14 Replies to “The Decline And Fall Of The American Empire”
If the economy is getting better…howcum the average age of inservice cars is 10.8 years. I doubt that is a sign that cars are built better….
When concensus opinion tells us in the MSM that the economic downturn can only be fixed by adding more debt you know the rats are stearing the ship.
My experience is that greed, envy and class warfare are alive and well in Canada. Most middle class people I know are looking for scapegoats on the problems they ‘don’t’ want to face. There are to many Libels and NDPers who make their livings stoked such foolish assumptions.
ct, sad but true. Too much propaganda and misinformation the last few decades.
The one tiny glimmer of hope here in Phoenix is that while residential property continues to slide, -commercial- property prices haven’t yet. Even crappy and empty commercial properties retained their value.
So far.
Phantom, would that be Obama or Brewer that’s keeping the commercial property value up?
…Most middle class people I know are looking for scapegoats on the problems they ‘don’t’ want to face. There are to many Libels and NDPers who make their livings stoked such foolish assumptions.
Posted by: ct at February 3, 2012 9:43 AM
You nailed it. It’s a sad state of affairs, but far too many people derive all, or a percentage, of their income from government. They will not tolerate any talk about changes to their entitlements.
20% of our workforce are gov’t employees and, at any one time, between fifteen and twenty percent of the private sector is employed on government contracts. Now factor in seniors, disabled, chronically unemployed, etc.
Howls of outrage when the topic of pension plan changes were raised; rural residents screwing their neighbours with solar panels and windmills; farm subsidies; protected markets…the list goes on and on.
sasquatch said: “I doubt that is a sign that cars are built better….”
More likely has something to do with the price. I paid almost as much for my truck as I did for my first house. Hard to manage debt that size in under ten years.
WalterF said: “Phantom, would that be Obama or Brewer that’s keeping the commercial property value up?”
Walter, I can’t imagine what is keeping that price up. I really have no clue. But I strongly doubt its Jan Brewer or the State of Arizona. They’re stoney broke.
There’s HUNDREDS of empty properties for lease down here, whole strip malls of commercial buildings in some places. And these are really nice buildings in the good parts of town, some are brand new.
Example, if somebody wants to do some surfing, there’s a defunct Jiffy Lube on South Desert Foothills Parkway that’s been empty for about a year now, property is for sale, price is half a million bucks or so. That’s not fabulously different than 2008 prices. Meanwhile houses around here have lost half or more of their value. Condos in the area were selling for $250k for a two bedroom, now they are ~$60-$80k.
Farther up the road in Ahwatukee there’s really nice condos going for $30-$40k. Downtown has “WE PAY YOUR RENT!!!” signs all over the place.
But again, if you want to -buy- a rental apartment complex as a functioning business the price remains close to 2008 levels.
So perhaps somebody knows something we haven’t been told yet. Wouldn’t be the first time, eh?
The economic leading economic indicators are all showing an expanding US economy at the present however it all on the back of a new wave of money creation by the FED. Inflation is thus on its way and will become a problem later this year.
Thank you for posting, Kate! the economiccollapseblog is a great resource of predominantly Ron Paul fans who see the writing on the wall. The only reason the USA is remaining afloat is because Obama is paying his constituents 1 trillion $ annually to buy food. Only Ron Paul will balance the budget and cut EVERYTHING in sight.
Ron Paul 2012 !
END the FED !
And END the CBC, too !
Who you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?
Brooks & Dunn
There are three types of lies. White lies, damn lies and statistics.
Benjamin Disraeli
I hope that an election tsunami wipes the Democrats out this November and the new lawmakers makes their decision based on
facts not enviro-socialist ideology.
IF …Rome is burning …. why is Nero fiddling?
Phantom:
Let’s be serious, shall we? In 1961, my dad bought a 3bedroom semi in Don Mills for $15,000. A new car was $1,500.
50 years on, a new car costs $35,000, and a new house in the outer ‘burbs of Toronto is $350,000.
Relative prices haven’t changed much, and I have to say that a 2011 sedan is significantly improved over its ’60 counterpart. Air conditioning, ABS, airbags, crumple zones, disc brakes, rack-and-pinion steering, AM/FM/CD/MP3, backup cameras, GPS, etc., etc. Can’t say that houses are a whole lot different.
Can’t say that houses are a whole lot different.
Properly built houses are a whole lot different. Of course not many R2000 certified houses are built in “the outer ‘burbs of Toronto”.
If the economy is getting better…howcum the average age of inservice cars is 10.8 years. I doubt that is a sign that cars are built better….
When concensus opinion tells us in the MSM that the economic downturn can only be fixed by adding more debt you know the rats are stearing the ship.
My experience is that greed, envy and class warfare are alive and well in Canada. Most middle class people I know are looking for scapegoats on the problems they ‘don’t’ want to face. There are to many Libels and NDPers who make their livings stoked such foolish assumptions.
ct, sad but true. Too much propaganda and misinformation the last few decades.
The one tiny glimmer of hope here in Phoenix is that while residential property continues to slide, -commercial- property prices haven’t yet. Even crappy and empty commercial properties retained their value.
So far.
Phantom, would that be Obama or Brewer that’s keeping the commercial property value up?
…Most middle class people I know are looking for scapegoats on the problems they ‘don’t’ want to face. There are to many Libels and NDPers who make their livings stoked such foolish assumptions.
Posted by: ct at February 3, 2012 9:43 AM
You nailed it. It’s a sad state of affairs, but far too many people derive all, or a percentage, of their income from government. They will not tolerate any talk about changes to their entitlements.
20% of our workforce are gov’t employees and, at any one time, between fifteen and twenty percent of the private sector is employed on government contracts. Now factor in seniors, disabled, chronically unemployed, etc.
Howls of outrage when the topic of pension plan changes were raised; rural residents screwing their neighbours with solar panels and windmills; farm subsidies; protected markets…the list goes on and on.
sasquatch said: “I doubt that is a sign that cars are built better….”
More likely has something to do with the price. I paid almost as much for my truck as I did for my first house. Hard to manage debt that size in under ten years.
WalterF said: “Phantom, would that be Obama or Brewer that’s keeping the commercial property value up?”
Walter, I can’t imagine what is keeping that price up. I really have no clue. But I strongly doubt its Jan Brewer or the State of Arizona. They’re stoney broke.
There’s HUNDREDS of empty properties for lease down here, whole strip malls of commercial buildings in some places. And these are really nice buildings in the good parts of town, some are brand new.
Example, if somebody wants to do some surfing, there’s a defunct Jiffy Lube on South Desert Foothills Parkway that’s been empty for about a year now, property is for sale, price is half a million bucks or so. That’s not fabulously different than 2008 prices. Meanwhile houses around here have lost half or more of their value. Condos in the area were selling for $250k for a two bedroom, now they are ~$60-$80k.
Farther up the road in Ahwatukee there’s really nice condos going for $30-$40k. Downtown has “WE PAY YOUR RENT!!!” signs all over the place.
But again, if you want to -buy- a rental apartment complex as a functioning business the price remains close to 2008 levels.
So perhaps somebody knows something we haven’t been told yet. Wouldn’t be the first time, eh?
The economic leading economic indicators are all showing an expanding US economy at the present however it all on the back of a new wave of money creation by the FED. Inflation is thus on its way and will become a problem later this year.
Thank you for posting, Kate! the economiccollapseblog is a great resource of predominantly Ron Paul fans who see the writing on the wall. The only reason the USA is remaining afloat is because Obama is paying his constituents 1 trillion $ annually to buy food. Only Ron Paul will balance the budget and cut EVERYTHING in sight.
Ron Paul 2012 !
END the FED !
And END the CBC, too !
Who you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?
Brooks & Dunn
There are three types of lies. White lies, damn lies and statistics.
Benjamin Disraeli
I hope that an election tsunami wipes the Democrats out this November and the new lawmakers makes their decision based on
facts not enviro-socialist ideology.
IF …Rome is burning …. why is Nero fiddling?
Phantom:
Let’s be serious, shall we? In 1961, my dad bought a 3bedroom semi in Don Mills for $15,000. A new car was $1,500.
50 years on, a new car costs $35,000, and a new house in the outer ‘burbs of Toronto is $350,000.
Relative prices haven’t changed much, and I have to say that a 2011 sedan is significantly improved over its ’60 counterpart. Air conditioning, ABS, airbags, crumple zones, disc brakes, rack-and-pinion steering, AM/FM/CD/MP3, backup cameras, GPS, etc., etc. Can’t say that houses are a whole lot different.
Can’t say that houses are a whole lot different.
Properly built houses are a whole lot different. Of course not many R2000 certified houses are built in “the outer ‘burbs of Toronto”.