Getting America back to work

pineinthegrass wrote: Steve Jobs was already mentioned. Did you also forget Bill Gates? Just those two were instrumental (with others too) in creating two huge new industries, plus other spin offs. How about the motion picture industry, if not the entire entertainment industry including most TV? Your initial premise seems so flawed that it kind of kills the rest of your arguement.

Where exactly are the Apple and Microsoft manufacturing facilities located in the US? I know where they are headquartered but where do they manufacture?

pineinthegrass wrote: And calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme is a real push. How many Ponzi schemes can you think of that have lasted over 70 years while paying every dime promised?

Social Security is more of a government run annuity. New "members" (workers) pay for a lot of the benefits for those collecting them. There are differences, but it's still similar to private insurance run annuities. Do you consider them Ponzi schemes too?

Are people really this blissfully ignorant? I guess so. The definition of a Ponzi scheme, named for it's inventor, is that it continually needs an injection of new members, investors, subscribers money in order to gain the revenue needed to pay the existing members. It makes nothing. Contrasted with that. insurance companies are policed by the very same govt. running the SS ponzi scam. If it is even suspected they are unable to pay their obligations because of insufficient reserves they are fined or seized. Why do you think you continually hear fiscally conservative politicians warning that SS is due to go under. Because every year they add more recipients of SS to the list and every year there are less working age contributors. If your theory was right it wouldn't make an iota of difference if not a single person paid a dime in this year because they already have all the money all those who are collecting paid in over their working life.
rofllol

Baileyboy wrote: Where exactly are the Apple and Microsoft manufacturing facilities located in the US? I know where they are headquartered but where do they manufacture?

What's this got to do with the subject of your post? You claimed liberasl aren't creating real jobs here. The computer and software industries have created tons of jobs here in the US. Yes, much of the manufacturing is overseas (don't know about software since making CD's to install should be pretty cheap anywhere), but please prove that companies run by liberals manufacture more overseas than those run by conservatives. Otherwise your point is moot. Way to deflect from your original subject. And oh, you forgot to mention the motion picture industry.

Baileyboy wrote: Are people really this blissfully ignorant? I guess so. The definition of a Ponzi scheme, named for it's inventor, is that it continually needs an injection of new members, investors, subscribers money in order to gain the revenue needed to pay the existing members. It makes nothing. Contrasted with that. insurance companies are policed by the very same govt. running the SS ponzi scam. If it is even suspected they are unable to pay their obligations because of insufficient reserves they are fined or seized. Why do you think you continually hear fiscally conservative politicians warning that SS is due to go under. Because every year they add more recipients of SS to the list and every year there are less working age contributors. If your theory was right it wouldn't make an iota of difference if not a single person paid a dime in this year because they already have all the money all those who are collecting paid in over their working life.

I'm well aware of the issues with Social Security. But it's been fixed before, and it will be fixed again. And unlike ANY Ponzi scheme, they've lasted over 70 years.

Private annunites could very well go bankrupt too, if their models suddenly change. For instance, if there were a cure for cancer causing people's average lifetimes to increase say 5 years, lifetime annuities could go under. Perhaps the government would bail them out, but that's a different subject. Social Security would be hit hard too, but we know the government would bail them out.

Bottom line is Social Security has been supported by both liberals and conservatives (at least those that get elected). It's a very popular program which has kept the poverty rate for retired Americans from 50% down to about 9%. I just don't see many that oppose Social Security getting elected to national office.

Not that I want to go on record saying all is great with Social Security. It does need major fixes to keep it viable the rest of this century. But I see no way it's a Ponzi scheme. Who loses money with Social Security, other than those that die too young? But that's how annuities and life insurance work too.

pineinthegrass wrote: And oh, you forgot to mention the motion picture industry.

I went with a nice liberal source lest you thought it was just my bias

Roar of MGM's lion becomes a purr

By James Melik
Business reporter, BBC World Service

The MGM logo
Originally silent, the lion's roar was added to films in August 1928

The lion's roar featured at the start of MGM films since 1924 could soon be reduced to a purr, or even possibly silenced.

MGM is home to some of the most famous franchises in cinema history, including James Bond and the Pink Panther. But staggering under the weight of almost $4bn of debt, the studio is now looking for a buyer.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8364197.stm

Why is Movie Theatre Revenue Attendance Declining?
Tuesday, July 19, 2005 | 08:01 AM
in Film | Intellectual Property

There's been plenty of chatter about declining movie theatrical revenue attendance. You just know the MPAA is itching to tie this onto piracy somehow and thus get some favorable legislation.

Let's nip this one in the bud, shall we? 5 6 7 factors are hurting theater attendance:

1) Social factors eroding theater environment (talking, cell phones, babies crying, etc.);
2) Sacrificing long term relationships with theater-goers for the increase in short term profitability (commercials, no ushers, etc.);
3) Higher quality experience elsewhere (Home theater);
4) Declining quality of mainstream movies;
5) Easily available Long Tail content alternatives (Netflix, Amazon);
6) Price;
7) Demographics: Aging babyboomers simply go out to movies less.

http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/ ... movie.html

An industry in decline. Steve Jobs technologies being used to render 100s of jobs obsolete. Declining box office sales leading to theaters closing doors. On demand technology rendering DVD sales and rentals an anachronism. Hollywood union demands forcing studios to shoot more movies anywhere but in the US.
The more liberals have taken a grip on the industry, the less successful it is becoming.

pineinthegrass wrote: I'm well aware of the issues with Social Security. But it's been fixed before, and it will be fixed again. But unlike any Ponzi scheme, they've lasted over 70 years.

Let's see. It is run by the govt. who are policed by who????? Oh that's right. Nobody. And don't forget when they do get in a bind they have that get out of jail free card, better know as the US Mint. "Don't worry, we'll print more".