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Costing Us More For.........

Bamby

New member
Let's spin the time machine back to the late Middle Ages, at the height of feudalism, and imagine we're trying to get a boatload of goods to the nearest city to sell. As we drift down the river, we're constantly being stopped and charged a fee for transiting one small fiefdom after another. When we finally reach the city, there's an entry fee for bringing our goods to market.

Note that none of these fees were payments for improvements to transport or for services rendered; they were simply extortion. This was the economic structure of feudalism: petty fiefdoms levied extortionate fees that funded the lifestyles of nobility.

This is why I have long called America's economy neofeudal: we pay ever higher fees for services that are degrading, not improving. This is the essence of extortion: we don't get any improvement in goods and services for the extra money we're forced to pay.

Consider higher education: costs are soaring while the value of the "product"--a college diploma--declines. What extra value are students receiving for the doubling of tuition and fees? The short answer is "none." College diplomas are in over-supply, and studies have found that a majority of students learn remarkably little of value in college, the solution is to accredit the student, not the institution. If the student learned very little, he/she doesn't get credentialed.

Were students to have access to the best classroom lectures online (nearly free), and on-the-job apprenticeships in the workplace, (nearly free or perhaps even paid), learning would be significantly improved and costs reduced by 80% to 90%.

In this structure, there's no need for costly campuses or administration; the entire structure of higher education could be largely automated with software, except for the workplace apprenticeships which focus on case studies and real-world projects that are creating value in the here and now.

Consider healthcare: has the quality of healthcare doubled along with costs?Are Americans significantly healthier as the costs of healthcare have tripled? The aggregate health of Americans has arguably declined, while the stresses placed on frontline care providers by the ever-heavier burdens of compliance and paperwork have increased.

What about the $200 hammers and $300 million F-35 aircraft of the defense industry? Once again, as costs have soared, the quality and effectiveness of the products being supplied has arguable declined.

How about state and local government services? Are they improving as taxes and junk fees rise? Once again, government services are often declining in quality as taxes and fees increase by leaps and bounds.

In sector after sector, the quality of the goods and services has declined while costs have soared. This is the acme of neofeudalism: insiders and the New Nobility are skimming fortunes as prices skyrocket and the quality of the goods and services provided plummet.

Look at the cost increases in higher education, healthcare and childcare and ask yourself if the quality of those services have risen in lockstep with price increases.

This is nothing but neofeudal extortion. The cartels raise prices and we're forced to pay them, just as feudal commoners were forced to pay.
 
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EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Bamby, increase the size of the font. Your posts are interesting but extremely difficult to read especially for us older folks.
 

Danang Sailor

nullius in verba
GOLD Site Supporter
Bamby, increase the size of the font. Your posts are interesting but extremely difficult to read especially for us older folks.
I second this. In order to comfortably read your posts I have to copy them, post them to a different browser window, and then change the font to a reasonable size. Your longer posts are invariably interesting but they come with built-in eye strain.
 

Bamby

New member
Darn if I know what to do about the font issue here. I already increase the size from the default settings here quite a bit and it's still unacceptably small. Nothing personal to anyone just how it is. This post is default after User CP visit and selecting larger font option.
 

Jim_S

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
Third attempt at addressing default ...

I was able to edit your post and put it back to the default size. After you post, go to “edit” and remove the font size statement at the beginning and end of thevpost. They are size=1 and /size enclosed in brackets. Maybe you’re picking them up from the source when you cut and paste.

Jim
 

Bamby

New member
I was able to edit your post and put it back to the default size. After you post, go to “edit” and remove the font size statement at the beginning and end of thevpost. They are size=1 and /size enclosed in brackets. Maybe you’re picking them up from the source when you cut and paste.

Jim


Thanks Jim, but on my browser / computer it still looks the same but maybe I need to drop my cash. On another thread I just posted to the font actually did appear better. I've been battling this for awhile.
 

pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
Thanks Jim, but on my browser / computer it still looks the same but maybe I need to drop my cash. On another thread I just posted to the font actually did appear better. I've been battling this for awhile.

You should try doing a long copy and paste from a smart phone.
:yum:
 

pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
Thanks but no thanks PG. I just acquired a android smart phone a few months ago. And frankly I can't tolerate reading forums on it let alone doing any posting on it.

See, it's just the opposite for me.
Since I got my android, I'm so used to it now that the lap top screen is overwhelming.
So I squint, and pull the screen larger or smaller.
An exercise in tenacity. Lol
 

Blotto

New member
If you're using Google Chrome as your web browser, just hold the left CTRL down and change the font size by scrolling your middle mouse button (the wheel between the Left and Right mouse buttons.

Cheers!
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
If you're using Google Chrome as your web browser, just hold the left CTRL down and change the font size by scrolling your middle mouse button (the wheel between the Left and Right mouse buttons.

Cheers!
This process works on most every browser and application (e.g. Word, Excel, Firefox...). Either CTRL key works as well.
 
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