Dear dollar,

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Stop tanking. Thanks.

GOOD 011 - Transparency - Currency: The Sinking Dollar

[uberinquisitive]

Of course, NOW the Japanese Yen is stronger! (when I was working in Tokyo, exchanging my Yen to $ was painful).

I think I read somewhere that Robert Kiyosaki (of Rich Dad Poor Dad fame) keeps his investments in gold and a variety of other currencies.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

I'm not really that concerned about it right now, but if I were travelling a lot, I'd be kinda upset.

[Lauxa]

Well I've been keeping some savings in gold and it fell $30/ounce over the weekend.

Wealth is temporary, appreciate what you have...

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Yeah, the real treasure is elsewhere anyway.

I find that I see all this as interesting, but from a rather detached perspective.

[Themis]

Although I am not an economist, I recently began researching The Federal Reserve, and the FIAT money system in use by the world today; or perhaps it would be best described as a global game of Monopoly (as in the Parker Brothers game).
If ever there was a house of cards teetering on the brink of collapse, I don't know what is.
Money is not backed by anything, and they literally just print as much as they want.
It is all based on debt, the more money they can loan, then the more money they have to lend to someone else.

They created this system to finance a faster rate of growth, but I do not see how this structure can be sustainable.
Now that the middle and lower classes are being squeezed by inflation and escalating commodity prices, the wheels of commerce are coming off the track.
I hope I'm wrong, but I foresee bad times ahead.

[Dan.Linehan]

Did you know Al Gore's son works for Good Magazine?

[Savage]

Investing in human beings works best for me.

I don't worry about what happens to the economy, my cash, or the value of my home. As long as there are people to help, there's plenty of wealth to be created and shared.

Helping people = abundance.

[newmark]

At least buying American products is much cheaper for me now.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Dan.Linehan

Did you know Al Gore's son works for Good Magazine?

No, I didn't know that. I don't know too much about him. Are you saying that it has some meaning, or just sharing the info?

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Investing in human beings works best for me.

I don't worry about what happens to the economy, my cash, or the value of my home. As long as there are people to help, there's plenty of wealth to be created and shared.

Helping people = abundance.

I agree. I feel like I could be homeless and hungry on the street and there will always be a helping hand. And I will always lend one as well.

[Erin Pavlina]

This must be why 50% of my reading bookings are from people outside the United States, whereas before it was probably 20%. I'm a bargain in Japan

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

This must be why 50% of my reading bookings are from people outside the United States, whereas before it was probably 20%. I'm a bargain in Japan

Haha. That's awesome!

[Themis]

Originally Posted by {aspiring_to_clarity}

I agree. I feel like I could be homeless and hungry on the street and there will always be a helping hand. And I will always lend one as well.

That is an easy philosophical stance to take from within the security of your home.
I can not help but wonder if the people dying of hunger and thirst in Myanmar, Africa and elsewhere feel that same sense of security.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Themis

That is an easy philosophical stance to take from within the security of your home.
I can not help but wonder if the people dying of hunger and thirst in Myanmar, Africa and elsewhere feel that same sense of security.

They may not, but it doesn't mean I wouldn't in the same position. You could argue that I was only able to get to this place because of my privilege, and I cannot argue with that.

And, it's not really a sense of security, because I don't believe security exists. I guess that's why I can take this position. Because I don't pretend that that couldn't be me in an instant. I don't base my wealth on material things and I am not scared to die or suffer. I don't pretend that anyone else should feel the same as me. But I don't think it's wrong of me to feel this way. It doesn't mean I don't feel sympathy for what those people are going through. It doesn't mean I think they are wrong not to share my feelings.

[jawillie]

Originally Posted by {aspiring_to_clarity}

They may not, but it doesn't mean I wouldn't in the same position. You could argue that I was only able to get to this place because of my privilege, and I cannot argue with that.

And, it's not really a sense of security, because I don't believe security exists. I guess that's why I can take this position. Because I don't pretend that that couldn't be me in an instant. I don't base my wealth on material things and I am not scared to die or suffer. I don't pretend that anyone else should feel the same as me. But I don't think it's wrong of me to feel this way. It doesn't mean I don't feel sympathy for what those people are going through. It doesn't mean I think they are wrong not to share my feelings.

Well-said!!

And, I ask those who say they don't take that position, how do you know? Have you asked? A friend of mine adopted a baby from Vietnam. She was in a very poor, poverty-ridden city. She was greeted with love and kindness and smiles upon smiles as the people walked around barefoot among their shacks. So how does one know that those "suffering" (by who's definition) DON'T take that stance??? They view life entirely different than we do from our comfy, atrociously large homes.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by jawillie

Well-said!!

And, I ask those who say they don't take that position, how do you know? Have you asked? A friend of mine adopted a baby from Vietnam. She was in a very poor, poverty-ridden city. She was greeted with love and kindness and smiles upon smiles as the people walked around barefoot among their shacks. So how does one know that those "suffering" (by who's definition) DON'T take that stance??? They view life entirely different than we do from our comfy, atrociously large homes.

True as well. I believe many people who have lived lives of suffereing are much more content in general than those of us indoctrinated into the religion of "stuff." Many times, it seems they value the truly valuable more than we do.

[Themis]

Originally Posted by {aspiring_to_clarity}

They may not, but it doesn't mean I wouldn't in the same position. You could argue that I was only able to get to this place because of my privilege, and I cannot argue with that.

And, it's not really a sense of security, because I don't believe security exists. I guess that's why I can take this position. Because I don't pretend that that couldn't be me in an instant. I don't base my wealth on material things and I am not scared to die or suffer. I don't pretend that anyone else should feel the same as me. But I don't think it's wrong of me to feel this way. It doesn't mean I don't feel sympathy for what those people are going through. It doesn't mean I think they are wrong not to share my feelings.

That was well answered {aspiring_

I did not mean to imply any insensitivity on your part towards those of the world which are truly suffering.

I should have said ..
It is difficult for me to contemplate what I would or would not do in difficult times.
Having never been truly hungry, I can not imagine struggling to find food.
And like you, I do not fear death or the loss of material things, but such situations are easier to reflect on from a distance.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Themis

That was well answered {aspiring_

I did not mean to imply any insensitivity on your part towards those of the world which are truly suffering.

I should have said ..
It is difficult for me to contemplate what I would or would not do in difficult times.
Having never been truly hungry, I can not imagine struggling to find food.
And like you, I do not fear death or the loss of material things, but such situations are easier to reflect on from a distance.

I agree. I can't really imagine what it would feel like either. I am grateful that I don't have to face many of these things, despite my philosophical stance on how I would hope to react. And I have such admiration for people who do suffer and still come to the conclusion that life is beautiful. They show me what true grace and enlightenment is, I feel.

[schola]

Originally Posted by {aspiring_to_clarity}

I'm not really that concerned about it right now, but if I were travelling a lot, I'd be kinda upset.

Inflation makes things at home cost more too.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by schola

Inflation makes things at home cost more too.

True. I guess I should just say "I'm not that worried about it." No qualifier.