Burnt out on all the bad news

[SimNut]

I'm really getting a bit tired of all of the doom and gloom, talking about wars, financial crisis, oil prices, global warming....... jeeze it's enough to give optimists a bout of depression.

Is it just me or is everyone starting to get tired of hearing about all the problems we're facing today? Normal conversations with people, the dinner table, social events, it seems like the topic always ends up on the latest crisis.

I'm old. I watched Walter Cronkite on the evening news in black and white. Then the local news would be another 1/2 hour. Between that and the newspapers, that was our news and our view into the world. Of course as a kid I payed attention to different things, but I don't recall things being this bad.

We're all so connected now and news (especially bad news) is in your face 24/7 and we now hear about all the crap happening everywhere in the world, instantly, with pictures and video.

I still haven't figured out if things are worse than they were before, or if it's always been like this and we just didn't know about all of it.

Either way, I could use some good news right about now.

[longam]

I have to agree with you on the in your face news coverage now, it gets tiresome at times. Even the hurricane coverage with some person standing in strong winds in a rain coat is old news.

What worries me the most is the lack of care I see from people around me about world events because of this. At work the fact that 400,000 people died in natural disasters seems to only be a “did you hear” and on we go. Grant it we can’t dwell on things and must continue with life, but sheesh.

[Skybird]

You remind me of this poem by Rainer Maria Rilke


Todeserfahrung

Wir wissen nichts von diesem Hingehn, das
nicht mit uns teilt. Wir haben keinen Grund,
Bewunderung und Liebe oder Haß
dem Tod zu zeigen, den ein Maskenmund

tragischer Klage wunderlich entstellt.
Noch ist die Welt voll Rollen, die wir spielen,
solang wir sorgen, ob wir auch gefielen,
spielt auch der Tod, obwohl er nicht gefällt.

Doch als du gingst, da brach in diese Bühne
ein Streifen Wirklichkeit durch jenen Spalt,
durch den du hingingst: Grün wirklicher Grüne,
wirklicher Sonnenschein, wirklicher Wald.

Wir spielen weiter. Bang und schwer Erlerntes
hersagend und Gebärden dann und wann
aufhebend; aber dein von uns entferntes,
aus unserm Stück entrücktes Dasein kann

uns manchmal überkommen, wie ein Wissen
von jener Wirklichkeit sich niedersenkend,
so daß wir eine Weile hingerissen
das Leben spielen, nicht an Beifall denkend.


Sorry, but some language cannot be translated in rythm and sweet sound.

[longam]

Again, most don't care and resolve in someone else words, on to the weather channel....

[UnderseaLcpl]

Originally Posted by Simnut

I'm really getting a bit tired of all of the doom and gloom, talking about wars, financial crisis, oil prices, global warming....... jeeze it's enough to give optimists a bout of depression.

There's always bread and circuses.

Originally Posted by Simnut

I still haven't figured out if things are worse than they were before, or if it's always been like this and we just didn't know about all of it.

History repeats itself. Be glad that the current fiscal crisis hasn't triggered a massive war........yet

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by SimNut

...I still haven't figured out if things are worse than they were before, or if it's always been like this and we just didn't know about all of it.

Either way, I could use some good news right about now.

Here is some good news for ya - We have had what? 10 financial crisis since the 1960's that are similar to today (They all did a market drop of well over 10%). You might remember some from the 80's - Savings and Loan bailouts. 90's and into 2000's the Enron's and what was the other? Worldcom? I forget. No one will remember in the next 7 years what those were either since we will be worried about the newest worst disaster in financial history. Nor will we remember those in an additional 7 years.

So here's your good news for the day - you won't remember any of this in 7 years with the newest latest. They will all be worried about the stock market dropping below 20,000 points for the first time since 2010 and it will again be the biggest drop in points in history. Of course, when you analyze it, it won't be the biggest drop in 50 years as a percentage (which is what they should be basing their drop news coverage on) once again.

Yawn.

-S

[Frame57]

I cannot remember the last time I saw a positive news story. It seems all they care to report is the bad stuff. Maybe this is why anti-depressants are being handed ot like candy these days, but hey that is good for the economy. No?

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by Frame57

I cannot remember the last time I saw a positive news story. It seems all they care to report is the bad stuff. Maybe this is why anti-depressants are being handed ot like candy these days, but hey that is good for the economy. No?

Yep! Except you lose the productivity of those on the drugs to a degree, so maybe its a wash.

-S

[UnderseaLcpl]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

So here's your good news for the day - you won't remember any of this in 7 years with the newest latest. They will all be worried about the stock market dropping below 20,000 points for the first time since 2010 and it will again be the biggest drop in points in history. Of course, when you analyze it, it won't be the biggest drop in 50 years as a percentage (which is what they should be basing their drop news coverage on) once again.
-S

I hope to God that you're right, but I don't see business as usual in 7 years. The effective nationalization of the banking system has serious ramifications.

A government fiat currency combined with a fractional reserve system spells only one thing; collapse of the monetary system through hyperinflation. And yeah, I know that this has been the case since 1913. The inflationary trends are since then have been apalling. But if we let the government take control of banks directly, the trend will accelerate to such a degree that the exploding money supply will far outpace the GNP.

The only solution, imo, is to disassociate banks from the state to the maximum extent possible. That means a strict 4:1 or 2:1 fractional reserve law, a currency that is actually backed by something, and some harsh legal penalties for banks being found guilty of fraud in civil court. After that, lassiez-faire.

Financial institutions would be far less likely to take on high-risk investments if they didn't have government backing through bailouts and competition-stifling regulation.

I sincerely hope that you have a some sound assets that will not be affected by the destruction of the currency, Sub. And I really mean that. It's not a jab or anything.

If I'm wrong in <thinking:hmm: > 5 years, you have my full permission to ridicule me for being an idiot. The state might forestall economic collapse or severe recession for that long, but I have doubts in their ability.

However, let's see what the situation looks like 30 years after that. I'm willing to bet that the U.S. is reduced to the economic and societal equivalent of Great Britain by that time. By that I mean high taxes, tremendous public debt, and a high degree of socialization.

I don't profess to totally understand economics. I don't even have a degree to wave about. But no one understands economics entirely, and that includes the "experts" in Washington and who run the Federal Reserve. But that doesn't keep them from trying to plan the economy.

As a last point, I will say this; Destruction of the financial system is a sure path to socialism. There are a lot of historical examples, so I won't bother to elaborate. I'm sure that you are well aware of them. This is no ordinary financial crisis, imo.


I guess we'll just have to wait and see, since neither of us have any real power to change state policy other than revolt.

[SimNut]

Originally Posted by longam

What worries me the most is the lack of care I see from people around me about world events because of this. At work the fact that 400,000 people died in natural disasters seems to only be a “did you hear” and on we go. Grant it we can’t dwell on things and must continue with life, but sheesh.

That bothers me as well. It's like lives are being reduced to body count. People comment on it, talk about it, but don't seem to grasp the tragedy in it or realize those numbers are people just like them. When the news talks about disaters, casualties of war, it's like they are talking about inanimate objects. The amount of exposure a story gets is directly related to the body count. If it's 6 digits or more, it might even rate a ticker display on the bottom of the screen on CNN for a day.

Originally Posted by Skybird

You remind me of this poem by Rainer Maria Rilke
Todeserfahrung

I did a web translation of it. I'm sure it loses a lot in the translation, but I think I get the meaning.

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

History repeats itself. Be glad that the current fiscal crisis hasn't triggered a massive war........yet

Yet. That's what bothers me. I think we should declare war on war. No more war. Next country that starts a war, all other nations should declare war on them. That'll learn em.

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Here is some good news for ya - We have had what? 10 financial crisis since the 1960's that are similar to today (They all did a market drop of well over 10%). You might remember some from the 80's - Savings and Loan bailouts. 90's and into 2000's the Enron's and what was the other? Worldcom? I forget. No one will remember in the next 7 years what those were either since we will be worried about the newest worst disaster in financial history. Nor will we remember those in an additional 7 years.

Those were speed bumps, headlines, a few bad apples gaming the system. What we're looking at today is a failure of the entire system. 700 billion bandaids isn't going to fix it. I think you're right in one respect. Seven years from now we'll look back on it, but we'll be looking back at "the way things used to be" and glad we got away from the old world ways of finance. What will the new one be? Hell if I had that answer, I wouldn't be sitting here typing this.

Originally Posted by Frame57

I cannot remember the last time I saw a positive news story. It seems all they care to report is the bad stuff. Maybe this is why anti-depressants are being handed ot like candy these days, but hey that is good for the economy. No?

I'm not depressed. Don't need any anti-depressants. When I get bummed I just go roll a fat one and go fishing. Usually cheers me up. I'm just tired of what seems like the last few years of jumping from disaster, to crisis, to war, to finance, to <insert any friggin horrible headline>.

Even http://happynews.com is having a hard time finding stories.

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

This is no ordinary financial crisis, imo.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see, since neither of us have any real power to change state policy other than revolt.

Agree. This isn't going to mend itself any time soon. Politicians aren't going to fix it. It's just a pisser not being able to do anything about it.

Maybe we could start a new society and govern ourselves on the internet.

Use Digg for elections.
Facebook as our phone book.
No borders.
When people screw up we exile them to myspace for life.
All wars will be fought via online simulations, loser buy pints for the winners.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by SimNut

Those were speed bumps, headlines, a few bad apples gaming the system. What we're looking at today is a failure of the entire system. 700 billion bandaids isn't going to fix it. I think you're right in one respect. Seven years from now we'll look back on it, but we'll be looking back at "the way things used to be" and glad we got away from the old world ways of finance. What will the new one be? Hell if I had that answer, I wouldn't be sitting here typing this.

That's just the crap they are feeding you and you are buying it hook line and sinker.

-S

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

...I sincerely hope that you have a some sound assets that will not be affected by the destruction of the currency, Sub. And I really mean that. It's not a jab or anything.

If I'm wrong in <thinking:hmm: > 5 years, you have my full permission to ridicule me for being an idiot. The state might forestall economic collapse or severe recession for that long, but I have doubts in their ability.

Yawn. I've lost a lot of money in the last few weeks - big whooop. There are only really 2 kinds of people in the stock market. Ones that hang on for the ride, and those that jump off while the roller coaster while it is in motion and in the process they get hurt. Anyone that tries to invest in wall street and does day trading, and is not down on the floor of wall street, is going to wind up bumped and bruised. The stock market is a long term investment, nothing more and if you treat it any different, then you will wind up broke.

As a last point, I will say this; Destruction of the financial system is a sure path to socialism. There are a lot of historical examples, so I won't bother to elaborate. I'm sure that you are well aware of them. This is no ordinary financial crisis, imo.

Quite frankly, this is a normal financial crisis by all means. What is not normal about this one is that the Fed is trying to muddy the waters in an 'experiment' to see if they can manipulate it. If it doesn't properly reset like it always has due to their screwing around, it may crash harder than before. This is the part that is different.

The rest is news hype.

-S

PS. By the way, sound investments by keeping your money in 401K,s mutual funds, etc. is how you would weather a recession or a depression. These things are immune to inflation by the way. If inflation bites, then the value of your assets will automatically (or should I say automagically) keep pace assuming that you invested wisely. No worries.

PPS. Look at the track record of the investments you are doing. You can get tabs on investment funds going back through the Great Depression. This fund are averaging 13% to 14% even through the Great Depression. In my opinion, if your fund doesn't have 30 years + history, and if they didn't do well in those 30+ years if it does, its a bad fund.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by SimNut

I did a web translation of it. I'm sure it loses a lot in the translation, but I think I get the meaning.

Yes, I tried a bot-translation, and I also found a translation on the web, but both were terrible, absolutely terrible. Too bad, it is a wonderful poem that seems to have been written for a sentiment like this thread being started over.

I know examples wehn Rilke was well-translated into English nwith bgoth rythm and ryhme, and Engöish poeams were translated into German the same way, but it is rare, and needs a lot of verbal competence and fine-tuned sensibility.

P.S. Okay, this one at least trasnlates the words, but neither the rythm nor sound. i print it as small as possible, so that hopepfully nobody reads it

We know nothing of this leaving, that
does not share with us. We have no reason,
whether astonishment and love or hate,
to display Death, whom a fantastic mask

of tragic lament astonishingly disfigures.
Still, the world is full of roles which we play
but as long as we make sure that we get liked,
Death plays, too, although he is not liked at all.

But when you left, a strip of reality broke
upon the stage through the very opening
through which you vanished: Green's truer green,
true sunshine, true forest.

We continue our play. Picking up gestures
now and then, and anxiously reciting
that which was difficult to learn; but your existence,
far away and removed from our play,

sometimes overcomes us, as an awareness
of this very reality descends upon us,
so that for a while we play Life
rapturously, not thinking of any applause.

Rainer Maria Rilke

[Monica Lewinsky]

Originally Posted by SimNut

I'm really getting a bit tired of all of the doom and gloom ...

Either way, I could use some good news right about now.

[Hylander_1314]

Yes, but dirty laundry sells along with sensationalism thrown in for good measure.