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 Replies: 26 / Views: 3,208 |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1454 Posts |
Hawk,
I agree completely with everything you said and would even take your beliefs to their next logical conclusion. Eventually, people will be forced to put their differences aside for their own self interests.
It's a terribly unpopular concept but I would love to see a one world government based on constitutional principles in my lifetime. A single president running the show for planet earth elected in the same fashion as we elect our president with similar term limits. Plus a congress representing all peoples, as well.
I do believe that is our future, but it probably won't happen until we have the war of wars, which will utterly decimate our world and kill billions.
But the survivors will finally realize that so many people had to die for divisive ideologies when the answer was there all along. Cooperation on a global scale. Sort out each others differences, whatever the personal cost. It's the only thing that could prevent future tragedies and finally set us on a path to true world peace. Something we've never had since the dawn of civilization.
It won't be easy, of course, but I fervently believe it's the right answer. The only answer. Please don't attack me for my beliefs, however naive you may think they are.
But I imagine we can all agree that the current strategy of perpetual war is not the answer. And this is coming from someone who served my country proudly and would gladly die for it, if the cause was a just one.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
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Actually, would Greece leaving the "Euro zone" necessarily mean also leaving the EU? For example, the UK isn't part of the Euro zone but they *are* members of the EU. Yes, I believe that it would. Greece would likely cut all strings that bind them to the EU financially and economically. The UK is a very different situation. The position that they hold is what they started with from square one and not one that devolved from a previous and much better position. Quote:
If Greece leaving the Eruo also meant potentially losing EU membership altogether, that would be even more catastrophic blow to the Greek economy. It could but the question is, would it? My thought is that but that point, the Greek government would be rethinking its trading system and could very well be in the market for a new set of partners... such as the Asian countries. Quote:
Regardless, I'm stunned by this ongoing epic failure of Greek leadership. I'm much more stunned by the fact that the legitimately elected Greek government was ousted and replaced by a bunch of un-elected EU bankers! It will be very interesting to see what the June 17th elections amount to in Greece. Hopefully, they will be able to form a government that has the Greek people's best interest at heart, whatever they perceive that to be, and not be so much in the pockets of the EU bankers. To me, Greece looks a lot like a powder keg that is awaiting a spark to set it off. People can only be pushed so far before they begin to believe that they have nothing more to lose. When that happens, they can become very dangerous to others and to themselves. I sincerely hope that this situation does not devolve to that point. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
808 Posts |
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It could but the question is, would it? My thought is that but that point, the Greek government would be rethinking its trading system and could very well be in the market for a new set of partners... such as the Asian countries. I've never looked at Greece's export profile but I assumed a very large percentage of their trade is with their fellow EU member states. Losing that duty free trade and transport status with the rest of the EU? That's hard to imagine. Of course, for a country determined to not play by the rules, maybe you're right. Greece might become a better country for the Greek people in it's reduced status. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
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I've never looked at Greece's export profile but I assumed a very large percentage of their trade is with their fellow EU member states. Losing that duty free trade and transport status with the rest of the EU? That's hard to imagine. That does seem a reasonable conclusion but the world is changing fairly rapidly these days. New alliances are forming and trading partners are finding new and better ways to trade. Asia is ascending while the West is declining. They do refer to the eastern end of the Med as "Asia Minor", so Greece hooking up with Turkey, India, Pakistan, China, Malaysia, etc. would not surprise me. Yes, I know that the Greeks and the Turks do not get along but where money is concerned perhaps some moderation could come into play. Another interesting note in all this is that there are places in Greece that are experimenting with establishing barter economies so that they do not need fiat of any kind. This could work in a local area but if they need to import something from outside their area, they will need something to trade whether that be a fiat currency of some kind or real goods. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
802 Posts |
Travin.. if the most successful elected body (America) has problems with corruption in government and of the officials, there is NO WAY it will work for the world. Just more power and more corruption.
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Valued Member
United States
410 Posts |
I'm a bit confused with the PM markets. My understanding is that PM's should move opposite of stocks. However, it seems the opposite has been true for the last couple of years. The stock market and PM sport have been rising and falling together.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
Most of the time when people talk about markets, they are talking about trends. Gold tends to move in opposition to stocks but this is not a 100% correspondence. While this will be true most of the time, there will be a few times when they move in tandem. Currency strength or weakness also comes into this as do perceptions vs. reality.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
Confucius says, Man who constantly speaks has nothing to say....
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Valued Member
United States
410 Posts |
The traditional role of gold or other PM's in a portfolio is as a hedge against a drop in stocks since traditionally PM's advance when stocks decline. At least that is what a typical finacial planner will tell you and they will tell you to limit you PM's to a maximum of 10% of your portfolio.
However, it seems at least recently stocks and PM's have been moving in tandem. The title of this thread shows that paradox. The problems in Greece should have gold spiking not falling as people move out of stocks and into the security of gold.
So I guess my question is this: Why hold gold if it is just going to rise and fall in tandem with the stock market. It loses its value as a hedge.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
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The problems in Greece should have gold spiking not falling as people move out of stocks and into the security of gold. Well, the answer to that is a little odd. Europeans who are bailing out of the euro are bailing into US dollars and US Treasury paper instead of gold or silver. This has been the traditional response of many financial advisers. Unfortunately for them, the time when this was a smart idea is now past. These people SHOULD be moving their money into gold and silver but have been convinced to move into US investments instead. What eventually happens in Europe will also happen here, so jumping out of euro investments and into dollar investments is only a temporary fix to their situation. At some point, the US will also suffer the same fate as Europe is having now and those US investments will not look so safe anymore. Those of us who favor PMs as investments know this but others seem not to know it. The market will educate them and it will be expensive. Quote:
So I guess my question is this: Why hold gold if it is just going to rise and fall in tandem with the stock market. It loses its value as a hedge. My answer would be that 90-95% of the time, it IS a hedge. 5-10% of the time it is not. Investing for the long haul means that we do all that we can to bend the odds a bit in our favor and not worry about the small percentage of the times when we cannot. |
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Replies: 26 / Views: 3,208 |
First Page
Posted 05/18/2012 8:15 pm
