History will certainly record that Karl Marx made some of the all-time worst social interpolations. Communism was [and still is] a pipe dream. Just the same, the man was pure economic genius [for his day]. Perhaps the most brilliant thing he uttered was, "Under Capitalism, people are commodities, things have relationships." You can certainly see this manifestation in every mature Western economy where neighborhoods are defined not by their inhabitants, but instead, by the value of homes and cars, random people [with economic potential] plugged in to service the debt.

The fact that our cars have gone down in value [actually, the value of a Jaguar-dollar has gone up!] is seen by many as a bad thing, but it is the way free-markets are designed to work. Increasing prices in a Capitalist economy are a sign of contamination [price fixing, lack of competition, inflationary monetary policy, etc.]. Decreasing prices are a sign that the economy is working properly. Of course, TPTB will tell you just the opposite, but don't they always? Bankers and inflation are like peas in a pod.

The world doesn't really need cars that very few can afford, but that's all we have. What is really needed is a great USD10K car which we could have if you get rid of most of the regulations, all of the debt, and allow the car market to operate properly [as a cash market]. Imagine people out there with USD1000.+ car payments...complete fools supported by every layer of society. Imagine buying a USD125K pick-up truck? People are simply out of their minds.

So, instead of lamenting that your 50, 75, 100 thousand dollar F Type is worth MUCH LESS now, take solace in idea that the economy is beginning to self-regulate and the process of clearing out six decades and 200TUSD of debt is underway. If the result is that our cars are worth USD10K at the end of the day, then we can feel much better that the financial and economic travesty our generation unleashed on our children [and theirs'] is being righted in some meaningful way.

 

Post is spot on and I agree, but disagree with this statement to a point. On one hand, absolutely exists. I have a good friend who lives in Northern VA and this paradigm is sickeningly pervasive. However, this is generally a false equivalency. In areas outside of these large metropolitan areas, which I believe accounts for 70%-80%, communities are far more defined by the people than the things you mentioned. I digress, though, as this isn't really the main focus of your message.

No regulations? But then how would the rich get richer and the politicians and bureaucrats exist!? (It surely does take a lot of money to go 'green', eh?)For shame for such a suggestion. The powers that be, whoever that may be, have done a fantastic job of exploiting FOMO and "Keeping up with the Jones" to utterly *******ize and polarize most of what the capitalistic economies in the western world. As such, Capitalism in the proper form, cannot work appropriately. Capitalism works perfectly, but only if used properly.

 

I've lived mostly in small towns in my adult life, so whereas the degree might be different, the principle remains the same. Whereas in Silicon Valley you might see a neighborhood of completely diverse people with nothing in common other than their ability to do whatever these people do, the small town is divided up more traditionally, that is, the professionals live over here, the blue collar folks over there, the farmers, of course, out there, so on and so forth. The more specialized the economy becomes, the more social relations seem to breakdown.

It's a miracle that the system still works as well as it does considering the massive amounts of corruption both baked in the cake and added over and above. Just look at what the banking system alone has done to this world...yet it keeps on keeping on. You have to hand it to the bankers. Imagine if the commodity you were selling [debt] was everything. Bankers turned everything into debt [even money].

 

Certain political party has absolutely adopted the ideology and tactics of
Karl Marx and Saul Alinsky. Their Bible, Rules for Radicals.

 

To their owners, F-Types are worth far more than market value.

 

and I'm also glad it's paid off in Sept., I'm not upside down and I still love the car!