Oh-ho! Or something like that.

[Mitera Nikkou]

I couldn't think of a suitable subject. Oh, well. ;/

What no one has known before about me (which will be an exception after the end of this sentence ;p) is that I spend a lot of my time browsing around the Internet and absorbing information. You can call it my "zombie time." The reason for why I brought that up is because this is the first time that I'm making a subject purely based on my investigations.

This investigation concerns Wall Street. The record numbers are more alarming to me than a relief because of a sense of security. One part of the reason why is because I've noticed a lot of similarities between now and the crash of 1929. Around the time of the crash of 1929 a number of things happened: for one, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had increased in value by five times in the five years leading up to the crash; the market had unstable losses and gains just before the crash; some particular people tried to gain the confidence of the public for the market in the midst of the crash; the price and interest in gold rose dramatically afterward.

What really got my attention was the part about the gold. Usually when the economy is doing good you could expect gold to stay at a relatively low value. However, despite how well Wall Street has been doing since the recession that followed 9/11, and the record-breaking results that it has to show in these past couple of days after a short period of insecurity and instability in the market, the ever-increasing value of gold, which has been predicted to keep rising well into the future, has made its entrance onto the stage. Is this in preparation for another recession or, perhaps, another depression? That's what I've wondered.

In my opinion the Wall Street that we know today doesn't represent nearly as much of our economy as it should, and has been representing more and more the success of international corporations and other entities that feed on our consumers and make more money by hiring cheaper elsewhere (or even within our own borders by using illegal immigrants). That's what I've come up with to explain the contrast in how well the market's doing in comparison to how the people of this nation are actually doing. And look at our deficit!

The difference between then and now, however, is that the value of gold is rising before (what I think will be) the next crash. My guess is that, since there are plenty of people that place their faith in the value of gold, that this is a tactic that will take advantage of people. In other words: to make a profit despite what the future will hold for the market and the economy. I've already noted at least three different advertisements (from three different entities; I refuse to call them businesses) for the selling of the public's gold to them for an amount of money that will pale in comparison when the value of gold rises to the predicted heights. Gold is accepted internationally with open arms, so the only flaw in this potential scheme is if not enough people fall for it.

Something just doesn't seem right about all of this, and these are some of the theories that I've decided are worth considering. I've even wondered if it's possible for Wall Street to be acting as a sort of blanket to cover much of how we're actually doing. What do you guys think about all of this?

[Selena Aninikkou]

Er, I've sorta figured something like this would be coming, though I suspect it'll hit the US worse than anyone else. You see...

http://www.billparish.com/msftfraudfacts.html

[Coruscate]

Well you know I agree, and you are absolutely right to notice these patterns and are on topic for the most part.

See the DOW is made up of a list of companies. For decades that list didn't change, when the economy began this crash several years ago, they rotated a butt-load of names out of there and put new ones in.

Of course I could add on more, but that's a rant I don't have the time for at the moment.

No surprise on the gold commercials, that's normal, it's a money making opportunity for the busienss. But the people sellign are the ones who are thinking the worst is over...

[Selena Aninikkou]

From what I know of economics, the signs are indeed all there for a market crash. Gold value is going up, the value of the American dollar is going down. The big sign, though, that only happens when things are starting to spiral out of control in one country, is that country will suddenly become horribly horribly obsessed with "intellectual property rights"; meaning, since they don't have any MATERIAL goods to trade with (especially gold), they start trying to trade things that don't have a physical tangent. The other big sign that is there right now is that for years and years, countries were content to trade using the American dollar as the common currency. But now things are switching; it appears that the Euro may become the next common currency. The American banks have assumed for years that the American dollar will rise and rise forever, and now that it's starting to drop, they're panicking, and in their fear they're going to try raising the interest rate to avoid losses. That's when the spiral begins; when people can no longer afford to borrow money and pay back the interest, so they stop buying things altogether. Then businesses start to go bankrupt because of a lack of customers. Only I think this time, it may be worse than in 1930 because the US Government has put so much money into the hands of Microsoft, and the fact is, Microsoft's earnings are a huge illusion buried by an insane collection of accouting BS...

Seriously, if Microsoft went bankrupt tomorrow, most of the citizens of the US would find they no longer have retirement savings, because 90% of the US' retirement funds are tied up in Microsoft stock...

[Comartemis]

So now what? What do we do to prepare for this crash, assuming it really is coming?

I mean, didn't the government implement safeguards after the 30's so if stock prices start to crash they can shut down Wall Street and keep things from getting too bad?

[Coruscate]

We sit back, watch it happen and don't allow ourselves to be lied to.

The banks of the world have convinced the governments of the world that when a bank counterfeits money, it's okay (fractional reserve banking). They then loan out this money, and take interest in it.

So basically, they create money, and then become the first, rightful owner of what is bought so if the person can't pay the loan on the imaginary money, the bank takes it.

Safegards were not made in the 30s, they didn't expect a system crash, but they all benefited from it, and they just want to reap the rewards each and every time the system fails.

A nation of people borrowing are people who owe their lives to the banks, and the banks own everything.

Illegalize fractional reserve banking, ban fiat cash and government borrowing, we'll be fine.

[Mitera Nikkou]

I think the only safeguard (if you can call it that) implemented was the prevention of massive sales because of emotions running high (i.e. fear).

You know, it's like looking at a nice, healthy-looking apple, where most are unaware of the worm that is inside of it. And when the surprise comes the average American will take the brunt while banks come out of it in quite the opposite way. That's what happens when banks become a business, and businesses can go to extraordinary lengths to capitalize. That's why our health care sucks: because it's run by businesses. Imagine how much sense it makes to pay for insurance from a company who makes money by trying to pay out as little as it should by using various tactics. Isn't this wrong, or am I just crazy?

I mean, just take a good look around... You don't even have to live in America to see it sinking like the Titanic.

Another thing worth mentioning was how the last world war helped to build the economy until it finally met and surpassed the success of the market back in the late twenties... That took over twenty years; imagine something like that happening again. But, you know, the thing about war is that there's always money to be made with/from it, perchance money that is reflected in the numbers that we're seeing in the market today. It's an idea that seems possible to me. I just don't believe that the funding of the war, and how much further it impacts the deficit, is helping our economy any. Perhaps there really is a lack of jobs (because our economy really is bad, unlike what certain people say), so, in order to hide it, you take a lot of young people and negate them from the equation by sending them elsewhere (such as to another country as soldiers; which is a duty as well as a job, so there's practically limitless jobs as far as the army is concerned). And then you pad the market with some numbers derived from the profiteering in regard to the war itself. Just some ideas that came to me. Who knows how likely it is, but it shouldn't be impossible.

[Selena Aninikkou]

I mean, just take a good look around... You don't even have to live in America to see it sinking like the Titanic.

I believe the governments of other countries have been noticing this lately. I mean, look at Canada's trade adjustments; 10 years ago, Canada almost exclusively traded with the US. Now, they have deals to trade with Russia, China, huge sections of Europe...

[Comartemis]

Cool. Everyone in the states, move to Canada, that'll solve all our problems!

[Coruscate]

That's what happens when banks become a business, and businesses can go to extraordinary lengths to capitalize. That's why our health care sucks: because it's run by businesses. Imagine how much sense it makes to pay for insurance from a company who makes money by trying to pay out as little as it should by using various tactics. Isn't this wrong, or am I just crazy?

For the "business = abusive suckage" argument, take a look at this.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... _article=1

Britain's "superior" nationalized health system has become so #$@#ed up people are pulling their own teeth at home @_@;;;;

[Mitera Nikkou]

But that's due to ineffective utilization and maintenance instead of a system failing while at an optimal level of performance. It says that it's quality has slipped, not that it has always been that bad from the get-go. Anything can work if it's given what it needs to work; for example: the optimal amount of oxygen that our bodies need to work properly. The NHS simply isn't running as well as it had because it now lacks some of what had made it work to begin with.

[Coruscate]

But the exact same thing could be said of any business or capitalist system.

Who runs the system is as important as the system. That busienss = evil isn't logical when history is rife of examples where the anti-business model has been put in the hands of lackluster or evil people.

EDIT: On the other stuff, you do seem to be roughly aware of what's going on in one degree or another. There's a lot of money to be made off of war, and it keeps people occupied while you rob them blind...

[Mitera Nikkou]

But the exact same thing could be said of any business or capitalist system.

That is true, but I think their natural inclination is different. By that I mean that the human element is more likely to abuse business and capitalism during optimal levels of performance rather than be beneficial. The thing about business and capitalism is that they are criminals in the making without enough (and the right kind) of oversight and restrictions. When things go bad for NHS it's due to a lack of support and not abuse, and when things are going good people benefit. It all seems very simple to me.

Look, if you paid more for something than what it is worth, what would you call that? A deal? A bargain? Fair? Hardly. But that is exactly what drives Capitalism. It's just as bad as fiat money because value is utilized to take advantage of the consumer. The idea that it fluctuates because of supply and demand is almost complete bull crap. We are capable of doing much better but the few that benefit most from this system will continue to convince people that Capitalism is the one-all and end-all of progress in this area and that it's "American", and for "free people", and all that other manipulative garbage.

It's wrong, wrong, wrong. Every fiber in my body and soul screams it. People can be free and have opportunities without money. Perhaps I just live in another reality but I strongly believe that we are more than capable of accomplishing such a thing. I can not accept that the conditions today, where most people live to work (and vice versa), and get to do little else, is the best that we can do. I simply don't see it as an ideal development by any stretch of the imagination and I think that it must change; preferably to something where a larger portion of the population can benefit instead of a smaller portion.

Everyone else can wallow in this crap if they want, but I'm not going to. I'm going to do things my way despite how things work and I swear that I'll at least begin the transition to something better worldwide before I kick the bucket. I refuse to leave this world in its current and worsening condition. We can do better, and it's as simple as that; so, I think it's only natural that Capitalism be succeeded like a lot of other things have been: because it's not immune to progress.