Friday, 29 June 2018

The Great Depression


They say that those who do not know history are destined to repeat it. There are forces at work today that make me question what our future holds. So I've been visiting the past to try to make sense of what went wrong in a time period that was so critical to my country, and to the world, the era of the Great Depression. Not only did it wreak havoc on families and governments, but it led us back into a world war.

What follows are pieces of a complicated puzzle. For the Great Depression wasn't just one single event, but a kaleidoscope of interwoven events that led to the misery of millions of people.

Each video stands on it's own, but they are all important pieces, so I would watch all of them when you have the time. I know there is more, but I wanted to start with these. They are all full length documentaries.


The first is a visit to an iconic American company, Ford Motor Co. It is a working man's view of a time of euphoria that all too quickly fades.  And perhaps a lesson in business that should be learned.

I wish they would tell you in advance that they are restricting viewing of a video.  *sigh*  Anyway, that is the case with this one.  So I will provide a link:




The second is a tale of greed and excess. Something that we are well acquainted with.





This last has a hint of something that many may have forgotten or ignored. Yes, even back then climate change may have been an issue, even if no one seemed to realize it.  Perhaps this one could also be a lesson to those in government that believe Americans are complete pushovers.  





228 comments:

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Petes said...

"And, for the record, having an ice sheet doesn't mean the area isn't a desert, nor does being a desert imply there is no precipitation."

That's correct genius ... in the places where it's been freezing for millions of years. In the places subject to periodic glaciations on the other hand ... well I'm sure y'all can figure out the next bit for y'all's self.

But I'm startin' to see why y'all are accusin' me of failin' to state the obvious. It's that ole' Jesuitical nitpickin'. Ya just can't give it up, can ya?

Petes said...

"There's been no furious googlin’; nor googlin’ of any kind, and…"

Ah, like the good ole' Jesuits that wouldn't look through Galileo's telescope.

"It [the neutrino mass] is not superfluous."

Have it yer own way. As I've oftentimes told ya, I ain't responsible for yer free education.

   Lee C.  ―   U.S.A.     said...

 
      "…in the places where it's been freezing for millions of years."

That would be your ‛ole' Jesuitical nitpickin'’, and it would also be incorrect.  ‛Nother screw-up by the Irish fat boy.

   Lee C.  ―   U.S.A.     said...

 
      "I ain't responsible for yer free education."

Nor would you be competent.  You've made too many errors just this bout, that confusion of yours about mass and gravity being only one of them.

   Lee C.  ―   U.S.A.     said...


Think now folks:  Consider how much easier it would have gone for poor Petes if he had just, on or after Thu Jul 12, 07:22:00 pm--prior page, he had just said, "Yep, I was wrong, neutrinos do interact gravitationally."

So, much easier…  All the fat boy had to do was say, "Yep, I was wrong. Or…  "I stand corrected."  Or anything along those lines.

Lynnette In Minnesota said...

[Marcus]: Guy was livid really. How our politicians could have let things get to this stage, why the fucking criminals aren't dealt with, and why too many immigrants are let in and all are out in the same places. Dude was pissed off.

I have noticed even here that there are immigrants who feel that the drawbridge should be pulled up after them. I suppose though, Marcus, that he would not be one to run with a gang and commit crimes.

Petes said...

Have it yore way. I'm pretty sure, despite yer delusions, that "yore audience" is mighty sick of y'all never shuttin' up, and never puttin' up. So I ain't gonna encourage y'all. If ya want to demonstrate how neutrino mass is relevant to neutrino gravitation, go ahead, be my guest. If ya don't, well nobody's expectin' ya to come up with anythin' anyhow. I don't care either way. If ya do nothin', everyone will know yer full of shit. If ya do somethin' I'm gonna instantly shoot ya down in flames. And now I'm gonna shut up, otherwise -- as the Swede says -- y'all will just go off on tangents about tangents.

   Lee C.  ―   U.S.A.     said...

 
      "…there are immigrants who feel that the drawbridge
      should be pulled up after them.
"

Also possible he was gaslightin’ Marcus.

   Lee C.  ―   U.S.A.     said...

 
      "…neutrino mass is relevant to neutrino gravitation…"

Well, now, there's a new term.  ‛Neutrino gravitation’; I haven't heard that one before.  And you want me to expound on your newly created terminology for you now do ya?

I may just wait and observe instead.

Lynnette In Minnesota said...

[Lee]: He was hitting the governments of our supposed allies at their weakest points--switching subjects, switching points of attack to whatever happened to be that particular government's weakest point. This was not accidental. This was an intentional effort to destabilize allied governments just prior to making his check-in with Putin come Monday.

Acting the idiot is a good cover for something more serious. It is a person's actions that are the tell as to what kind of person they really are.

   Lee C.  ―   U.S.A.     said...

 
Trump is a wuss bully (some bullies actually like to fight--most are wusses when it comes to a real challenge, but not all).  Wuss bullies learn early to go after the weaker targets where possible (not an option here) and to always target the opponents weakest points.  I don't think he was ‛acting an idiot’ at all; I think it was a planned, intentional weakening of the European governments most likely to pose a problem for Putin in the future.

Lynnette In Minnesota said...

[Petes]: I drove down the east coast on Thursday. The normally verdant countryside looked like a parched prairie. We had a huge gorse fire locally which forced hundreds of people to evacuate their houses while helicopters dropped seawater on the flames. That sort of stuff doesn't happen here!

Unfortunately that kind of thing may be the new normal...until it gets worse. It makes me feel very sorry for all of the children who will grow up in a world that has gone seriously wrong.

It's in the 90sF here again today. It's the usual rain then heat, which dries things out. But it cools off at night, which helps.

Lynnette In Minnesota said...

Also possible he was gaslightin’ Marcus.

Well, it's possible, but I can't see where he'd get much from it, except maybe private amusement.

Lynnette In Minnesota said...

I don't think he was ‛acting an idiot’ at all; I think it was a planned, intentional weakening of the European governments most likely to pose a problem for Putin in the future.

Oh no, I didn't mean here, I meant in other areas. I meant what he did with America's allies to be the "telling" action. It is similar to what he is doing domestically to put us all at loggerheads. That's why I have discounted the idea that he is stupid. He knows what he's doing.

   Lee C.  ―   U.S.A.     said...

 
      "He knows what he's doing."

And he's not really that good at it.  And yet it's working anyway.  That's the part I find spooky.

Petes said...

[Troll]: "I may just wait and observe instead."

Unsurprisingly, that ain't news to anybody.

Petes said...

[Lynnette]: "Acting the idiot is a good cover for something more serious."

Don't look now, but the proof of that is right here on the blog. Don't mention the neutrinos ;-)

Or how about Trump's idiocy being "a planned, intentional weakening of the European governments most likely to pose a problem for Putin in the future". The resident troll actually thinks Trump is Putin's henchman. Now I know he's actually deranged, not just a hate-mongerin' leftie.

   Lee C.  ―   U.S.A.     said...

 
"Henchman" implies a level of trust or co-membership that I do not think applies to the Putin/Trump dynamic.

Eventually, you keep taking shots in the dark at things you don't understand, you'll eventually get one of them right.

Just hasn't happened last couple of days.  But, it'll happen eventually.

Petes said...

[Lynnette]: Unfortunately that kind of thing may be the new normal...until it gets worse."

For now it's just a fluke. We are getting more persistent blocking patterns in the jet stream, but they tend to bring more winter storms. This one has kept the jet stream at bay to our west, but it's about to move back over us and with it the tail end of Hurricane Chris which was off North Carolina a week ago. Hopefully it brings us some rain into next week.

   Lee C.  ―   U.S.A.     said...

  
Closing note of the night:

      Everything interacts with gravity…"
      Petes @ Thu Jul 12, 08:23:00 pm (prior page;
      emphasis in original
)

That's still not true.

Petes said...

[Troll @ Sat Jul 14, 03:52:00 pm]: "I may just wait and observe instead."

Obviously, and unfortunately, that didn't mean waitin' and observin' quietly. We're gonna get treated to the usual barrage of claims unaccompanied by anything of substance, because:

[Troll @ Thu Jul 12, 08:49:00 pm]: "Better than you at both [physics than algebra]"

I see he's got nothin' more to say about neutrinos and gravitation. Anything he says is gonna get shot down in flames. Keepin' quiet is gonna show him up to be full of shit. "Waiting and observing" was gonna be his other tack. But he can't even do that either. So what is is gonna be chumpy? Flames or full o' shit?

Marcus said...

Pete: "And you begrudge a few kronor to an Arab taxi driver making an honest living?"

Where did you get that from? I would never even think of such a thing. Now that he's here of course doing an honest job is all well and good. And for that matter I gave a solid tip.

Had another interesting cabbie this evening, from my friend out in the suburbs back home to town. An old Afghan that I have had as a cabbie before. Not one of the new ahfghans, but one that came in the 70's. He hates russians but we steered clear of that during this ride.

We got to talkning and he bragged that his son is stydying to be a doctor and his daughter to a computer engineer. I asked if he had any grandchildren by them. No. I then asked point blank if they were free to marry whomever they chose. No! The son was allowed to marry any "good woman" and make her a muslim, the daughter had to marry a muslim.

And that's after 30-40 years in Sweden. Integration, huh? Seems like that's a door that swings only one way...


   Lee C.  ―   U.S.A.     said...

 
      "Or how about Trump's idiocy being [planned]…."
      Petes @ Sat Jul 14, 04:55:00 pm

On reflection I find that I'm surprised at this; Petes thinks (or says he thinks) that Trump managed to slag the two strongest national powers in Europe at their weakest point, and managed to do it by accident, as a result of ‛idiocy’ rather than as a result of intentional malice.  I find that an utterly amazing display of faith in Trump's supposed good intentions.

                           ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
      "We're gonna get treated to the usual barrage of
      claims…
"
      Petes @ Sat Jul 14, 08:12:00 pm

I don't have a barrage of claims to make regarding your newly formulated ‛neutrino gravitation’.  I'd never heard that term before you mentioned it last night.  And, it ain't like I gave the subject any further thought nor any ‛googlin’, neither furiously nor otherwise.
Indeed, I spent the evening entirely unconcerned with ‛neutrino gravitation’ or the googlin' thereof.  I'm expecting the rest of today will probably turn out almost as well.

                           ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
      "I can't see where he'd get much from it, except
      maybe private amusement.
"
      Lynnette @ Sat Jul 14, 04:06:00 pm ↑↑

I thought to suggest…

      "I gave a solid tip."
      Marcus @ Sat Jul 14, 09:29:00 pm ↑↑

But, Marcus covered it for me after all.

                           ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
      "I then asked point blank if they were free to marry
      whomever they chose. No!
"

Could be a surprise lurkin’ in there for both the old Afghan and for you.

                           ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
I'm wondering if we can get that Baby Trump Blimp over here for the next Republican National Convention in 1919?  Some stronger cables and a third blimp and we could have a triangle of them flying over and surrounding the Republican Convention site next time they hold one; strikes me as a plan.

Petes said...

"I don't have a barrage of claims to make regarding your newly formulated ‛neutrino gravitation’"

Ah, I see the troll is his usual trajectory. Can't say anything sensible, can't shut up, so he decides to come over all stupid. Let's just refresh our memory about my "new formulation", which was actually a quip to Marcus:

[Petes to Marcus @ Sat Jul 14, 06:16:00 am]: "For instance, that neutrino gravitation thing -- he read the Wikipedia page but couldn't help throwing in something extra that he thought he knew: about the gravity being connected to the neutrino mass. Might seem logical to someone who studied kiddie science, but it's wrong. I could explain why, but he doesn't take kindly to explanations from me. (He'll be furiously Googlin' it though)."

Troll knows he's screwed up. Can't explain hisself, and can't shut up, and askin' for help ain't in his vocabulary. So he needs an excuse to act all stupid. It's a pretty pathetic excuse, but hey, when yore desperate ya don't have many choices. After all, this is the pathetic troll who argued for months, if not years, about "the meaning of 'if'" ;-)

   Lee C.  ―   U.S.A.     said...

  
      "…my 'new formulation'…was actually a quip to Marcus…"

For reasons neither clear nor cogent, you seem to think that is somehow relevant.  It's not.

      "…I could explain why, but he doesn't take kindly to
      explanations from me…
"

To quote the famous philosopher, Paul Simon:

      ♫♪Whoodoo!♪♫
      ♫♪Who do you think you're foolin’?♪♫

You don't give a damn what I'd take kindly to.

                           ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
      "…he's screwed up."

I've screwed up nothing.  You're hoping to find out if I really got ya covered, you're trollin’ for that last confirming clue…. 
Can ya maybe divert me from where you screwed it up, or did I actually see that; did I catch it?  That's what you're wonderin’. 
Well, yeah, I saw it.  I caught it.  I sure as hell did. 

      "Everything interacts with gravity…"
Petes @ Thu Jul 12, 08:23:00 pm (prior page;
emphasis in original
)

Nope, wrong; not true.  That was wrong and that was wrong a full day and a half before you tried to reformulate the idea as ‛neutrino gravitation’ and re-focus folks' attention on somethin’, somewhere other than where you screwed it up again.

You'd be better off to do what you should have done the first time--just admit you screwed that up and move on to the next thing.  This is your chance.  You should take it.

Lynnette In Minnesota said...

I thought to suggest…

"I gave a solid tip."
Marcus @ Sat Jul 14, 09:29:00 pm ↑↑


Good point. Giving people what they want to hear is a good way to increase a tip.

Lynnette In Minnesota said...

I'm wondering if we can get that Baby Trump Blimp over here for the next Republican National Convention in 1919? Some stronger cables and a third blimp and we could have a triangle of them flying over and surrounding the Republican Convention site next time they hold one; strikes me as a plan.

LOL! That sounds like a very good plan to me as well.

   Lee C.  ―   U.S.A.     said...

 
      "In an interview with 'CBS Evening News' anchor
      Jeff Glor in Scotland on Saturday, President Trump
      named the European Union -- comprising some of
      America's oldest allies -- when asked to identify his
      'biggest foe globally right now.'
      "'Well, I think we have a lot of foes. I think the
      European Union is a foe…
"
      CBSNews

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