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Yeah, the bio rhythm thing is interesting. 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of dark all year round. I am always a little startled when I see twilight a little after 5 PM but this has to be an additional good thing for us. Regular waking and sleeping hours and no friggin daylight savings time crap either should make for a more balanced daily rhythm.
It is silly to suppose what Jefferson, who lived over 2 centuries ago, might have done today. It is equally silly to want to stay tied to the words of a Constitution written over 200 years ago. The only part of the Constitution that remains pertinent is the part that gives us leave to change the government and the constitution when we see fit.
Some wisdom from the past, NOT ALL, is relative to the present. People who revere all the crusty old ancient words and superstitions and want to hold the world back will always be with us just as fear will always be their motive.
I wouldn’t vote for a Libertarian out of fear that we might get more republican or democratic shenanigans. I vote out of frustration but at least I vote for a progressive solution.
I like to deal in probabilities, not so much in possibilities. It is PROBABLE that I will make money buying stocks intelligently while it is only POSSIBLE to make money buying lottery tickets. It is much more probable that I will only throw a few bucks away on lotto tickets so I don’t count on that. Same with the future of my country. It is pretty much toast now. It is possible things will turn around, but not probable. It is better for me to focus energies on other things besides useless efforts here….I look forward to a quiet life in Costa Rica where I can watch from the sidelines as the great three ring circus up north plays itself out.
On my list of candidates, Ron Paul is well above most of the others but NOT at the top. He most definitely IS a libertarian but we could easily survive 4 years of him in the office.
Not much would change because “our handlers” still hold the reigns as they always have. But we are just fantasizing here anyway. THEY are not going to let anyone but the already anointed take the office.I vote out of a sense of frustration, not because I believe in this system or the people of this country any longer. I will vote for Nader if he runs again. The only democrat I would vote for is Kucinich. In fact, I am looking forward to being in CR full time so I can easily turn off the switch that plugs me into the ever saddening story of the U.S. of A.
The country was easily divided but even more importantly, it was easily dragged into ambivalence. The founding fathers made sure in their design that we would get the government and the country we deserved. It has been a long time coming, but we now have the country and government we deserve here.
So, let me get this right; You are may be leaving a country because it may NOT steer clear of socialized health care and education and you may move TO a country where these things are institutionalized and well loved by its citizenry. Does that make sense to you?
Libertarians sound great when talking about government’s attitude towards personal liberties and freedoms until you get to the part of social responsibilities of government.Then you find that they are ready to apply the law of the jungle.
My son is a libertarian and he and I debate politics on occasion. He has a lucrative career with Micrsoft and does quite well for himself. People who have managed to “get theirs” are many times the first ones to want to keep it all by walking away from social responsibilities and closing the borders to immigration.
Here is a web site of an individual who is building there. I have never ventured that far north west so I don’t know any more than what I have read about the place. I prefer the cooler temps and conveniences of the Central Valley.
http://buildinglapuravida.blogspot.com/Thanks for your well wishes. However, I wish I were closer to what your age may be. I could have started this journey to Costa Rica sooner.
Barring a catastrophic, world destroying event, the markets should chug along as always. The ups and downs should not concern you since you have time and time is the key to getting ahead as long as you remain invested. Unfortunately, I am at a time in life where any burp in the market will effect the quality of my retirement so my fingers are crossed.
I don’t feel any sorrow over the USA losing its leadership stance in the world. I have never been afflicted with patriotism and while it is great to celebrate our cultural differences, nationalism is usually carried too far. People suffer from this human tendency. This is another reason I like Costa Rica….no friggn army. These Ticos still wave their national flag and feel a stong sense of national identity without talking about guns and bombs at the same time.
Boy, Mittizzi, you have hit the nail spot on. I am in the same frame of mind as you and, look where I am heading. I fell in love with Costa Rica only a short while ago, about a year and a half, and like anyone suffering from love, I am obsessing a bit about my new love. You will also find a few right wingers here and there in CR, but I suspect they are a minority and, in any case, one of the great things about leaving the USA is leaving the politics behind as well. In fact, we aren’t really permitted to participate in politics in CR and that suits me fine.
Money invested in companies listed in the various US stock exchanges is no more at risk to a faltering american economy than money invested through any other nation’s exchange. If I were looking at a future as a worker in the US, I WOULD be concerned about the coming fall of the US. Fortunately, I will be retiring soon. I only have to worry about social security remaining solvent and the world economy not faltering too badly for too long since I will be in the market till the end.
And these ups and downs are cyclical. But I agree that this time, the down turn may turn out to be the beginning of the end for my country’s leading position in the world economy. The focus and power will shift east and spread out more. That may turn out to be a good thing. Maybe not. The U.S. needs a major change of social focus anyway. Money and power is corruptive.Most companies in today’s world market have a healthy amount of exposure to foreign economies and are not limited to U.S. market effects only. Conversely, in this world market, most larger foreign companies have some limited exposure to the U.S. economy. FedEx, for example, is a U.S. company. Buy stock in FedEx and your protfolio has domestic AND foreign investment in one stock. Buy Embraer Air stock, a Brazilian aircraft manufacturer and you are immediately exposed to the U.S. market.
In other words, aren’t we all pretty much in the same boat no matter where our money is put?
Sorry, I did not mean to say that you advised such a thing. I was referring to the two readers you quoted in your article who stated they “sold U.S. equities” while the Dow was at a 13K plus and thanked you for your bold statements about the U.S. equity market. That gives the impression they were motivated to sell all their U.S. equities based on your previous article “The Perfect Storm”. Financial situations are subjective and unique and their actions may have been the perfect personal solution to the perfect storm. Time will tell for them. For others, staying invested in the U.S. equity market may be the thing to do to guarantee their Costa Rica dreams are intact. Time will tell and I believe, given enough time, equity stocks are a sure bet.
Many of you american expats in Costa Rica might consider yourselves opportunists or adventurers or retirees. Call yourselves whatever you think applies, but look up the word refugee and consider if it might also be applied right now to americans coming to CR to stay. There is definitely economic if not political upheaval in the States right now. These things are cyclical but I am convinced there has been a permanent and negative change in my country. Has Costa Rica ever seen such an influx of north american immigrants? Would there be this many if things were hunky dory in the States?
Obviously, a good number of expats are leaving the “God Bless America” crowd to do their chanting and flag waving while they move to a better, more tranquil place.
The falling dollar might not be hugley interesting to the average worker be in the States. After all, it is just one symptom among many of an economy on the edge of a steep slope. The overall message remains the same; we are headed for a recession.
The worker bees will have to make do with even less once in the recession. They will do that and they will do it in relative silence. They will still vote for republicans or democrats, honor their flag and continue to believe in the nonsensical american dream, unaware that the main ingredients to that dream, greed and materialism, have been the cause of the downfall. And while these things are cyclical, this upcoming recession seems to have a more ominous and permanent message for the U.S. and the rest of the world.
I hope my cozy litle Costa Rican nest will serve as some protection from the dog as he raises his hind leg…..:-)
The George Carin piece was from his last HBO appearance. It encapsulates everything I have come to believe over the last twenty years. And I agree with his most salient point; that is is too late to turn things around. It has been too late for decades.I don’t love the United States and have no second thoughts about leaving. I pity the citizens and fear the powerful, moneyed controllers. I consider my decision to move to Costa Rica as the more the action of a refugee, not a retiree. The only problem is, that when this mammoth hits the ground, the vibrations are going to shake a lot of things loose all over the world.
