Back to my bookmarked posts. If you ever figure out how to get more hours out of the day let me know. Too much to read, too much to do and too little time.
Wasn't aware on the UK capital on the railroads and telegraph. Thanks. I knew they screwed themselves on the cattle business; much larger involvement than the Japanese as I recall, though the Japanese got the press on it. I guess the press couldn't tell a Brit from a distance. Japan also had migrated towards a services economy, which doesn't have much intrinsic value, so economic fluctations have a more significant impact. Similar to the absence of intrinsic value in the dot.coms. Eventually it collapses.
Probably for the bulk of profiles I would agree, it doesn't make a lot of difference and it will fluctate over time. But it isn't a matter of comparing the Jones, it's a look at the trends and the extremes. The trends and the extreme profiles are indications that the free market isn't quite working the way it should be. If 99.99% of the nations wealth were to be held by 0.000001% of the population, I think we have a hint of a problem with the free market.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm living in the socialist UK. They seem to be left to their private decisions. They much don't have access to guns except outside of a tightly controlled circumstances; a woman can choose to have an abortion. Consumer sovereignty, perhaps choices, seems to be a little limited by the retail industry. Which turns out to be more cultural than anything else. 100% access to health care. Murder rate, more than a tad lower than in the US. In almost a year here, I haven't heard or seen a temper tantrum throwing toddler or heard an obscenity. [someone must have said one..I just haven't heard any]. The only hand gestures on the roads that I've seen have amounted to "go ahead, you first" and "thank you". Not my driving experience in the States. Their net income to product pricing is certainly less favorable than it is in the US, yet they still manage to squeeze out a higher savings rate than they do in the US. The houses are smaller, they have less toys. And I hear 14 year olds request Mozart pieces on the radio. They pay more for products in the UK than they do on the Continent, but it's been pretty much shown it has more to do with the retail than anything else. Not very many shopping malls, they seems to prefer the small markets. They know where their libraries are [subtle commentary]. I can talk to a professional or the fishmonger about global politics; both are equally well informed. Hardly any litter in the parks, even in the downtown area.
I've been pondering the concepts of standard of living, the importance of higher economic growth...
Cheers,
jttmab
P.S. One can make a pretty good Chile con Quesa out of Velveeta and Rotele's tomatoes and chile. Though I know of no use for spam. |
