80 Thwack, Thwack, Thwack

Do you hear that? It's me, beating a dead horse. Well, sort of. Someone asked the other day what my thoughts on the upcoming 2012 "Doomsday" was. I hit this one before from the talk-radio standpoint of the Mayan doomsday prophecy and the whole planetary-galactic-alignment. This time I have little different take.

First, I really think that on December 22, 2012 we will wake up and go about our routines the same as any other day. The exception is this: if you look at the trends in the economy and you listen to independent economic forecasters(not the paid douchebags you hear on the news), the current, small upswing is only temporary. A year ago, gas was an average of 1.90 in our area and we're where now? Yeah. about a dollar more. Anywhoo...I've listened to a few and read a couple reports and by most accounts there will be a couple of these upswings but we will have another, sizeable downturn.

I have several reasons I believe this. Every one of you reading this is aware of the rampant spending that has been going on. We have watched as the government has bailed out companies that should have been allowed to fail. There is no "too big to fail". I say a company that big that fails would be covered by other, upstart companies, probably several of them as they are smaller. The employees will be rehired for the most part by the suddenly more profitable companies and any that were close to retirement will probably do so and in a way, they will open up more jobs. As decadent americans we are seeing people putting groceries on their credit cards(among other day-to-day items). What does that say? It says we're spoiled, we're greedy and we are impatient. If you're buying groceries on credit(NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU PEOPLE THAT DO IT FOR CONVENIENCE AND THEN PAY IT OFF PAYDAY) you're in trouble. Put your house payment on the card? Yep. Screwed. We've spent the post-Clinton years buying crap and McMansions and lattes to escape the horrific debt mounted by an idiot president (elected once, served twice) and ignore as much as possible the 2-front wars, real threats like Iran, Syria, North Korea and China and the catastrophic corruption within our government.

One point six TRILLION. That was the estimated deficit as of today. I suspect that is a low estimate. I have pointed out time and again some suggestions from a lay-man's point of view that may help reverse our disturbing trend. In the interest of time and me not being a business person, lawyer, trend forecaster or politician, my opinions I will keep to myself...psssst....(they're on a previous rant).


I know a lot of time, I'm all doom and gloom. No different today. I would suggest to you to learn how to be more self-sufficient. Learn how to repair things, save things, plant a garden and keep it alive, live without things that you think you cant, stuff like that. Call me looney if you must, I dont think it could hurt. You might not think it could happen but I believe it did happen here about 80 years ago. Our local economy hasnt held up terribly, unless you count the loss of around 700 jobs in the last 18 months. Most of those folks have moved on to other jobs and it seems people have stayed in the area. I really could see it happening again, though. Massive unemployment, devalued dollar, political upheaval....hmmm, we're already at 2 out of 3. 10 percent unemployment, dollar's in the tank, that leaves the most important one of all.

Can no one else see the problems with the people we put in these offices? We let them feed us lies, we elect them and then they shuffle laws, bills and our very integrity in the name of power, in the name of money. I know I've really gotten out there today, I havent given as many specifics as I would have liked, but I just cant say enough about needing change. We let Obama sell us on change and he has been cut off at the knees every time he tries something. We sit back and let them do it and then wait for the next election to put them right back in. Our house must be cleaned, rid of the vermin that infest it.

The United States has always been a place that those without hope look to, desirous of having a chance here. We have become a mockery of what we once were. Men died to create a nation free from tyranny, they died upholding us to ONE nation, they died keeping the world free from dictators and despots and now they are dying to stem the flow of terrorism , although I fear we are either limiting ourselves too much or perhaps we should be stemming it at our borders. The people we are currently fighting will wait one year or a hundred until we leave and then they will go right back to killing each other. They've done it for thousands of years and nothing we do short of killing every single one of them will stop it now.

So. You want me to predict the end of the world? Here it is. I think that if we let the current system of curruption continue, the brow-beating, the back-biting, the stalling, we will be put in a depression far worse than the crash of '29. When our economy finally tanks, many large economies around the world will follow. We saw the large hiccups when our sham of a housing market failed. When the worlds biggest powers are in chaos, the real chaos will begin. Wars on a scale never imagined in our modern world will be fought over (Probably) oil, then food, then water, then the right to live. You wont have to worry about your text messages, ebay biddings and setting your DVR anymore, you'll have enough to worry about keeping food on the table and keeping your family breathing for another day. I sound crazy? I hope. I think the reality could be much worse than I'm making it sound.

There is a little hope though. Grassroots folks have been pushing "green" technology for a long time. Necessity may well force us into an accelerated program of freedom-from-non-renewable energy sources. I foresee more folks(non-city) growing and raising more of what they consume and folks are already learning that they dont need a new car, they dont need a big tv, they dont NEED many of the things that are shoved down our throats by the wicked little box before you now and the one on the stand over there. You dont need a lot of things we've been told that you have to have to "keep up with the jones'". Facebook friend Jen Stanford's parents are off or mostly off the grid: she posted pics of their windmill and solar panels. I'm jealous. I dont know if these idiots on city council here will approve me a permit for one. Trust me, if I thought I could, I would. You know? Something that makes sense? People in power approving it? Unheard of. HA. Seriously though, you all know things you can do in your lives that would ease the problem. It may be as simple as fixing something you have instead of throwing it out and buying new. It may be as hard as getting someone into office that you know has a conscience. Someone that would raise a voice, hopefully a knowledgeable voice, to get something done.

Change and sacrifice are hard sometimes. I preach that enough. Raise your own voice. Dont be afraid of ridicule or being berated. I hope we see effective, positive change soon. I hope for our childrens' sake that we stifle our urges of "gimme, gimme" and look to the future, not the now. As usual, I have a smart-ass quip to end with, but no, you dont want to hear that I'm going to go watch a DVR'd movie on my big flat screen tv, do you? Allright. I wont tell you that. I'm going to go recycle some coffee, right through my gullet. See you tomorrow?