The Cost of Paradise

Ninety-five percent of the US (world) is affordable but people want to move into the five percent that isn't, and so prices keep escalating higher.  That is also the problem of most of the major metropolitan areas all over the world -- San Francisco, New York, Tokyo, London, even the Portlands and Seattles.

So the trick is to find those places that are undervalued -- rather than stampeding to those places spending millions to convince people they need to come over and drive up the real estate prices even further -- so that even those living in grass shacks, can think they are millionaires, living in paradise.

The value of money, is what it can be exchanged for -- and if it is for very little, then the "quality" of life is low, even though the "cost" of living may be high.  If there are a lot of dollars chasing few goods, then the prices will be high -- and if the appeal is only to those with a lot of money, then all the residents have to spend in that environment whether they want to or not.

That may be quite all right with those who are retired with great wealth or generous pensions, but it will be very difficult for those without those means dependent on any job to compete with those who have those advantages, and so a great part of young people's education in Hawaii, should be to prepare them to live elsewhere -- and to examine the many options open to them.  As it is, many are convinced that Hawaii is the only place they can live -- which makes life difficult, and so many just give up -- creating many of the problems of society -- thinking that the only way they can get ahead, is to lie, cheat and steal.

So the problems also increase -- of relentless competition for everything -- instead of ever being able to relax, and enjoy the bounty of the earth.  Many growing up in such urban environments, are incredulous to think that food can grow from dirt, and that people have to work to make it happen.  They believe that food appears because of government edicts -- and not that these are things that people can do for themselves because of the human desire to be productive -- and not just have a high-paying job in which they can do as little as possible, for a lifetime.

Then when everybody thinks that way, there are a lot of people with money, but nobody is producing anything, and so the cost of everything, is high.  And the unions demand even more for doing less.  So why is the high cost of living a mystery -- when to any thinking person, it is inevitable?