The Age of Self-Preservation
By Peter Atwater Oct 10, 2008 10:05 am
Many acting on survival instincts.
Whether it is at an individual, corporate, municipal or national level, I am seeing actions that are fraught with raw survival instincts. Whether it is individuals and corporations hoarding cash, or Iceland not guaranteeing the deposits of overseas investors, what I see happening at alarming pace is the migration of "all for one and one for all" to "every man for himself."
Fear does that. And not just to individuals, but to corporations and governments.
I don't profess to know where this goes. Protectionism? Foreign exchange controls? Immigration reform? Export tariffs? Choose your issue.
As I offered last week, self-preservation introduces new risks related to "collective" organizations, whether they be the EU, Basel II, GATT, NAFTA or even NATO. And even within our own economy, I expect that the tension between national and local interests and the divisions between the haves and the have nots will only become more pronounced.
I share all of this, not to be an alarmist, but rather to suggest that the rules are changing - and quickly. And prior assumptions no longer hold.
If others are going to focus on self-preservation, then the sooner we realize this, the better prepared we can be.
And again, austerity is far too nice. Austerity is me spending less at my own expense. Self-preservation is fundamentally different. Self-preservation is me keeping as much as I can for me - even if it means at your expense.
And unfortunately that's where it feels like we are headed, as individuals, as a nation, and as a globe.
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2008-10-10 10:38:20
Era of evolution
If you think we've been in an "all for one, one for all" era I think you're mistaken. Things have certainly seemed rather competitive and greed driven - in fact, that's part of what led to this mess.
So the greed will just morph from "get all you can" to "keep all you can". It's still greed.
Greed can be a survival instinct, of course. If resources are insufficient for all to survive, those who are less proficient at greed may be destroyed by those who are.
So the greed will just morph from "get all you can" to "keep all you can". It's still greed.
Greed can be a survival instinct, of course. If resources are insufficient for all to survive, those who are less proficient at greed may be destroyed by those who are.
2008-10-10 11:28:19
Community
You reference community as aplatform for comming tension and I agree. For individuals it will be important to be part of a community if for no other reason than social support. Community provides someone to "go to" in times of trouble, a network for information and even resources, if needed. Church, civic groups and even Homeowners Associations can provide this so that it is not so "Me against the world."
2008-10-10 11:48:20
Where does all of this go?
"I don't profess to know where this goes. Protectionism? Foreign exchange controls? Immigration reform? Export tariffs? Choose your issue. "
The oldest form of taxes are taxes on assets. Real estate taxes are not the oldest form of asset taxes; it looks like taxes on animals came first, that is, taxes on "chattle", cattle, on that which is owned. If my memory serves me Hamurabi's tax code was built around land and livestock. So was Kublai Khan's.
So, a tax on financial assets? Seems likely to me. This would require a modern "Domesday Book" (the Norman Conquest tax inventory of the 10th Century) and an asset transfer tax / taxable inventory keeping system, an "exchequer", with a "stamp tax" to track ownership of assets. No ownership would exist without registration and a tax stamp, and taxes would be levied on everything owned.
Foreign exchange controls look very likely also, and probably sooner than we expect.
Import tariffs built into a "value added tax" as done in Europe is in the cards.
Taxes are going to be a LOT higher than they are now.
The oldest form of taxes are taxes on assets. Real estate taxes are not the oldest form of asset taxes; it looks like taxes on animals came first, that is, taxes on "chattle", cattle, on that which is owned. If my memory serves me Hamurabi's tax code was built around land and livestock. So was Kublai Khan's.
So, a tax on financial assets? Seems likely to me. This would require a modern "Domesday Book" (the Norman Conquest tax inventory of the 10th Century) and an asset transfer tax / taxable inventory keeping system, an "exchequer", with a "stamp tax" to track ownership of assets. No ownership would exist without registration and a tax stamp, and taxes would be levied on everything owned.
Foreign exchange controls look very likely also, and probably sooner than we expect.
Import tariffs built into a "value added tax" as done in Europe is in the cards.
Taxes are going to be a LOT higher than they are now.
2008-10-11 12:52:08
Where does all of this go?
Last time I looked, the (unconstitutional) inflation tax remained hard at work--taxing ALL US$ DENOMINATED ASSETS!
Gee...I sure hope the corrupt powers that be don't institute yet another asset tax. I'd speculate that it might hasten the deaths of all the golden geese. Real estate flippers, securities speculators, commodity traders, serial automobile purchasers; the brokers dependent upon all of these repetitive asset transfers...wipe ALL of them out via the new, second tax on "assets"! This country desires ever-increasing numbers on the welfare rolls, where they bow down 5x daily to almighty government & create NEW BUREAUCRATIC FILTH OPPORTUNITY FOR AMERICANS!
Gee...I sure hope the corrupt powers that be don't institute yet another asset tax. I'd speculate that it might hasten the deaths of all the golden geese. Real estate flippers, securities speculators, commodity traders, serial automobile purchasers; the brokers dependent upon all of these repetitive asset transfers...wipe ALL of them out via the new, second tax on "assets"! This country desires ever-increasing numbers on the welfare rolls, where they bow down 5x daily to almighty government & create NEW BUREAUCRATIC FILTH OPPORTUNITY FOR AMERICANS!
2008-10-11 13:24:59
Where does all of this go?
CIVIL WAR
A collapse of inner city order, the flight of those that can to rural communities, marshal law, civil war between the entitlement classes, the middle class, and the those in the military.
The military may or may not include the people's miltia. Either way whoever has the tanks and guns will have to choose our direction:
1. Socialism (Communism - Obama).
2. A cooperative Socialistic/Captialistic Oligarchy (what we have now in the collusion of Wall Street and Government to privatize gains and socialize losses - could include McCain or Obama since they both voted for the bailout).
3. Return to representative democracy (democratic Republic - I don't see a leader here).
I will fight for # 3 but it would require the populace to return to individual morals, ethics, and responsibility.
A collapse of inner city order, the flight of those that can to rural communities, marshal law, civil war between the entitlement classes, the middle class, and the those in the military.
The military may or may not include the people's miltia. Either way whoever has the tanks and guns will have to choose our direction:
1. Socialism (Communism - Obama).
2. A cooperative Socialistic/Captialistic Oligarchy (what we have now in the collusion of Wall Street and Government to privatize gains and socialize losses - could include McCain or Obama since they both voted for the bailout).
3. Return to representative democracy (democratic Republic - I don't see a leader here).
I will fight for # 3 but it would require the populace to return to individual morals, ethics, and responsibility.
2008-10-13 11:10:41
Where does all of this go?
Of course you can avoid the transfer tax by not transferring title!!!
Barter at its best.
Cash soceity will prevail if you are remotely correct.
phyllisophical shifts are abound and moving even as we speak.
3 weeks will be our first glimpse into new world order/abyss!
Barter at its best.
Cash soceity will prevail if you are remotely correct.
phyllisophical shifts are abound and moving even as we speak.
3 weeks will be our first glimpse into new world order/abyss!
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