An Economy Question?

Personally, I can't tell you the last time I have paid to go to a movie because of my personal budget crisis.

Now, on the other hand, sometimes my workplace will pay for me to go (activities with the children.) It is cheaper than a lot of things we could do.

 

Well personally I don't go to the movies and pay big money to enrich the hollywood perverts and America hating elitists.:laugh: :laugh:

I suspect that, even though the democrats seemingly have an answer to their 8 year chain prayer for an economic downturn, if a new video game came out people would be sleeping in the streets to be one of the first buyers. Remember the new Apple phone a few months back.:BangHead:

 

It would seem so, but history would tell us it works differently. Here is a quote I found about this subject I thought you might find interesting.

"One interesting aspect of cinema attendance is that during the Great Depression, which swept the United States in the 1930's, a higher percentage of the population went to the cinema each week than during the times of economic expansion and great prosperity the U.S. has seen since." She offers the standard explanation of this observed phenomenon: "During the Depression, cinemas provided an escape from life and the plague of problems that accompanied it in the tough time. A major function of the cinema was a source of entertainment and a way for people to forget their troubles with stories that almost always had happy endings. After all, films at the local cinema very rarely depicted the unpleasant realities about life in America during those times."

 

That is an interesting theory that might well explain it. Maybe people just swing by the theaters to get away from it all for a couple of hours.

 

Years ago I came across some statistics on what America as a whole spent on various things. I can't remember all of the details, but this survey was based on either a five or ten year time span.

What was really interesting to me was what percentages of America's net reported incomes (i.e., after all the taxes [local, state & federal]) were factored in) was spent on (i.e., food, shelter, clothing, etc.).

Now, this survey wasn't complied by some "religious" polling company (e.g., the Barna group). Instead it was done by some very respected "secular" organization--something like the Gallop company or some other well-known "secular" group like that.

Even though it was years ago, I still remember this statistic:

Total percentage of money spent on pet food in one year was something like 15 to 20 times more than the total percentage of money that was spent on "missionary" work!!

Luke 12:34 tells us that where our treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Now, I'm not saying that it's a sin to have pets and buy food for them, but I wonder if God sees feeding our pets as being 15 to 20 times more important than "missionary" work.

Last time I checked, I don't think that Jesus told us to go ye therefore and feed our pets 15 to 20 times more than you ought to care about financing missionary work.

Is it entirely possible that when we spend that little on "missionary work" as compared to pet food that we as a society we've become like the Epehsian church of Revelation 2:4 and have "lost our first love"?

If it is possible, then what Revelation 2:5 told the church at Ephesus what would surely happen to them might just be what may happen to us as a nation "except thou repent."

 

The movies also did well during the Great depression. I think it provided an escape. Of course now with everyone having TV and the Internet we have cheaper choices.

 

One would think that in times like these the most frivilous items in a budget would go. Internet, cell phones, and resteraunts come to mind. If we go out to eat on a Saturday or Sunday, say to a Fridays or a Cracker Barrel, they are still packed. Yet, car sales, house sales, and appliance sales are at a stand still. Maybe it just has not gotten bad enough to affect the lower price entertainment. Concerts and casinos around here are still packed.

 

You want my take? It really isn't as bad as the media is painting it. They sell more papers and get more TV viewers when there is negative news to report.

No doubt that times are hard, but they aren't as bad as the media would have us think. I fully expect a booming economy to occur on or shortly after Inauguration Day. Lots of folks like us are putting more cash towards paying off unsecured debt so that we can get in on some of the bargains that will be popping up in the next few months.

 

I predict a miraculous recovery after Jan 20, 2009. Most people still believe that the Great Depression ended shortly after FDR became president. It did not end until WWII. As Hondo would say "convenient".

 

We should all watch a documentary on the Great Depression.

What we are going through now isn't in the same area code. It's not as bad, not as widespread, and very few are doing without essentials (not to mention...our list of "essentials" is several times as long as in 1930).

Most of us have it pretty good...myself included.

 

One line of thinking is that with a tight budget, movies are one of the cheaper forms of entertainment compared to things like live-theatre, sports games, restaurants, vacations and road trips. I personally disagree with that because I find the movie theatres to be a rip off, but I can see how some may perceive it that way if they go out and spend a lot on a regular basis on entertainment.