Thanks. It was just some concepts that came together pretty well in the down time with no internet and plenty of time to think. Mainly coming from being surrounded by people who seem to think these st!mulus checks and free loans equals free money (not realizing that it's coming out of their OWN money's value). When my co-worker was talking about how he can't wait to get that sweet stimulus money, I wanted to say "I'll give you $1200 if you give me 10% of everything that you spend for the rest of your life", but was a little aggravated (mainly at the fact that we're all still working so none of us really needs it) and was sure I would probably sound aggravated & no fun to talk to. The next day, me and the 2 co-workers (who are much easier and more interesting to have a conversation with) were talking and just thinking of what I had in my backpack that could be used as an example out on the trail (water, food, & an extra shirt) was where this story started. It was a really good, fun conversation exploring the different avenues of how the analogy may or may not fit our real life situations, so when the modem got fried over the weekend I sat down and wrote it up, trying to show as many sides of the analogy as I could (that seem to fit reality pretty well). A lot of folks out here in the country didn't get the greatest education, including even those who DID graduate high school and go to college, so this was just my best effort at trying to explain how our economy works and why it concerns me so much in the simplest, most easily digestible terms.

As a happily single dude (about at the age where that's not looking very likely to change) with a hobby that leaves my mind free to take in new information, I have a lot more time to think than most and obviously type a lot too, but it helps sort and develop my thoughts (usually not posted when too scattered and needing more sorting, but this felt about right). I'm still working on digesting the info in that St3phan M0lyneux link that I shared above. Especially focusing on all the craziness & propagandizing that has been going on more recently after re-visiting that info, it really DOES seem possible and likely that we might actually be just free range human cattle being managed and farmed and that's why nothing ever changes for the better regardless of which side "gets elected". It's a little mind-blowing to see & just not sure what to do with that. Still trying to figure out whether this should be filed under "accept the things you cannot change" category or "courage to change the things that you can" category.