My comment: My post comes after I read Eduardo Castro-Wright, Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal- Mart’s head of U.S. stores, said in a Feb. 26 interview. “It’s almost like a significant percentage of consumers realize that they might have been living beyond their real means,” (*) What basically means that although nobody could prove that Sancta does not bring toys for free, Americans have realised that another of their fantasies was a fairytale: money does not grow in Fort Knox trees. But do not evict US citizens yet.
We have the classical question that William Jennings Bryan asked "do you want guns or butter?". I must add "or do you choose growing poverty until complete famine and at the end you have neither guns nor butter"? It is obvious that US economy cannot sustain all expenses from its major consumers. First of all the Federal government. Second local governments (both cities and states) and finally householders. I exclude corporate consumption as it would be either redundant with any of the three consumers or it would aim foreign markets that obviously is not what happens nowadays in USA (exports fall at the same pace than the overall economy). Few things are more secretely hidden in this world than Coca-cola formula and the US Federal budget. One legally hidden, the second through spaghetty references from one item to another plus earmarks, etc. I do not pretend to be an expert on US Federal budget therefore I will not offer amounts, on the other hand there is a war among experts because any amount is disputable, I do not want to bleed by messing myself into those disputes. But everybody agree that the major items are 1) US military budget 2) US healthcare system 3) US householder consumption 4) housing 5) other governmental services (both federal and local). Now the ball is in America´s roof. Guns or butter? What would you remove or cut significantly among those five items? Peace and best wishes. Xi (*) Retail Sales Probably Fell in February: U.S. Economy Preview http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a_0pyFsTcvks&refer=home --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "World-thread" group. To post to this group, send email to world-thread@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to world-thread+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/world-thread?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
