Sunday, November 06, 2011

Quote of the Day

If people can’t comprehend what it means to work for larger goals than their own interest, if they actually consider any deviation from self-service somehow a sign of phoniness, we, as a nation, are lost. - Paul Krugman

But.. but.. Atlas Shrugged!

Krugman's point concerns our ability to advocate policy against our own self interest. A lot of liberal's do this out of a sense of empathy. Conservatives do it because they're really fucking stupid.

I've pretty much given up on the whole thing, because, as Krugman points out, "we, as a nation, are lost". I think that's true, which is why I drone on and on about how important it is for you (and I don't just mean "you" in a generic sense, I mean those of you I know who read my blog) need to get some money stockpiled. Sure, you might get hit by a bus and all that saving would have been for naught.. but odds are you're going to get old, and you're going to need financial stability.

It took me a long time to figure that out. I never got much in the way of sound advice from anyone, and when you're younger, retirement seems like an esoteric idea that you can worry about later. It's getting to the point where you have to work on it before you leave school, and make it a life long habit.

Remember.. something like 68% of Americans don't have $1000 in emergency cash to rely on. Those people are going to get old. Who is going ensure they don't end up in a park, surviving on cat food?

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