Rob Cheng's Blog
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24Feb-13
It’s the Trade Deficit, Stupid

It’s been four years since the greatest economic melt down since the great depression. The underlying reason behind this depression is the economic structure of American and European banks. In addition to that, there is a more insidious problem with the American economy – the trade deficit.

America is perhaps the greatest nation in the history of civilization because it had the largest sustained trade surplus in the history of time. Starting in the early 1900’s, American products and innovation led the entire world and the many American inventions, products and companies made the world as we know it today. Included in this list is the light bulb, the radio, the television, the car, the airplane, and of course the computer. These were American products that were designed and manufactured in the United States. These products were also exported throughout the world.

We ran a hug trade surplus that drove the highest standard living in the entire world. It is the trade surplus that creates true jobs and sustains the economy. When a country has a trade surplus, then all the other related jobs such as policemen, barbers, stock brokers, accountants and everything other category rises naturally. The trade surplus is the tide that lifts all boats. Read More
4Feb-13
Prescription Drugs and Death

I was watching the NFL playoff games a few weeks ago, and there was an advertisement for a new anti depressant. Just like all the drug industry ads, it was a very slick with happy people who against all odds beat their depression because of this new wonder drug. The back drop of the happy people continued but the announcers voice got serious. It warned of thoughts of violence and suicide. Half of the ad was devoted to the horrible unintended side effects of this drug.

If one has depression in the United States, there is only one basic treatment – DRUGS. My wife was very depressed due to post partum depression after the birth of our second child. We went to a psychiatrist, and it was definitely spooky. She essentially told us that she had no idea on how to treat her depression. She then showed an incredible list of drug options. We would start with one and then move to others if they did not work. She warned of thoughts of violence and suicide as well. Literally, if a depressed person took these drugs, there is an increased risk of violence and suicide.

What happened at Sandy Hook? The kid, Adam Lanza, by all accounts had some psychological issues. I would bet strongly since their family was well to do, that Adam saw numerous psychiatrists and he was constantly on some medication. Could the last medication been enough to set him on a suicidal homicidal rampage?

Shortly before the massacre in Connecticutt, we learned that one of our football heros, Junior Seau, had committed suicide. Like Lanza, he was depressed and well to do. So it seems like the only logical conclusion that Seau was also on some depression medication prescribed by some doctor.

When my wife was going through her depression, we both came to the conclusion that these drugs are not worth it. The doctors by their own admission have no idea how these drugs work or whether the outcome could be disastrous. Furthermore, no one knows, including the doctors, the FDA nor the drug companies themselves understand the long term ramification of taking these drugs over an extended period of time. As we are learning, there are also considerations for society as a whole when one of their patients goes on a drug induced rampage.

I am not on any medications and I don’t plan to be on any. I don’t have a problem taking an anti biotic to kill an infection, but I walk away from any drug that they require you to take for months, years or the rest of your life.