Trade will always happen it just wouldn't be pretty and the world as we know it would be very very different......thanks for the info JB

Quoted from senders

Trade will always happen it just wouldn't be pretty and the world as we know it would be very very different......thanks for the info JB

Yes some form of commerce will always occur.

And I'm not convinced the SHTF, but the inept leaders who are spending us further and further in a hole, are increasing the likelihood.

Just a question really - speculation on my part...  During the great depression, I assume the government paid for all the entitlements as well as public works projects, with bonds they sold...

If no one feels safe to buy our bonds because of our debt...  How exactly could the government "afford" to take care of everyone if we had a repeat of the great depression?  (or one even worse...)

Quoted from JackBauer

Yes some form of commerce will always occur.

And I'm not convinced the SHTF, but the inept leaders who are spending us further and further in a hole, are increasing the likelihood.

Just a question really - speculation on my part...  During the great depression, I assume the government paid for all the entitlements as well as public works projects, with bonds they sold...

If no one feels safe to buy our bonds because of our debt...  How exactly could the government "afford" to take care of everyone if we had a repeat of the great depression?  (or one even worse...)

They sold bonds and also printed paper money.  
I think the difference between the New Deal during the Great Depression and the Stimulus now ... is
that  the WPA, YCC, CCC ... actually had tangible benefits ... unemployed persons actually were  put
to work doing something .. and were fed 3 square meals and had a place to sleep -- and the things
that they built    (for example -- the Rotterdam Town Hall and the Saratoga Spa State Park) were and
still are used by people.    
The bank bailout money  -- who saw where it went ..except for the bankers who got bonuses ???
The stimulus money -- how many actual projects in this area were paid for by those funds ???

It was wwII that pulled this county out of it's depression. Wars are sometimes a necessity on all different levels. But wars also bring in BIG revenues!!

Hell, didn't GE just sign a billion dollar contract with the saudi's? And are there any GE board members holding positions at the white house?

Quoted from JackBauer

Yes some form of commerce will always occur.

And I'm not convinced the SHTF, but the inept leaders who are spending us further and further in a hole, are increasing the likelihood.

Just a question really - speculation on my part...  During the great depression, I assume the government paid for all the entitlements as well as public works projects, with bonds they sold...

If no one feels safe to buy our bonds because of our debt...  How exactly could the government "afford" to take care of everyone if we had a repeat of the great depression?  (or one even worse...)

it would be very easy to soak the dollar of it's last breath....why?....there's a whole generation that doesn't have a handle on
American Dollars.....they function in Farmville money and xbox360 dollars and the likes......ATM/Credit/Gift cards etc....
they dont have to even bother knowing about the American Dollar when all they need to do is to perform 'virtual trades' with their
credit scores and soon their government healthcare scores........

those in power can make anything seem tangible.....just like the re-val in Rotterdam.....it should have happened a generation and
1/2 ago....it didn't....everyone thought Rotterdam was in a REAL protective bubble of the 50's....only the virtual 'hiding' of
Rotterdam has left it over-valued and now over charged.....and it wasn't any particular political party's fault.....same with the dollar..
it lives in a virtual value world......and the less educated folks become about the movement/value of trade the less relevant it becomes
in their lives.....

Quoted from bumblethru

It was wwII that pulled this county out of it's depression. Wars are sometimes a necessity on all different levels. But wars also bring in BIG revenues!!

Hell, didn't GE just sign a billion dollar contract with the saudi's? And are there any GE board members holding positions at the white house?

It is true that WW2 ended the Great Depression -- but at least the WPA, YCC, and CCC produced some
tangible.. long-lasting products such as public buildings and parks ... many that are still in use today.

Apparently, the Delaware Avenue repaving is a Stimulus Project -- but how long does black top last ???

That is my point --- IF you are going to go into debt with a Stimulus ... invest in something that will
last a long time --- like sewers on Hamburg Street .. not pavement which lasts a few years.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

That is my point --- IF you are going to go into debt with a Stimulus ... invest in something that will
last a long time --- like sewers on Hamburg Street .. not pavement which lasts a few years.

Actually - the right investments would be things that enhance our ability to compete in the global marketplace.

Investing in energy infrastructure would have:

1)  Reduced dependence on foreign oil - and specifically reducing the billions of dollars of value this country loses every year to countries that hate us.

2)  Improve our ability to utilize renewable energy sources (our aging grid has limitations to transfer the renewable energy capacity to where the major loads are)

3)  Maybe most importantly - lowering energy prices increases productivity enabling our products to compete globally.

Truly INVESTING that money in a productive way - rather than throwing it away in so many ridiculous ways....  could have had a benefit for this country.  Instead it was money just thrown away.

You can make other arguments on transportation improvements...  expanding ports so they can ship wind turbine blades for example...  I'm sure there are a number of places infrastructure improvements truly would have been investments.

But for the most part the American Recovery Act was all about taking a bunch of money...  Throwing it up in the air, and hoping the people that are lucky enough to catch some of it...  Spend it on other products and services.

Energy infrastructure -- yes .. I agree that would be a good use of money.

I know that some stimulus money was used to help some cities pay for police salaries .. which is ok ..
as long as the money lasts.     I know that one city in Ohio ... held off laying off some police because
of the stimulus money --- Obama flew out there on the 1st anniversary of the stimulus to tout how it
saved those police jobs ---  THE DAY AFTER Obama left down, the "saved" officers got their lay off
notices because the stimulus money was running out.

I mentioned sewers -- because -- take a city like Schenectady with most sewer and water
infrastructure being at least 50 to 100 years old.     A stimulus check to rebuild that water and sewer
system would be a better long-term investment than holding off layoffs for a few months or a
year.
For a town like Rotterdam, a federal stimulus to build sewers in key areas ..like Hamburg Street would
reap years of  economic development/expanded tax base benefits.

America's streets are paved in gold....black gold that is........