On Sep 15, 9:43*pm, Vic Smith wrote:
On Thu, 15 Sep 2011 07:13:28 -0400, "Robert Green"





wrote:
"Vic Smith" wrote in message

stuff snipped

Think about it.
The poor have these toys.
Xbox, cable TV, microwaves, cars, etc.

That they scrounged from dumpsters or thrift stores. *There is a small army
of people that cruise my neighborhood (so says my CCTV cam) in the wee hours
before trash pickup, making off with whatever they think has value. *I've
seen my old tube color TV, an RCA that lasted 25 years and still had a
(rather bloomed) viewable picture carted off. *I always leave working but
obsolete stuff in a clear plastic bag on top of the trash can and it's
almost never there when the trashmen arrive. *Yes, I could call Purple Heart
and get a deduction for it, but I'm like Oliver Wendell Holmes. *I don't
mind paying taxes because with them I buy civilization.

Don't forget a big part of your taxes goes to the defense industry and
other so-called "capitalist" companies.
Most of this stuff talked about is available at thrift stores for
relative peanuts. *I don't know about Xboxes and DVR's, and of
course even used cars cost some bucks.
I don't know how welfare money works, but it doesn't take much.
Before companies dropped the suit dress policy, I wore thrift store
suits to work for years. *I'm medium size and easy to fit.
Cost 5-10 bucks each. *Name labels, including Brooks Brothers.
Dry cleaning cost more than the suit.
These weren't beat up suits. *No detectable wear.
I always figured they were suits outgrown when the owner got fat,
or dead men's suits. *Main reason they end up in a thrift store.
My wife loves shopping these stores, so she did all the "work."
Except for a $250 wool overcoat I bought new when I became a
"bigshot," shoes, socks and skivvies I always buy new, everything else
I've worn is thrift shop.
Ties, shirts, pants, jackets, winter coats, sweaters.
Funny thing is the reaction I've gotten from workmates when they like
my suit and ask where I bought it.
Looks of total incomprehension. *Oddly or not, foreigners are most
shocked, especially when I guess it's a dead man's suit.
I always bought electronics new, but one of my kids, who has about
8 computers running at any time, just brought me a perfect 20" IBM
flat screen he picked up at Goodwill for 15 bucks.
I put my working but hugely hulking 20" CRT at the curb.
Paid about $400 for that some years ago.
Anyway, I think many people won't get caught dead in a thrift store.
But it's okay to go to a garage sale.
Lest I've made thrift store shopping sound easy, it's not.
I don't do it. *Can't stand it. *
My wife loves browsing at them, and goes once or twice a week.
The downside is the containers of bric-a-brac in the basement.
So you need the right wife. *







But the answer to that is jobs.
The problem with that is to get good jobs back here requires taking a
whip to the "free trade" principles these guys got rich from.

Not going to happen. *Like that movie, those jobs are "Gone, Baby, Gone."
There doesn't seem to be anything like the PC revolution coming along to
save us this time. *Computer technology is one of the few things that are
basically keeping the US economy afloat:

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/mt...oductivity%20h...

Not that Obama is any better, being surrounded by Wall Streeters.

Yes, he's proved to be a disappointment but in this era, getting Dems and
Repubs to vote for a simple mom and apple pie bill is dubious. *The gridlock
of the economy ironically parallels the gridlock in government. *Hmmm.

My opinion is that those who were never personally involved in
manufacturing have no idea of it's importance as a job multiplier.
The same goes for data processing and even call desk work.
Every job adds other work.
I benefitted and retired from the computer boom.
No different than manufacturing, salaries drove much of it overseas.
It was well underway when I retired, and has only accelerated.
Wall Street "shareholder value" has driven all of this.
I suspect it will happen as you say with "global leveling."
There are alternatives, but as long as Wall Street remains pumped up
they will reign, as they own the pols.
Which means the U.S. will increasingly turn to welfare instead of
work.

The big danger is loss of technical expertise.
Not only are foreigners doing much of the old language programming
for "American" companies, but they lead the way in cutting edge
technologies.
I'm not an engineer, but suspect the same is increasingly true in many
engineering fields.
There are serious national security implications to offshoring too
much, and I'm guessing we are already there.
MAD still has relevance, and I hope the Red Chinese don't too uppity.

--Vic- Hide quoted text -

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Once again you are exactly right.
A marvel. A Yank with common sense!
Things are very much the same in Europe (UK)
My wife too loves Charity shops (=thrift?).