Currency: Consolidation Kills Economies
07 September 11 - 19:16
There is one thing about economics and currency that is an inescapable truth. Economies only function when currency is in motion. If we stop the flow of currency, by whatever means, economic activity stops. Pretty simple. So how does this affect people in an economy, and what roles do governments, people and businesses play in this activity?
Let's start at the beginning and follow the money. In the US, the currency is generated by the Federal Reserve. The government borrows money and it is printed. Most of that money then flows to the people and businesses via government expenditures. Some is held in reserve for various programs. In turn, people consume goods and services. The services and products are taxed. Businesses and government receive the funds back via the consumer. The cycle continues. But what happens when currency is removed from the economy?
Less currency flowing through the populous means sales slow, growth slows, and the economy slows. People no longer share in all ...
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Jobs: An Archaic and Dying Economic Model
07 September 11 - 16:55
Jobs, jobs, jobs! This the outcry and word of the day since the financial collapse of 2008. However, is this the right argument to be having? Here's a novel idea to consider: Labor is for machines, not people. We have only labored up to now because we had not invented the machines to do the work yet.
Increasingly, and for centuries now, we have been devising machines to replace us. Initially, we invented tools to assist us, then machines to augment us, and now machines and computers to replace us, at least in the work force. It is not hard to imagine a time when a machine can not do every job we do. We see large cultivators where there were once an army of pickers. We see robotic arms where there were once machinists and assembly lines of men and women. Most of our bread is made in bulk by machines instead of the local baker.
Now, some may scream that technology and progress is harmful. The machines are destroying our way of life. Well machines are destroying our way of life, and ...
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Basic Public Education: A New Model For Success
07 September 11 - 15:23
REVAMPING BASIC
EDUCATION
The US
is in a time of educational decline. There are many factors including funding,
priorities, local and federal administration, teacher quality, political
correctness, diversity, parental involvement and home stability, and so on.
However, I believe that the fundamental failure lies in what and how we teach.
There are a lot of differing opinions on what is important
to a basic education. Some arguments are valid and some are simply biased.
History makes a strong argument that the changes we have made in education
since the 1950s have been failures. However, this has to be weighed against
several factors. If we look at the global education rankings, we have to
consider that the US
is competing against more civilized and developed societies than ever before.
We also have to account for the fact that the average human IQ is increasing by
about 3 points per generation. So, we have to ask, are we really failing or
just falling behind? ... (more)
