Considering the US is about to go bankrupt, and this-
rt.com/usa/americans-revolution-armed-percent-738/
Stock prices, in most likely the next few years, will take a turn for the worst.

The government has been doing a lot of bad, and because of the Internet, people can inform others about it, and the people are getting angry.

Paul Mantz, Jr. wrote: ...Defense stocks are long term investments, just so you know.

And if you're a Congress person, you get to buy stock before the award is announced!

That's not quite true. These specific defense companies have rules, so they can't do that. BUT somehow Congress people are allowed to invest in other companies benefitting from Congressional decisions. Just like O-care, they legislated themselves as exceptions from insider trading for companies without specific defense ethics clauses. WE the people will go to jail if we do this, but for our wonderful Senate and House, it's a perk.

Things that make ya go HUH??

Manfred

bellsaj wrote: Can I have a White Russian please.
While you're at it, make it a double.

A non-mafia White Russian for the bearded man at the end of the bar.
M

That's why I've purchased some more of both and will sell early for the profit.

You have to hedge your bets, you know?

bellsaj wrote: About the union.
Those who works in the union should have the same wage as if the wher working in the office or plant or whatever workers they are representing. No more no less.
The union fee isn't something that the can put in their own pockets... the union that allows a thing like that I believe is called the Mafia.

True. However, over here we have campaign contributions, a nice avenue for corporations and unions to flow money both voluntarily and extortionally (if that's a word). Yes, shocking, Senator XX can have a staffer imply to the union or CEO that he will vote for the medical device tax unless they are generous to his Fund. Given that this is documented, assuming that the union leaders are somehow pulling down dollars or benefits from Senator XX is not beyond belief.

M

I tried to post about this when it first came up, but the post timed out andi didn't try again. I'm glad I waited because Manny said it a lot better.

I question why there's a minimum wage at all. When it was instituted there was no laws protecting workers. That's changed now. Competition in a free market is the best method for the market, the consumer and everyone involved. If competing company make and sale the same product, the free market will inspire ingenuity and resourcefulness. It will cause each competitor to seek the most efficient ways to make and sale their product. I think the same can be applied to wages.

Minimum wage IMO is a weight around the neck of the poor. It doesn't just tell company's the minimum they have to pay. It tells the workforce what to accept. I use this as an example. If I know that can go to BK and make $8/ hr or I can go to McD's for the same. It really doesn't matter where I go. I know what I'm going make. However, if I know McD's is paying $10/hr for the same job, I want 10. I try to for that job and so does everyone else in the same market. McD's gets all the applicants and chooses the best from the pool. That leaves the others (less desirable) employees to go to BK. Well BK wants good employees too, so they figure out where and why the good ones go some where else. And they raise their wages or suffer. Now if the government says the minimum wage is $7.25, everyone starts at that point. Competition is removed. The potential employees accept their wage as dictatated and it all moves slower. The companies still have the option to recognize the good employees and reward tem whe the for them, but it's longer process and there's a lot of turnover and attrition. Hiring and training employees is expensive and the more employees a company goes through to find the good ones, the more is costs. Guess who pays for those higher costs.

Yes this is off topic, but I was researching stuff that has to do with this, and I found this video

Why we need to get the hell out of the Middle East-

NOTE: This graphic and horrible content, but it need to be seen. Mods- if it is too bad, let me know

Yup, and that's a great example if minimum wage is set too low. If it's set higher than what the market would set using push and pull from workers and companies, then it winds up causing companies to hire fewer people and make them crank out product faster than before. An operation that sells $3000 in burgers each day is not going to sell any more just because the government raised minimum wage. If burgers cost $200 in materials each day, and the McD costs $200 in amortized equipment and $400 in rent each day, plus $1100 in overhead and franchise fees, that's $1900 in costs per day. A McD franchise owner wants return on investment or the place shuts down, so say $500 is their floor. That leaves $600/day for hourly workers for the place to function.

$600 ÷ ($8.00 × 8 hour shifts) = 9.4 people spread over 1.5 shifts. Try to spread that to hit peak breakfast, lunch, dinner and you have a challenge. Wait, not 9.4. As the owner, you will pay around 5% in matching payroll taxes (not the workers' taxes; companies also pay state and federal a "matching" tax that is not so well known to the public). I counted things like manager's salary and insurance in the overhead. Ok, a flat 9 people over a 14 hour day at $8.

At $10/hr, that's 7.5, or 7'ish people after payroll matching taxes. Without selling more burgers. We just lost two jobs in the shopping mall.

FYI I pulled those numbers out of my butt. For argument's sake, the business case makes profit (otherwise we wouldn't see any McD's), but isn't so lofty that McD's are doubled up on north and south ends of every mall.

Yes, natural market supply and demand of hourly labor will move that wage to a natural market wage anyway. And that may be $8 in some places, and $10 in others. It may be $6 in podunk Alaska, or $12 in downtown San Francisco. Franchises will try to keep up with whatever it is in their area, and some will thrive, and franchisees will open other stores and support more jobs. Others will not make it, and close, but they were destined to anyway because the natural economics of the area didn't support a McD, and a cheaper franchise or store will take its place. But one thing for certain: if the government picks a set wage, it will be wrong pretty much everywhere, and if it nails a natural market wage somewhere it will be wrong a few months later. And because of voting dynamics, governments will tend to pick a number that is high for most places. But low creates problems too, as PH pointed out.

Manfred

BIG C, you make some very good points. First off we need to get our own oil and quit giving our money to the Middle East. Here we are making their leaders rich beyond belief when we have enough oil of our own to last well over 100 years which would give an economic boom to the USA and severely limit the cash going oversees. Then of course quit all the free aid that we give them.

The profit and aid that we give to the so called EVIL oil companies provide millions of jobs, economic growth and the research that it takes for your car, airplane and or lawn mower to operate. Their profit margin for what they provide is nothing compared to the profit that we all pay the government PER GALLON and they don't have to do nothing to earn that profit, just sit back and collect taxes.

I am a big business Capitalist and it breaks my heart to see big bonuses given to executives who do not deserve it. Yes it is a greedy world out there but no one is more greedy than government. If it wasn't for big business than where would we be today. It is sad to see all the greed out there that gives big business a bad name, justifiably so.

I am impressed BIG C with your level of awareness as well as the other folks making their thoughts known. I just don't know how we fix everything, OR IF IT CAN EVEN BE FIXED.

One reason why oil company's sell our oil abroad and buy other country's oil for us is they can't justify selling our on oil here in the states but to us for over $100 a barrel.

Davy you want to know how to fix it? Our government needs serious improvement if not restructuring. There are thousands of protest groups out there, in sure you can find one in your area that supports what you support. I have. Next, inform others, millions are unaware of their freedoms being ripped from them.

By joining a group and educating/gathering others, we could probably change the system without the brute force that could happen in the coming years. Numbers are power. The US military has about 5 million soldiers, compared to the 150 million US gun owners. And many of those soldiers, if these ideas are spread to them, will disobey the tyrannical orders they are given, if it comes to that.

It is imperative that we stop this with protest, not violence. Violence would lead to mass death, economic collapse, and technological detriment. However, if something is not done soon, the govt debt will reach its limit. The US economy will collapse, there will be martial law, government takeover, and chaos.

I realize this all sounds vague and non factual, but I can explain all of it, but I hate long typing.

The market is being held up by the federal reserve buying government bonds to keep the dollar at its worth. At a point, this will collapse on itself and the dollar will be worth the flimsy piece of paper it is.

Things like the patriot act, NDAA, and NGI tell us the government is preparing for this collapse, and will institute martial law and totalitarianism. Look at what happened in New Orleans after Katrina, martial law was instituted, the police when door to door, holding law abiding citizens at gun point, taking their guns.

Call me a warmonger, or whatever you like, but when Churchill warned about nazi Germany, he was called a warmonger among other things too.

Spoken like a true PATRIOT, I think I love you. Lol lol

You are correct about the protests, there are several groups. Problem is getting people involved. Kind of hard to do When the IRS will come after you.

The only way we will ever get this mess FIXED is to remove EVERY seated politician and put new blood in Washington in our Courts, Congress and Senate some of those people have been there over 40+ years it's PAST TIME for them to step down

Do you guys have anything that will scare this stubborn cold away?
It's bin tormenting me several weeks now, so if you do, I'll have two.

But in our country there is no gun more powerful than the power of the vote.

Dr Dave wrote: But in our country there is no gun more powerful than the power of the vote.

There's mainstream media... They control the "education" and therefore control the vote. Ron Paul, the only congressman standing up for the constitution, was polled in the republican primaries higher than any other republican candidate. Then, the media never mentioned him again, and "oopsed" on things he was included in, so he was forgotten. He would have been the only one that could have turned this train ride to tyranny around. But the media cut him out.

Absolutely correct, Ron PAUL is a good man, and his son. Problem is the media destroys anyone good.

Take SARAH PALIN, whatever you think about her, she was the # 1 governor in the USA until the media got a hold of her. They destroyed her. If anyone were to do research into her they would know just how smart she really is. However their are many folks who are influenced the wrong way by the media.

Yes I understand but by boycott we can make changes with the media as well. If need be we should start there....

You want to know what Sarah Palin said about Bradley manning?

That he needed to be killed. Anyone who is that anticonstitutional is just a regular politician commuting treason. I think its ironic how she said he needs to be put to death for treason...

Being a politician as a job is treason, it was never meant to be long term. That's why George Washington didnt want to stay for two terms.

I to am a avid gun owner and believe in the right to bare arms but the gun must be a LAST RESORT when guns come into play people die, Good people that never had anything to do with anything in the first place, they just got in the way... That's why I say the VOTER has the power to make change. If you want to change the world then change the way people get their information

[DD]Big C wrote:
Being a politician as a job is treason, it was never meant to be long term. .

yes on this we can both agree... As for Sarah Palin... Well she looks a lot like my wife so I have MANY thoughts about that < evil dirty old man grin>

Yes, in what I posted above, violence was the last resort and only to be used to defend out basic human rights.

But at some point, we have to realize voting isn't doing anything. We need to spread the message, through the Internet, through protest, through anyway we know of. I like to think I have done my part, but there is no time to stop. Another problem is what do we do once the people have to power again?

Anarcho-capitalism- not complete anarchy, still laws, just the government does not control the police, the laws are written down, and cannot be changed without great effort. Private companies enforce the laws. The people employ the private company that is best for them, that way there are not bad police, because they will be forced out of business. This is already happening in some areas. They have terminated their contract with the local sheriffs office for policing, and have hired a private security company. They can still make arrests, but they are cheaper (by $200,000 a year) better (they have 6 officers patrolling at a time instead of 2) and are more effective (crime in the area has gone down by over 50%). Sentencing, prisons, and courts are still run by the government, but that's about it. Also, in a town called kershaw, Georgia, it is illegal to NOT own a gun, their crime is incredibly small, compared to big cities like New Orleans, Chicago, and DC, with the strictest gun control and highest violent crime rates.

Good discussion guys. I wish Big Tex would stop in and explain to us why we are all wrong. That guy can REALLY make you think.... As I always say, the answer is somewhere in the middle. Wig, Tex, anyone else who disagrees... Please chime in.

EVERYONE WHO WISHES TO JOIN IN THIS DISCUSSION WILL BE TREATED FAIRLY AND WITH RESPECT. So, if you categorically disagree with what you are reading... Please tell us why.

I'm a big fan of the founders. It's funny to me in our popular culture just how radical their words seem. But, they had a terrific grasp of why so many other civilizations had failed before, and how miserable a tyrannical government could make its citizens.

But, some improvements and modifications have had to be made. There are a lot of friggin people here now. There is from time to time a need to serve the common good. The dust bowl of the 30's is a good example of a situation where big government turned out to be the answer. On many smaller problems though, I tend to believe it is not, or it is filled with such self serving people that it can't function to do its job.

Keep it up. It's enjoyable to read, and our bar is set up (read our rules) to be a safe place for everyone to share their beliefs, as long as they DO NOT PERSONALLY ATTACK ANYONE.

BORING!

I sell rope you guys can piss up!

Coffee please....extra pee! I need the lift.

$10,000 tip of you can get them to shut up!

Paul Mantz, Jr. wrote: BORING!

I sell rope you guys can piss up!

Coffee please....extra pee! I need the lift.

$10,000 tip of you can get them to shut up!

I think we found the US government employee... Or the guy on welfare, same thing.

Yes..please don't stop my welfare!

I'm a government employee and need the love.
And , I work at McDonald's, Wendy's, & FRANK'S! for minimum and am thankful.

It's a bar! Can't you see the ladies over there? I'm single. I thought I'd find a wing-man in a pilots bar.

DAVY....open bar for 50 one-arm push-ups....30 seconds...minimum wage . Sorry.
Impress the ladies! I need you.

I've learned so much in the past 2 days.
I'm blessed to know your intellects better. You guys are smart & thinking......
.......but can you play some music?

Your MAGICAL MUSIC SELECTIONS always make my heart smile.
You guys have good taste in music.

May I buy a round for Cliff 1, 2, 3...37?

I all love you CLIFF'S! (That's the caffeine talking!)

Clifford Clavin Jr.

Paul Mantz, Jr. wrote: BORING!

I sell rope you guys can piss up!

Coffee please....extra pee! I need the lift.

$10,000 tip of you can get them to shut up!

It's a helluva lot better than that that baseball talk I was hearing last week.

Dr Dave, although the school has been abandoned and left in shambles, I just can't help myself some times. Maybe this'll help you....

Here's your coffee Paul. You can keep the 10k, especially if jason coughs up $10,000.01. How 'bout it Jas?
Manfred

Paul, I'm so awesome that I can piss up a nylon rope, either that or I drink way too much Mt Dew.

Parrot, baseball season starts in about 140 days give or take. I know you can't wait!

Serious moment here, use caution: As far as pissing up rope. Keep telling yourself that things are impossible. They are far from it. My worst fear is that we are going to see a civil war, with possibly several more than just 2 sides in armed conflict within my lifetime. If thing don't return more to the center, and if our elected leaders don't start acting like the grown ups that they claim to be, I can definitely see major trouble on the horizon. Maybe not now, but in my lifetime. I feel we can do a lot better for future generations than we are doing right now.

The rope is hemp. Not nylon.