America Needs Change; But Too What?
Good Morning America, your King of Simple News is on the air.
I got a little windy today, but I do think the jest of this article is important.
U.S. NEWS: The main stream financial news is at least consistent; consistently wrong. As the King of Simple News Network was reporting that housing would, under no uncertain circumstances, tank in glorious fashion, such illustrious national figures as Alan “Cash” Greenspan was telling us just the opposite. How would you like to make the kind of money that ol’ “Cash” makes for being wrong?
Well, he’s back, but he’s getting better at his predictions. Not more accurate, but is now reminiscent of the weathermen who adopted the percentage system where one can never be totally wrong. “There is a 50% chance of rain today and the wind might blow…or maybe not.”
In Mr. Greenspan’s case, he is now saying that housing will bottom in the first half of 2009 and if not, it will be some other time…probably. I think ol’ Cash is practicing to run for office. “If the economy doesn’t get better, it will probably stay the same or it could possibly get worse…maybe.”
What I’m pointing out here in my smart-alecky way is that Greenspan, Bernanke, Bush, Obama, McCain, and the biggest share of the 535 members of Congress and millions of other government officials are totally helpless to change universal law; which is exactly what they are promising to do. If the Pinocchio syndrome were true, these people couldn’t get their nose in a semi-trailer.
“If you elect me for president, congress, governor, mayor, or dog catcher, I’ll bring the price of oil down!” Oh sure they will, along with bringing back millions of buffalo to the Great Plains.
Why do they say that they will bring the price of oil down when they have no control whatsoever over world oil? Because we WANT the price of oil down so that we don’t have to face reality, which is scarier than facing Hillary Clinton in broad daylight in a bathing suit or for you ladies, John McCain in his Speedo’s.
Politicians run on change. After all, if we liked the one that we have, why change?
Alert reader, “Gila” recently said that “we have lost our will.” His saying that motivated my last two remaining healthy brain cells to confer on that subject. Why would we have given up our will? “Maybe we haven’t,” was the conversation that my two brain cells were having.
Why would we have wanted things to change? Until recently gas was cheap, the stock market was making rocketing gains, homes were paying off like a busted slot machine, credit was available to everyone who could pass the fog-on-the-mirror test, new SUVs complete with TV sets were as common as bicycles, unemployment was low, we could afford $5 Starbucks and designer bottled water and American Idol was on every night. Is this a taste of heaven or what?
Can you imagine Barrack Obama just a few years ago saying, “We need change.” Change to what? Higher gas prices, unemployment, motor scooters, lower stock prices, tighter credit, regular coffee and American Idol being cancelled? He couldn’t have gotten that dog catcher job that I talked about. It’s all smoke and mirrors based around prevailing circumstances and the very real fact that most Americans couldn’t pass economics 101 yet could name in order, the last five winners of Survival.
Of course, Mr. Obama as well as Mr. McCain can put on their best Monday morning quarterback outfit and point out the failures of the past in order that they can become the failures of the future. Which they will due to neither of them having a clue as to why our economic failures have occurred; except that “George done it”.
Both make the insane promise of growth in a world that has maxed out on that premise. They do so as traditionally the one that promises the most growth is gonna win.
Exponential growth in a finite world with finite resources is mathematically impossible. You can write that on the wall.
As we witness the continual failure of our leadership to recognize the above stated universal principal, and as the social pain associated with practicing that ignorance grows, perhaps our “will” to demand realistic change to a sustainable model will return and the spirit of America will be revived.
However, before that could happen, it would require leadership who understands that man cannot trump universal law and certainly not the basic principals of physics; the bad news is that Albert Einstein is dead.
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I believe that the main problem with this, is the fact that our politicians are just following the will of our society, our citizens. Polls drive every move our politicians make. Polls direct what the politicians will say in their next “promise” speech to America. And polls (many) are made up from what Americans want to hear. So, this brings us back to your statement, “the very real fact that most Americans couldn’t pass economics 101 yet could name in order, the last five winners of Survival”. Until we the people become educated with today’s realities, we the people will continue to suffer the symptoms of exponential growth up until the exponential function plays out. If we the people wait for that event to unfold, we will deserve what we recieve. A roll back in time of some 200 hundred years with no hope to ever progress to where we once were. -bb
Billy B,
It seems to have happened many times with ancient cultures. They collapsed under their own weight and never recovered. There are no written records to explain the downfall, however, I have always contended that they simply exploited their available resources to a non-sustainable level.
In the instance of the Inca and Mayan cultures, advanced engineering, architecture, water management and other indications of an advanced culture were evidenced in their ruins, but the modern humans found inhabiting the areas had fallen back to a privative people. How did that happen?
We may be well on our way to finding out.
Billyb wrote…”If we the people wait for that event to unfold”; rest assured we will wait. See my post from yesterday regarding the findings of experimental psychologists. Humans don’t like change, we are hopelessly delusional and we will make no change before its time. Sad, but true.
Billyb also wrote…”A roll back in time of some 200 hundred years with no hope to ever progress to where we once were”. I don’t know about the 200 years part, but it will be a major setback. The never recover part; I agree, no way, no how.
How fortunate we have been to live in what will probably be seen as the “golden age” of modern western civilization. Too bad it’s all downhill from here.
As Mike suggested, we are repeating history. I guess we didn’t learn anything from the Incas or Mayans, or other civilizations that have passed before us. Apparently, our greed, arrogance, and ignorance have no bounds.
I probably use this quote too often, but I can’t help it.
“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not certain about the former.” — Albert Einstein
We are probably better off in North America than anywhere on earth to deal with a major downturn.
The cities worry me more than anything else as they produce very little yet consume the lions share. What’s more, they have no ability to produce the essentials.
I will write an article in the near future on just that subject .