Well there is a lot to discuss about what is happening politically in UK...And is it going to happen here close to home that is?
Global this and Global that...
Very interesting times we live in...
Is it a sign of the times?
Our youth? Another act of terrorism in a different package? Lots of questions...
LIFE A!!! AND yes life can be frustrating with all sorts of things. Anger...
Big Brother having control over us in NZ even...why we accept all sorts of things going on here also. Price of all sorts of things going up and up, unemployment, our health system, education system and even in the workforce...
What do we do?
Put your head in the sand? Turn off the nob on the T.V?

Good question, Jesse - what should we (in the prosperous Western World) do, to get US out of the current trouble of excessive indebtedness?
(High savings propensity POORER Asians - except rich Japan to some extent - don't seem to be in that kind of trouble yet.)

I can think of only 3 choices: Declare bankruptcy and leave the debts unpaid, inflate the currency and only partly repay the value of the debts, or raise our savings rate at the expense of reduced hand-to-mouth consumption by ourselves and govt. - for debt repayment and investment in increased productivity.
There would be a 4th way if we had the luck of finding a huge gold mine or oilfield, and use the income earned for debt repayment.

Jesse - what would you choose?

I think the 4th one? Well really though US and other nations are feeling the pressure. Look what is happening here in our fair/fare country...
Drag out the retiring age of 67, no superanuation for us Baby Boomers for later life. And compulsory super fund then that could go belly up too...It is interesting to see how things will pan out??? Higher taxes!! Ah!!
Life is not as easy as the past. Intense/Chaotic and more...
SO we have to keep a positive outlook though don't you think?
With so much injustice also around the world. The Globe as we hear nowdays...Hmmmmmmmm....
Do the rich get richer and poor get poorer? There will always be poor in our nations...oops around the globe...

Yes, jesse - by nature, once someone is "rich enough" not to have to consume all of his/her income on hand-to-mouth consumption, these "rich" get richer almost automatically if they don't "waste" their "profit" over daily survival needs on excessive consumption or whatever.

So - since there are so many complaints about poverty, we as a nation would achieve the best results in more widespread wealth creation and ownership through a universal (long term retirement) wealth savings effort, with subsidies for those totally unable to produce that "profit" over their daily survival consumption.

The NZ Super Fund - because of its wide diversification impossible to be matched by smaller funds - and with no need to go for higher risk investments - is the safest possible, apart perhaps from your own home, which will still serve you well even if its market value falls well below what you paid for it.

In other words, NZ Super Fund investments are more immune against temporary market price fluctuations than even KiwiSavings, as some of the later might have to be sold at a time of low market values - which the NZ Super Fund does not have to do, as long as it is a permanent institution.

If you agree with that, you would serve a sound cause well by publicly urging politicians "to look into it", and go for it if they cannot find faults with it, regardless of what most people might think at present.

Initially, the Flat Earth belief had also most popular support.

I guess there is risk in anything nowdays...
I am with Kiwisaver and was lucky that with the Wall Street bust Kiwisaver wasn't touched. So Good...

So where from here? Israel/Palestine?? That is a touchy one! We all watch and wait with anything that goes on with ISRAEL...September will be interesting with the decision to what will happen with a Palestinian State/Country. Hmmmmmm I don't think so but life nowdays can change in a day. I just like to keep up with what is happening...
Soon NZ and the globe/world will be watching as The Rugby World Cup will be happening and eyes will be taken off of what is happening in other areas.... (thinking) He he!!
Keep up the thoughts/comments I love it.
Nice talking Jens...

Jesse - on the Israel - Palestine conflict I think a little of basic Christian "Love thy neighbor" application would go a long way towards resolving it, and they both would benefit.

And here, where our main problem is poverty amidst plenty, the commonsense (Christian?) principle of "Help thy neighbor" (by revealing the rules, and initially helping the poor to become independently prosperous) would also go a long way to benefit us all eventually, and qualify us joining the world leadership on that, to help our Western World out of its current excessive debt quagmire.