r u tlkg 2 me? rly?...
"Are you talking to me? Really?"
Why, yes I am and I find your communication skills appalling.
I work for a division of a large international education company and am not surprised that they are putting out curriculum for "tweens and teens" on how to communicate in standard English. It is a sorry statement on the public school system and parents, that Americans kids that are native English speakers, have to be taught how to communicate in full sentences and paragraphs with proper grammar and spelling. Especially using a designed curriculum external to what they should already be learning at home and in school.
What I have to say about the need for this could fill volumes. I'll spare you.
What I will comment on though is the adults I know under a certain age, especially the former public school educators I work with, who engage in this dots and dashes connection with others. To them it is perfectly acceptable, although not to any of their work peers, to only correspond in cryptic text messages and instant messaging. Don't ask them to actually read an email or listen to a voice mail either. They're not at all embarrassed about telling the rest of us, when asked if they got the important email or voice mail, with information too complex to send in the contemporary telegraph of text or instant messaging..."Oh...I never read email or listen to voice mail, I just delete them."
I'm willing to accept that as their choice long as they understand that it is also my choice not to engage in discourse with them if they are unwilling to respond in an adult manner. Any complaints to me about their being "left out of the loop" on important matters falls on deaf ears. I do not think it is unreasonable to expect people who work for an educational outfit, who have at a minimum underdergraduate degrees, to be articulate and use standard English sentence structures and make sense when they communicate.
2/17/11
Music Break
Mumford and Sons, The Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan...
Live 2011 Grammy Awards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HlUEnNMVaU
Mumford and Sons "The Cave"
The Avett Brothers "Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promises"
Bob Dylan "Maggie's Farm"
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
Live 2011 Grammy Awards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HlUEnNMVaU
Mumford and Sons "The Cave"
The Avett Brothers "Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promises"
Bob Dylan "Maggie's Farm"
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
2/16/11
Thinking Out Loud
Switching the channel...
On turning the "news" off.
Once I was like a newshound hot on the blood trail of every economic, political, entertainment and social news that I could sniff out. After the events of 9-11-01 I backed off watching TV pretty much completely but still followed news on the internet and by reading. At one time the news was also a common source of conversation in work break rooms, waiting rooms and other public gathering places. As we became homogenized by becoming educated, mainly in the workplace, about what was acceptable to say and not to say in case we should offend someone, public discussion became bland. It was too difficult to deal with the niceties of political correctness we were trained to submit to in order to avoid confrontation, especially at work where there were consequences. News was a minefield for making an error in this new environment and by the nineties most people limited public conversation to the superficial.
Although I still followed news, it was only discussed among trusted people. I started recognizing that not only following news was exhausting, it had become an addiction to always being current. In 2007 when the economic crisis broke out, I decided to see if I could uncover the source of lack of veracity of news media that we absorb in the United States. My suspicion for the previous 15 years was that it was a product, prepared and sold in the mold of the MBA Marketing mindset that permeated our consumer economy was confirmed. It seemed obvious, due to the advent of cable television becoming widespread in urban markets, with multiple channels and cable news. Call me naive for not recognizing this earlier but actually I wasn't that simple-minded, my assumption was that it was marketed to us (Y2K was a perfect example) but there was a kernel of truth in much of it we could discern for ourselves.
The beauty of the internet is that much of the real truth can be ferreted out and the beast of it is that it's not that easy. There are as many charlatans proclaiming all kinds of junk economics, science, political analysis as there always has been in the world. It's just more available. On the other hand there is much truth and factual information to make lie of what is sold in newspapers, television and old mainstream media but it requires a lot of discernment and time to discover it. My conclusion is there is collusion between the power players in traditional mainstream media, government and the financial world. This is a revelation that I recognize is no surprise to any thinking person. It was once easier to distinguish the "MSM" since it was primarily in newsprint and on radio and television but now it has also crossed over and permeates the internet also. The real question is how does the average person stay abreast of current news without having to filter out so much?
Early in 2009 I had enough of following current events and backed off considerably. I still waffle between willful ignorance, a preference a lot of the population seems to opt for, or keeping one eye open for headlines. Realistically I can't turn it all off, primarily because of the intellects I'm around most of the time. It's difficult to not be engaged by intelligent people who have something realistic to say about factual events occurring. Especially since it's a much better kernel truth than what the media would have us believe.
My conclusion is that if I pay close attention to the so-called news media, in all the forms it takes shape, it frustrates me for no useful purpose. It's full of contradictory information about the state of our world, country, economy, politics and social attitudes. My determination is the actuality of where we are as a country fundamentally is we're in a period of change, with severe underlying economic problems being propped up, there is little I can do about it and paying any attention to what the media says is vexing. My answer is to be aware we are in for stormy weather, many people and institutions are unprepared for it and that I cannot afford to let it affect my day to day life.
I base this on one piece of logic. I've weathered enough international, national, local and personal storms and in hindsight, my positive thinking and attitude have in the long term kept me safe and sound through them all.
On turning the "news" off.
Once I was like a newshound hot on the blood trail of every economic, political, entertainment and social news that I could sniff out. After the events of 9-11-01 I backed off watching TV pretty much completely but still followed news on the internet and by reading. At one time the news was also a common source of conversation in work break rooms, waiting rooms and other public gathering places. As we became homogenized by becoming educated, mainly in the workplace, about what was acceptable to say and not to say in case we should offend someone, public discussion became bland. It was too difficult to deal with the niceties of political correctness we were trained to submit to in order to avoid confrontation, especially at work where there were consequences. News was a minefield for making an error in this new environment and by the nineties most people limited public conversation to the superficial.
Although I still followed news, it was only discussed among trusted people. I started recognizing that not only following news was exhausting, it had become an addiction to always being current. In 2007 when the economic crisis broke out, I decided to see if I could uncover the source of lack of veracity of news media that we absorb in the United States. My suspicion for the previous 15 years was that it was a product, prepared and sold in the mold of the MBA Marketing mindset that permeated our consumer economy was confirmed. It seemed obvious, due to the advent of cable television becoming widespread in urban markets, with multiple channels and cable news. Call me naive for not recognizing this earlier but actually I wasn't that simple-minded, my assumption was that it was marketed to us (Y2K was a perfect example) but there was a kernel of truth in much of it we could discern for ourselves.
The beauty of the internet is that much of the real truth can be ferreted out and the beast of it is that it's not that easy. There are as many charlatans proclaiming all kinds of junk economics, science, political analysis as there always has been in the world. It's just more available. On the other hand there is much truth and factual information to make lie of what is sold in newspapers, television and old mainstream media but it requires a lot of discernment and time to discover it. My conclusion is there is collusion between the power players in traditional mainstream media, government and the financial world. This is a revelation that I recognize is no surprise to any thinking person. It was once easier to distinguish the "MSM" since it was primarily in newsprint and on radio and television but now it has also crossed over and permeates the internet also. The real question is how does the average person stay abreast of current news without having to filter out so much?
Early in 2009 I had enough of following current events and backed off considerably. I still waffle between willful ignorance, a preference a lot of the population seems to opt for, or keeping one eye open for headlines. Realistically I can't turn it all off, primarily because of the intellects I'm around most of the time. It's difficult to not be engaged by intelligent people who have something realistic to say about factual events occurring. Especially since it's a much better kernel truth than what the media would have us believe.
My conclusion is that if I pay close attention to the so-called news media, in all the forms it takes shape, it frustrates me for no useful purpose. It's full of contradictory information about the state of our world, country, economy, politics and social attitudes. My determination is the actuality of where we are as a country fundamentally is we're in a period of change, with severe underlying economic problems being propped up, there is little I can do about it and paying any attention to what the media says is vexing. My answer is to be aware we are in for stormy weather, many people and institutions are unprepared for it and that I cannot afford to let it affect my day to day life.
I base this on one piece of logic. I've weathered enough international, national, local and personal storms and in hindsight, my positive thinking and attitude have in the long term kept me safe and sound through them all.
2/15/11
Economic, Social and Geopolitical
A bolt out of the blue...
As events unfold daily in different countries, across mainly the Middle East, once again I'm reminded of the opening lines of PF Sloan's song "Eve of Destruction," made famous in 1965 by Barry McGuire and still well recognized today:
"The eastern world, it is exploding
Violence flaring, bullets loading..."
We live in a tumultuous world but I personally do not believe we are on the eve of destruction. What I do think is we are experiencing another cycle of history and in that sense, events are generally fairly predictable and specific to each era. What is evident now is that we live in an era of significant change, disruptive, uncertain and violent, that can be disturbing but also exciting in context of the narrative of the world.
There is a global shift in power, deep economic dilemmas coupled with currency crisis, political eruptions throughout primarily the Islamic world, major technological and scientific change, creating a multitude of social uncertainties. We seem to be on the cusp of something very big happening in the world around us and what, when, where and how depends on individual interpretations. These range from my historical context, to others views including Biblical prophecy adherents to doomsday believers to New Agers to Zeitgeist followers and more.
I'm a pragmatic man. It appears we are at the nexus of some unascertained change and how that will unfold is unknown to me. I only know I sense something very consequential of large proportions is happening, I trust my instincts, by nature I don't buy into movements that believe they know the outcome. What I do know is most of us can only guess at the most likely course of events.
One thing that has been fairly consistent through time is that in ages such as the one we're in, when humanity as on the verge of a significant shift in thinking it is usually preceded by something quite unexpected and surprisingly, underwhelming common. Like a bolt out of the blue some seemingly small occurrence triggers a chain of events that makes it clear to everyone what happens next.
As events unfold daily in different countries, across mainly the Middle East, once again I'm reminded of the opening lines of PF Sloan's song "Eve of Destruction," made famous in 1965 by Barry McGuire and still well recognized today:
"The eastern world, it is exploding
Violence flaring, bullets loading..."
We live in a tumultuous world but I personally do not believe we are on the eve of destruction. What I do think is we are experiencing another cycle of history and in that sense, events are generally fairly predictable and specific to each era. What is evident now is that we live in an era of significant change, disruptive, uncertain and violent, that can be disturbing but also exciting in context of the narrative of the world.
There is a global shift in power, deep economic dilemmas coupled with currency crisis, political eruptions throughout primarily the Islamic world, major technological and scientific change, creating a multitude of social uncertainties. We seem to be on the cusp of something very big happening in the world around us and what, when, where and how depends on individual interpretations. These range from my historical context, to others views including Biblical prophecy adherents to doomsday believers to New Agers to Zeitgeist followers and more.
I'm a pragmatic man. It appears we are at the nexus of some unascertained change and how that will unfold is unknown to me. I only know I sense something very consequential of large proportions is happening, I trust my instincts, by nature I don't buy into movements that believe they know the outcome. What I do know is most of us can only guess at the most likely course of events.
One thing that has been fairly consistent through time is that in ages such as the one we're in, when humanity as on the verge of a significant shift in thinking it is usually preceded by something quite unexpected and surprisingly, underwhelming common. Like a bolt out of the blue some seemingly small occurrence triggers a chain of events that makes it clear to everyone what happens next.
2/14/11
Geography of the Mind
The real estate of my moods...
Some call it "writer's block" but that seems to me a term more for professional writers who must create some work on a deadline. I have no deadline except the inevitable one that we all face. Besides, it's not just about writing for me either, it's about everything, the panoramic landscape of living.
Over the years I have come to understand intellectually that a lull in my creative self has value but the knowledge makes it no easier nonetheless. It is because I tend to view life itself as a creative endeavor. I'm usually figuring out new ways to do things, see situations in another way, ponder different points of view, read something stimulating, engaging in interesting conversation. It also means acts of creativity, snapping a picture here or there as it strikes me, writing something, creating a video and occasionally a piece of art. I used to do music until I lost my singing voice, an adjustment that caused a real crisis, a story for another time. I do believe though that event helped me understand the terrain a creative soul deals with much better, teaching me a lot about coping with a dry spell. I've never quite understood how some people repeat every day in much the same way and never give it a thought, I see that as incredibly boring, although evidently they do not. To each his own.
When I'm experiencing a lull in creativity, such as I am now, life seems flat, dull, sometimes melancholy and at its worst, fortunately rarely, depressingly black. My field of vision is narrowed and not by choice. It is a good thing I have a strong sense of self (some would argue, especially my sister, far too strong) and I recognize that it will pass and usually when it does, I burst with a maniacal creativity which would leave some (especially my sister) to believe I'm manic depressive. That's an incorrect diagnosis, it is much more mood swings, going from a lull to being charged up with ideas. I tend to think that is not unique among creative thinkers.
The real estate of my mind crosses this Saharan desert condition, with meager oasis scattered in between, every once in awhile and if I wanted to I could map the path it takes. It's enough that I know it is usually seasonal and occurs around this time every year, briefly in the very dead of summer, again somewhere around the beginning of winter. I can't be bothered to survey it except with fundamental navigational tools to get out of the terrain. Road maps to steer myself away have proved useless to me since every time I've tried to avoid it, it's actually made it worse, steering me towards believing it's a natural occurrence to recharge myself. Easier to consider it like a cactus absorbing stored water for lean times, since by the time I'm past it, I'm too engaged again to chart it. I'm busy moving on in the lush Sonoran desert, marveling at how the minimalist landscape maximizes what it has, utilizing it as inspiration while recharging from the taproot for more water.
The best anecdote to this vista of plodding mind and parched brain is doing exactly this...writing about it. It is an effort, sometimes more so than others. Thankfully I've learned from being in rougher territory, the aforementioned losing my singing voice, that this pause too will pass and my inherent nature is to be always learning and creating something.
Some call it "writer's block" but that seems to me a term more for professional writers who must create some work on a deadline. I have no deadline except the inevitable one that we all face. Besides, it's not just about writing for me either, it's about everything, the panoramic landscape of living.
Over the years I have come to understand intellectually that a lull in my creative self has value but the knowledge makes it no easier nonetheless. It is because I tend to view life itself as a creative endeavor. I'm usually figuring out new ways to do things, see situations in another way, ponder different points of view, read something stimulating, engaging in interesting conversation. It also means acts of creativity, snapping a picture here or there as it strikes me, writing something, creating a video and occasionally a piece of art. I used to do music until I lost my singing voice, an adjustment that caused a real crisis, a story for another time. I do believe though that event helped me understand the terrain a creative soul deals with much better, teaching me a lot about coping with a dry spell. I've never quite understood how some people repeat every day in much the same way and never give it a thought, I see that as incredibly boring, although evidently they do not. To each his own.
When I'm experiencing a lull in creativity, such as I am now, life seems flat, dull, sometimes melancholy and at its worst, fortunately rarely, depressingly black. My field of vision is narrowed and not by choice. It is a good thing I have a strong sense of self (some would argue, especially my sister, far too strong) and I recognize that it will pass and usually when it does, I burst with a maniacal creativity which would leave some (especially my sister) to believe I'm manic depressive. That's an incorrect diagnosis, it is much more mood swings, going from a lull to being charged up with ideas. I tend to think that is not unique among creative thinkers.
The real estate of my mind crosses this Saharan desert condition, with meager oasis scattered in between, every once in awhile and if I wanted to I could map the path it takes. It's enough that I know it is usually seasonal and occurs around this time every year, briefly in the very dead of summer, again somewhere around the beginning of winter. I can't be bothered to survey it except with fundamental navigational tools to get out of the terrain. Road maps to steer myself away have proved useless to me since every time I've tried to avoid it, it's actually made it worse, steering me towards believing it's a natural occurrence to recharge myself. Easier to consider it like a cactus absorbing stored water for lean times, since by the time I'm past it, I'm too engaged again to chart it. I'm busy moving on in the lush Sonoran desert, marveling at how the minimalist landscape maximizes what it has, utilizing it as inspiration while recharging from the taproot for more water.
The best anecdote to this vista of plodding mind and parched brain is doing exactly this...writing about it. It is an effort, sometimes more so than others. Thankfully I've learned from being in rougher territory, the aforementioned losing my singing voice, that this pause too will pass and my inherent nature is to be always learning and creating something.
2/10/11
2/9/11
Economic, Social and Geopolitical
Real Americans must create the Real Deal...
One of the major problems our country will be facing for the long term is not just unemployment but also underemployment. The two other major complications to our economy, the mortgage/foreclosure crisis and the personal and national debt problem are linked to them. Also in the combustible mixture is low Gross Domestic Product (GDP or simply "production") and a global currency crisis, creating an economic policy dilemma beyond the abilities of the current political and bureaucratic classes. In actuality they are exacerbating the situation.
Employers are reluctant to hire for a several reasons. Primarily it is the uncertainty of where the economy is heading in general, since 2010 appears to have been a mild recovery respite and we are headed for a Double Dip recession this year. The other is the uncertainty of what the Federal Reserve, Treasury, Administration and Congress is going to do. In the Great Depression employers were reluctant to hire because of so much unpredictable government interference, which is where we are today. What employment needs companies have, they are tending towards temporary or part-time employment to avoid long-term commitments to employees. Health Care Reform also has a lot to do with this, since they are unsure of what the voluminous regulations mean and if they are going to stand the way they are. It creates a reluctance to provide full-time employment with benefits within the country.
There are almost 17 million people who have been unemployed for 27 months or longer. Their unemployment insurance, if they were eligible for it, has been exhausted and since they have been out of the workforce for so long, the chances of them locating a job is not very high. Nineteen percent of the workforce, nine million people, is underemployed, working part-time or temporary jobs. There are 139 million people employed full-time, 58% of employed people, in the non-farm private sector and their average hours is now around 34 hours a week. Statistics are always suspect and can be skewed but there is every reason to believe these are in the ball park.
United States employers have been creating jobs but the vast majority of them have been in emerging economy countries such as India, Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. One problem that is a potential liability for work created offshore, is with the uprising in Egypt and other countries along with global inflation, these jobs may disappear from these locations. If they are necessary jobs then they may be brought to the US but Americans will have to accept one cold reality, they will be working for lower wages than accustomed to.
Inflation is increasing because Bernanke made a bumbling professorial miscalculation. He did a second Quantitative Easing based on no-to-low inflation statistics that, well known now, were incorrect and based on inflation numbers adjusted downward by the federal government for at least 15 years. That means that inflation was much higher than stated by the government and QE2 is creating inflation as the Fed, Treasury and Administration wanted but at a much higher rate than they expected. In fact, we risk hyper-inflation, the very thing that started the Depression in Germany prior to the Great Depression in the United States, that conversely was caused by deflation. To put it simply, Bernanke feared deflation since it caused the Great Depression, wanted to create inflation but based it on incorrect data, now putting us at risk for an economic demise due to thoughtless unintended consequences. Worse, he was warned and arrogantly, as all Keynesians do, waved off those signalling trouble.
A real life example of hyper-inflation is the current US stock market that is at an all time high when the underlying economic fundamentals are all wrong. The stock market is manipulated by the Fed and Treasury buying stocks and bonds, in a fairly predictable fashion, inflating it out of proportion to actual price to earnings ratio and other indicators of individual stocks real worth. It is not a matter of if the market crashes but when and in what fashion since this is a new era. It is likely to be a cascading crash, with mini-crashes and mini-rallies over a period of several months until it reaches its natural bottom.
The combination of inflation and low production creates an economic conundrum that is difficult to get out of and usually creates stagflation as happened in the 1970s and we are probably already there. The unemployment and underemployment problem also creates a very low tax base and is translating into low revenues for all levels of government. Most state and local governments have budget problems and many are technically insolvent. Compounded with the out-of-whack stock market, the mortgage/foreclosure crisis, high personal, national and global debt ratios and international currency clashes, deeper trouble clearly lays ahead. There are those who refuse to believe it is very serious, some who are doomsayers, with many others in between.
My thought is that in the US we can expect significant stagflation for a long period of time (5-10 years) far deeper than the 1970s. We should be prepared for high inflation with a possible brief period of hyper-inflation and long term unemployment and underemployment. It is also my belief that this country will be able to pull out of it, unlike some other countries who will never fully recover, but it will require an awakening of a large segment of the population and some sacrifice and hard work. It is clear, as I've written before, that the government cannot pull us out of this, history indicates they actually make it worse, neither can corporations nor the uber-rich who have little incentive to do so. One clear advantage of low tax revenues is it creates a condition that makes it difficult for the government to operate and specifically to interfere with onerous over-regulation. This should make it easier for the American people to work for themselves, create their own businesses or become free agents to employers.
Theodore Roosevelt created his Square Deal, Franklin Roosevelt made a New Deal, Truman had the Fair Deal and now the American people must create the Real Deal.
One of the major problems our country will be facing for the long term is not just unemployment but also underemployment. The two other major complications to our economy, the mortgage/foreclosure crisis and the personal and national debt problem are linked to them. Also in the combustible mixture is low Gross Domestic Product (GDP or simply "production") and a global currency crisis, creating an economic policy dilemma beyond the abilities of the current political and bureaucratic classes. In actuality they are exacerbating the situation.
Employers are reluctant to hire for a several reasons. Primarily it is the uncertainty of where the economy is heading in general, since 2010 appears to have been a mild recovery respite and we are headed for a Double Dip recession this year. The other is the uncertainty of what the Federal Reserve, Treasury, Administration and Congress is going to do. In the Great Depression employers were reluctant to hire because of so much unpredictable government interference, which is where we are today. What employment needs companies have, they are tending towards temporary or part-time employment to avoid long-term commitments to employees. Health Care Reform also has a lot to do with this, since they are unsure of what the voluminous regulations mean and if they are going to stand the way they are. It creates a reluctance to provide full-time employment with benefits within the country.
There are almost 17 million people who have been unemployed for 27 months or longer. Their unemployment insurance, if they were eligible for it, has been exhausted and since they have been out of the workforce for so long, the chances of them locating a job is not very high. Nineteen percent of the workforce, nine million people, is underemployed, working part-time or temporary jobs. There are 139 million people employed full-time, 58% of employed people, in the non-farm private sector and their average hours is now around 34 hours a week. Statistics are always suspect and can be skewed but there is every reason to believe these are in the ball park.
United States employers have been creating jobs but the vast majority of them have been in emerging economy countries such as India, Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. One problem that is a potential liability for work created offshore, is with the uprising in Egypt and other countries along with global inflation, these jobs may disappear from these locations. If they are necessary jobs then they may be brought to the US but Americans will have to accept one cold reality, they will be working for lower wages than accustomed to.
Inflation is increasing because Bernanke made a bumbling professorial miscalculation. He did a second Quantitative Easing based on no-to-low inflation statistics that, well known now, were incorrect and based on inflation numbers adjusted downward by the federal government for at least 15 years. That means that inflation was much higher than stated by the government and QE2 is creating inflation as the Fed, Treasury and Administration wanted but at a much higher rate than they expected. In fact, we risk hyper-inflation, the very thing that started the Depression in Germany prior to the Great Depression in the United States, that conversely was caused by deflation. To put it simply, Bernanke feared deflation since it caused the Great Depression, wanted to create inflation but based it on incorrect data, now putting us at risk for an economic demise due to thoughtless unintended consequences. Worse, he was warned and arrogantly, as all Keynesians do, waved off those signalling trouble.
A real life example of hyper-inflation is the current US stock market that is at an all time high when the underlying economic fundamentals are all wrong. The stock market is manipulated by the Fed and Treasury buying stocks and bonds, in a fairly predictable fashion, inflating it out of proportion to actual price to earnings ratio and other indicators of individual stocks real worth. It is not a matter of if the market crashes but when and in what fashion since this is a new era. It is likely to be a cascading crash, with mini-crashes and mini-rallies over a period of several months until it reaches its natural bottom.
The combination of inflation and low production creates an economic conundrum that is difficult to get out of and usually creates stagflation as happened in the 1970s and we are probably already there. The unemployment and underemployment problem also creates a very low tax base and is translating into low revenues for all levels of government. Most state and local governments have budget problems and many are technically insolvent. Compounded with the out-of-whack stock market, the mortgage/foreclosure crisis, high personal, national and global debt ratios and international currency clashes, deeper trouble clearly lays ahead. There are those who refuse to believe it is very serious, some who are doomsayers, with many others in between.
My thought is that in the US we can expect significant stagflation for a long period of time (5-10 years) far deeper than the 1970s. We should be prepared for high inflation with a possible brief period of hyper-inflation and long term unemployment and underemployment. It is also my belief that this country will be able to pull out of it, unlike some other countries who will never fully recover, but it will require an awakening of a large segment of the population and some sacrifice and hard work. It is clear, as I've written before, that the government cannot pull us out of this, history indicates they actually make it worse, neither can corporations nor the uber-rich who have little incentive to do so. One clear advantage of low tax revenues is it creates a condition that makes it difficult for the government to operate and specifically to interfere with onerous over-regulation. This should make it easier for the American people to work for themselves, create their own businesses or become free agents to employers.
Theodore Roosevelt created his Square Deal, Franklin Roosevelt made a New Deal, Truman had the Fair Deal and now the American people must create the Real Deal.
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