Comments on: It just occurred to me. https://habitablezone.com/2012/04/27/it-just-occurred-to-me/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:41:18 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2012/04/27/it-just-occurred-to-me/#comment-14418 ER Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:39:27 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=14332#comment-14418 <p>Not just '29.</p> Capitalist economies have always been plagued by boom-bust cycles, alternating growth and collapse oscillations caused by the natural behavior of human investors en masse. It's been happening for as long as we have been keeping records. People do what seems to work, not understanding that the very act of doing that alters the conditions which made it work in the first place. Most people understand this now, but con themselves into thinking they'll be able to "get out" before it all comes crashing down around their ears. This was fine when only those who played the game were affected by the consequences. The problem is that today even those who have nothing to do with the game get dragged down along with it. And now a few have developed the skills and techniques to isolate themselves from these consequences, and to profit from them, so it is often in their benefit to deliberately precipitate a crash. They call it "economic freedom." Not just ’29.

Capitalist economies have always been plagued by boom-bust cycles, alternating growth and collapse oscillations caused by the natural behavior of human investors en masse. It’s been happening for as long as we have been keeping records. People do what seems to work, not understanding that the very act of doing that alters the conditions which made it work in the first place.

Most people understand this now, but con themselves into thinking they’ll be able to “get out” before it all comes crashing down around their ears.

This was fine when only those who played the game were affected by the consequences. The problem is that today even those who have nothing to do with the game get dragged down along with it.

And now a few have developed the skills and techniques to isolate themselves from these consequences, and to profit from them, so it is often in their benefit to deliberately precipitate a crash.

They call it “economic freedom.”

]]> By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2012/04/27/it-just-occurred-to-me/#comment-14407 TB Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:45:37 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=14332#comment-14407 It's their comfort zone. Screw with it at your peril. It’s their comfort zone. Screw with it at your peril.

]]> By: Jody https://habitablezone.com/2012/04/27/it-just-occurred-to-me/#comment-14403 Jody Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:33:38 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=14332#comment-14403 I may be going out on a limb here...but...I don't know if being Conservative or Liberal has anything to do with every aspect of living, as you seem to point out...time after time. Opportunity knocks for everyone. I may be going out on a limb here…but…I don’t know if being Conservative or Liberal has anything to do with every aspect of living, as you seem to point out…time after time.

Opportunity knocks for everyone.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2012/04/27/it-just-occurred-to-me/#comment-14399 ER Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:03:54 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=14332#comment-14399 Some Ccnservatives often see themselves as big tycoons, masters of business. They believe their own propaganda. They play the market, flip real estate, "invest", and read financial magazines. Its part of the whole entrepreneurial schtick, except they are not making and selling a useful product, they are just playing at middlemen. It's a different kind of economic illiteracy, but it is illiteracy nonetheless. They should follow their own advice. The source of all wealth is human labor, and buying cheap and selling dear is not work, and it adds no value. There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Some Ccnservatives often see themselves as big tycoons, masters of business. They believe their own propaganda. They play the market, flip real estate, “invest”, and read financial magazines. Its part of the whole entrepreneurial schtick, except they are not making and selling a useful product, they are just playing at middlemen. It’s a different kind of economic illiteracy, but it is illiteracy nonetheless.

They should follow their own advice. The source of all wealth is human labor, and buying cheap and selling dear is not work, and it adds no value. There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.

]]> By: bowser https://habitablezone.com/2012/04/27/it-just-occurred-to-me/#comment-14396 bowser Sat, 28 Apr 2012 02:09:13 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=14332#comment-14396 I couldn't agree more. I saw some houses flipped twice before the third guy got stuck with it. And a couple of my friends watched, and watched and drooled and finally thought they were missing the boat and bought. Then the market went. Probably a bit like the stock market in 1929. I couldn’t agree more. I saw some houses flipped twice before the third guy got stuck with it. And a couple of my friends watched, and watched and drooled and finally thought they were missing the boat and bought. Then the market went.

Probably a bit like the stock market in 1929.

]]> By: RobVG https://habitablezone.com/2012/04/27/it-just-occurred-to-me/#comment-14394 RobVG Sat, 28 Apr 2012 01:39:47 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=14332#comment-14394 <p>I didn't like the whole "house flipping" thing.</p> Well I guess you can't blame them for taking advantage of the housing bubble but I used to watch a show on the Home and Garden channel where they made gobs of money flipping houses. It was like a gold rush. They would rip out a nice kitchen and load it with stainless steel appliances and real granite counter tops to attract high income buyers. Kind of like the idea of of tearing down a 2 million dollar house to put up a $10,000,000 one. That happened quite a bit around here. What I found disgusting was the fact they did some shoddy work like covering rotting siding with new. Those that lost their shorts had it coming. I didn’t like the whole “house flipping” thing.

Well I guess you can’t blame them for taking advantage of the housing bubble but I used to watch a show on the Home and Garden channel where they made gobs of money flipping houses. It was like a gold rush.

They would rip out a nice kitchen and load it with stainless steel appliances and real granite counter tops to attract high income buyers. Kind of like the idea of of tearing down a 2 million dollar house to put up a $10,000,000 one. That happened quite a bit around here.

What I found disgusting was the fact they did some shoddy work like covering rotting siding with new.

Those that lost their shorts had it coming.

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