Kevin:

I have spoken many times about the MONEY LIE in the past:

01) First, in school --- didn't you ever wonder why they never taught any REAL LIFE mathematics? Because I sure did. In fact --- I would ask my math teachers why there weren't any lessons on how to do such mundane tasks as balancing a checkbook, how to pick investments, or even give an UNDERSTANDABLE explanation between SIMPLE and COMPOUND interest.

By the way --- COMPOUND INTEREST is what you are being charged by the bank --- while SIMPLE INTEREST is what you are being paid in interest for money you have on deposit. Just like the Las Vegas casinos --- there is no way to win under these circumstances.

02) The HOME MORTGAGE LIE costs you and everyone else who has a mortgage a minimum of $200,000 more than should be reasonably expected that anyone pay. On average --- ALL holders of home mortgages buy THREE HOUSES just to live in ONE HOUSE.

And Kevin --- please spare me the "But Kent, that's just the way things are done" speech --- the FEDERAL RESERVE BANKING SYSTEM is a corrupt private banking cartel --- and they have their hands in most people's pockets on a daily basis.

Kevin --- you can look this up if you want to:

The FEDERAL RESERVE BANK has NOTHING to do with the US federal government --- it is NOT a part of the Treasury Department! it is privately owned by members of the GLOBAL ELITE. Their shareholders are never named (but I know who they are) and if you ever ask when inside your local bank --- all you will be referred to are the member banks --- whom they identify as their SHAREHOLDERS.

However, these are not the real OWNERS of the criminal cartel that is known as the FEDERAL RESERVE BANK.

03) The high-interest credit card scam is laid out in the same manner as the home mortgage scam as I mention above. The MINIMUM PAYMENT if it is used exclusively --- will stretch out your payments for as much as THIRTY YEARS (sound vaguely familiar?) --- and that $1,000 that you "borrowed" on that card could end up costing you as much as $4,000 by the time the last payment is made.

04) Most people I know do not even know how to go food shopping for the BEST VALUE. I'll give you an example of my father's wife --- the wife of his FIFTH MARRIAGE --- the last woman he was married to before his death in April 1995:

She would go to three stores to do the complete bit of food shopping --- thinking she was saving money. An example is that in one store --- they might have laundry soap on sale for twenty- five cents cheaper than the two other stores.

However, by the time she would get done shopping at the three stores --- she ended up spending much more TIME and GASOLINE than she ever saved in $$$$ by attempting to shop in multiple stores.

I attempted to explain to her that she was actually LOSING MONEY and not SAVING MONEY --- but people like this do not like to be told that they are making the WRONG DECISIONS.

Today --- this woman STILL shops at multiple food stores --- and she actually WASTES much more TIME AND MONEY than she ever SAVES.

05) Most people do not know about --- let alone understand --- the concept of OPPORTUNITY COST:

http://www.netmba.com/econ/micro/cost/opportunity/

OPPORTUNITY COST is the total and complete cost of acquiring goods and services. It calls into consideration EVERY SINGLE ASPECT of acquisition --- all of your TIME and MONEY plus other aspects of the transaction that drive up the cost.

For example Kevin --- if you and Mrs. G go out to the movies --- your OPPORTUNITY COST is much more than the cost of the movie tickets and the popcorn and soda. OPPORTUNITY COST also calls into consideration the cost of a babysitter, mileage and wear and tear on your automobile, and every other aspect of the transaction.

I could go on and on and on about this subject --- and here I have barely scratched the surface.

I do cover this in much greater detail in my book in the chapter entitled WHAT THE WEALTHY TEACH THEIR CHILDREN ABOUT MONEY, THAT THE MIDDLE CLASS DOES NOT.

Getting back to the HOME MORTGAGE for a moment --- because my house was purchased in CASH --- these banking scum send me on average between FIFTY and SEVENTY-FIVE credit card applications each and every month for the entire SIX YEARS we have owned this house.

Thus, in the 74 months we have been at this address --- we have received a minimum of 3,500 credit card applications. And, there is NO POSSIBLE WAY to take my name off these lists! It got so bad that I had to purchase a paper shredder (confetti cut, and not cut into strips) just for this alone. However --- I could have HUNDREDS of credit cards if I wanted. Each and every one of these applications come in PRE-APPROVED. I also get a ton of those second mortgage applications and home equity loan applications, as well.

Even though all of this is completely verifiable --- this is NEVER taught in the compulsory public education system in which we are all required to participate.

They NEVER teach the TRUTH about math because then a person is much more difficult to TAKE ADVANTAGE OF as they become adults.

The fact that proper math is NOT being taught in public schools was clearly evident when you failed to understand the SPECIFIC NUMBERS that I posted about the U.S. ECONOMY that prove that Ronald Reagan has done much more damage to this country than he helped with his REAGANOMICS. I posted SPECIFIC NUMBERS which clearly show this pattern of screwing over the people of this country --- and you just didn't understand WHY those numbers reflected badly upon Reagan's fiscal doctrine.

THIS by the way --- is proof that what I am saying here is absolutely correct --- and YOU helped me to prove it, Kevin G. So, I thank you for helping me to prove my point.

Here is my original posting about the subject of Reagan's financial destruction of the USA:

KEVIN G --- YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND DO YOU? (June 14, 2004)

http://tinylink.com/?ORO3jRPMwF

I hope that this answers your question Kevin G.

KDB = Buffalo, NY USA