Let's Get Real - Math, Money, Savings, Numbers

I'm gonna be honest here - nothing pisses me off like people who bullshit.  

[Side note:  I once told an interviewer that he was full of bullshit.  He laughed.  He was a salesman and considered it a compliment.  We had a nice conversation afterwards but I made it clear I didn't want the job.  In reality I didn't want to have to work with him.]

And a lot of politicians are FULL of bullshit.  So while this isn't an anti-Twump rant per se, it is a rant about what is going on in my sphere of the world which happens to include Twump headlines.

As a conservative, I honestly do not think the politicians that are in charge of Congress and the WH have the interests of all Americans at heart.  And by ALL I mean the minority that voted for Twump and the majority that didn't.

Who cares the most about your money?  Who cares the most about your future?

YOU DO!

So what are you doing about it?  If you are placing your hope in Uncle Sam, you shouldn't be.  Yes the government has a very important role and even more important tools in its toolkit that can and should help the millions of people in this country.

But do not just sit back and accept what is being told to you while you wait for the riches and jobs to come rolling in.

You too have a role to play and part of that role is to question, question, question and then question some more.  Now that does not just mean questioning the government, the politicians, the news you are reading but also yourself, what you believe and why you believe it, what actions you take and why you take them.

Learning to question is a very important skill.  It is one that is and can be taught in schools but it is not always one that is learned.

With questioning you must learn to decipher arguments and logic and lies.

There are no such things as alternative facts.  There are facts, there are feelings.  Just because you feel like you are worth a million bucks does not mean that you are.  There are facts and there are opinions.  Just because you believe that the U.S. is in a cycle of decline does not mean that it is.

Feelings and beliefs are often emotional.  Emotion is not logic.  Just because you *feel* safe, does that mean that logically you should keep your home and car unlocked?  Or better yet hand out copies of your keys?

Many reading this will say "of course not" - it sounds ridiculous.  And yet many still lead lives and make many decisions based on feelings and beliefs ignoring logic and facts.

It is very, very important to separate facts from everything else. 

If you sat next to someone and all they could do is talk about themselves, always turning the conversation back to themselves, what would you think?  Is this someone who thinks about you?  Cares about you?  Or is it someone who appears to be focused only on themselves?  
[This is something that Twump does consistently.]

If something goes up, must it come down? We are in a bull market (stock market) and for over 90 quarters the market has gone up.  This seems great.  Until we know the fact is that on average the market only goes up for 50-something quarters.  Does this mean that the market will not go up next quarter or for the one after that?  No.  But it does mean that there is a high probability that the market will go down (and soon).

A simpler question (and asked without judgment) - do you know what average means?  Do you know what high probability means?  Many people do but many also do not.  When we read or listen to the news, a lot of words and phrases are tossed about.  If you don't know what they mean, look them up.  You don't have to mention it to anyone if you are embarrassed.  A good online search will give you the definitions.  Or find a site you like and ask a question.  Ask anonymously if need be.

Now a comment about taxes on imports.  Twump supporters want to build a wall and Twump has the brilliant idea of taxing Mexican imports to find the funds to build that bloody wall.  So let's say Pru is located in Mexico and I want to sell something to you, an American.  The price of the item is $100.  We make a deal and are both happy.  Twump says hold up - that is gonna be an extra 20% import tax.  20% of $100 (100 x 0.20) = $20.  

What do you think I do?  Do you think Pru just nods and says okay sure I'll sell it for $100 and then give Twump $20 and lower my profit by $20?  

HELL NO!  I raise my damn prices.  I raise them high enough to cover the cost of the good, the profit that I want AND the import tax.

And who exactly ends up paying for that bloody wall?!  You do - the American consumer!

You can all say that you won't buy anything from Mexico then.  Hmmm....okay....personally I love fruits and vegetables and a shitload of those come from Mexico....meh!  Who needs fiber?

Or even better we'll just grow more ourselves.  California makes great fruit right?!  Yeah and they have a lot of foreign (ahem Mexican) labor too.  What does that mean?

The point is that every decision made, every action taken is going to have an impact and there is a good chance that impact will hurt people who don't have a huge amount in the bank.  (Question, question, question.)

Ask yourselves why someone who doesn't know you, wants to help you.  In other words - what is in it for them?  Most are looking to gain something for themselves even if it is just being noticed.  A few are kind enough to truly care.

If a mortal claims to be your savior - Seriously, seriously think before accepting such a thing.

Let us all send positive thoughts into the universe if Twump tries to force our intelligence and military personnel to use torture.  Because I don't even want to think of what will happen to our service men and women if they are captured.

Politicians throughout the world rely on the masses (that's you and I) not understanding, not questioning and believing regardless of the former.  It's the only way they believe that they can govern.  But that simply isn't true.

Read more!  Ask more questions!  Stop blindly accepting!

Remember who cares the most about your money and your future - YOU DO!  Play an active role and don't swallow just anything that is told to you. 


Pru