The value of a stock or bond can go down as well as up. But the key here is what happens in the long run. Yet, Pop-Tarts continue to be inserted into toasters. They've got solid confirmation now that there is a black hole at the center of the galaxy. In the U.S., it's getting easier all the time to ring up the Internet.
Computers get cheaper and cheaper every year, more and more accessible.
Chances are, if you're not on line already, getting there just isn't very high on your 'to do' list. I mean really BIG on a free press. It's all about who you know and what you can give them in return for what they give you. Every 10 years we take a census so that new political lines can be drawn for Congress and the state legislatures. It's the state legislatures that draw the lines, which are then ratified like any other piece of legislation.