TANSTAAFL has such long range effects, that it is difficult to wade through the mess it has created. We’ve seen how the cities have been ruined, but that’s only the beginning. The economic disasters created by TANSTAAFL have worked their way on all of us. Have you tried to buy something of late, that is made in America? Not just in Walmarts either, but in any department store, hardware store, or other retail or wholesale outlet. The foreign made goods tornado accelerated, in my opinion anyway, when Sam Walton died, April 5, 1992, and left the Walmarts to his kids, who became the richest siblings in the world. The ’new’ Walmart, under the direction of the Walton kids, were one of the main turning points. Walmart is the largest retailer in the world. Not satisfied with being the richest kids in the world, they decided to become richer, and defied their father’s business practices and wishes. Sam Walton took pride in selling nothing but American made goods. His biography (Doubleday, 1992) is titled, “Sam Walton, Made in America.” His kids switched to China and Japan for their merchandise, thus throwing millions of American factory workers out of a job.
Why can’t we make our own stuff right here in America? Why does everything we buy at just about anywhere, have to be made in China? The simple answer is that it costs too much to make anything here. Why does it cost so much to make things here? Because the dollar has lost so much of its value. How much value? Here’s a few examples. In 1930, a new 5 bedroom home in Appleton Wisconsin, sold for $4100, and a new Chevy was $475. In 1950, milk was 82 cents a gallon, bread fourteen cents a loaf, eggs 65 cents a dozen, a new Ford was $1750, and a stamp was 3 cents. In 1960, a new Ford was $2600, gas was a quarter a gallon, and a new house was $12,700. In 1992, gas was $1.40 a gallon, and coffee was $2.39 a pound. Look at today’s prices and weep. Of course wages went up, but not as fast nor as high. This is why Mom has to work now, whereas she didn’t 40 years ago.
Prices going up, is known as ’inflation,’ and it is caused as the dictionary says, by “An increase in the currency supply.” Why does the currency supply increase? Because politicians always spend more than is taken in by taxation. The balance is paid by printing press money, which can now be printed at the will of the government, and voted upon by the Congress. The seemingly continual wars that America seems to be involved in have taken their toll on the money supply also, increasing it by trillions of dollars. TANSTAAFL has been the major source of the currency supply increase. Free medical care, housing, food, transportation, and lots of other subsidies to not only individuals, but corporations, and industry as well.
Government has made it very convenient tax wise, for factories to shut down and move overseas. Just last week, Obama sent $2 billion to Brazil to aid them in their off-shore oil well drilling, while he shut ours down. China buys all of Brazil’s oil. Continual grants and subsidies to just about everyone and everything, (earmarks), have decimated the dollar. Then, on top of all the reckless spending, taxes have gone through the roof. Colorado Gold’s toll free numbers have a 25% tax on them. After the taxes have been levied on everything, government then “Has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our People, and eat out their Substance,” (Declaration of Independence.) The United States Government, is the largest employer of workers in America. What do they do? They do just as the Declaration says, and the cost in dollars to pay them, are merrily printed on government presses. (It’s a bit more complex than that. Technically, America ’sells’ its debt, so it can print, but of late, America is buying its own debt, because no one else wants it. Indeed then, we are printing to pay our bills.)
China, has few if any of the bureaucratic harassments American industry has, it is fighting no wars, nor has it fought a war in over a hundred years, other than defending itself as best as it could when it was overrun by Japan in the 1930’s. Chinese labor can work for less than a dollar per hour U.S., and do quite well. In India, which is basically English speaking, you may well ask for a credit card balance or book a trip with a travel agency, and have it done in India. In spite of the phone bills, workers in India, after taking lessons in American English, even at a buck an hour do quite well.
While union membership, except in schools and government is a small portion of what it once was, it was responsible for auto manufacturing taking leave of Detroit. As I watch each and every year pass, with more and more taxes, government corruption and control, plus government growing ever faster and becoming more controlling, I know that this process of money printing can go on only so long, until it all comes down in a heap. America is not alone. Ireland has just had its credit rating lowered, due to excess spending and debt. Hungary is having the same problems, and so are Japan, Portugal, Spain, and of course Greece. Will all the paper monies fold in one gigantic heap? Will China, with no national debt, rule the world? I have no crystal ball. I am only extremely logical. You decide.
The jobs went overseas because of the weak dollar, unions, regulations, government gobledy gook, bureaucracy, the IRS, and above all, the CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, which we should clean out in November. However, cleaning out the Congress, won’t bring the jobs back, nor strengthen the buck. What will strengthen the dollar, is to get the hell out of Afghanistan, Iraq, and over 125 foreign bases, and then declare absolute neutrality. After that, gradually remove the TANSTAAFL free lunches such as food stamps, rent and other subsidies or all kinds and to all entities. Would there be riots? Sure. Will there be riots anyway? I think so, when hyper-inflation sets in, because when the hyper-inflation starts, idiotic government and Congress, will undoubtedly place wage and price controls on everything. At this point, the stores will be empty, and then the riots will begin in earnest. Get out of the big cities, arm yourselves, and of course protect yourself with gold and silver.
With the official national debt at over $13 trillion, plus an additional $150 trillion pledged over the next years, it is second grade arithmetic to realize that such a debt cannot be paid, other than with endless printing of worthless scrip. Monopoly Money. Why is such a simple fact either overlooked, or not understood by hundreds of millions of Americans? If you have surplus assets, please, do not store them in dollars. Store your surplus assets in anything tangible, because all tangible things, such as bread, tires, lumber, appliances, and grass seed, will go up in dollar prices. Gold and silver, throughout recorded history, in all nations and civilizations, have been actual, real, beautiful, money, which are self backed and need no government guarantees. Store your surplus assets in butter, oil, or scrap steel if you wish, but gold and silver require no refrigeration, take little space, and are easily bought, sold, and stored.
One other thing to consider. There is no limit on how many trees can be cut to print un-backed paper money. There is a finite amount of gold and silver in the world, and as each day passes, more and more people realize the true value of, and buy them. They will eventually become in short supply, and gold and silver prices will go up faster, in dollars, than other tangibles. Of that you can bet. The endless TV commercials for gold are everywhere. Before you buy from them, check their Better Business Bureau rating, or Google their name. You’ll be surprised at the complaints. One of the largest, has an “F” rating. Ours is A Plus, and if you Google us, there is not a single complaint in 33 years!.