U.S. Economic Myths

The American military did not "invade" the UK (please learn the difference between the UK and England). They were allies in the same war. Britain saved the USA just as much as the USA saved Britain. It is not that I don't appreciate the contribution the USA made in WWII - but I object to the idea that the USA did so as a sort of charitable contribution to give a helping hand, or that the UK was barely hanging on until the USA stepped in to show us how to fight a war properly.

If the USA had not entered the war in Europe, the UK and USSR would probably still have won - but it would have taken a lot longer, and cost much more. And the USA's immediate enemy, the USSR, would have been much stronger afterwards. Had things turned out differently and Germany had beaten the UK, then after they had consolidated their power over Europe they would have proceeded to dominate the USA (economically and then culturally - they may not have had to invade). Again, this would have taken time - but it was a very real risk.

The USA did the right thing by joining the UK in WWII - but they did it because it was the right thing for the future of the USA, not because it was helping the UK. (Again, I do not blame the American leadership for putting themselves first - that is the prime responsibility of any government.)

Fair enough.

It's a pity democracy works so badly in the USA - how you manage to regularly elect leaders whom you dislike and distrust so much is beyond my comprehension. In Europe, there is usually a solid proportion that dislikes any given prime minister, but we not to the extent that seems to happen in the USA, and most of us have a good deal more confidence and trust in their governments. Maybe European leaders don't try to do as much or change as much, and thus there is less fear of their mistakes?

You're not the only one.

Look at California Governor Jerry Brown for a perfect example of how citizens completely f***ed up due to the anti-republican "atmospheric environment" at the time. So, it is OK to put a complete idiot and asshole back into office for more of the same stupid shit? UNREAL!

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Sowell wrote a whole book on that called 'Knowledge and Decisions.' People on the left who know nothing but the skills of a salesman that they use to get elected act as if they know more about every profession.

Jefferson said "The Government which governs best governs least", but the political class knows more than anyone about everything, including how to design a government.

All 3 are concerned about "oppressor vs oppressed", but the progressives think government is not an oppressor, which is delusional.

Or that WWI started not coincidentally right after the Western nations started printing money at will. Governments used to avoid war simply because they couldn't afford it.

Or that their newly invented monetary system brought about the Great Depression, and WWII restored stability.

Stable currency isn't expected to keep all prices stable that way. Currency is the unit of measurement of cost. Costs might always change, but when the unit of measurement changes it leads to chaos.

It stopped being stable a while ago. In general it is more highly valued in areas where rich people think that they may have to move elsewhere at short notice.

The Brits would have starved, and run out of ammo, if the US had stayed neutral.

Well, the Atlantic Ocean is a mite wider than the Channel. And the US population was a tad bigger than Germany's.

We'll see if the EU can stand the looming economic and social stresses.

Jerry is actually OK, except for the crazy high-speed rail thing. He's as close to a conservative as could get elected here.

Blame the people who vote. Given their inclinations, *someone* will say what it takes to win.

Knowing that our crew of right-wing nitwits are wrong demands rather less e xpertise than knowing what the right answers are. Knowing that the choices being recommended happen to be obviously wrong isn't a claim that one's own choices would be right for the right wing nitwits involved, most of whom l ook as if they would be better off having their affairs managed by a court- apppointed trustee-in-lunacy.

le

Whereas on the right you get actors like Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzen egger, who really knew how to sound as if they were experts on any subject, or at least convincingly enough to fool other right-wing nitwits.

Professor Brian Butterworth in the UK picked Ronald Reagan as early-Alzheim ers in 1984 when Reagan was running for his second term. His right-wing col leagues/puppet-masters either didn't notice or couldn't care less.

Data Point: On the eve of WW2, US steel production exceeded the rest of the world combined.

Joe Gwinn

Bullshit. We supplied them for years before we even entered the war in a formal, 'boots on the ground' manner.

Ripples from our decades of bullshit are what caused it to start with.

Some of them were stupid enough to copy our flawed ways as well.

Note the success of those that did not. Japan... China... South Korea....

I have HSR designs which are ten times better than anything currently in the channel. My ambitions include a National East West run as well, however.

Brown? He is an abject idiot. A corrupt, lying, dishonorable bastard, at best.

And a big chunk of that was being put onto ships to go to the UK.

Of course, you do not, nor cannot give the Russian numbers, so you could, in fact, be wrong. But I doubt it... we were very strong steel wise at that point.

Yes. And we had gobs oil, coal, concrete, wheat, corn, beef. And electronics: Bell Labs, MIT, GE, RCA, Raytheon.

The Merlin engine, in the Hurricane and Spitfire, had a compression ratio that the Germans thought was impossible. It burned a super-high octane fuel that was specially brewed in Texas.

Another giant asset was the American kids who grew up hunting and fixing cars and farm machinery. The Germans and Japanese thought their "master race" soldiers were worth five of ours, but they got the numbers reversed.

In the US the economic and social stresses are real and immediate. The "Occupy" movement has gone quiet, but gross and increasing differences in income that drove it have - if anything - gotten worse.

The tendency of under-paid US cops to shoot coloured nutters who aren't any kind of real threat is getting more attention.

The fact that the Republicans now dominate both Congress and the Senate suggests US politicians aren't going to find a solution any time soon.

Is it Stupidity Breeds Ignorance, or is it Ignorance Breeds Stupidity? Plain use of printing pressed to "create" money is BOTH Stupid AND Ignorant.