Early Retirement

[lvdkeyes]

DAMN STOCK MARKET

Let's just say Damned Bush who caused the stocks to crash. I lost 1/3 of my investments. Guess who I will not be voting for in November.

[thaifarang]

thaifarang, being Dutch I wonder if you support Geert Wilders?

No. He is not serious. He is too extreme. One of the things he wants is 'ban the Koran'. Obviously not possible and too extreme. Other thing "close all mosks". Obviously not possible (it would violate freedom of religion) and too extreme. Etc. He is just too extreme. I can't take him seriously.

But the Muslim immigration in Europe poses a danger for our freedoms. Most Muslim immigrants hate us, hate the West and what we stand for. They love our social security by the way.

Most are not potential terrorists, thats true, but not because they are moderate. Many Muslims support or can understand the terrorists.
Many Muslims first identity is their religion, then their home country and then their adopted country. The average Moroccon Muslim in the Netherlands identifies in the first place as Muslim, then as Moroccon and then as Dutch. A succesfull society can not work when huge chunks of its inhabitants don't identitify with it and don't want to identify with it and don't contribute to its wellfare (most of them don't work, receive social security, are in crime).

Also the greater their presence the more it impacts our freedoms. Many schools can't discuss the Holocaust anymore because Muslim children in the class will not allow it, will stand up, disrupt class. When classes hold a minute of silence for the victims of terrorist attacks Muslim children in class break the silence (which tells you a lot about what is privately said in their households when they discuss the terrorist attacks). It has become now impossible to have a theater show for example which critices Mohammed or the Islam as religion. No museum will have the courage to show Mohammed drawings.

I think the social fabric will break down. We need immigrants, but from Eastern Asia for example. They integrate well, don't cause problems, have the will and drive to better their live and study well and get good jobs and want to integrate. They don't have that tribal mentality Muslims have. The average Muslim will always support the Muslim side in a conflict. Because it is what he identifies with in the first place and because of a tribal mindset ("you always support your clan even if they are wrong").

Any person who thinks a bit will have to worry about the future of Europe. It is not bigotry to want less Muslim immigration. To want to deport those Muslims who cause problems. Who preach hatred. It is a sensible thing to do. Sadly there is no party which has this sensible platform. Or the party is too extreme (Wilders) or not willing to truly tackle the issues. I want for example any Muslim to be deprived of his Dutch nationality when he clearly makes clear not to identify as Dutch. For example when Turks say on Dutch tv "I am Turk and Turkey is my country, even while I live here and I hate the West, we will take over, Islam will become the greatest relgion here" then give my one reason why he can keep his Dutch pasport and is not deported to Turkey?

We need to enforce our values and defend them. Take action. Don't give in. We give in so much in the hope it will appease them and avoid conflict.

[Gaybutton]

No. He is not serious. He is too extreme.

This topic is about early retirement. Let's stick with the topic. Once again, if anyone wants to post about something entirely different, such as Muslim immigration, please start a new topic.

[Undaunted]

thaifarang though your post will be the last of its kind on this thread I must say it was well thought out and insightful.

[Up2u]

DAMN STOCK MARKET

Let's just say Damned Bush who caused the stocks to crash. I lost 1/3 of my investments. Guess who I will not be voting for in November.

Ditto here.

[Daniel]

I think there is a difference between ceasing paid work, because you have sufficient funds to be able to do so, and receiving a private and/or State pension. I was able to stop paid work when I was 31, but I don’t receive my private pension until I’m 55.

[Jun]

Blaming Bush for losing 1/3rd of your stocks is a little unfair.

Overall, the stock market goes up & down. You should expect wild drops occasionally. Since the last crash, markets have recovered and often increased in value. I blame myself for not buying more stock in 2009.

For anyone in the accumulation phase, crashes are an opportunity.

[thaiworthy]

Blaming Bush for losing 1/3rd of your stocks is a little unfair.

Hindsight. But sometimes we must live a while in the darkest and bleakest times after each financial collapse. No one knows the future. We live short lives and must somehow survive in the valleys of economic chaos. Every financial advisor will say same, to ride out the storm. But if you're being blown overboard, it will do you no good. It can be a very nasty turbulent storm with no assurances of when it will end. Is Bush accountable for this mess? Yes. Is it unfair? No. There are winners and losers. So many consider themselves lucky to have escaped ruin, including real estate values. Since when has fate ever been completely fair to everyone?

Mr. Bush, IMHO was the worst President the USA has ever known. He caused my job loss at age 60, after I made millions for the company during my 17 years there.

One day it will be Showtime for him. When that sorry, pussy-faced idiot fries to a crisp in the blazes of Hell, I will be laughing my head off and munching popcorn. Now that's fair.

[Up2u]

Blaming Bush for losing 1/3rd of your stocks is a little unfair.

Overall, the stock market goes up & down. You should expect wild drops occasionally....

I lost a lot more than 1/3 during the greatest recession since the Great Depression and yes it was primarily Bush's neoliberal economic policies combined with massive tax cuts primarily for the rich, that took the Clinton 127 billion dollar surplus and converted it to a 1.4 trillion dollar deficit. The pain of the great recession was completely unnecessary, not a simple business cycle.

[Alex]

Mr. Bush, IMHO was the worst President the USA has ever known. He caused my job loss at age 60, after I made millions for the company during my 17 years there.

I read something like that often. Isn't that between you and your employer, how does President Bush come into play? Either you are overestimating your value to the company, or you failed to negotiate adequate compensation. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself.

I dislike President Obama, I really do, but if I lost my job during his presidency and had the feeling that I didn't get paid well enough before, I wouldn't blame him.