How much longer do you think the U.S. will survive?

Used to have a good business environment? The US has one of the easiest barriers of entry for starting your own business. You hardly pay any business taxes, you have little fees involved, and receiving investment can be fairly easy as well. There are little regulations on businesses as well. A couple kids can create a video site and sell it to Google for billions of dollars in a couple years. That stuff is unheard of in other countries that have high barriers of entry and strict government regulations.

What countries have better business environments than the US?

Poor education system - You mean the education system that has more international people coming to this country to learn than any other country in the world. The one that has the top professors, top students, and top minds in the world? While this country has problems with parts of its educational system, it still produces great results.

Ripoff Health System - Yes the health system has a lot of problems. But we also have the best doctors in the world. When world leaders get sick, they fly to the US for treatment. More medical breakthroughs happen in the US than any other country in the world.

What is your solution to the health care system that would allow us to maintain our growth in the field?


You can't be serious? If your idea of "supreme" environment is employees working for 20 cents a day. Having your business abide by strict laws and regulations. Heck, you'd be thrown in jail for your business over there.

i can't believe no one has said "too long" yet.

When China decides to unleash their dollar, China will implode. Inflation in the US is one of the worst possible things that could happen to China.

1 million years

So are you a black or a woman?

Listen if the dollar keeps on falling then our dollar is worthless. Goods become cheaper all over the world. with 3 billion people in China and India you have no clue what kind of buying power those people will have.

They are starting to build their infrastructure now.

Now what I mean by leverage is this. Right now money has been cheap so there is plenty of it. So we have been buying everything under the sun. But creating debt. So when China does unleash their dollar the average american will be in debt and have no buying power and paying the debt they owe. 300 million people is great, but 3 billion people buying goods is a lot better. Then remember this the Chinese dollar will make it cheap to buy American raw materials.

Or a nappy headed hoe?

They aren't going to do this in the next year or so. Wait 5 to 10 years...

Go suck on a chicken leg at one of thouse 5,000 KFCs located all around London.

See thats what I don't understand AronM, This thread was going so well.

Yep and a high percentage of our goods come from china but i doubt its the same the other way around

You apparently don't understand who China sells all their shit to. If the American economy goes to shit, so will the rest of the world. See: Great Depression.

Better buy some gold before even 5% of the cattle (oops I mean poplulation) wake up and bid the prices through the roof.

Whatever's coming, civil war, invasion, WW III, whatever... it's probably a good time to own a gun if you live in the US.


:D

You apparently think only a day or two ahead. Do you realize what 3 billion who have nothing can do or buy?

They call Asia the Sleeping Giant. Think about what that means. Do you know how many people live in europe?

Have you travelled outside the US or checked a map? Do you realize there are over a hundred other countries?

China sells their shit to whoever will buy it. Wait till they need the materials to make the stuff they need to keep their own economy going?

They will fuckin sink the US in one fell swoop.

One man in India crushed the English Empire. In this world anything is possible.

OK... Will try and condense and get to the point :-)

All over the western world and a good portion of other countries - there is no problem with "barriers". You can form a corp one day and be trading the next. Some countries even offer funding and all types of "help" is available for new corps. Can't actually see where the US is any different from this.

OK.. On better biz environment.. (and this is only one, but based on personal experience) - Where I am now is an excellent biz environment and vastly superior to the US. From here I can choose any other country/continent to operate within. That can be some island in the Caribbean, in the heart of the EU or another Latin American country - all have varying aspects which are beneficial for whatever reason. Each also has their own laws, but not one of these laws are an obstacle course or an inhibitor to doing business - they have their own "porn laws", but these are more common sense and no "record keeping" is involved. Ultimately, all funds generated will end up within a corp where no taxation is payable.


I thinks you are trying to defend pocketkangaroo It ain't about "defending".

OK.. Nobody said there are not some excellent tutors - there are. Tho that can be said of any western country - and a few more. I think you may be surprised how many foreign students enter other western countries. At the moment as far higher education is concerned - some of the leading institutions in the world are in France and Spain (the top two or three were at last check).

For the cost of education within the US - the "value for money" element does not come up to par. It is overpriced and leaves a grad with loans for having this "privilege". That said, higher education in other western countries does cost money, - but not at that level.

The health system has excellent people - that is not the issue, but the "system" is the problem. It's top heavy, overpriced, linked with insurance companies and ya might as well book a cheaper suite at the Hilton.

When it comes to "value for money" - it's a total joke and recognized as such. That results in items like..... I can get an air ambulance insurance policy to fly me direct to Canada or the EU for... can't remember... but around $900. BUT... the moment there is a wish to fly to eg Florida, that insurance policy is.. almost $3000.

Another example... Where I am now there are US medical clinics - basically hotel suites. They provide a service which is around 25% of the cost of the same service in the US. It is the same hospital groups, the same medicine, the same level of medical staffing. Why? Because the US public are being ripped on a very substantial scale.

This then results in US folks flying here for operations.

The issue is not about cheap labor (tho kinda agree) - Whatever a country needs to do to improve it's standard of living - it will do. China produces more product than any country on the planet. It also consumes a high amount of that products internally - while exporting the rest. This in turn, raises the standard of living for folks in China. You may be surprised, but China does not necessarily live on .20 cents/day. There are more cellphones in China than anywhere else - and these are more sophisticated than what we normally know of.

China has an economy which is growing far faster than any western country - that surpasses both the US and EU together.

The Chinese govt is sitting on many billions of US currency and various volumes of currency from other nations. The volume of this currency allows them to issued loans to the US at a rate of around $2 - $4 billion/day. They also have extensive trading partners worldwide and actively seeking to doing more business with these partners - but also doing "cooperative deals" and, in full or in part, - funding a wide variety of construction projects from bridges to whatever.

It's probably totally out of balance to be even discussing this - the day the US govt can provide loans to China is probably the day to start :-)

OK.. Finished with this stuff

Bet everything on red.

According to your economic theories of "more people equals more power", Africa will be the next big player in the global economy. Heck, any day now those billions of people will start buying everything under the sun and make China all powerful and us lowly specks on the bottom of the totem pole.

You don't comprehend that the entire global economy in one way or another revolves around the US. If the US goes to shit, Europe will go to shit along with Asia. There is a reason that China keeps buying up our debt, because they have to. If our dollar goes to shit, the debt they hold is worthless.

To think that in one swoop, the US economy, as complex and diverse as it it can be crushed, shows a complete lack of any economic knowledge on your part.

Yeah but pretty soon china is going to want that money back then what happens............

You are just too dumb - go and post a "would you hit it pic" or an image of another firearm somewhere...

You think any country is going lend more than is prudent for them??? Lesson one in banking.

america is in debt now ..........

Sure is *lol*


Kinda understatement there??

Don't waste your time talking shit - go to bed idiot.

Neither. I just think that your "theory" is pretty damn far fetched. I don't see black people assassinating Hillary (not that she would win anyway) and I see even less of a change the white supremicists would be able to (let alone organiszed or smart enough) to assassinate Obama, should he be elected.

So like I said... wow, retarded.

Did you say something?? Tantrum?? What planet are you on?? Meds OK?

So this is the human trash that shows pics of the alleged new gun he bought??

Sheesh... this is why the US is fucked - because of useless lumps of human tissue like you

Enough of this thread - the level of any sense has reach under the swamp. Have a nice day - and don't shoot yourself :-)

Most welcome :-) No problem with Aaron's thread - it was almost sensible before stupid Americans entered - but can ya get teenrevenue to get their non-compliant 2257 shit sorted in their offshore hideaway? Thanks!

You should focus on the word "ignorant" rather than calling my postings retarded.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love not to have to pay tax on everything. But I also enjoy driving on roads, having public services readily available (police/fire/library/schools), and some form of protection when I put my money in the bank. I don't understand how we'd be able to maintain these things without some taxes being paid.

I've also never encountered any problems dealing with other countries. I hire programmers and designers all around the world, make transactions with ease, and have never been stymied by anything the government has done. The 2257 regulations do suck, and I feel they are overboard. I do support a form of 2257 for maintaining someone is 18 and am happy we are not like other countries where child pornography and child sex trafficking is prevelant.

Again, I'm not sure what problems you foresee in businesses in the US having. It's easy to start, taxes are low, and regulations are soft.

I know there are a lot of great schools in the world. I'm just saying that more people come to the US for education than anywhere else.

As for the value of education for money, it's hard to tell. I believe an average college grad will earn $11,000 more a year than a non-graduate. If you add up the numbers in a lifetime, it makes going to college a solid investment, especially if you study a profession that is in high demand. Despite what some GFYers will say, it is tough to find a well paying job without a college degree.

The price of college is tricky, as there is a big discrepency from public to private universities. If you go to a public state school, you really won't pay a lot at all. Most of your high priced schools are private, and they have to fund themselves and pay for their high priced professors. I don't know how you can tell Harvard that they should charge less seeing as they are privately owned and operated. Not to mention that someone receiving a degree from a high priced, well known school will most likely not have a problem getting a substantially high paid job. I'm not sure what your solution for this is?

There is no doubt that health costs are more expensive in the US. This is because of education, malpractice insurance, and doctors having the most high tech equipment in the field. Insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies have far too much power and fuck over a lot of people while the government turns a blind eye. The system needs a lot of work.

But we also have the most medically advanced technology and doctors in the world. While I'm sure people head to your country for procedures, people all across the world head to the US for advanced procedures and experimental treatments not found anywhere else. The industry is constantly advancing and if you were sick (and money wasn't a factor), I couldn't fathom you not wanting to be treated in this country. The financial factor is a problem, but it is also what drives pharmaceutical companies and doctors to become better.


I'm not sure you'd prefer the standard of living to the average Chinese person to the average American. While Americans bitch a lot about crap, they do have an extremely high standard of living. A poor kid is considered one whose parents can't buy him an iPod. The cell phone argument is fairly moot considering they have many more people than any other country, and the percent of people in China owning a cell phone is still signifigantly lower than the US and especially Europe.

While they are growing rapidly, they also rely heavily on exporting goods and thus heavily on other countries to remain strong and continue buying. I'd still prefer my US or European traffic to Chinese traffic any day of the week.

Still posting shit???
Obviously you are on drugs - go and kill someone and get removed from the gutter

You seriously think I'm gonna even bother answering???? *lol*

OK.. Will take whatever is the first bit... and, at a quick scan - I got all these things. Got no intention of living in a shithouse :-) You think no tax or low tax regimes don't have facilities??? Hell.. the health system here is always ranking on par with the US every year. It's called managing an economy - which is exactly the problem within the US at the moment.

OK.. Got to divert for a while, but prob pick ya up later

$MY_POST = str_replace("retarded", "ignorant", $MY_POST);

OK... Back for a moment PK!

Just read your post and agree with a lot of the background you mentioned...

Will pick up on items....

As mentioned before.. offshore does not exactly mean "poor" - these places collect substantial funds simply because they are offshore jurisdictions (stuff like corp formation fees, annual renewals, shipping licenses ad nausea). Some do have limited services, but not so you would notice.

Give you an example of biz environment - prob part of the main difference, which happens to really only apply to the US (all other countries don't have this problem) is that the US has taxation on global earnings. It just would not be sensible to have a corp within that jurisdiction - and then waste time on the laws etc - eg 2257 etc.

Again.. tho talking only of the adult industry here - even places like the UK, a number of other Euro countries - and some elsewhere - all have better biz environments for "adult".

Sure... can see on the education side there can be differences. Give ya an example of here.... the number of higher education institutions is kinda high and the "philosophy" is definitely different. Example.... got a young guy here who does tech stuff - he is still at college. He already has his degree and doing a doctorate. Just happened to ask him what the cost of this is? Replies... $340/year *lol* Basically the education system is funded on the basis that education is the future of the country - and it sure shows in many ways. Got another young girl who does other (non adult) stuff - she is a marine biologist and tho only around 22 or so, she is damned good and produces excellent material. (Also very firmly believes in what she is doing).
Downside is they are churning out lawyers like mosquitos - unfortunately, you got to dismiss them - they have no experience to give good legal advice and will have a hard time getting that experience. Flip side, there are plenty IT-related as well - so, least there is some balance.

There are a number of high tech establishments here - people like Intel etc - the reason they are here is a combination of things - lower wage bill and highly qualified workforce. Education is very relevant in many ways - other things follow on :-) (Despite that - nothing is perfect - and still plenty stuff needs sorting)

Healthcare... sure.. legal suites are prob the core problem and agree on the pharma side - it's a joke. Used to live in Fla and the first time I ever new there was a problem was in a pharmacy - the stuff cost considerably more than elsewhere. (But... a lot of other product is considerably cheaper in the US - including food!)

The reason folks come here for medical stuff is.... prob heart operations at the top of the list. The cost is... around 30% of the US equivalent. There are also other types of medicine and some "superficial" stuff like plastic surgery.

On the US treatment side (policy stuff) - hell - don't really need that policy - it was a leftover from being in the Caribbean where there would be a need to fly out for more serious medical treatment. The medical services here are pretty good and very much the same as the US.

China and exporting..... don't matter what country - they all need to export. If they have nothing to export, they are not even in the international market and (unless they can magic up some source of cash) they can't afford to import. (Balance of payments) Don't think there is much doubt that China (and a few other Asian countries), - will supercede both the US and EU within a relatively short time. The total production from Asia is prob going to be something this planet has never seen yet. (That is both good and bad - screws the place up!)

OK.. Back to the US.... Would say this.... irrespective of the country, it's prob not going to be a pretty picture. This also applies to the EU, - although the EU may not have reached this stage yet - but it's going to get bogged down in utter bullshit and be unable to compete on a sufficiently high basis on the international market - this is the stage the US is at now (balance of trade is at a deficit). Firmly believe in the longer term (tho not too long!), Asia will be the economic hub.

At the moment the US economy is... whatever, but unsustainable and with a building debt. Europe is still in control - but wait till bullshitters get behind comfortable seats and that will change. At rough guess.... the US is bordering on "severe" but not there yet. We will notice when that comes. The danger is external influences can screw stuff further - need a crystal ball. But it's not healthy for any nation to be consistently borrowing at the current level and very little loan being paid back. This is already reflected in the low dollar value - and gutsy feeling, this will continue to sink, which means higher import costs - and that don't help.

No country has any desire to screw another (least in any normal economy) - but if the "banker" gets uncomfortable and starts dumping currency - that could be a disaster. Basically it's back to a scenario where the corp is stagnant and the bank is owed millions - the bank pulls the plug and cut their losses with as little damage to themselves as possible. This is not going to be so dramatic in the instance of a country - but can be very severe.

USA Inc currently the world's biggest debtor while other nations are... well... range from "getting by" to bundles of cash. If you think of countries as corps - which corp would you prefer? The one with masses of debt or one at least breaking even?

OK.. another book finished!

show some pics........

Irony is...... if it wasnt for Iraq, the USA would be doing OKAY.

When they went in, they thought they would be getting oil revenue.

Now, everything has fallen to shit they know they wont be getting oil revenue as it must go to the "IRAQI PEOPLE" to compensate for all the shit thats going down there

And now they cant leave, theyre stuck there and people in the middle east are laughing hard because they know they can keep the USA STUCK there by pumping foreign fighters into Iraq and keeping it unstable, know that if the shit hits the fan USA will take the blame. All the while, billions are being spent keeping them there. Fucking DISASTER

Ever seen the TV show "Jericho"? If not, watch it. I think that's a much larger liklihood

You can´t even take over the fucked up iraq for 100% but france ? LOL forget it.
Next Empires ? China ? we will see...I tell you right now, that the next empires are empires that will know how to deal without oil from other countries etc.. My mother is working with lots of chinese companies and also the NASA together (Galvano)...China is dependent on many other countries...if they will stop one time to give them what they need, they are fucked.

USA ? I wonder that so many people don´t raise their fists and stand up. Ok ok I don´t really wonder because you see the same shit in europe as well.

WWII people actually pitched in for the war, stopped spending crazy, brought in metal for recycling, volunteered, even grew "victory gardens" to help out...

China is on the offensive when it comes to getting raw materials from Africa, China is giving massive loans to African countries to secure contracts to buy their raw materials.

I think people are too narrowly focused on the U.S. and it's survival.

The world on the whole is near collapse. A Petroleum based world economy is heading for a crash. When it hits that boiling point all the "civilization" goes out the window because if you remove the creature comforts for 72 hours humans revert back to their caveman style instincts.

Man that is a ludicrous thing to say. There is no way any force could even organise let along mobilise against the government. They'd be locked away for sedition in a heartbeat. Same goes for any other western democratic country. Britian, Australia.

There will never be a civil war in these unless its in the aftermath of invasion or nuclear attack. Even then unlikely and very short lived.

This whole thread is idiotic. I think we should delete it before it lowers the IQ of everyone who reads this garbage.

True.

Most don't know that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor because of oil.

It's a crazy world we live in.

A few observations from history

No empire lasts for ever.
The world is changing environmentally, politically and economically.
Communication is better than ever before so the average person can, if they choose know more, faster than their parents.
All countries are economically co dependant.
War is and always has been a profit center and will always be present

The tragedy of the US from a US citizen, now Expat looking back is simple.
Most US citizens never leave the US nor do they speak a second language so they have little idea what goes on outside the US.

Many US citizens doubt the propaganda from their government BUT have little time to worry about it because the mortgage or rent is due next week.

The current US administration, although the worst in my life, is just hastening the path to decreased freedoms that started shortly after 1776.

I doubt there will be a civil war in the US unless people cannot feed their families, that is what causes civil wars; starve or fight. Equally I doubt the US can maintain the current standard of living most people see on US television but there will always be wealthy people, they are everyplace. There will always be poor people they are everyplace also, but there will be more of them.

In the past the US was a place a single blue collar worker could afford a high quality life style for his family, now it takes two earners and it's often difficult for them; it will get much worse. If China allows it's currency to float Walmart will not be a bargin anymore and you might be ssurprised how fast thet will effect inflation and consumer prices.

Fuck it, as long as I get at least one good summer out on the lake, I am ready for the apocoloyspe.

america is not going anywhere anytime soon...

but i give the world about 5 years before they start to realize the american dollar isnt even worth the paper it is printed on. once the world stops demanding dollars and the dollar collapses americans are fucked, but then again maybe it will just be time to nuke a couple countries and get back on top again

I live in Romania and the USD fell 4% in the last 2 weeks. Except this, all the best to all of you...

Egomancer

I think this is a mute subject to be honest. Americans are in trouble and it all comes down to complacency and reasoning away the lines between right and wrong. None of us have the right to even complain if we as a nation sit back and say nothing of the wrong doings that go on in our own neighborhoods much less in our government.

We have fathers pouring gasoline on our 4 year old children and setting them ablaze. We have people walking into McDonalds and blowing the head of a 2 year old off while having lunch with mom and there is no public outcry. These things should envoke anger in us the likes of which could be heard around the world.

Until we have the guts to first clearly define right and wrong and second be willing to stand up for those beliefs again we are all very much apart of the down fall and it begins with us. All that we are talking about begins with who we have become. If Americans can't do the right thing in our own small little communities how can we possibly rule the world.

You know what I am saying is true. Our nation was powerful in the past because we lived in a time where honor was everything to a man. To be without honor in the society would mean he was not worth anything at all. Today we have liars and cheaters and thieves and gangs all doing things to hurt others right in front of our very eyes and what do we do? We look the other way. We are in a bad way because of who we are inside and what we do or don't even know we believe in.

God help us to remember to stand up for what is right and wrong and give us the courage to shout it from our own very rooftops... Before it is too late to save us. It all starts with you.... each of you. I know this sounds so simplified and like nothing to do with all of this but IMO it is the core of this . It is how we got here and why we are not able to snap out of it.

Two more things to point out briefly... We have a President that can't keep his dick in his pants long enough to protect the reputation of a nation during his term and then bold faced lies about it and we do nothing. What did that teach our youth about right and wrong? It taught them that they can get away with anything as long as you know the right people or can reason it away. Not standing up and punishing the wrong doers.

Phoenix, I don't know who you are or if you were joking or not but I think what you wrote shows nothing less than you needing your ass kicked and then a lesson in respect. if I was a man and could reach you , I would make sure the lesson was given by me. Even if you were joking, you offended me and I am sure others. Don't let it happen again ... please.

Stand up, and others will join you. Define, teach and when people around you show less than honor get angry and let your voices unite and be heard.
Thanks for listening.

Canada is the sleeping Giant ;-)

Are you perhaps referring to this?...


If so, I would suggest doing the following:

1) look up the term "s-a-r-c-a-s-m"

2) Try reading the board a little longer instead of posting, you'll get a better feel for certain people's posting styles.


cheers. :D

OMG just heard it on CNN , Mexico invade California now :

" we want what belong to us "