what have we learned

Kiwi thanks, that sure covers todays world. It is that old expression, “History repeats itself”

-- Guy Kroll

In 1787 when the United States drafted its constitution for a democratic government of the people, for the people and by the people, Professor Alexander Tyler (University of Edinborough –circa 1787) wrote about the stages of birth and death of democracy. According Alexander Tyler it takes an average of two hundred years for a democracy to mature, reach its crescendo and then revert back to bondage.

There are eight stages of democracy he observed:

• From bondage to spiritual faith
• From spiritual faith to great courage;
• From courage to liberty;
• From liberty to abundance;
• From abundance to complacency;
• From complacency to apathy;
• From apathy to dependence;
• From dependence back into bondage

http://www.boloji.com/opinion/0089.htm

-- http://www.north40custom.com -- http://north40studios.etsy.com --

How many times do the powers that be in Government have to fall off the back of the turnip truck before they learn anything ? Still counting.

-- Lee

The Cicero quote is really:

“The arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and assistance to foreign hands should be curtailed, lest Rome fall.”

Alexander Tytler (correct spelling) is credited with the stages of democracy, but it was really Henning W. Prentis, Jr., President of Armstrong Cork Co. that said it during a speech in the early 1900’s (date may be wrong, I can’t recall).

Regardless, it is still relevant.

-- Jim

you learn something new every day. Thanks for the history lesson guys.

-- if the hand is not working it is not a pure hand

I never got to meet Cicero in person. But, having watched a few of his speeches on UTube, I think he probably would have said what the Radio New Zealand listener said he said.

We did have some Armstrong Cork on a kitchen floor, though.

-- Gene

I don’t mean to be an @$$. I really started looking into one of those quotes a while back because I saw some relevance to our current economy and some things going on here in the US. So, I did a lot of research and read some articles.

Your point is still valid, IMHO.

-- Jim

Ya but today it would have to read “Corporations must once again learn to work instead of living on public assistance”

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

I agree. It would be nice if we didn’t have any bailouts at all. I thought that was what the free market economy was all about. If you fail, and there is demand for your product/service, someone else will come in and fill the void. Ideally, they learn from your mistakes and improve, but with bailouts, there’s no learning. There’s no penalty.

-- Jim

the bailout is more to avoid the ‘release’ of a massive amount of employees into the free market with no jobs to fill currently, then anything else. it is a very sticky situation indeed.

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

“If you fail, and there is demand for your product/service, someone else will come in and fill the void. Ideally, they learn from THEIR (FIXT) mistakes and improve, but with bailouts, there’s no learning. There’s no penalty.”

Right on, Jim!

The free market is based, in large part, on perceived value. Bailouts distort that part of the equation.
Oh Jim, there is a penalty….you and I and every other taxpayer has been put in the penalty box.

-- Gene

“Ya but today it would have to read “Corporations must once again learn to work instead of living on public assistance”

Agreed Dennis! Let the government provide NO impediment to failure…..or success.

-- Gene

You’re right there, Gene. Only, there’s no free market penalty for the company’s behavior, IOW, why would they operate any differently in the future if they think there is a safety net?

Don’t get me started on the massive increases in money supply that we, including our representatives and elected officials, have no control over.

Money Supply since 1913 – look at the last year, it will make you sick.

-- Jim

Sorry, I just don’t think it’s the government’s job to give me a job – or to secure it. A massive release of jobs would be bad, but we’d get over it eventually.

Ask Japan how “guaranteeing” jobs worked out for them. They had a series of recessions for nearly 25 years. Only when they gave up on trying to do anything to stimulate the economy did they pull out of it. Of course, as soon as they pull out of it, we have a global recession.

The bailouts, in some cases, were to secure jobs and industry (GM, Chrysler), but the AIG bailouts were about fear. AIG holds the paper on a lot of credit default swaps, and that’s what is bringing them down – too much liability and not enough assets to back it up.

-- Jim

Jim, that St, Louis Fed. Res. chart oughtta scare Hell outta everyone. Few will see it. Most will ignore it. Many won’t understand it’s implications.
Wake up folks! When this anticipated inflation hits, we’re doomed to adopting a one world currency. Bye-bye “In God We Trust”.
I’m no conspiracy nut but, this all appears orchestrated.

-- Gene