The Sky is Falling, The Sky is Falling

Nowadays,  it is hard for me to stay positive.  There is so much going on in our country and around the world that it sometimes seems hopeless.  I have blogged about several of the issues that I am referring to now. 

I believe Obama and his Administration are terrible for our country.  His foreign policy, his domestic policy, his view of the U.S., and his ideology are for the most part 180 degrees opposite of mine.  But, I am an "ordinary Joe". What do I know? Do some research on your own.  You will find economic scholars and historians will tell you we are in big trouble.

Just to name a few things.  The debt that we have incurred and now owe the world is astounding.  I read recently that if every tax-payer in America paid 100% of their wages, we would still be in debt.  Gas prices are projected to be $5.00 per gallon within 9 months, food prices are escalating rapidly, our freedoms are being taken away, the housing crisis is getting worse (as of this week, the U.S. has more homes that are uninhabited than any other previous time in history), we have endless unemployment, and earthquake and tsunami occurrences are happening more often and are reeking havoc on parts of the world.  Unfortunately, I feel like I am starting to sound like Glen Beck.  I have listened to Glen Beck a few times, and while I think he is able to connect the dots and seems to make sense with some things, it can be downright depressing listening to him.

And then, through an unexpected avenue, I gained some perspective and some hope.  I have been doing research for my book about my grandfather's life.  He was born in 1914, so naturally I have been looking into the Great Depression.  From 1929 through 1941, things seemed very bleak for most Americans.  During that time, 50% of all children did not receive adequate food, shelter, or medical care.  750,000 farmers declared bankruptcy.  The unemployment rate reached 24.9%, with some areas being hit especially hard such as Toledo, Ohio having experienced 80% unemployment.  Tough times indeed.  And we are not that bad.......yet.

But most economic scholars find the 2009-2011 economic condition more troubling than that of the 1930s' Great Depression.  Why?  Because debt in 2011 includes not only stocks but also millions of homes, property, local governments, and entire nations. Also, in contrast to the 1930s, the U.S. is now a debtor nation and more households in the U.S. are in far greater debt.

So while I don't think we should run around declaring the sky is falling, I do believe that we need to prepare for the worst while having expectations for the best. 

Uh-oh, am I just suffering from "normalcy-bias"?  More about this new buzzword later.