28 Replies to ““I believe in things that work”.”

  1. Never heard of Dave Ramsey. He’s great.
    His knocking-away-the-bullshit approach — i.e. plainly, factually stating the undeniable facts that have been largely “disappeared” by the usual suspects in the media party — is much needed in America.
    It would be nice if he could be an occasional guest on Sun News, maybe on Ezra’s or Brian Lilley’s show.

  2. I have heard Dave Ramsey speak before, maybe more than once, and possibly linked on SDA at some point. I may be wrong, but I think he has a syndicated radio program. However, I doubt that CBC would ever give him a slot on the radio.

  4. Dave Ramsey is huge in the States. He does have his own show and is often visiting other shows as a guest, as his biggest area of expertise is personal finance. He gives terriffic advice in this area.

  5. Ah ha!
    The Judeo-Christian ethic strikes again. It’s always good to hear others asserting what I’ve been saying for years! What we believe matters.
    I’m reading Dinesh D’Souza’s book What’s So Great About Christianity. It’s well worth the read because it points out what the West might look like without what Dave Ramsey calls our “Judeo-Christian ethic underpinning of telling the truth and serving.”
    What we believe matters. Thanks, Dave Ramsey, for being so clear about this. Thanks, Kate, for posting this.

  7. Listened to Dave Ramsey many time on US AM stations when the ionosphere provides a good skip into to northern reaches of QC. I enjoy his “Debt Free” segment, his answer to ‘how are you” -Better than I deserve- and his closing line.

  9. communism also made some people wealthy – the plutocrats at the top of the system ripping off the wealth of everybody else – while doing NOTHING to create any wealth for anybody else. Sounds like the Democrats “apparatchiks”

  10. NME – not so much, I found it a yawner. But I won’t help you derail this thread.
    The idea that service will make you richer/stronger is not found in any other religion that I have seen. Better service equals happy customers equals return customers. It’s not that hard to do. The idea that caste mobility (for lack of a better phrase) should be normal is itself abnormal. The business owner who does an excellent job of serving their customers can expand, hire others, and teach them the types and level of customer service needed to be successful is not only promoting themselves (by becoming a boss) but is training their employees in “this is the way you, too, can become wealthy”.
    In discussions, many of those of other cultures have stated to me that there is no slavery equivalent in their culture, but they see nothing wrong with limiting some individuals for their entire lives because of who their parents were. (The untouchables are the best example of this – no matter what your capabilities, if you’re an untouchable there are a great many things you just can’t do.)
    How Christianity has sprung from Judaism, and what rules we accept to be common, is why our system works. We don’t accept merely being honest to your clan and lying to everyone else. If you want to get ahead, be seen to be equally honest to all.

  11. Nonsense….
    Another tea party knob, who thinks that Right wing capitalism will save the world.
    1)You ignore the fact, that the national debt just topped $17 trillion, your paying for all that prosperity from future generations.
    2)You ignore the fact that you live under a rock, have no clue how the economy works with the media constantly lying to you.
    3)You ignore the fact that the system is rigged to benefit the elite, that put the system in place for them self only.
    Simple facts seem to be out of your comprehension, like we live in a debt based economy. All money is debt, and is crated to benefit the corporate elite to keep us poor.
    How can a place like Detroit that is bankrupt, get out of their mes. When the taxes they pay are not going back into the city, but are being sent over seas to the United Kingdom under treaty.

  12. Richard Dawkin’s, “THE GOD DILUSSION”
    Amazing that a brilliant man like Dawkins can’t spell “delusion”.
    And,”pt”, offer YOUR solutions, don’t just criticize Ramsey.

  13. I agree with some of what he says, but his main premiss is wrong. He states that he believes in capitalism because he is a pragmatist and capitalism provides the best outcomes. So, if capitalism didn’t providethe best outcomes he would believe in communism?
    Capitalism is the best most moral system because it is the only one that is not based on coercion. If people were better off in socialist countries it would still be immoral because at it is based on coercion.
    I would bet that throughout history there are many instances when slaves lived in greater comfort than free men, but they were still slaves with no autonomy.
    Capitalism is right because it is economic freedom. without economic freedom any other freedom is really pointless.

  14. C, is it not strange that until the SPLIT in the church that information became easier to be had by the “peasants”, and this in turn allowed for innovation and invention to become a more staple occurance in western society. And as time and innovation progressed life became easier for peasants, thusly affording more free time and time for more experimentation, leading to more time and energy saving discoveries. Before the church split the church in conjunction with the lords rode roughshod over the peasants. Also, as life became easier, transport and travel opened more avenues, leading to more discoveries and inventions, so inspite of the previous grip the church (RCC) lorded over the populance, modernization happened and weakened the church, and lords, power over the ppl. Modernization happened inspite of the church, not because of it. Also in previous societies, Chinese, Egyptian, Mayan there were advances that had nothing to do with Christianity, so the argument that modern society, democracy and capitalism is based strictly on the foundation of the Christian belief system is in it’s self a belief system and not necessarily a fact. As to your “yawn” to Dawkins book, perspective, for me he is thought prevocking

  15. You voted for that $17 trillion debt bub, along with a lot of other low info voters, not many posting here. You are bought and paid for. You’re just trying to blame someone else for running up the tab on what you wanted from government. Things like welfare, pensions, health care, social security, stuff that you don’t want other people to “get” more of than you seem to feel that you’re entitled to, which is other people’s money they earned and not you.
    I pay my debts off by working….serving and profiting from that Judeo/Christian heritage you seem to scoff at.

  16. Exactly, Capitalism is morally superior to statism regardless of efficacy which is simply a bonus.

  17. So NME finds inspiration in the scrawlings of Dawkins – why does that not surprise me. An incurious dolt inspired by the non serious writings of another incurious dolt. I guess it should come as no surprise that the explanation of atheists “It just is” attracts the incurious. However for them to extrapolate that because “It just is” when the reality is that the most prosperous, free people live in regions where Evangelical Christianity has had a real influence upon the culture is a real non sequitur. Kind of like the reason for rainbows is onions. Of course it should be noted that since the atheists amongst us deny the Second Person in the Christian Trinity, that being Thought, Knowledge, Wisdom, and Truth it should surprise no one that they spout lies, disinformation and foolishness in a nonsensical manner.

  20. Pretty idiotic comments from Pt and Idd. Id’s comment is simply mean spirited nonsense, nothing more needs to be said there.
    What Pt refers to is not capitalism – it’s an abominable derivative, where statism masquerades as capitalism, aka crony capitalism – where rent seekers with government connections (or campaign contributions) distort the innovation and risk/reward relationship critical to capitalism, freedom and prosperity. Then statists hypocritically blame capitalism for socialism’s obvious and inevitable failures, proposing to pile failure on failure.
    Silly prejudiced comments about the tea party, and breathtaking stupid ideas about the media and capitalists keeping us poor (give your head a shake, the true capitalist wants lots of affluent people to buy their products and services) add nothing to the argument and are meant to divert us to an irrelevant tangent argument. It’s also clear to me the Republican party has moved away from capitalism, as have the Democrats to an even greater, and worse degree. Neither can be trusted to manage a capitalistic economy. The socialist/statist cure is always less economic and political freedom, followed inevitably by poverty. Churchill said it best – in capitalism, riches are shared unequally; in socialism, misery is shared equally.
    Lenin made these idiotic arguments when he posited capitalism leads to imperialism which leads to war caused by fighting over markets, when it’s clear warfare has many other features, for example the war between Islamist sects currently going on right now.
    IOW Pt, your grade is an F- for inexcusable errors of omission. Lenin died in 1924, you really need to give it a rest.

  21. “the Republican party has moved away from capitalism, as have the Democrats to an even greater, and worse degree”, and I might add also moved away from classical liberal democracy. During the 1920s – 1940s Friedrich Hayek was warning about this trend.
    So another thread gets hijacked with personal attacks.

  22. “What Pt refers to is not capitalism”
    Your a little confused here
    Capitalism was a failure, this breaded and supported the “crony capitalism” we have today.
    “stupid ideas about the media and capitalists keeping us poor”
    I never said capitalists keep us poor, but a corporate elite Understanding how money is created is the 1st step out of ignorance.
    All dollars are printed by a private bank and lent back to us with interest. They can never be paid back as the (interest)money hasn’t even been created yet (its a ponzi scheme). Instead of how its suppose to work, with the government printing its own money interest free as it should.This system is by design made to keep us in debt, and poor. Neither party has any interest in dismantling the “crony capitalist” system.
    As for Lenin he had a great idea called Communism, it was great on paper, but he ignored human greed so it failed in reality. The same can be said with capitalism.

  23. “As for Lenin he had a great idea called Communism,”.
    Yes, sure, tell that to my relatives in the Soviet Union that he murdered in order to create the “new Soviet Man”. You are just as deluded as were most of the old Bolsheviks who were either shot or died in labour camps. Many realized too late the monster they helped create. No doubt they will get it right the next times.
    Btw, crony capitalists are almost as bad as Marxists.

  24. Pt: Demonstrating a poor understanding of capitalism with a poor understanding of economics doesn’t get it done. BTW there’s plenty of greed and avarice within all of the ideologies and doctrines out there; witness the climate change rent warriors. Are they capitalists too?. Maybe they fit your definition; not mine. Capitalism doesn’t have a “monopoly” on despotism.
    Oh, and how have poor people, all over the world, under capitalism, in mixed and free economies, accelerated their prosperity, generation after generation? What an amazing feat, being so oppressed and all.
    I will agree the US, if she continues her debt funded expansionary fiscal policy, will soon experience painful inflation rises resulting in much higher interest rates, probably 7-8-9% 5-year mortgages within 2-5 years (or more! – anybody remember 18% mortgages?). We’ll see a similar result in Canada. Just my opinion mind you. There’s no way to really time the thing, the “big correction,” but it’s out there and will sustain itself once it starts. Something will set that debt and correction snowball rolling.
    My guess is no later than when the US is forced to renew debt at higher rates; perhaps there will be a credit downgrade. Perhaps the GOP will regain the Senate and get into legislation gridlock with the POTUS which will erode confidence and start the wave. At least that will be a possibly good sign, somebody presumably will want to turn off the debt taps.
    It will happen – soon, likely during the Obama administration – then they can blame the racists – coming soon to an economy near you!
    There is a some negative, short term economic trigger event/catalyst out there, it will surely come – sooner rather than later. When it does, negative economic sentiment will flood the market, triggering another serious recession and correction in equity, bond (of course), and realty markets in Canada, US and elsewhere; but, I think not a depression. I personally think that process is already underway, with the second, really big wave of boomers now at or approaching 60. Maybe they’ll do a Greece and capsize. I still think the Americans are better than that and, though scorched and scathed, will survive albeit with a lower standard of living, nevertheless left with a sustainable economy. We shall see, sooner rather than later I think.
    The Canadian experience doesn’t promise to be a lot better, despite our superior economic leadership. We’re now spreading our trade eggs around and that is a real smart move.
    I still say the Obama administration is a poor example of capitalism at work, oppressive or otherwise. Try Canada, or maybe Switzerland – you’ll get a better idea. BTW, in truly capitalist societies, the middle class runs the show anyway – when they’re not busy at Timmies, not thinking about politics and economics. They don’t seem oppressed to me.

  27. PT, as for you comment that Lenin had a great idea but forgot about about human greed, aaaah. All systems have to contend with greed. Capitalism is the only one that stands a chance even with greed. Crony Capitalism is the result of greed. Despite the greed, we still are the richest people on earth. Even the ‘poor’ in our countries have things that other could only dream of; a continuous flow of clean water, sewage treatment, abundant medical care, pensions, all sorts of electronics. abundant reasonably priced food.
    Communism has NEVER supplied these to the general population or even had them available to all. Yes they are available to all, even convicts in prison (some even have golf courses). Sure, the politicians have distorted the system and featherbedded their own situation and favoured their corporate ‘friends’. Despite the corruption, you and I can still start a business, get a job and make a way for ourselves. You cannot do that under a communist system. I trust you do not know anyone who has lived under a communist gov’t. Ken and myself have/had relatives who did. I know a few who came out of that system in the last 40 years. The USSR even realized they needed to use free enterprise style incentives to bring in the grain harvest (they paid the combine operators piece work, they would virtually live with their machines during harvest in order to maximize their effort). They also suffered from cronyism. Palms were greased in order to get certain positions and even exit visas.
    The system is ‘broken’ because of the marxist influences within the governments. FDR had marxist advisors and even referred to Stalin as uncle Joe.
    Read about Congressmen who have to buy their positions on committees with solicited donations to the party or Boehner’s blackmailing of businesses for favourable votes on bills…. but, We are still the richest people on earth.
    But it isn’t just capitalism. It is also the British originated system of registered property ownership and deeds, which can be used as collateral for loans at the bank in order to leverage our position for many purposes including starting a business. This system is another reason why European, American, UK, Australian, NewZealand and Canadian systems have vaulted ahead of Latin American and African capitalist societies.
    Munch on that one for a while!

  28. Vic in ont: I agree with your assessment that the poor here, though times can be hard (been there done that) are relatively better off. I would add two things – most people here are free to be as poor or as rich as they want – nobody’s holding them back except themselves – behind (nearly) every have and have not is a did and did not.
    Food for thought: the top 1% of income earners worldwide make more than $31,000 US per year. So Pt I guess the oppressed are actually the oppressors!
    I would also add that FDR was appalled at Stalin’s imperialism.

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