Governments are world's major manipulators. The primary purpose of any Government's manipulation is to create an illusion of well being among its citizens. The North Korean government no doubt has some of its citizens convinced that they are living in a "Workers' Paradise." As a government gets its citizens to wear rose colored glasses, they act in ways that help government enhance national economic illusion. If a government projects a positive economic picture, people buy products and services and economy improves temporally. If government keeps mortgage rates below inflation rates, more people buy houses and there is a construction boom. People act upon their perceptions and not upon underlying reality.

Societies act upon their social and economic perceptions, until those perceptions collide with economic reality. It's major collisions between economic illusion and reality that creates economic cycles. Meanwhile, for those who can see illusion, there are always opportunities to profit from vision. From OTC to NYSE, stock market is a world of pure illusion. If you see difference between Market's reality and public illusion, you can consistently win by speculating in stocks. If you realize that advertising is hype, you read labels at Supermarket. If you know that Government statistics are biased, you find formula that has them better reflect underlying reality. If you hear Voice in Wilderness that claims that economic salvation is gold ownership, you read economic history and realize that gold is a false god.

You don't have to be a Machiavellian to realize need to question everything people want you to believe. If you act upon perceptions, you will eventually be a loser in game of life. If any decision is important to you, check out information before you act upon it.

Consolidating debt requires discipline. Some spenders cease spending only when their credit cards are at their limit. Transferring debt to a home equity loan clears credit card balance and reduces it to zero. The debt still exists; bill just comes from a different company. Once bill is back to zero, compulsive spenders may not be able to resist urge to spend more. This will leave them with both a home equity debt and additional credit card debt, making a bad situation even worse.

Debt consolidation through home equity loans is a great way to reduce debt. Debtors just need to be aware that they are risking their home when they do so and that additional spending discipline is required. Many debtors may benefit from simply canceling their credit card accounts once debt is transferred to home equity loan. Reducing debt is always a good idea. Debtors just need to make sure that they don’t run up more debt or lose their home in trying to do so.