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Thread: Say no to recession and fight it off

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    Say no to recession and fight it off

    We are not economists. We are far from that.
    We are businessmen, citizens of the US, people who are tired of being bombed every single day with the ‘R’ Word. We are tired and disappointed with the constant reminder of the rough economy and difficult times we are going through.

    Have you noticed how delighted all experts are when talking about the Recession?
    It is by far the most spoken word lately, in the mouth of every expert or not.
    We are tired of this gloom and the imposed despair, and we decided to act.

    Recent studies show that eight to ten people are experiencing some serious financial and social stress, because of the current economic situation and mostly because of the despair and fear cultivated and enforced by everyone around them.
    Economists and psychologists say that recessions tend to make nearly everyone less happy.

    We agree, it is not a good time.
    But, what are we doing for that?
    How do we expect to survive a harsh time if we do not stand up and fight?
    How can we let the psychological factor influence and affect us, making us look as sour as the GDP numbers?
    Attitude is what makes a difference in difficult times and if we don’t act and pro-act now, we will never do. We cannot afford to accept the recession, because that will take us further down than we are.

    We have to keep in mind that we are not completely oblivious of the responsibilities. Yes the current state of economy is a resultant of many denominators such as gas prices, bankruptcies, foreclosures and stock market crash or currency drop, but all of us as businessmen and consumers have some part in it.

    How do we contribute to the current state of our economy?


    We all prefer selling and buying imported goods from other countries because they are cheaper, even though their quality is poorer.
    We know that by preferring imported goods to domestic goods will hurt our own economy, by depriving our companies and manufacturers from customers and bigger sales.
    The price on the tag is cheaper probably and that looks appealing, but we don’t realize that we will need to pay the ‘bill’ later on. That is what happens now.
    Local Manufacturing is afflicted and our economy is bleeding jobs in an inconceivable pace.
    If we cut on buying locally made goods and turn again to cheaper products, we will hurt our economy even more.
    What do we really need to be doing:

    > Concentrate on the change,
    > Optimize our products and our services,
    > Identify ways to reduce our costs by increasing efficiency, and being creative,
    > Support the local economy and the local manufacturers,
    > Sell our products in reasonable and fair prices, so we sell more,
    > Focus our efforts on the satisfaction of the average consumer,


    We need to act as citizens that love their country and don ’t give up until they see it rise and flourish.

    Recession is a state of mind above all. If we change that mentality, we will change the route of the economy.

    Be positive, keep your optimism and faith, keep on leading your lives the way you did. Consume the products you need every day, do business in and with your community, and fight off the recession.

  2. Thank given for this post:

    Blurock (02-May-13), wynn (02-May-13)

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    Diamond Member Blurock's Avatar
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    Wow Stelio, I could not have said it better. Every time you buy an imported product at the expense of a locally produced product, you are exporting a job. Do we really want to be exporters of jobs?

    I agree, let's be more positive, lets be more creative and lets be more patriotic. Buy local!
    Excellence is not a skill; its an attitude...

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    How do you overcome the recession: BUY LESS STUFF especially on credit and especially from abroad. Why do you buy the new BMW, why do you have to have the new cellphone, why do you have to have the latest fashion?

    We do this because we are no longer able to create for ourselves, we no longer get joy from planting a garden, from building a treehouse, from drawing, painting, reading a book nor taking a stroll. No, we have fooled ourselves into believing that happiness can be bought, that happiness comes in a box or in the latest colour.

    The problem that the western world faces is that the ever spinning cycle of buying happiness on credit has caught its own tail. Maybe we should simply think twice about buying the latest car and stop feeding the snake called consumption.

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    I have to add a thought given that the original post was written by an American for Americans. But you lot don't think twice about invading a country, destroying every solitary thing in that country, and then charging that country top dollar to repair all the damage that you had done. Now the question is this: When you lot repair all the damamge you had done do you use American products and American labour or do you use local labour and cheap Chinese products. You may gather from this post that I have very little compassion for the American recession given the way that they treat the world economy and other nations.

  6. Thanks given for this post:

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    Platinum Member pmbguy's Avatar
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    Stelio
    It hurts me, but I must agree with most of what has been said.
    I personally have great respect for Americans, but there are some big problems.

    What is your personal view on US foreign policy?
    It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. – Charles Darwin

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    Diamond Member Blurock's Avatar
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    Was the thread intended as support of US policy or was it in support of a positive attitude?

    If we do not do something to support our manufacturing industry and just blindly continue to import cheap crap, we are doomed to failure. Just look at how many thousands of jobs have been lost in the textile industry. It is because we as consumers believed the retailers who said that they buy South African, but the label clearly shows China. Remember that you can never return anything that is imported, but you can always negotiate with a local supplier.
    Excellence is not a skill; its an attitude...

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    Not everything that is imported is cheap crap and not everything made locally is good. Why do locals leave rural areas where they can grow their own food (if they get off their asses) and come to the cities to beg for money, buy MacDonalds and speak crap on their cellphones. It is because people want stuff, they want cellphones and MacDonalds. I often speak to the local street corner beggars and none of them have been able to give me a sensible answer for not growing a carrot.

    No matter if you ban all imports, unless you get the masses to get off their asses and do something for themselves (other than beg and demand) you ain't going anywhere. The problem is not with cheap imports, the problem is the local mindset of mediocrity where the masses have been taught that the world owes them. Look at the taxi industry, if they don't get their way they simply shoot one another and destroy infrastructure - remember this bunch of thugs represent local industry.

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    Diamond Member Justloadit's Avatar
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    Haaa the entitlement debate, the world owes me because we produced a a world icon, we can now rest on our laurels and starve.
    Victor - Knowledge is a blessing or a curse, your current circumstances make you decide!
    Solar pumping, Solar Geyser & Solar Security lighting solutions - www.microsolve.co.za

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    As far as US foreign policy, I share adrianh's sentiment fully...but politics does not interest me much. All goverments let all their citizens down, all the time. I am only interested in whatever comes from whoever that could asist us in underestanding the world of business. This forum should be a network of valuable ideas exchange.

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    Diamond Member Blurock's Avatar
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    I am totally against banning imports. That will destroy a free economy. What I am against is what our retailers have done to our textile industry. Instead of working with their suppliers and strengthening their supply chains, they all climbed on the bandwagon to make a quick buck. Did the price of clothing come down? NO! It went up, and quality came down. The retailers only made bigger profits and now they cannot find decent local suppliers.

    They also tried to bullshit the consumers in believing that they were supporting local industry in creating jobs. What they actually did was to send their buyers with local suppliers to China and India to procure garments there. It would then be sold here under a local label.

    I am also against the attitude of a BEE lady that once approached me for finance on a big tender to procure goods for a government department. She wanted money to import the goods from China while the same product was being made locally. China was about 10% cheaper, but not after factoring in finance cost, duties, transport and insurance. She was not at all concerned that she could possibly put 400 - 500 people out of work. As long as she made her buck it was OK.
    Excellence is not a skill; its an attitude...

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