Something quite sinister about the global financial crisis

[sasguru]

What a bunch of losers inventing non-existent conspiracies to account for their failure in life.
If you want to get rich, or at least comfortable, it's not that hard if you've got a brain, take some risks, and are prepared to work hard - even better if you work smart.
I know many people who, from nothing, have got wealthy or just comfortable (i.e. not having to worry about financial issues provide you don't go over the top).
If you haven't done that as a contractor, in spite of your relatively large earning ability, take a long hard look at yourself, your spending patterns, your lack of investment strategy etc. etc. instead of whining about some elite conspiracy.

HTH.

[Mich the Tester]

I think before you start playing that game you might like to look closely at where contractors earnings sit in the pecking order of wealth.

What a bunch of losers inventing non-existent conspiracies to account for their failure in life.
If you want to get rich, or at least comfortable, it's not that hard if you've got a brain, take some risks, and are prepared to work hard - even better if you work smart.
I know many people who, from nothing, have got wealthy or just comfortable (i.e. not having to worry about financial issues provide you don't go over the top).
If you haven't done that as a contractor, in spite of your relatively large earning ability, take a long hard look at yourself, your spending patterns, your lack of investment strategy etc. etc. instead of whining about some elite conspiracy.

HTH.

+1

[original PM]

What a bunch of losers inventing non-existent conspiracies to account for their failure in life.
If you want to get rich, or at least comfortable, it's not that hard if you've got a brain, take some risks, and are prepared to work hard - even better if you work smart.
I know many people who, from nothing, have got wealthy or just comfortable (i.e. not having to worry about financial issues provide you don't go over the top).
If you haven't done that as a contractor, in spite of your relatively large earning ability, take a long hard look at yourself, your spending patterns, your lack of investment strategy etc. etc. instead of whining about some elite conspiracy.

HTH.

Think there is a bit of a misunderstanding here

We are not talking rich as in have a decent income maybe a few sideline businesses and so maybe assests worth a million quid or so.

We are talking rich as in more money than a medium sized country rich - and no offence guys that ain't you lot.

Once you have that sort of money and power the world is a completely different place

[sasguru]

Think there is a bit of a misunderstanding here

We are not talking rich as in have a decent income maybe a few sideline businesses and so maybe assests worth a million quid or so.

We are talking rich as in more money than a medium sized country rich - and no offence guys that ain't you lot.

Once you have that sort of money and power the world is a completely different place

I get the difference - but there's nothing stopping you getting the really huge money, if you're that way inclined, is there?
Write a best-selling book, create a very successful software company and flog it for a few hundred million, climb the political ladder in a large corporate etc. etc..

As an aside, I happen to believe there's a law of diminishing returns with money i.e. the happiness derived stops or even declines after an amount which makes you comfortable, and varies from individual to individual.
And so, since I have reached that comfortable financial threshold for me, I concentrate on making myself rich in other ways than financial e.g. only working on stuff that interests and stimulates me, travelling to interesting places etc.

[DimPrawn]

What a bunch of losers inventing non-existent conspiracies to account for their failure in life.
If you want to get rich, or at least comfortable, it's not that hard if you've got a brain, take some risks, and are prepared to work hard - even better if you work smart.
I know many people who, from nothing, have got wealthy or just comfortable (i.e. not having to worry about financial issues provide you don't go over the top).
If you haven't done that as a contractor, in spite of your relatively large earning ability, take a long hard look at yourself, your spending patterns, your lack of investment strategy etc. etc. instead of whining about some elite conspiracy.

HTH.

It's not often I say this but....


WSGS

[DodgyAgent]

Isn't obvious? The media tries obfuscate with misleading rhetoric all the while the obviousness is there for all to see.

We've been spending beyond our means and now we're broke. That's no so much a problem as it is a reality. And the government seems hell bent on keeping capitalism following it's course.

What do you suggest?

[vetran]

It's not often I say this but....

WSGS

indeed we lucky few should be able to make enough that it doesn't affect us.

However let me tell you a story:
I was at a leaving do on Friday night, one of the reasons suggested why it wasn't attended as heavily as expected was it was near pay day. I found this quite weird, that pay day was of any consequence when I was spending my discretionary 'going out money' , but to many its a lurch from one payday to the next a life of quiet desperation and deprivation.

The majority of the world are being milked to pay for that extra 0.00001 cent on a dividend.

[doodab]

As an aside, I happen to believe there's a law of diminishing returns with money i.e. the happiness derived stops or even declines after an amount which makes you comfortable, and varies from individual to individual.

When you are poor, you are (in general) miserable. As you get less poor, you get less miserable, so it's not unreasonable to assume that the more you have, the happier you get, but this doesn't seem to be the case, in fact people who find themselves suddenly rich seem to settle down to much the same level of happiness they had before.

I think the important thing is not to be poor. After that is achieved, increased happiness comes from other things.

[DimPrawn]

indeed we lucky few should be able to make enough that it doesn't affect us.

However let me tell you a story:
I was at a leaving do on Friday night, one of the reasons suggested why it wasn't attended as heavily as expected was it was near pay day. I found this quite weird, that pay day was of any consequence when I was spending my discretionary 'going out money' , but to many its a lurch from one payday to the next a life of quiet desperation and deprivation.

The majority of the world are being milked to pay for that extra 0.00001 cent on a dividend.

Next time there's a leaving do, email a link to Cash Lady.

Payday lender rapped for advertising £1,000 loans for 'a night out'

[sasguru]

When you are poor, you are (in general) miserable. As you get less poor, you get less miserable, so it's not unreasonable to assume that the more you have, the happier you get, but this doesn't seem to be the case, in fact people who find themselves suddenly rich seem to settle down to much the same level of happiness they had before.

I think the important thing is not to be poor. After that is achieved, increased happiness comes from other things.

Yes that is roughly what I said
Interestingly psychological research seems to suggest that people's happiness levels are genetic and roughly fixed.
For example paraplegics who get wheelchair-bound later in life, contrary to all expectations, after about 5 years report similar life satisfaction ratings to before their accident.
It's only recently that researchers have approached this happiness topic, strangely.