"US, A Thousand Times Worse Than Greece"

Last night I did my post on Greece and their severe financial situation and their government selling out their country.  But it would not post.  I do not know why.  But since I hate to repeat myself I will just move forward. 
America's financial system is in serious trouble.  We all know it.  Yet, we are truly like the Ostrich with our head buried in the sand.  I believe that Americans are in serious denial.  We go about our daily life as if the party is not going to ever end.  Nevertheless, it will...just like it has in Greece.  And I am afraid it will be far worse for us.  As Americans we have been on top for so long.  We use to be the envy of the World.  It is much harder for those that have had everything (or at least alot) to let go and realize that we aren't who we use to be.  We could be in for a rocky patch.  Personally, I have been amazed that it hasn't come sooner.  After the financial crash of 2008, I thought it was going to be over for us.  But it didn't happen then...but it has only been postponed.  It is coming like a run away train.  And some are about to jump off the train before the crash.  Tonight it was reported by Bloomberg News that Tim Geitner is considering resigning after the debt ceiling debate has ended in August.  Anyway, I came across Marc Farber's (PhD) blog that he wrote a few days ago.  He is the writer of the Gloom Boom and Doom report.  Here is what he says: "So whether we will have a further crisis, I am not so sure, but the global financial system will eventually blow up because we have not solved the problems, we have postponed them. In 2008, the financial sector went bankrupt and the government stepped in with bailouts and as a result of that, government's debt everywhere have gone through the roof and made governments more vulnerable to themselves failing one day, especially in the United States, in my opinion. Jim Chanos always says China is Dubai times a thousand. In my view, the US is Greece like a thousand times."
Just something to think about.  I mean, really, does anyone think we can go on indefinitely this way?

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Dr. Marc Faber Tomorrow's Gold

Dr. Marc Faber author of the Gloom, Boom and Doom report is a world class Investor, Doctor Faber 's typically controversial and contrarian views have earned him the label of Dr. Doom. Doctor Doom also trades currencies and commodity futures like Gold Natural Gas and Crude Oil.Even his harshest critics must admit that he's been unerringly correct in his market forecasts over the past three decades
Dr Marc Faber was born in Zurich, Switzerland. He went to school in Geneva and Zurich and finished high school with the Matura. He studied Economics at the University of Zurich and, at the age of 24, obtained a PhD in Economics magna cum laude. Between 1970 and 1978, Dr Faber worked for White Weld & Company Limited in New York, Zurich and Hong Kong. Since 1973, he has lived in Hong Kong. From 1978 to February 1990, he was the Managing Director of Drexel Burnham Lambert (HK) Ltd. In June 1990, he set up his own business, which acts as an investment advisor and fund manager.

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Weapons of Influence

Today in class we discussed the six techniques that "influence agents" use to shape a desired behavior.  Due to the fact that I have a major test tomorrow in Physical Science which I am not completely prepared for I will only list them tonight.
1. Consistency: We will do things so that we can be consistent.
2. Reciprocity: Obligation..We should return favors.
3. Social Proof: We look to others for validation.
4. Liking: We are more likely to be influenced by people that we like and those that are attractive.
5. Scarcity: Something is offered for a limited time.
6. Authority: We will tend to comply with requests from those of a higher status & power.

B.F. Skinner argues that there is no freewill.  People are just conditioned to react to external reasons for behavior due to rewards of doing something or punishments for not doing something.  I am not saying that I agree with these things.  I am saying this is what I am learning at the University today.  Thought you might like to know.

Are Outcomes Intended?

Today I tested on the article by Caplan & Nelson, On Being Useful.  But I believe it is an important article to keep in mind as we move forward in our understanding of social control & behavioral intervention.  The authors point out that it might seem conspiratorial to think that the outcomes are intended by "dominant economic, social, and political institutions," and political professional change agents.  Nevertheless, I have to try to apply what in learn at the University to real life.  And it makes me wonder how many situations are being created or allowed to occur that must be fixed by the experts in the above mentioned agencies.  It made me think of Greece and their extreme financial situation that is occurring now.  The IMF & ECB has lent so much money to Greece, yet they are on the verge of collapse both financially and politically.  Now they are awaiting the vote of their Parliament to see if they will promise more "austerity" cuts FROM THE PEOPLE, to see if these World Organizations will loan them another 78 billion.  This will keep them from default but at what cost to the people?  The people do not want more cuts from pensions and to pay higher taxes, who would?  Yet, the government is begging for this vote.  All that will occur is to kick the can further down the road.  The new loan will come due just as the last one did. 

I see this coming for the US as well.  We are in severe debt.  The captains of decision have made these decisions for us.  They have created this awful crisis that is coming our way.  They are kicking the can down the road for us as well.  But the day of reckoning will come for Greece, whether it is tomorrow or later.  And it will come for us too.

Mutually Beneficial Exchange Relationships

Do we ever do anything today that we don't think what is in it for me?  When asking a group of 10 year old's today why they should pay tithing, they answered "so we can receive blessings."  Granted they are young & inexperienced but isn't that the object of what we all do?  While studying for a test tomorrow on the article by Caplan & Nelson (previously blogged), I came across the psychological theory of mutually beneficial exchange relationship's.  Caplan & Nelson point out that while trying to solve social problems the professionals will tend to research problems that will "enhance their own position."  It is the approval of their colleagues that gains the attention and sometimes the greatest benefits (Federal funding, career advancement, prestige).  "It is ironic, then, that his career gains will depend more on his contribution to the advancement of his discipline from studying applied problems than on the success or failure of those programs." (Caplan & Nelson, 205).

But it doesn't end there as their stamp of creditability will make the research, findings, and solutions legitimate.  With that the public will agree because "by refusing to accept the hierarchy of credibility, we express disrespect for the entire established order."  Therefore, it becomes fact and is acted upon by social and political change agents with public sanction.  Is there a possibility of abuse in a system based on mutually beneficial exchange?  Could problems be created just to be fixed by the experts?  Are we to quick to accept expert opinion and not try to reason & think for ourselves? Is it possible that we give away some of our anonymity by allowing the professional change agents to change our reality?

 

The ABC's of behavioral control

Control agents of behavioral change have determined the ABC techniques for "large-scale behavior-based intervention."  They have found that consequences play a large role in our behavior.  People will strive for positive consequences and try to avoid negative consequences (shocking!).  The problem is most of our negative behavior has the consequence of being "soon & certain" not "remote & uncertain" (like disease & death). Thus, the way to reach desired behavior is to change the consequences which follow the behavior.  Therefore, consequences control our behavior and activators direct our behavior. 

So the ABC's of behavioral control is activators--->behavior--->consequence.  Think of it this way, high gas prices--->drive less--->less pollution (or whatever control they would like as the desired consequence).  Or gruesome picture on cigarette package--->freaked--->less smokers.  Think about this and you will begin to notice this approach of control to many aspects of our life. 

Professional Change Agents

I read an interesting article today, "On Being Useful: The Nature and Consequences of Psychological Research on Social Problems," by Caplan & Nelson. (available to read on Google Scholar)  They argued that social policy is a reflection of "person-centered" characteristics vs. situational factors.  This was written in 1973 and I am not sure that this is the case today...Nevertheless:

Caplan & Nelson argue that it is in the interest of "program administrators and professional change agents" to maintain "The Law of the Instrument."  Meaning if you give a small boy a hammer, suddenly he discovers that everything needs hammering."  This is applicable to all "experts" in all fields.  Problems are formulated which require the skills and techniques of those that can supply them.  So are change agents solving or creating problems that only they can solve? 

Social control...

Today was Applied Social Psychology.  Social psychologists want to solve social problems.  First, they must understand why people do the behavior they do.  They must understand what comes before the behavior in order to change the behavior.  They must understand people's attitudes, beliefs, values, and social norms so they can solve social problems.  The exact definition is "Social psychology is a basic science aimed at understanding human social behavior & the motivations, cognition's (the act or process of knowing, perception) & emotions related to such behavior."

It won't be easy but should be very enlightening.  This is the stuff that is used on us everyday to get us to do what they want us to do.  Advertisers are pros at applying social psychology to know how to motivate us to buy their products.  Politicians use social psychology to get us to conform to the perceived notions of social utility...what is good for the most people.  It is how to do social control.

The question is are we powerless to fight against coercion if we are not aware it is occurring?