by peasap

There are three things I can do with my tax rebate check:

1. Spend it.
2. Save it.
3. Invest it.

America's retailer and the U.S. government wants me to spend it. My parents would probably want me to save it. My future children who'd no doubt be spoil brats like me, will want me to invest it. Being the conformist that I am, I will follow my readers' advice and buy myself a Wii.

Even though I though I was being thrifty by purchasing our current cars used, one 2 years old and one 3 years old, I financed both of them for 60 months each. While one will be paid off in a few months and the other next year, it was a terrible idea. I do plan on keeping the cars for as long as possible, but I am currently paying 2 car notes, and have so for the last 4 years. The day I no longer have a car note will be a happy one indeed.

Having traveled to five continents over the past few years and worked or played in a dozen different countries you begin to realize how bleak things would be in a world without central bankers.

Why does a democratic country like India live mostly in abject poverty? The country has democracy right so why don't they vote themselves better leadership to greater prosperity? The country has a large labor force right so why don't they build themselves an industrial empire? The country has vast resources so why don't they have McMansions in every lot? India graduates more MBA's with higher expertise than a typical American university but why no enlightened growing middle class?

When you begin to think about all the reasons a country should be successful and isn't you'll typically find the problem lies with "money" as the main issue.

In my dad's time, dignity and self-respect were things you just could not buy at any price. These days, not only will we happily sell them, we'll do it in front of millions of people! Is the mighty dollar so mighty that it can force us to do anything? What's next I wonder? Lose your virginity on air for $1 million?