North Korea!!!!!

[Tommy_Dolitte]

I hate to sound like a doom and gloomer...but this could get ugly....real fast.

Wal-Mart is on the brink of becoming unionized...
The war in Iraq is not going well...
Consumer debt continues...
Interest rates are going up....
Foreclosures are at record levels...
Trade deficit at record levels...
Dollar continues to slide...
Recruiting for military is down...
No matter what numbers they show, the job market is NOT getting any better...
Duke beat North Carolina (hehe!)

"Leadership" has been too "quiet" lately...

Oh well...just passing through...off to Dakota's Jazz Club!

 

[Marshac]

Wal-Mart is on the brink of becoming unionized...

Disaster averted, we can all breathe easy now.... they closed the store rather than have a union shop.

 

[JOhn Galt]

Good for Wal-Mart. I am almost tempted to buy their stock

JG

 

[Marshac]

Good for Wal-Mart.  I am almost tempted to buy their stock  

JG

Personally, I strongly dislike Wal*Mart, but some people like them for whatever reason. As an investor (I would never own their stock either), I would be concerned about possible upcoming state laws (MT's "box box" tax for example) aimed squarely at companies like WalMart.

I really don't understand the notion that underpaid employees make for a profitable business. Take Costco for example- a highly successful company whose customer demographic profile is the envy of most (avg customer household income 6+ figures)... they are profitable AND they pay their employees well, proving that the two are not mutually exclusive. Companies who are in a race to the bottom in terms of wages really should read some economics, and the paradox of corporate thrift... Henry Ford understood this- underpaid employees do not make for loyal employees, nor do they become customers themselves.

BTW- in case my opinion wasn't clear before, companies that offload their expenses onto taxpayers of their surrounding community deserve to die.

 

[John Galt]

I admire just about everything about Wal-Mart,
including their employee relations. I do expect
"big brother" style leftist PC types (in government)
to attempt to damage them in order to make political hay.

JG

 

[Martha]

I don't shop Walmart. Can't support them.

However, I confess that once DH and I went there because they had a particular item we couldn't get anywhere else. We went a bit wild and got a whole lot of stuff. We didn't admit it to anyone until now. Not to get too personal, but I bought a whole lot of underwear. Mistake. Not the quality I expect.

 

[Eagle43]

I, too, love WalMart, though can't figure how they got on a thread entitled North Korea.

Anyway, since WalMart upgraded to super store and put in the groceries, other chains like Krogers and Albertsons must be suffering. Hey, just compare prices. I am a consumer and most (not all) of the time, WalMart wins.


BTW the economy is doing fine. My funds are going up. Must be cause I'm saving money at Wally's....

 

[JOhn Galt]

Actually I have forgotten how we got from North
Korea to Wal-Mart myself. There is a tie-in though.
Many Americans view North Korea and Wal-Mart
as dangerous enemies of the USA. Would be good topic
for an op-ed piece.

JG

 

[brewer12345]

Tommy, some of the things on your list are good things:

- Walmart unionization: screw this company.  It makes its money by leeching off the taxpayers and brutalizing employees and suppliers.  I wouldn't shop there if it were the last place on earth.

- Interest rate moves: Not sure why this would be bad.  Interest rates are just a number and the economy will equilibrate.  So long as the economy keeps chugging along delivering higher standards of living, I don't really care what nominal rates are.

- Dollar levels: The dollar has been out of whack for years, pushing the trade deficit up.  Re-alignment isn't necessarily a bad thing.

- Military recruiting: Good.  The damn military is too large already and sucks up way too much of the gummint budget.  Chop the hell out of it and get out of Iraq and we'd solve SS/Medicare/deficit in a hurry!


On North Korea:

This is scary stuff, IMO, not all that far from Cuban Missile Crisis level.  An irrational regime with little stake in the world's future now has nukes.  Hopefully China will exert pressure on them to come to the table and behave themselves.  You know that our administration will do nothing besides fan the flames.

 

[JOhn Galt]

Hey, you forgot the smiley faces. You are kidding, right?



JG

 

[FlowGirl]

I really don't understand the notion that underpaid employees make for a profitable business. Take Costco for example- a highly successful company whose customer demographic profile is the envy of most (avg customer household income 6+ figures)... they are profitable AND they pay their employees well, proving that the two are not mutually exclusive.

I believe Starbucks is another example - at least according to one guy I know who worked there. He said he would have loved to work at an independent coffeehouse but the wages and benefits were so good he couldn't afford to leave the Starbucks family.

As for Walmart - I can't stand the place either. Everytime I go there the place seems messy and the employees are rude (no wonder!), plus the quality is awful - the socks I bought developed holes after one washing. Unfortunately its a great place to pick up cheap cat litter when I can't make it to a commissary, so I do venture there on occassion.

 

[Hyperborea]

On North Korea:

This is scary stuff, IMO, not all that far from Cuban Missile Crisis level.  An irrational regime with little stake in the world's future now has nukes.  Hopefully China will exert pressure on them to come to the table and behave themselves.  You know that our administration will do nothing besides fan the flames.

I wonder how much of a spur being called an "axis of evil" and then seeing what happens to non-nuclear countries (i.e. Iraq) was to the North Korean decision to restart it's nuclear program? I would be surprised if many more countries aren't trying to build nuclear bombs.

 

[brewer12345]

I wonder how much of a spur being called an "axis of evil" and then seeing what happens to non-nuclear countries (i.e. Iraq) was to the North Korean decision to restart it's nuclear program?  I would be surprised if many more countries aren't trying to build nuclear bombs.

Yup. I can't decide whether the administration is genuinely that stupid, or if this is some sort of grand conspiracy to have the world balanced on a knife edge so that the population can be kept firmly in control. Either one is a plausible explanation, IMO.

 

[Dawg52]

As for Walmart - I can't stand the place either.  Unfortunately its a great place to pick up cheap cat litter when I can't make it to a commissary, so I do venture there on occassion.

I stopped by one moning on the way to work just to go in a buy a big bag of dog food. Hauled the 50lb bag to the counter and no one in sight to check me. Waited and waited and then someone came by and said it would be awhile as the cashiers had to go get their morning cash box. I just left the bag there and took off. I'll spend more elsewhere than to put up with that.

 

[Marshac]

Yup.  I can't decide whether the administration is genuinely that stupid, or if this is some sort of grand conspiracy to have the world balanced on a knife edge so that the population can be kept firmly in control.  Either one is a plausible explanation, IMO.

I think the former explanation is more likely. Seriously though, now that N. Korea has confirmed something pretty much everyone knew, China can't sit on the sideline anymore and say "patience... we don't KNOW they have nukes." It will be interesting to see what their reaction will be as a nuclear power on their border could be a destabilizing force in the region...something they don't want. China is really the key player in all of this as N. Korea is totally dependant upon them for everything (oil, food, etc), so once China decides to get tough, I think N Korea will fall in line.


In a totaly unrelated topic, check this out-
http://www.backwardsbush.com/

 

[charlie]

It just amazes me how most of the posters on this
board are far left of center. Maybe I am a closet
liberal and just need to get in touch with my innermost
feelings.

Cheers,

Charlie

 

[lets-retire]

I not an economist, but I always looked at the interest rates going up as a good thing. It means the economy is expanding and Greenspan is attempting to keep it under control so inflation doesn't take over and a loaf of bread winds up costing $20.00.

The dollar sliding is also a good thing. It brings more foriegners here to vaction and spend their money, essentially effecting the trade deficit. Which is caused by a strong dollar helping foriegn products to be cheaper than American products.

Please correct me if I WAY off base.

 

[Marshac]

It just amazes me how most of the posters on this
board are far left of center.  Maybe I am a closet
liberal and just need to get in touch with my innermost
feelings.  

Perception. "Center" has been shifting "right" these past several years. Regardless, why is disagreeing with the current adminstration considered "liberal" these days?

I gotta hand it to Karl Rove, he has done a bang up job.

 

[newellcr]

Marshac,

"Perception. "Center" has been shifting "right" these past several years. Regardless, why is disagreeing with the current administration considered "liberal" these days?"

Yes center has been shifting right lately. My opinion is that in previous years the center was consistently moving toward the left. The pendulum swings in both directions. Politics have been highly polarized lately - a with us or against us mentality prevails. I don't agree with it, but that is why I think disagreeing with the current administration is considered liberal, IMO.

Kind Regards,

Chris

 

[Guest]

From what I've read on this board, most of the views would be considered left-leaning in any age. Not just the current one. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I think the increase in perceived polarization is more to do with most people being unable to articulate their positions nowadays. Not just in politics, either. Most people today don't read anymore than magazines or short newspaper articles. They converse in short, safe conversations about the weather, etc. They are simple unable to have extended polite discussions about anything.

 

[brewer12345]

I think "guest" is at least somewhat correct. I would also put forward that I am less and less inclined to share my views in person because I fear that there will be HUAC-type backlash within a few years.

 

[Marshac]

I think "guest" is at least somewhat correct.  I would also put forward that I am less and less inclined to share my views in person because I fear that there will be HUAC-type backlash within a few years.

When anyone asks about my party affiliation, I always identify myself as an independent which sidesteps any preconceptions they may have of "those types" of people in the XYZ political party. Seriously- I don't like the GOP, I don't like Democrats. I like ideas from both, and I dislike ideas from both. Equal opportunity

As for the HUAC- it has already started- we're fighting terrorists and locking up folks based on "secret" evidence. First it was witches, then it was commies, now terrorists. Maybe in another 100 years when we repeat this tired story again, it will be in an attempt to stop galgamek alien imposters from Venus. When will we learn?

 

[Austin_Explorer]

Yes center has been shifting right lately.  My opinion is that in previous years the center was consistently moving toward the left.  The pendulum swings in both directions.  Politics have been highly polarized lately - a with us or against us mentality prevails.  I don't agree with it, but that is why I think disagreeing with the current administration is considered liberal, IMO.

Is it still liberal thinking to disagree with the current administration because Bush has yet to veto a single spending bill? At least the current rhetoric out of Washington leads one to hope that "fiscal restraint" will be more than a campaign bullet point.

 

[Nords]

I, too, love WalMart, though can't figure how they got on a thread entitled North Korea.  

I think they're in trouble for selling discount nuclear weapons to North Korea instead of allowing the DPRK to "buy American".

I have as much consumer loyalty to Wal-Mart as I do to the Republican party or any other consumer-support organization. If small-town businesses are the best then we'd still have the U.K. as our #1 trade partner and we'd still be speaking British. So let capitalization capitalism run amok.

But speaking of nuclear weapons, has anyone seen anything verifying that this is more than their usual propaganda? (I'm talking North Korea now, not Wal-Mart.) Any actual nuclear tests or satellite images or seismograph readings? Because frankly I'm not believing it unless they've been using the warheads for catching fish...

 

[Marshac]

Because frankly I'm not believing it unless they've been using the warheads for catching fish...

Which could only benefit the NK people as they have been relegated to eating grass in order to stay alive.