Tribe may have had it's issues, but it's back to being right on.
Myspace is owned by Rupert Murdoch, who owns fox. umm.. nuff said.
Facebook is a Microsoft thing. And we all know how smooth that shit is.
and they own your content.
Tribe, on the other hand, remains a rad site. Cheers to radness.

May I spew for a second on this economic mess? This is all IMHO and a product of musings, research and a grand attempt at trying to see the world for what it is. Subject always to revision and different points of view.

SO...why are we in such an economic pile of doo doo? In a capitalist culture, the bottom line is always Profit. The idea of Profit has been the single largest force in shaping this society and our reality. And it is the idea of profit “without regard” that has done in this economy…
The end result of WWII was a divide of the planet in terms of markets and access to cheap raw materials, with the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. the major players. Both became the predominant market force drivers with the U.S. later becoming the clear economic center with the fall of the Soviet Union. This position allowed the U.S. unprecedented access to markets and cheap raw goods. A U.S. presence economically was then partnered with a U.S. Military presence. Massive wealth flowed to the U.S., and massive growth. To fuel this type of growth, it was necessary for banks to be able to put out very large lines of credit and for companies to accrue large amounts of debt. While not a new concept, “debt” was taken to new highs during this period as did spending. Banks made staggering amounts on interest.
As wealth flowed into this nation wages, by necessity, had to rise. The dollar became the number one currency in the world. This resulted in a very high standard of living. However, in comparison to third world nations, U.S. wages became relatively too high. That fact combined with the dollar’s buying power made third world nations very attractive to corporations that wished to increase its profits by decreasing its expenditures.

Hence, as globalization has taken hold, big business (corporations) have moved industry out of U.S. in order to increase revenue—i.e. profit (cheaper raw materials, much cheaper labor, and no importation tax to bring finished goods back into the country, cheaper environmental compliance, or for that matter, human rights compliance). Banks have funded and invested heavily into these moves.
The significance of losing industry is high. Actual industry creates actual wealth – it is the convergence of raw materials to finished goods which command a price (that is significantly higher than the worth of the raw materials). As industry leaves the nation, actual wealth leaves the nation, not to mention industry employment -- where something tangible is produced.

As this occurs the nation’s “relative” wealth/money grows as a greater profit margin is realized. Stocks go up. This wealth however becomes accumulated at the top. The buying power of the general consumer tentatively remains by money coming back into the economy as a result of this increased profit, although that money typically goes first to the wealthy (directly and through stocks, dividends…etc.) Some of this money then trickles down into the general economy. Meanwhile, as high paying employment leaves and the global profit is concentrated at the top, the gap between rich and poor widens , and the middle class starts to disappear. The American dream however, remains, and it is quickly becoming the norm to attempt to realize the American Dream by financing it with debt.

The general public’s buying power is held constant by the ever increasing credit/debt – the result of expanding the money supply (Banks creating more and more credit and the public taking on more and more debt). Inflation grows, but through credit/debt, money remains plentiful, and the general populace is happy with their SUV and widescreen tv.

For employment, a great percentage of industry jobs have been removed, to be replaced by an equal percentage of service jobs. These types of jobs do not create actual wealth (they are not industry per se). Nor do they command the higher wages of an industry type job. Relative wealth continues to go down and the average American worker must use higher and higher amounts of debt to maintain the style of life.

This brings us to today where banks, in an everlasting need to increase profit, used their powerful lobby to deregulate, allowing them to make staggering sums through commissions and interest while issuing bad mortgages which were quickly taken by average Americans still hoping to realize the American dream and very used to living beyond their means (in debt)… Insurance and bad bets on these mortgages ensue…The economic bubble bursts and there is no real industry (no actual wealth) to fall back on. The world economy, dependent on the number one consumer remaining the number one consumer, feels the hurt. A contraction in the money supply happens (banks are unable or unwilling to issue new debt/credit). As the money supply is contracted, consumer buying power shrinks rapidly, further impacting the labor force, which is now service related. Because a service related labor force depends on the buying power of the consumer, jobs are lost.

And here we are.
In the name of profit, the past generations have bankrupted the economy and sold the present generation into an economic slavery.

IMHO the only way to fix this is:
1. Bring industry jobs back into the country. Green industry comes to mind. Meanwhile, through taxes, tariffs, and regulations, severely curtail the profit margin of large corporations who export our industry abroad. This also reduces our need for a behemoth military which largely exists to protect our interests abroad and guarantee cheap labor and materials (430 military bases abroad, and counting). Earnest investment into green industry and infrastructure will create tangible products and stop the destruction of this planet.

2. Realize that banks and other giant corporations are not your friend. They exist only for profit and their influence into our government and our daily lives is far greater than realized. Institutions such as the Federal Reserve System must be removed. The Federal Reserve is a private corporation comprised of the biggest banks in the country which controls our money supply. They exist for profit and much of your income tax dollars go to them through paying interest on the deficit. This interest is charged by the Federal Reserve (private banks). The Federal Reserve Banks charge the government (*us*) interest when it loans money to the government to make up for deficit spending. The money that is “lent” to the government is created out of thin air, and in doing so, the money supply is expanded, meaning that inflation occurs and every dollar you own is now worth less. It is the biggest scam in the history of the nation and the influence of the banks of the Federal Reserve cannot be fathomed. The money of the nation belongs to the nation, not to private banks. This system shapes, preserves, and supports an economy that is based on debt/credit. Banks, being giant corporations, also increase their profits by shipping industry abroad, which is why banks are the principles in the WTO. With globalization, their profit increases, while the general populace gets stuck with service jobs in an everlasting slavery to pay off their ever-increasing debt.