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Found this interesting… from Inside Costa Rica this morning….
Costa Rica’s Outlook Cut To Stable Due To Fallout From Credit Crisis – S&P
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services revised its outlook for Costa Rica to stable from positive citing the diminishing prospects for an upgrade because of deteriorating global financial markets and the growing risk of external volatility affecting the country’s financial system.The rating agency warned that the impact of the global economic slowdown, especially a recession in the U.S., is likely to keep Costa Rican GDP growth low in 2009, partly because of weaker exports of goods and services as well as reduced inflows of foreign direct investment.
The agency affirmed its ‘BB/B’ foreign-currency and ‘BB+/B’ local-currency sovereign credit rating.
There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that the prices of the basics have gone up. One only need go shopping! And even with the increased cost most recently relocated expats are still in good shape… the same cannot be said for folks on tight budgets that have been here a while and of course our Costa Rican friends and neighbors!
No matter what the government says… there will be less tourist this season… and less money coming into Costa Rica in their pockets. Since a good portion of Costa Rica’s income is tourism generated there’s going to be some pain. Crime will become a larger issue. Business will suffer.
The good part is that the Costa Rican people are much better situated and self reliant to ride out the rough water ahead.
Thanks Scott… not that I was asking for an specific answer… just an answer! A simple yes or no would have been thrilling…. much like talking to a spouse!!! LOL
So you’re still unable to give me a YES or NO? Amazing…. you’re the PERFECT politician not me!!! LOL
Not worked up at all my friend…. just enjoying watching someone spin in the net unable/unwilling to form an opinion on a pretty simple question. Why is it so VERY hard to answer the question… I NEVER asked you to state it’s been all good so where does this comment on your part come from “…. but you are upset that I won’t emphatically state “It’s all been for the best in the last 100 years”.”…. I said it hasn’t been all good…. nor all bad! The question was…. Is the world a better/worse place because of the US over the last 100 years???
You claim not to hate the US…. but why then is it so VERY difficult to give her credit? I think that inability speak volumes for my assessment of your views.
Perhaps the answer is something you refuse to admit… no need to be a lover or hater of the US… just a scholar of history with the ability to form an informed opinion as to the balance of good and bad. I’ll leave the reader to determine if my assessment is on target.
Edited on Oct 12, 2008 21:12
Once again… the question was… Is the world a better/worse place because of the US over the last 100 years? That’s the time frame… not during Billy Bob’s tenure… nor Budda’s…. not a short time frame… lets look over the last 100 years… just to be fair!
All great empires rise and fall… and along the way make mistakes and suffer some major bumps. I don’t think our time has come for the big fall (yet)… but the most recent “crisis” is a wake up call not only to the leaders running the show… but to the people that make up this nation… time to get back to basics… stop trying to keep up with the Jones’… stop fueling an economy that’s whole engine is based on growing consumption…. live within your means… think about your community NOT yourself…. spend the same amount of time reading to your kids as you did researching which plasma TV to buy… get your life in order…. remember what is important… don’t look for government to make it all right… get self reliant…
Sad to say the values and quailities that got this country through the great depression are long lost these days…. so no doubt it’s going to be a tougher road this time… best you be prepared for it!
I liked your comment “The status quo in this country is if you have calluses on your hands, you are a fool.”… There’s a great country song out where the theme is “I’m a country man”… one of the lines is “I can grow my own groceries and salt cure a ham…” Both of which may become VERY important skills very soon… so I would never look down on someone that works hard for a living! Heck I saw this thing coming in March… Transferred everything to cash (401K… Other investments)… and this summer learned how to can fruits and veggies… and there was a reason I researched (10 years) and built a home in CR 3 years ago!
The attitude and mentality of the people are as much to blame as the politicians for what’s going on right now…. so I guess in some strange way our political leaders do truly represent the folks putting them in office! In many ways it’s not the politicians we should be afraid of… it’s the culture of the people that’s evolved in this country that should TRULY to be feared!
The next question is… what will history say 100 years from now about where we are and what we’ve done?
Edited on Oct 12, 2008 15:36
I think you’ll have a problem with getting #3 and #11 on the same property. And with the elevation and requested distance to the ocean a stream will be tough to come by…. perhaps in the southern pacific area north of the Osa….
Dear Lotus…. Since you still find it IMPOSSIBLE to answer a very simple and direct question…. I’ll do it for you…. YES! Even with all the problems… mistakes… with the good and bad…. YES… The world is a better place over the past 100 years because of the USA! There you have it…. a CONCLUSION based on a study of the facts… and history! It’s not my ego… I’m not some crazy flag waver… blinded by the media… unlike yourself I look at the total picture and CAN draw a conclusion… I see the BAD and the GOOD that the US has done… the things I like…. and the things I don’t.
As for your latest statement “We could can say the same about China, Iran, Germany, Russia,Italy, Africa and on and on…have the people in these places made the world a better place?” Come on my friend… are you for real? Are any of these countries in anyway involved at the level that the US is when there’s a problem? Does ANYONE look to them to take a leadership role when things get tough and the work needs to be done? Does anyone look to Africa when there’s a need for assistance or money??? And the list goes on! PLEASE!!!!
So once again…. draw a conclusion…. and answer the question…. IS THE WORLD BETTER OFF OVER THE PAST 100 YEARS WITH OR WITHOUT THE US??? YES OR NO LOTUS!!! Stop with the dance and the histroy massage… and answer a VERY SIMPLE question. Or has that cloaked hate of the US (that you say you don’t have) make it impossible for you to give Uncle Sam ANY credit? Or perhaps you know that a NO will expose your true feelings and place you in a position you cannot defend? Don’t worry… the liberal party won’t toss you if you whisper… “yes’…
So let’s keep it simple…. YES or NO…. no dance… no smoke screen… no psycho babble… no pretend history lesson…. no double talk….just answer the question! Perhaps it’s you that would make the better politician!!! LOL
Lotus… I’m not blinded by patriotism… nor do I have a problem reading or understanding facts or history. I’m very aware of world history, taken for what it is and reading between the lines. I see the good and bad… but look to make a conclusion as to the weight of both and determine the overall benefit. But you selectively pick parts of it to try to make your point. Your view that the Soviets somehow “won” (By beating up on Hitler’s army in their fight to save their homeland) WWII for us is a bit off base isn’t it? So we got into the game late… so what! The Soviets were fighting to save their OWN rear ends! I guess using that logic Hilter had more to do with who won WWII if you want to make that arguement… he didn’t learn from history. He made tactical errors, moved on bad intell… put ego before reality… pressed forward on a front he wasn’t prepared for or equipped to win. So perhaps we should give Hitler credit for winning WWII for us by his blunders.
The battle never came to American shores yet we took up the fight. Something has to be said for that… but perhaps you have another view.
Did the Soviets have anything to do with defending England? Invading France or Europe…. how about freeing Europe or how about the Africa campaign? We’ll skip the whole Pacific campaign and the fight with Japan. The Soviets missed that fight too I believe… or perhaps they defeated Japan for us too? WWII had MANY fronts… The Soviets were fighting to save their homeland…. and Hitler was foolish enough to keep pressing on.
As for your comment “Germany was stretched to thin and Hitler had lost his mind, in your game of good out weighing bad you are lucky you are not speaking Russian and making tin buckets.”… am I missing something here…. weren’t we both on the same side fighting Hitler?
I agree with your comment…”And by the way Vietnam, Haiti,Iraq,Cambodia,Korea,Central & South American conflicts are not ancient history.”… Hence, I’ve included that in my 100 year time frame.
But once AGAIN I have to ask you a SIMPLE very digital question…. it’s yes or no…. one or zero… IS the world a better place because of the US over the past 100 years? Take into account the good… the bad… the ugly… our actions… our assistance to nations… our advances in science… our flaws… the TOTAL package!
Perhaps it’s YOUR blindness and cloaked hate of the US and it’s actions that doesn’t allow you to answer a VERY simple question and defend it? IS THE WORLD BETTER OFF WITH OR WITHOUT THE US OVER THE PAST 100 YEARS??
Please don’t try to give me another history lesson, I find your views interesting but quite transparent… ONLY A CONCLUSION!
Edited on Oct 12, 2008 15:32
So my point is missed on you…. is the world a better or worse place over the last 100 years with or without the US? Is it your opinion that the bad out weighs the good when it comes to US involvement in world events over that time frame?
We can debate the native American issue and slavery… but that’s 200 years in the past… long before America was a world player changing the path of history…. let’s talk about the USA during the period when it’s been a world power able to take action to change the path of history.
Lotus… I find it odd that with all the history to point to that you miss perhaps the BIGGEST issue… did WW II never happen in the books that you read? Did Hitler NOT kill millions of people with the intent to control the entire world and kill millions more? You point to the dropping of the A-Bomb… as if it was some action the US took on without provocation or reason (perhaps some ripped the pages out of your history books about Pearl Harbor)…. As for indigenous populations… I hate to think you don’t see the same thing happening in Costa Rica… have you been to any of the homes of the ORIGINAL residents of this wonderful country… seems they didn’t fair very well with the changes. NONE of which were the results of the actions of the US.
No doubt there’s been some real screw ups in this nations past… but to think the world would be a BETTER place without the actions of the US (the good and the bad) is pretty foolhardy!
Let’s turn back the clock 100 years and NOT have the US involve itself as it has… I’ll leave it to the reader to take a LONG hard look at history and re-write it without the USA getting involved! First thing… you better be able to write it in German!
Whatever your opinion… remember… if not for Uncle Sam and the US of A…. this world would be a much worse place… besides being all German speaking! You can label the US whatever you want… but remember…. your freedom and right to do so was secured by what she stands for. Sure she’s made mistakes… and got involved where she should not have… but when the WHOLE record is reviewed… the GOOD out weighs the bad!
With all that’s going on in the financial markets… and with Uncle Sam cranking out the printing of “money” 24/7 to address this latest scam on the American taxpayer…. perhaps a coin system where there is some REAL value attached to the coin itself, be it silver or gold, is not such a bad idea! It won’t be long before paper money is seen for what it is…. a WORTHLESS promise!
These guys pushing the Amero might be a bit nutty…. but then again so was Jules Verne in his time… something is going to give sooner or later with this system we have… and it makes Costa Rica look better every day!
Edited on Oct 09, 2008 08:18
Kindness NEVER goes out of style… I drop off cookies at CoopeMex and hardware store…. and NEVER have a problem getting quality help at either place… even with the broken spanish I speak! I’m not sure if it’s a Tico thing yet…. but it’s a big hit with the folks I deal with. Perhaps it even gives them hope that not all Americans are pushy and selfish.
I didn’t need one at my CoopeMex… nor am I a BIG $$$ customer… check into the local branch and see what you need to open an account. A package of cookies goes a long way!
Depending on where you’re located you might try one of the credit unions in the country. I use CoopeMex and have found them to be quite good! Much better service than the big banks and reliable service when paying my bills…. two years of paying Electric/Phone/Water on two homes without a glitch! They know my name when I walk in and always do their best to help. This might no be a option for everyone depending on where you are but it’s something to consider!
