Sewmouse talks economics

There's an awful lot of talk about how to fix the economy. Throwing money at it seems to be the government's solution. Charles Osgood on CBS yesterday chastised Americans for not spending, because hording our money just worsens the situation. The Federal Reserve thinks the answer is lowering interest rates so banks can get easy money that they refuse to lend.

I've thought about this a bit, and I think there is merit in all the above, but that each and every one of them misses the boat because they leave out the KEY element. The connection between Consumers and Markets.

Consumerism drives our economy. People make things, people sell things, people buy things, people fix things, people buy things to make things... nice little circular "ecosystem",(Let's leave those asshats called "speculators" out of this for now - that's a whole 'nother ball of wax) and it all works.

Until some idiot comes up with the bright idea of outsourcing jobs to 3rd world countries.

Laying off people who make things.Laying off people who fix things.

Which means there are less people who can buy things.

So nobody buys things.and nobody can sell things so they lay off people who sell things.

Which means even MORE people cannot buy things. so nobody makes things.

So they lay off MORE people who make things...

Not to mention that all these people are now collecting Govt. benefits because they don't have jobs and NOT paying taxes because they don't have jobs... And of course, they only spend their benefits on the BARE ESSENTIALS, because they don't have jobs...

Clearly anyone with 1/2 a brain can see how this turns out. Laying off people clearly is the prime reason why the economy sucks tepid pond slime and will continue to do so as long as Corporate America decides that their dividends and profits can be saved by "cost cutting" measures like downsizing workforce, outsourcing and layoffs.

Put people back to work. Now there would be that many more people who CAN buy things. So you'll need even MORE people to make, fix, sell, etc. things.

Really - I'm fair certain even a 10 year old could grasp this...

Hello, WallStreetMCFly???????

32 days

Holy Refridgeadeezer, Batman - it's COLD

With wind-chill figured in today it feels like 14 BELOW zero F. Fortunately, the car's battery works like a champ and I got going fine this morning, only to run into traffic while people gawked at 2 cop cars having stopped someone on the OTHER side of the road. *sigh*

Progress is being made in the great 2008/2009 decluttering. Another 2 trash cans full of I never use it and nobody wants it is ready to be dragged to the curb on Thursday nite. I still have a pile of "I need to hang this up but the farking closet is not properly insulated and freezes my whole room if I open the door" stuff sitting on an end table, but that's not too bad. I really do need to cut back on the dust-collectors, however. Some of this crap I've had since I was a kid. Maybe I should take a big box out to the Garage and have a driveway sale next spring.

Dad got his christmas present box. I'm glad of this. I hope they didn't put a receipt in it. I need to get Amanda and her hubby's presents mailed off this week. I need a box. GAH - so much to remember. I need a secretary. And a maid.

I tried making bratwurst in the microwave. I'm thinking it wasn't too successful. I may try again some time, however. I just need to figure out a good time/power setting ratio, I think.

Thanks to Enigma 4 Ever, I now have a new recipe for butter cookies to try out. *cross fingers* I hope it's as good as the recipe looks - go check her out, she's got all KINDS of Xmas spirit going over at Watergate Summer!


35 days