In October, 1929, the New York Stock Market collapsed, which was then repeated in markets around the world, in what became the foremost financial crisis in history. However, it wasn't until late 1930 or early 1931 when the real damage began to happen. During that year (15 months), governments enacted lots of stupid laws meant to mollify the general population, (which was generally under-educated) with the thinking that by saving a job here at home, saves the country. Which of course it did NOT do. The unemployment numbers began to grow, and grow.....

People with bad agenda's led the fight for these laws in the 1930's and they are out front again in 2009, with their no-win strategies. Because much worse than the prolonged economic crisis that was fed by these bad policies, is the political upheavel that occurs in unstable regions. So it will be this year and into the next couple of years, as it was in the early 1930's, that bad politicians everywhere will try to protect their hides and mollify their scared and ignorant constituencies. The unemployment numbers continued to grow, and grow....

In times of fear and uncertainty, men (and women), do terrible things to each other, and unfortunately we are now in possession of this double edged sword that has NO good side. If politicians don't 'play' to these uneducated masses, then those masses rise up and throw off these very pols and install a fanatic dictator who promises to save the jobs at home, and purge those who caused their problems (See history of Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust 1932-1945, and history of rise of Japanese Militarists and conquest of China and the Pacific Rim 1930-1945).
If the pols do pass laws to protect workers and groups in their own areas, they not only give a greater purpose to the dictators mentioned above, but also suppress their own work force for longer periods by keeping prices artifically high and wages artifically low (see US history of the Great Depression, and the rise of labor unions 1930-1950). In 1937 the unemployment figure reached 25% of the workforce......

So here we are again, left with the damage to be repaired, and the confidence and jobs to be regained. The last time, it took a decade of being poor and a world war to pull the US out of a depression, and a horn-locking cold-war of nearly three decades before world trade truly started to flow again. Is this the near term future you want for your family ? Yet unemployment is growing to near 10%....

I don't pretend to have the answers, but I'm confident that in today's world, a replay will prove neither 'instant' nor necessarily provide us with the same winner. In the words of Edward R. Morrow: "Good Night, and Good Luck."

Next up: Who is really manipulating their currency ? ?

'What!' said the master at length, in a faint voice.

'Please, sir,' replied Oliver, 'I want some more.'

Over simplification? ? ? Perhaps, but I believe it’s really just that simple.... Whether your name is Oliver Twist, or Oliver Barrett III (the rich son in the movie ‘Love Story’), you want more. This is true if you live in the London’s Brixton ghetto, the Barrio in New York or East LA, or along the railroad tracks leading into Mumbai or some not-so-nice neighborhoods in Chongqing, or Shanghai. This is also true if you live on Park Avenue in New York, or Hillsborough Hills, California, or the French Concession area of Shanghai.

How many ways do I have to say it ? We ALL want more... It’s in our DNA.

Also, don’t confuse ‘more’ with always meaning ‘money’..... While money is certainly a big part of the equation, sometimes prestige, influence, and/or power (things that money ‘can’ buy) are bigger factors. Sometimes we seek respect - it’s certainly arguable if money can actually buy this or not.... Yet, no matter what language, or how it’s translated, we all want to get ‘ahead’.... We all have ‘greed’ within us.

If we didn’t want to get ahead, there would be no gambling - farewell Las Vegas. No stock markets - do I really expect or care if company X is going to sell more widgets in the future? I wouldn’t be looking for a better job - along with about 6.5 billion other people, and I certainly wouldn’t need a bank to keep my money safe. In short, if we didn’t want to ‘get ahead’, we would all still be living in caves, cowering from our predators and wondering about the movement of the sun, moon and the stars in the night sky.
Sometimes getting ahead just means getting a minimum wage job. Sometimes it means getting a million dollar bonus, and sometimes it means pooling the resources of an entire village to send one of their smartest youngsters to medical school, so that they will return home and provide much needed medical care for those villagers. So let us not forget that there are certainly differing degrees of greed. Yet again, we all have some form of greed within us.

At no time in this dissertation have I said that greed was ‘bad’.... Au Contraire, mon ami.
Greed is in fact a major driver of social advancement, and has greatly contributed to the advancement of mankind as a whole. But my father used to say that extremism in anything is bad, and that moderation in nearly everything was acceptable.
So while I admit to being somewhat ‘greedy,’ I also work hard to limit my greed to acceptable norms. I don’t have to have more money than Bill Gates, or Warren Buffett, nor do I want the power of a Barrack Obama or Hu Jingtao. Some clean air to breathe and clean water to drink would be nice though.....


Next up, lets go back and add a few more Economics 101 items.