Now that the holidays are over, we can probably expect the stock market to tank. Not-yet-president Obama is already working on his first package to stimulate the size of the national debt. The House of Representatives made some draconian overhauls to House rules yesterday to favor the monopoly of the party in power. This has all the makings of a perfect storm for America. The one thing that is sure: people focus much more clearly on the important things in a crisis. A crisis, unfortunately, is probably just what we need.
In a meeting of computer geeks yesterday,
Even if I didn't want an economic crisis, the laws of nature say that it's time.
one of our number mentioned how well we had reacted and how in depth we knew our computer systems in the run-up to the Y2K crisis nine years ago. Since then, they said, we have slumped into lackadaisical slumber, and our systems are not so carefully developed and monitored. I suggested to the group that perhaps we need another computer crisis to help us focus like a laser beam on what's important.I've been coming to the firmer and firmer conclusion over the past few months that a crisis is what we need for America to back on the track that made it once great. Not that I necessarily want one, but I do think we will have matured significantly as families and as a nation by result of having been through a cleansing crisis. I think our made-to-order crisis is just around the corner. The planets seem to be aligning themselves in that regard. In the paragraphs that follow, I describe some of those planets.
Overstimulation. Barack Obama is using the projected $1.2 trillion budget deficit of 2009 as a limit on the stimulus package he is originating and which he will then pass on to Congress. My projection, however, is that, due to the "the last one didn't work because it wasn't big enough" philosophy, soon-to-be-President Obama's self-imposed stimulus limitations will look minuscule from a future historical perspective. Meanwhile, less and less will be produced in America, directly due to previous "stimulation" of overproduction by the inane policies of government and the Federal Reserve. This will stimulate the price of everything to increase, being only offset by fewer and fewer families' ability to buy much of it.
Monopoly Rule in Congress. I am just fine having a Democrat president and a huge Democrat majority in Congress. It will help ensure that American fascism comes out of the closet to swagger in plain sight. It should help the Republicans focus on that issue that is most important to mainstream America--liberty. The upcoming crisis will help voters determine whether their congressional representatives are worth their weight in gold--or in the stuff that comes out the east end of west-moving cow.
What makes the situation even more poignant are the rules passed on Tuesday in the House of Representatives that will make it much more difficult for House Republicans to have much impact on legislation.
Stock Market in the Toilet? MarketWatch.com had this to say yesterday about the post-holiday stock market.
Everybody should have known the holidays would only delay it. The freight train of job cuts, plunging earnings and massive spending cutbacks set to hit the economy was, thankfully, pushed back a few weeks while stunned investors and workers across the globe caught their breath after the worst fourth quarter in decades.Government unemployment computer systems are being overwhelmed. Construction is at a standstill. Even Wal-Mart, having up until now projected fairly could numbers, is worried.
But now the great dying has begun...
As of yet, I'm largely unaffected by all of this. I have a comfortable job. My family has a year's supply of food. We have almost no debt. So it may be easier for me to say this than most--but I welcome an economic crisis. The political crisis that happened 233 years ago redounded to America's overwhelming blessing. The reason that I want another crisis to happen now, is that I think--in the end--we'll be greatly blessed for this one as well. Even if I didn't want one, the laws of nature say that it's time.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.
I was wondering when Republicans would start worrying about the National Debt, which doubled during the Bush administration.
ReplyDeleteNow that a Democrat is headed to the White House, suddenly deficits matter.
I wonder how the fascism is going to swagger more openly than it has under the party and ideology which has made veneration of the state (flags and pledges) so much more prominent, has promoted increasing surveillance on its own populace, engaged in increasing collusion with the corporate world, has justified wars in the interests of the state, and has even justified the restriction of liberty of conscience to marry on the grounds that the state has a responsibility to promote reproductive families (shades of "raise up healthy babies to serve the fatherland!" if you ask me)? You honestly think they are going to move from that to promoting liberty?
ReplyDeleteCrisis is the currency upon which the political class thrives. We have had crises. In fact, we have had a never ending line of crises (real, imagined, or manufactured) stretching back into the dusky recesses of history.
ReplyDeleteThe political class loves a good crisis and will do everything in its power to make one or make one up. Why, because it allows them to paint themselves as the heroes. Their heroism invariably involves expanding control over others.
This is not a party thing. All politicians do it. Perhaps different parties have a preference for which liberties to extinguish first, but that's not the point.
It is possible that our elected officials don't know what the heck they are doing. (It certainly looks that way.) On the other hand, it is also possible that many of them know exactly what they are doing — creating the mother of all crises. This will bring the best opportunity in a lifetime for the political class to extend its grip of control over individual lives.
So, have a nice crisis. The politicians certainly will.
Reach,
ReplyDeleteAlong the same lines, I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me until I read about it a few days ago, that The Weather Channel subscribes to the idea that man is causing irreversible global warming because scary weather stories add to their bottom line.
Richard and Derek,
Many Republicans used Bush's prostitution of 9/11 as a reason to overlook his fascistic tendencies. Fascism doesn't come out of nowhere--I just am expecting it to get worse with the cult of Obama worship.
At any rate, it was painful to watch the Republicans try to bail out the sinking ship named the "USS GW Bush". Now that that ship is sunk, I expect more Republicans to return to proper political principles. Unfortunately (in the sense that they should always be this way) Republicans have tended to have more of an affinity for the Constitution when their "enemies" are in the majority and/or in the presidency.
The things to which I referred go back much farther than Dubya, Frank.
ReplyDeleteBut whatever. If he's remotely liberal, he automatically gets labeled fascist (and communist). I get it.
I apologize for implying that GW Bush is a liberal. I did not intend to do so. Rather I meant to imply that he is an Establishment man, to whom far too many Republicans paid obeisance. Bush admitted to having abandoned free market principles. Now that he's gone, I hope that his republican feet kissers in congress will get back to supporting free market principles.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the problems have gone on much longer that since GW Bush has been around. Although you know that I disagree with you on the "shades of...fatherland" perspective.
;-)