Crimea votes for secession .

[Lurker66]

We've forced several nations to trade with us, going all the way back to the Indian wars and Manifest Destany. The fur trade was huge in its yime. Long before WWII, we manipulated Japan into trading with us, same with Phillipines and Countries of the Banana Republic. Same with Hawaii and Cuba. Sugar and rubber were the commodities then. It can be argued that we used our military might to force trade on all these countries. Thus using their resources. It continues today but the commodity is oil and the area is the middle east.

And maybe your right, Henchs idea may not have been tried for a hundred years but if it's tweaked just a little it's the same plan we've been using and leads to the same place. A competition for resources.

 

[Lurker66]

Just watched the President's speak on Russian sanctions. Reminded me of our relations with Japan prior to Pearl Harbor. We sanctioned key parts of their economy and froze assets, both individual and national, when they started expanding into China, Vietnam and Korea. We eventually placed sanctions on commodities, raw materials such as iron, rubber and oil. They retaliated with dastardly sneak attack that lives in "infamy".

 

[henschman]

You know, there is an alternative to seizing other people's resources by force... it is called trade. It is a much more effective and efficient means of acquiring goods than trying to steal them. All you have to do is produce whatever things you can do so most efficiently, and use the proceeds to buy the things you can't produce, or can't do so as efficiently as others. Of course, that means you actually have to produce something. Maybe the answer to all of this lies closer to home... start cutting taxes and regulations on production so people might actually, you know, want to produce things here.

 

[Lurker66]

Yes trade. We tried that with the sugar and rubber producing countries. They didn't want to trade with us. Before that it was furs, but the Indians decided to trade with France and England.

It's far easier to to trade under the guise of democracy. So we spread democracy by force, win hearts n minds, have free elections, get like minded leaders in power. Move in a few businesses such as United Fruit, buy up land such as the Louisiana Purchase and then defend our intrests.

That's how Rome did it too.

Btw I'm an advocate of taxing big business out of existance. We need to return to being a manufactoring Nation. Fugg this service and technology economy. We need jobs and income. We have our own resources and our own labor pool. We don't need to import near as much as we consume.

 

[uncle money bags]

I am following this sub thread with interest. Lurker, how do you tax large corps out of existence and increase jobs/wages?

 

[TedKennedy]

Just watched the President's speak on Russian sanctions. Reminded me of our relations with Japan prior to Pearl Harbor. We sanctioned key parts of their economy and froze assets, both individual and national, when they started expanding into China, Vietnam and Korea. We eventually placed sanctions on commodities, raw materials such as iron, rubber and oil. They retaliated with dastardly sneak attack that lives in "infamy".

Ya gotta admit - the sanctions FDR put in place had the desired effect.

 

[Lurker66]

I am following this sub thread with interest. Lurker, how do you tax large corps out of existence and increase jobs/wages?

Using the auto industry as an example. Use tariffs and fair trade agreements on imported goods. Make it so that goods must be assembled or manufactured here.

The same could be done with smaller items such as technology, phones, computers ect. Most everything Walmart sells could be made or assembled here.

We would still have a need for our service industry, that wouldn't be affected.

Small Business can and will fill in gaps, just as they do now.

Walmart is both a blessing and a curse. It is responsible for the death of main street business. They drive the wage scale to the point of reducing a large portion of the workforce to part time only. Small Business follows suite. Wages and hours are set by Large corporations. They influence govt in a very negative way by lobbying lawmakers for favorable laws that drives small businesses out of competition.

It's not just Walmart, Food companies and Farms are owned and managed so that small farmers cannot compete. Research the "seed" companies and how lawmakers were lobbied to change and enforce patent laws.

Large Corporations own vast quantities of our aquafers. Most of the water bills in PA are paid to a corporation from Florida, that owns water rights, pumping stations and water treatment plants across the entire Northeast. They then lobbied to have homes with Wells shut down, forcing many to buy their product. Free natural water!!!

Large Corporation's may never be illegal but they are the ruin of our economy and government.

 

[dutchwrangler]

US Quietly Snatches the Ukraine’s Gold Reserves:

http://21stcenturywire.com/2014/03/...-quietly-snatches-the-ukraines-gold-reserves/


And of course, from about a year ago...


Ukraine is among top 50 world gold holders:

http://rt.com/business/ukraine-gold-reserve-production-958/



Follow the money...

 

[WTJ]

So, is Putin an Oprichnik? He seems intent on restoring Holy Mother Russia, which may be getting confused with the old USSR.

 

[Mike_60]

Our style of modern Imperialism uses easy credit and debt to enslave everyone.