The Best Solution to America’s Financial Ills
- WEALTHY: Why America needs a “hemorrhoid operation” (Robert Ringer)
- HEALTHY: The best chocolate for your health (Jason Holland)
- WISE: Duke Ellington on tough times
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- When talent isn’t enough (Michael Masterson)
- When is a product not a product? (Bob Bly)
- It’s Fun to Know… about having a celebrity give you directions
- Add “wheedle” to your vocabulary
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“Gray skies are just clouds passing over.”
Duke Ellington
The Great Bailout Stall
Now that the Demopublicans and their media friends have, through the magic of doublespeak, transformed the massive and fraudulent bailout bill into a heroic “economic rescue plan,” most Americans can refocus their couch-potato efforts back on reality TV shows, football, and electronic gadgets. After all, the problem has been resolved, right?
Earth to American taxpayers: Nothing has been resolved! In fact, dishonest and cowardly Congressmen/women have virtually assured us, through their actions, that the financial crisis will get worse – much worse.
Nevertheless, I’ve learned, through experience, that no one can accurately predict the timing of economic events, because everything is controlled by an entity – the government – that has a monopoly on (1) printing “money,” (2) taxing its serfs, and (3) using force against anyone who dares to defy its will.
If you could print your own money, make others give you their money, and use force in the marketplace to achieve your ends, do you think you might be able to prolong the consequences of your actions? You would, of course, eventually fail. But it would be impossible for anyone to predict at what point in time your misdeeds would bring you down.
The most practical solution to America’s financial ills is to face the music- now, rather than later. The major question of our time has not been raised by anyone in the media: Are you prepared to lower your standard of living – even suffer – so your children and grandchildren can enjoy a better standard of living and not have to suffer worse than you?
Put more directly, are you prepared to face the moral and Constitutional reality that you are entitled to absolutely nothing other than the right to pursue your own success and happiness in any way you so choose, so long as you do not commit aggression against others?
In other words, are you prepared to go “cold turkey” in exchange for freedom? I’m sorry to say that my personal take on the pulse of our country is that not many people are willing to give up (a false sense of) security in exchange for freedom. Which is why even the staunchest conservatives in the Republican wing of the Demopublican Party will not name specific government programs they would be willing to eliminate. (Not cut – eliminate.)
When the hopeless, stand-for-nothing J. McBama talks about “letting the marketplace sort things out for the economy,” he is quick to assure voters that the government will, of course, pay unemployment benefits to those “in need,” retrain (as in $$$) people who have lost their jobs, etc., etc., etc.
Message to J. McBama: It’s not the government’s Constitutional role to shore up people who have lost their jobs – nor does it have a moral right to do so. Job loss and job retraining are simply none of the government’s business.
And, contrary to what politicians, the media, and most Americans seem to believe, it’s not the government’s job to “get the economy moving again.” Sorry, but it’s simply not in the Constitution. Economic stability can be created only by allowing the market to take its natural course and rid the economy of synthetically created wealth.
In more blunt terms, what I’m talking about here is a deflationary depression. Make that a massive deflationary depression. As I’ve said so often, we’ve been in an invisible depression for at least 30 years. What I’m advocating is that we ignore the daily lies that come out of Washington and demand that the invisible depression be allowed to reveal itself.
I can already hear some readers saying, “That Ringer is a really bad guy. He lacks compassion.”
Not so. On the contrary, I have a great deal of compassion for the millions of people who are hurting financially. And, quite frankly, it makes me angry when I think about what politicians have done to bring about so much of their pain and suffering.
I know what it’s like to be homeless. I know what it’s like to have your gas and electricity shut off. I know what it’s like to be without a car. I know what it’s like to eat cold, canned soup for dinner. But I’ll tell you this: The only way I ever improved my bad situation was to look in the mirror, face the reality that suffering was going to be an integral part of my life until I could turn things around on my own, and work my tail off – sometimes 18 to 20 hours a day. I never applied for welfare and I never asked anyone to retrain me. I lowered my standard of living … I suffered … and I worked hard.
Now I’m going to share a somewhat gross analogy with you to help make my point that the only viable solution to America’s financial demise is to allow the invisible depression to become visible as quickly as possible.
Many years ago, before modern medicine had come up with more humane procedures for dealing with hemorrhoids, I suffered through a period of extreme discomfort. Over the course of about a year, I visited two proctologists, but nixed letting them put me under the knife. Instead, they gave me a variety of salves and ointments to deaden the pain. As a result, I had “invisible” hemorrhoids. They were still there, of course, but by applying medication, I could pretend they weren’t. What a marvelous delusion.
Finally, it got to the point where salves and ointments could no longer bail me out. In desperation, I went to a third doctor – one who’d been touted in a newspaper article as “the best in his field.” After a cozy little examination, he said to me: “I’ll give it to you straight. Your problem will never get better on its own. The only way to get rid of it is through surgery.”
I was in such pain that, without even thinking about it, I blurted out, “When can you do it?”
“Tomorrow,” he said. “It’s my day in surgery.”
Without giving myself the opportunity to mull over it (and probably put it off), I impulsively said, “Okay.”
Out of respect to your sensibilities, I won’t give you the gory post-operation details. Let it just suffice to say that, for the first few days, I regretted having been so impulsive. But soon I started to get progressively better. And within a month, the entire experience was nothing but a bad dream – and I was pain-free. I had survived the medical equivalent of a deflationary depression by getting it over with.
Now, I ask you to help spread the word – friend by friend, neighbor by neighbor, coworker by coworker – that what America needs is a hemorrhoid operation, not more bailouts. That means a lot of pain and suffering for all of us. And, make no mistake about it, we deserve it for having allowed our elected officials to turn the Constitution upside-down and dupe us into believing that we are obliged to answer to them rather than the other way around.
The time has come for us to tell the politicians that we don’t want any more economic salves and ointments. The only way for things to get better is for government to get out of the way and stop making things worse. I say: My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for yourself.
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Reader Feedback: "Robert Ringer's articles add a richness to our lives that money can't."
"I'm so sorry about Robert Ringer's sister's death and the suffering she went through. He pondered what the purpose of her life had been, and I wish I could tell him. But, being a total stranger, I can't.
"His sharing of her story, though, gave her life an added purpose. It made us stop and think about what others are going through around us. They may, like Robert's sister, be happy just to know we care. We can choose to show them that we do! I ponder the purpose of Robert's own life as he brings us articles like this, and about the elderly and about recognizing special moments in our lives. He is in a position to influence many people and he does so in a thoughtful and sensitive way.
"Thank you, Robert, for reminding us not to lose sight of others and their situations. Your articles add a richness to our lives that money can't."
D.F.
Washington, IL
[Ed. Note: Have a favorite ETR article? A favorite ETR writer? Tell us! Write to ETR at ReaderFeedback@gmail.com and tell us what's helped you, what you love, and what you want to see more of.]
Dear ETR: “I want to change my career path and go after something I actually enjoy or look forward to.”
“I just turned 29 yesterday… and I feel so lost and confused. I quit my job 7 months ago, where I worked in insurance as a salesperson for 2 1/2 years. It was my 3rd resignation, since my boss retained me twice before. I guess I ‘could’ sell, but I hated it. Period. I was extremely unhappy and always felt I didn’t belong.
“I majored in marketing. And although marketing and sales are cousins, I still felt it wasn’t the job for me. However, all the job proposals I receive are either sales, banking, or a combination of both. Companies want to hire me based on my experience – which makes sense – but I want to change my career path and go after something I actually enjoy or look forward to.
“It’s such a waste. Many people end up in jobs they hate while they could excel in other things given the chance. I feel so much unleashed potential in me that’s waiting to see the light. I only wish to find someone who’ll believe in me and see more to me. Any ideas?”
Charlotte Avery
Dear Charlotte,
I agree with you. It’s a shame when people settle for jobs they don’t like. There is no reason for it. It’s a great big world out there. There are thousands of professions to pursue. You don’t want to spend your life doing something simply because you have a talent for it. Talents don’t work that way anyway. If you have been good at sales but hate selling, it’s probably because you are diligent and persistent and able to learn what you need to be successful. These are traits that will allow you to be successful in any career.
Twenty-nine is young. I didn’t “find” my career until I was about your age. Before that, I did some selling too (aluminum siding and pots and pans). And I hated it, just like you do. But I learned something. And what I learned helped me when I found a career that was right for me.
Selling taught me the following valuable lessons:
• Every valuable human activity involves the buying and selling of ideas.
• Those things we think are valuable – from saving rain forests to Gucci shoes – are the result of ideas we have “bought” at one time or another.
• Except for the provision of very basic human needs, most of human culture is about this interchange of money and ideas.
What I’m saying, Charlotte, is that you can’t escape selling if you want to be successful. Even Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, two of the most talented athletes of all time, earn their livings by selling ideas. (In their cases, they sell the idea that their endorsements are worth millions of dollars.)
So don’t be down on selling. Be happy that you know how to do it. Just apply what you know to selling ideas that you like – ideas that inspire you.
The first thing you have to do is realize that you are very young and the world is your oyster. The second thing you must do is choose an industry whose ideas inspire you. Figure out what ideas turn you on. Then identify the industry that sells those ideas. Third, you should learn about that industry. You should get an entry-level job, if necessary, and spend all your spare time studying how that business works. Use your knowledge of selling to understand how that business sells the ideas that it sells. Become an expert in the selling of those ideas. Then you will be able to get pretty much any job you want.
If you want more details on how to get the job of your dreams, buy a copy of Automatic Wealth for Grads… and Anyone Else Just Starting Out and study Chapters 3, 4, and 5.
And start today, Charlotte. Not tomorrow. You said you wanted someone who believed in you. I believe in you. If you start today, then you will prove to me that you believe in yourself. So do it!
- Michael Masterson
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Bent Out of Shape About a JointFlex Commercial
By Bob Bly
A sin to be avoided in sales copy is using words that remind the prospect you are, in actuality, selling a product, not just educating or helping him out of the kindness of your heart. One of the words on my forbidden list is “product.” Today, I heard a radio spot for JointFlex, an arthritis supplement, that repeats the word many times.
The announcer says: “Doctors love the product, patients love the product, you will love the product.”
Why call it “the product”? Why not be more specific and use the name?
My rewrite: “Doctors love JointFlex, patients love JointFlex, you will love JointFlex.”
A yacht salesman refers to his top-of-the-line model as a “yacht” or “she.” A car salesman refers to a sports car as a sports car, automobile, or “a beauty.” You never hear a good salesperson say “our product” or “my product.” Neither should a good copywriter.
“Product” instantly breaks the spell of enticing copy and says to the prospect, “Don’t forget, we want your money.”
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The Chocolate Prescription
I was surprised to see Charlie Byrne, Associate Publisher of Early to Rise, emerge from the lunch room with a large chocolate bar.
Charlie runs marathons and is in the peak of health. I’d never seen him touch junk food before. Even when someone brings in a box of doughnuts or tempting homemade brownies, he politely says no. So what gives?
I had to ask. “Taking a break from healthy food today, Charlie?”
“Actually, no” he replied. What he told me next warmed my chocolate-loving heart. “I’m eating this chocolate to lower my blood pressure.”.
Yes, as ETR’s health experts have said time and again, it’s true – eating chocolate has many health benefits. It can help prevent cancer, lower your risk of heart disease, and improve brain function.
Of course you should always use moderation. And some kinds of chocolate are better than others. For instance, dark chocolate is better for you than milk or white chocolate because it is high in antioxidants. Plus, as Charlie explained, many dark chocolate bars contain very little sugar. And, he told me, “The really dark chocolate bars are so strong, you only need a small bite to get your ‘chocolate fix.’”
A recent article in Consumer Reports can point you to the healthiest chocolate options around. Judging each “contestant” based on flavor and amount of polyphenols (the antioxidant found in dark chocolate), they gave Cacao Reserve Extra Dark with Cacao Nibs (by Hershey) the highest rating, while Lindt’s Excellence Extra Fine Dark (Charlie’s pick) and Chocolove’s Organic Dark also received high marks.
But, according to the article, CocoaVia’s Original, Ghirardelli’s Intense Dark Twilight Delight, and Newman’s Own Organics Sweet Dark chocolate aren’t worth breaking your diet over.
[Ed. Note: Even your favorite foods - like chocolate - can be good for you. To find out which foods are healthy and which ones you should avoid, as well as to get all the latest breakthroughs in the health industry, sign up for ETR's cutting-edge, bi-weekly newsletter. It's free, and the information and advice it contains could literally save your life.]
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Word to the Wise: Wheedle
To “wheedle” (WEE-d’l) – possibly from the Old English for “beg” – is to gain or get by using flattery or guile.
Example (as used by Ronald Weber in Hired Pens): “Editors who wished to carry original work rather than reprints found it necessary to wheedle contributions from readers by decrying inexperience as a reason for not taking up the pen and by offering prizes for submissions.”
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Copyright ETR, LLC, 2008
Mr. Ringer is absolutely correct. We, the people of the United States, have brought the current financial debacle upon ourselves by believing in the garbage that flows from the mouths of those that we elect to ‘represent’ us. They do not represent us. They represent themselves and those who pull their strings with special interest handouts. It is time we turned the tables.
Robert – I couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve noticed the same thing in other advertisements when banking and real estate businesses say: “in your market area.” Why not use “in your area” instead? – Girard Frank Bolton, III., Mobile, Alabama.
I had read your books and as always I agree with you….I came to this country long time ago, worked and paid my way up to get my MBA, there were times when I hit rock bottom but I got up on my own working working and working any way I could, my parents taught us RESPONSIBILITY and HARD WORK, today people do not know the meaning of the work SACRIFICE, they want everything easy and quick.
Robert, Thanks for your excellent article pertaining to this so called “bailout” plan, and the travesty that this unconstitutional government has soft-pedaled to a country of bleating sheep.
I was glad to see that you indicted both sides of
the aisle in this fascist one party system we have
evolved into.
I agree that we need to affirm as a country that it is time to take responsibility for ourselves.
We need to face the truth that we have been sleeping on the job and that a painful depression is indeed upon us.
I am afraid that if we continue to vote for the “lesser of two evils”, we will find ourselves as
the proverbial lemmings, following our feckless leaders off a very deep precipice.
Mr. Ringer,
You raised a number of issues with which I am in
entire agreement and I have some that you may or
may not agree with or find pleasant to hear. How-
ever I feel truth in this country has gotten poor
treatment especially truth about its own history
the outgrowth of a primitive repressive education-
al system! I found it a little humorous, your way
of describing the ‘Demopublicans’ whom I choose
to refer to as ‘Republicrats’, after all most
American presidents have beeen ‘Republicans’ it’s
only appropriate that the prefix belong to them!
As I sat before my television and watched the
tally of votes in Congress and the Senate of this
country on the passage of the ‘bailout bill’ that had been proposed, I looked with disgust as the accumulation of votes rose and fell for Democrats and Republican, but not one vote was in the tally for ‘Independent legislators’. Therein lies the problem with the United States. New Gingrich said publicly several years ago that if the Republican party did not live up to its ‘Contract with America’ there would be a mass defection to a third party! Well,I don’t need to comment on the outcome of either part of that statement. All I can say is what Adolph Hitler once said
“it’s such a wonderful thing for governments that the people don’t think!”
EDT
Chicago, Illinois
Regarding Robert Ringers assertion that the government prints the money – Helloooo, it’s the US Federal Reserve that actually prints the money, decides what interest rates will be, and determines how much money shall be allowed into the economy. Not the government, THE FED.
It’s even more despicable than if the govt was doing it, because the FED is a PRIVATE COMPANY, only interested in one thing, more profits which means more control.
If RR has been duped into believing it’s the govt, what chance does the average person stand?
None, just like it “should be,” according to the FED.
The “taxing of the serfs” (income tax) was introduced in about 1912 to allow the government to pay the interest bill on the money the FED was printing and providing to the US govt – for a fee. This whole scam is so BIG it has been unnoticed by almost everyone.
Who remembers the bill of December 23rd 1913 passed at 2AM or some such time with just 3 members of congress present, after everyone went home for Christmas? This was eventually signed off by Woodrow Wilson, and which he later described as his worst economic blunder – for which the whole world is paying today.
The govt is the puppet of the central bankers.
Hard and cruel but true.
We all make money IN the economy, the central bankers makes money WITH the economy.
This current crisis didn’t happen, it was engineered.
The Romans had a great line for this – when something was proposed in the senate, the first question they asked was “Who benefits from this?” So who is benefiting from the current meltdown??
Check out The Money Masters for a full history of our current economic system.
You will be amazed and appalled.
Just love the ETR,
Bruce
As I wrote in my book (which I will not name to avoid shameless self-promotion) the problems are rooted in the manner which people view politics. Conservatives look back to a mythical golden age for solutions to the problems of the present. Tradition may have been adequate once, when yesterday’s behaviour and knowledge was applicable and relevant to tomorrow, but it will not do in today’s rapidly changing world. Socialists imagine they can plan, regulate and legislate their way out of the problems of the present, despite the spectacular failure of central planning. The majority swings between the two. This results in a state of affairs that is not satisfactory. It is neither the fault of politicians nor the general public, but comes from a failure of collective imagination to come up with a better system of government, the root of which should be pragmatic & practical, not doctrinaire. The USA will never progress in this endeavour until a majority understands & adopts liberalism, instead of abusing it.