

And the media is freaking out (justifiably) about the economy and the deficit. Inflation itself is not something anyone seems to want to touch.

Wait, so you are discussing inflation when you say "Inflation itself is not something anyone seems to want to touch"? You do realise that inflation is currently running about 2%, and has for the last 5 or so years. Some months up a bit, some down a bit, but, 2% is a pretty good round number.

And, why should the media Fox News be freaking out about the economy? Unemployment is low, the stock markets are up, jobs are being created, life is pretty good right now, economically speaking. Or do you use another metric besides jobs, markets, and inflation?

I was making an aside remark on the price of beef, not claiming that inflation is indicated by the price of a single commodity, if that is what you are implying.

OK, so the beef story has nothing to do with inflation, and you agree that you can't use a single commodity to tell the story of inflation.... So, you would NEVER bring up a commodity like gas and claim inflation...... right???

The fact is, gasoline prices doubled since 2009. So did pretty much everything else. That means half of my savings has evaporated since 2009. The fact of the matter is, I can't safely earn an investment rate of return that even comes close to offsetting that.

Ahh..... There you went and made up a "fact" that gasoline prices doubled since 2009 and then even said "So did pretty much everything else". What other commodities are in the "pretty much everything else" category? Are you thinking real estate doubled since 2009? What about Gold and other Metals? What about manufactured goods? Rents, ? Housing? Autos?

Draw a straight line then from 2004 then, I don't care. I'm not sure I understand what your overall point is. I have made the point that my dollars buy less than they used to. It's not an issue of fear, it's an issue of reality.

How do you know your dollars buy less than they used to? And, they also buy less than they used to since 1994, 1984, 1964, 1944,1904, 1864, 1824, and 1776. Hell, back in the 1600's you could buy NYC for $24 and some blankets and beads. What price did Jefferson pay for a bunch off flyover states?


Like I said, I don't really think you understand what "inflation" is.

Or, do you really not "fear" inflation, and are far more fearful of Tony Stewart?

 

[Neal Howard]

I fear EIGRP and RIPv2

Those are a piece of cake.
Try OSPF with lots of VLSM'ed non-contiguous subnets.

 

[JoseCuervo]

About the same hours for the same dollars for a couple of years, then the fuel price inflation over takes the capital savings. House? Who wants a house?

Let's get to your area of expertise. Let's say the house floats and has a couple of engines in the lower part of the basement driving a couple of fan-looking items out the back.

What happened to the price of Yachts in the Caribe over the last 6 years?

What happened to the price of Yachts in the Mediterranean over the last 6 years?

 

[JoseCuervo]

And for those who "fear" inflation, at what point in history did you first notice inflation was "fearful"? And do you still feel that way?

 

[Henning]

And for those who "fear" inflation, at what point in history did you first notice inflation was "fearful"? And do you still feel that way?

Here's a question, what disappeared from that graph that makes it irrelevant?

 

[Sac Arrow]

What is the point of your beef story, if you aren't blaming, ISIS, Tony Stewart, Inflation, or the Ferguson PD?




Wait, so you are discussing inflation when you say "Inflation itself is not something anyone seems to want to touch"? You do realise that inflation is currently running about 2%, and has for the last 5 or so years. Some months up a bit, some down a bit, but, 2% is a pretty good round number.

And, why should the media Fox News be freaking out about the economy? Unemployment is low, the stock markets are up, jobs are being created, life is pretty good right now, economically speaking. Or do you use another metric besides jobs, markets, and inflation?




OK, so the beef story has nothing to do with inflation, and you agree that you can't use a single commodity to tell the story of inflation.... So, you would NEVER bring up a commodity like gas and claim inflation...... right???




Ahh..... There you went and made up a "fact" that gasoline prices doubled since 2009 and then even said "So did pretty much everything else". What other commodities are in the "pretty much everything else" category? Are you thinking real estate doubled since 2009? What about Gold and other Metals? What about manufactured goods? Rents, ? Housing? Autos?




How do you know your dollars buy less than they used to? And, they also buy less than they used to since 1994, 1984, 1964, 1944,1904, 1864, 1824, and 1776. Hell, back in the 1600's you could buy NYC for $24 and some blankets and beads. What price did Jefferson pay for a bunch off flyover states?


Like I said, I don't really think you understand what "inflation" is.

Or, do you really not "fear" inflation, and are far more fearful of Tony Stewart?

If you actually believe that 2% represents the true rate of inflation, YOU are the one that struggles with the concept of inflation. You have to use some pretty skewed metrics to get there. It certainly doesn't represent my marginal increase in the cost of living.

Anyway I'm done arguing the point. I really don't feel like arguing anyway. If you agree with me, fine, if you don't that's fine too. The original question was general in nature, not intended to be confined by the poll. I threw it in there to see if anyone would actually take it seriously.

 

[JoseCuervo]

Here's a question, what disappeared from that graph that makes it irrelevant?

At which point in time?

The "basket" continually has items removed as to make the current policies and administrations look better.

Trick question.

 

[timwinters]

Fear most?

People who believe that mental illness is nothing but a personal weakness (as displayed in the Robin Williams thread) but who sit in a pew every Sunday and talk to their imaginary friends.

Religion: proving mental illness is ubiquitous.

 

[JoseCuervo]

If you actually believe that 2% represents the true rate of inflation, YOU are the one that struggles with the concept of inflation. You have to use some pretty skewed metrics to get there. It certainly doesn't represent my marginal increase in the cost of living.

What does represent your marginal increase in the cost of living?

Anyway I'm done arguing the point. I really don't feel like arguing anyway. If you agree with me, fine, if you don't that's fine too. The original question was general in nature, not intended to be confined by the poll. I threw it in there to see if anyone would actually take it seriously.

Did you vote in the poll? What did you fear?

 

[Henning]

What does represent your marginal increase in the cost of living?

Energy, and it's not marginal.

 

[JoseCuervo]

The fact is, gasoline prices doubled since 2009. So did pretty much everything else. That means half of my savings has evaporated since 2009. The fact of the matter is, I can't safely earn an investment rate of return that even comes close to offsetting that.

Can you explain the bold part of your statement?

 

[JoseCuervo]

Energy, and it's not marginal.

Edjumacate us about Yacht prices, not energy. Did they tumble in 2008-09?

Have they recovered, or are there still "bargains" out there?

 

[geneseib]

I suppose it could go spin zone, but it doesn't have to. It's not a political statement.

Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself

 

[CTLSi]

What happened to the price of your home since 2009?

What happened to the price of every home in Las Vegas since 2009? Or Stockton, or Salt Lake, or Lincoln, or OK City, or etc....or 95% of the rest of the country?

Why are you struggling earning a an acceptable rate of return? Making money in the stock market since 2009 has been dirt simple. Just buy baskets of stock, and watch them increase. Doesn't even take work to find stocks.

Fun to watch Obama defenders try to make the case the econ has been good since 2009. The Democrats destroyed housing with their Subprime Crash. Housing equity has STILL not recovered from pre 2007 levels.

Wages are down 28%. 100 million are out of the labor force. A third of full time jobs are now part time jobs. Poverty and food stamps are at record levels, and so are people hiding on disability (because jobless benefits ran out).

The debt has doubled. When interest get off zero (where they have been for Obama's entire presidency) the debt service will explode and wipe out half the budget. It's a ticking time bomb put there by Democrats.

The middle class has been gutted. The top 5% net incomers are in the stock market, they have done well thanks to money printing. The rest of the country is sucking eggs and paying more for everything on less wages.

 

[F01LA]

The poll is loaded. Inflation is the only thing on there that the vast majority of Americans come in contact with in a year. No surprise that it's winning. Now if you said something like "Increasing militarization and brutality of police forces" or something about the ideology driving ISIS, it might be more relevant.

 

[Henning]

Fun to watch Obama defenders try to make the case the econ has been good since 2009. The Democrats destroyed housing with their Subprime Crash. Housing equity has STILL not recovered from pre 2007 levels.

Wages are down 28%. 100 million are out of the labor force. A third of full time jobs are now part time jobs. Poverty and food stamps are at record levels, and so are people hiding on disability (because jobless benefits ran out).

The middle class has been gutted. The top 5% net incomers are in the stock market, they have done well thanks to money printing. The rest of the country is sucking eggs and paying more for everything on less wages.

Democrats didn't do that! Greedy mortgage brokers did that, greedy Wall Street investors wanted more unregulated paper to bundle into OTC derivatives to **** other rich people with. They had the government pull all the lending stops out and collected up all the money the and property after they crashed it all. They crashed a Ponzi scheme then got us to pay their bonuses by accounting all the bailout money as earnings toward their bonuses. Please, government is the problem? Government is the puppet show to keep you from seeing the actors.

 

[Jimmy cooper]

Fun to watch Obama defenders try to make the case the econ has been good since 2009. The Democrats destroyed housing with their Subprime Crash. Housing equity has STILL not recovered from pre 2007 levels.

Wages are down 28%. 100 million are out of the labor force. A third of full time jobs are now part time jobs. Poverty and food stamps are at record levels, and so are people hiding on disability (because jobless benefits ran out).

The debt has doubled. When interest get off zero (where they have been for Obama's entire presidency) the debt service will explode and wipe out half the budget. It's a ticking time bomb put there by Democrats.

The middle class has been gutted. The top 5% net incomers are in the stock market, they have done well thanks to money printing. The rest of the country is sucking eggs and paying more for everything on less wages.

Your totally misinformed. Sadly others may believe you.

 

[CTLSi]

Fun to watch Obama defenders try to make the case the econ has been good since 2009. The Democrats destroyed housing with their Subprime Crash. Housing equity has STILL not recovered from pre 2007 levels.

Wages are down 28%. 100 million are out of the labor force. A third of full time jobs are now part time jobs. Poverty and food stamps are at record levels, and so are people hiding on disability (because jobless benefits ran out).

The debt has doubled. When interest get off zero (where they have been for Obama's entire presidency) the debt service will explode and wipe out half the budget. It's a ticking time bomb put there by Democrats.

The middle class has been gutted. The top 5% net incomers are in the stock market, they have done well thanks to money printing. The rest of the country is sucking eggs and paying more for everything on less wages.

Your totally misinformed. Sadly others may believe you.

How about proving any of the statement incorrect? Oh I see, you voted for Obama....Obama voters don't work with facts.

 

[CTLSi]

Democrats didn't do that! Greedy mortgage brokers did that, greedy Wall Street investors wanted more unregulated paper to bundle into OTC derivatives to **** other rich people with. They had the government pull all the lending stops out and collected up all the money the and property after they crashed it all. They crashed a Ponzi scheme then got us to pay their bonuses by accounting all the bailout money as earnings toward their bonuses. Please, government is the problem? Government is the puppet show to keep you from seeing the actors.

Read up:
New Study Finds Democrats Fully to Blame for Subprime ...

 

[FormerHangie]

What scares me is the economy and job market we've been facing for the last 15 years. Real wages for working people have been at best stagnating and for most declining. Professions that used to pay living wages, now don't. Look at the number of adjuncts teaching at colleges and universities these days. My wife's cousin is an intellectual property attorney at IBM. Sounds like a pretty good job, and it is, for her. She was finally given permission to hire two new staff, and she made offers to two of her contract attorneys who had been working there for a few years. Both were offered, $60,000 per year and both accepted on the spot. And these are high education, high skill professions, what do you think is happening to folks who are in the lower level positions?

I was talking to a number of fellow parents of middle and high schoolers a few months ago, and I can tell you we're all worried about what type of job market our children will be facing in the 6 to 10 years from now when they'll be college graduates. One of the problems they'll face is that they will be expected to have specialized skills upon graduation, but in the time it takes to acquire those skills, they may no longer be marketable, and then the child will be out a number of years and the parent out tens of thousands of dollars.

One of the reasons I'm responding to this thread is that I've spent the last two hours monitoring a process for my employer, so I'm sitting in front of the computer. This is supposed to be my time, but I'm working because it needs to be done. Now, I don't get any compensation for additional hours, just like most of those who are reading this don't. Hell, I haven't even gotten a cost of living increase since 2008. My employer can get away with this because he knows there's not that much out there, and I'm in what is supposedly a high demand skill.

 

[Henning]

Inflation is a result of professional criminals stealing with government sanction or even as a function of it. Hard to stop that.

Inflation is the result of usury and a system of using money. It all boils down to a lack of faith and fear.