Over the years, American's and others around the world, have gone through different ages in time...the Stone Age; the Iron Age; the Bronze Age; the Information Age...and in the year 2008...the Greed Age!
The Office of Senior Affairs reported recently, that 50% of the boomers reaching retirement age...could retire POOR! I believe it! With all the greed, gouging, and corruption going on in the country, it's no wonder, that anyone can still survive, much less save for the future! And, it's getting worse all the time!
"Greed is good!" Back in the Stone Age of the 1980's, me and my wife, saw a movie entitled, “Wall Street." And, in the movie, one of the Wall Street...cigar-chomping characters, with an arrogant smile proclaimed..."greed is good!" Well...for the rest of America...greed is NOT good...but everywhere you look...everybody's in on it...from sea to greedy sea!
It used to be that companies were happy making millions of dollars a year...but no more! The corporate world and their greedy stockholders, are not happy unless they make hundreds of millions of dollars a year! And today, companies and their greedy stockholders, are not happy, unless they make billions every QUARTER! This is obscene and a disgrace in this country!
- Medical: This is an area that is important to all of us, and this area of society is the most greedy...especially the pharmaceutical industry! Most American's don't have health insurance, or many are under-insured, etc. As the nation ages...the problem is only going to get worse! The health situation in this country is a disgrace!
- Housing: The American Dream...or the American nightmare? The cost of housing in this country has been appalling for years! I told a friend several years ago, that the bubble in the housing industry was going to burst sometime in the future...and it did! The greed in the housing industry is astonishing to me! There are fools willing to pay over $150,000 to $200,000 just to own a house? Many people who have done this, simply can't pay back that amount of money before they retire, etc. How did they get into this? Easy money; easy credit; no down payment; fraud and gouging is alive and well in the industry! Just show up, and you've got the keys to a brand new house, etc.
- Financial/banking: I asked a bank teller how much a money order costs, and she told me $4.00. I went next door to the grocery store and bought a money order for 49 cents! At one time, notarizing a document at a bank was free...but no more! A bank will charge you $5.00 or more to notarize a document. The banking industry is one of the epicenters of greed in this country!
- Grocery: Yet, another epicenter of greed and piracy in this country, and we all have to deal with it on a daily basis. Back in the 1970's, there was a company who manufactured baby diapers. The company raised their prices on the diapers! The American people answered that raise, by not buying the diapers and leaving them on the shelf to rot! Guess what the company did? They lowered their prices on the diapers and they began to sell again. The power of the people! Leave it on the shelf to rot...and/or buy store brands to save a little money, etc.
- Department Stores: You've heard the song entitled, “Fools Rush In." That song reminds me about this ridiculous day called “Black Friday," which is the day after Thanksgiving, and when people make fools out of themselves trying to get into department stores at four in the morning, to start the Christmas shopping season! Whoever coined the the day (Black Friday) sure has a sense of humor, right? Christmas is losing its meaning, and that irritates me! Christmas is NOT about how the retailers are doing during the holiday or during the rest of the year, etc.
Many of the retailers buy their wares and especially clothes from Central America and Asia for pennies on the dollar, and then gouge the American consumer! That's the simple truth of it all, and I could care less if retailers go belly-up! If they can't keep their prices down and reasonable, they deserve to go under! The American public is getting fed up and tired of the gouging that's going on in retailing!
Albuquerque, New Mexico has three large shopping malls of over 200 stores each. Cottonwood is on the west side of the river, and Coronado Center and Winrock are on the east side of the river. Winrock (Winthrop Rockefeller) was built in 1960, and is now a ghost town, and it has no stores open. That's probably (in part) to the effect the Internet has played on business. But, greed and gouging probably have something to do with it, too. I hope Albuquerqueans continue to do their tiny part and stay away from these gougers and put them out of business. The power of the people! So, if the other two shopping malls, don't keep their prices down and reasonable for the consumer, they might become a ghost town as well, etc.
- Wall Street: Real Estate; Banking meltdown: There's no doubt in my mind, that when all the dust settles down on this meltdown that is going on across the country in 2008...the finger will point to greed; gouging; fraud and corruption at the highest levels...which will sadly affect every American!
- Sports: I think this realm is the greediest of them all...where cheaters are abundant! Over-paid football; basketball and baseball players...and don't forget the coaches and managers, too! All are too greedy, too! Most of these over-paid crybabies and spoiled brats, have the arrogance to go with it, and don't deserve the money they make! And, who's the FOOL in all of this...the sports fan, of course! They pay for the tickets that pay these over-paid crybabies in sports!
- Music/concerts: Here's another greedy realm, that has shot itself in the foot, in my view. In the 1980's, I think the greed and gouging began in this industry, with the Michael Jackson's concert for $30.00. This was a jaw-dropper at the time, but in the greed of 2008...$30.00 doesn't seem so bad, etc. Before Ray Charles died, I wanted to see him in concert. And, about ten years ago, he made an appearance in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (where I live) But, the tickets cost $50.00! FORGET IT...I'm not paying $50.00 to see anybody!
- Entertainment: The cost to go to a movie...another rip-off! The actors, directors and producers don't deserve the money they make, either! Well...well...well...here we have more entertainment to rip off the public! I have not attended the New Mexico State Fair in over 20 years, because of all the gouging that goes on there! The headlines in the Albuquerque Journal, dated September, 2008, reads, “State Fair Cuts Prices!" The first week of the state fair, drew 14% fewer people than a year ago. And, that's when governor Bill Richardson stepped in, and ordered the state fair manager to lower prices! By law, the State Fair has to break even, and the prices were dropped across the board...rides; parking; food prices; admission fees, etc. And, only time will tell how the State Fair did in 2008.
SOLUTION? I don't think there is a solution for the greed and gouging in this country. The only thing I can do, is to tell the reader what I do to combat greed, etc. I leave the product on the shelf to rot; I don't go to baseball games; football games; basketball games or concerts to get mugged!
Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA) does not have a major sports team in football, basketball or baseball...because if it did...I wouldn't support it! Albuquerque is just a little one-horse town of 500,000 people, who is better off without those greedy athletes and owners...where you have to take out a loan...get yourself into debt...just to buy a box of popcorn!
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Copyright; Jerry L. Aragon (The Humor Doctor) 2007
