Now, They Can Pay For It...

I was just walking down the street today, minding my own business when a guy came towards me. He had this odd shuffling gait, and when he came closer I realized that he was a leper. God, I have never seen a leper before. I know he is a leper, because when we got close I said “Hi, beautiful morning isn’t it?” and he gave me the finger.

Like many people I have been following the economic breakdown that is in the news lately. I hope that it doesn’t affect any of the people that I know and love, but I really hope it doesn’t affect me. I guess that makes me sort of self serving. I did mention other people first, but you and I know that I did that for the sake of building up good Karma.

To me what has happened to the US is pretty obvious. The Republicans found a crack in the Democrats armour and have been driving a wedge in. This is all about politics and big business! The sad fact is that the average Joe pays for the games that the power brokers are playing. I tend to be more liberal in my thoughts and I know that some of my more misguided friends are conservative. Sad really, because other than their political beliefs, they are pretty much normal and nice.

The problem seems to be so simple to me, but I am aware that I don’t have all of the facts. Not knowing what is going on has never bothered me before and it won’t keep me from voicing my opinion now. I think that the so called first world countries have to start manufacturing things again. It is what the US did so very well in the past. Oh, I realize that it is cheaper to manufacture in China, Thailand, Korea and the North Pole, and the stockholders would make less money because the dividends would quite tiny. I wonder why places with tiny people make such good stuff? Sometimes you have to give up some things for the privilege of living in a great country.

I can remember that there were tariffs placed on goods coming into our country from overseas in order to protect our businesses from cheap imported goods. Sure, I guess we would pay more for our goods if we did that, but we would have a proud work force and a more self sufficient country. I don’t think that we as a country should sacrifice our standard of living for the benefit of a handful of rich men that just want to get richer. The time I am remembering is the fifties and sixties which I think most will agree are the epitome of “the good old days”.

The very first prototype for a plasma display monitor was invented in July 1964 at the University of Illinois by professors Donald Bitzer and Gene Slottow. Unfortunately, no company or government was willing to invest the billion or so into development that would be needed in North America. Panasonic was the company that developed it into a marketable product with the support of the Japanese government and of course their shareholders.

Right? Wrong? I don’t know. I have a nice big screen TV and would be unwilling to go back or to give up any of my electronic toys. I think that we have to though, if we want our countries to survive. Short term pain for long term gain seems to be the rallying cry of conservatives across the continent, but they are talking cuts to benefits and services. Perhaps the liberal thinkers can have the same rallying cry, but for making our countries great again. We need to look at our lives and lifestyle a little differently.

Oh well, I have mine and the problem is now in the hands of our kids. We gave them a great education and pretty much everything they ever wanted. Now, they can pay for it...