Today, it had been my decision to write about something banal and non-confrontational…
Here
it was a beautiful day, sunny and warm but not hot… full of light and happy
thoughts. So I sit here at the keyboard and try to think about how to start
this particular piece… Well … Fat
Chance!!!
As
I open FB to see what the postings are and what my known universe folks are
getting around to doing, I see that several FB friends have posted their views
against anything “Republican”… They are very adamant in taking the attitude
that as far as they are concerned, if it comes from their man it is saintly
word. However, if it comes from the other side, no matter what it is, must be
the lying devil in disguise.
Well…
I cannot agree with this, so I posted something not very flattering (but easily documented) about their man
and, sure enough, there were immediate messages coming back. Several inquiring
about the posting but others, however, trying to browbeat me into taking it
down because… HOW COULD YOU??? Well, the answer is… EASILY!!! Seems that my
Democratic (the party, not the concept)
friends accept my views when they are in agreement with theirs… This is not a
real democratic (the concept, not the
party) approach.
I
deal daily with many folk who are part of that great mass of people who have no papers. They work harder
perhaps because of this lack of documents, and they look to the possibility of
having their daily nightmare come to an end. So, of course, many do favor the
current president because of the recently signed “Dream Act”. Others because
the guy speaks “pretty” and talks a great talk. Others yet, because they have
been convinced of the aforementioned concept that all that deals with “the
other guy” is nothing but a big lie and that, if elected, he will round up 35
million people and deport them. This message seems to be the workhorse that is
being used by one side to scare those in the middle about the other side.
To
whoever few listen to me I keep paraphrasing what another candidate of yore
used to say… “it’s the economy… it’s the economy”. Most everyone will agree that things are
tough, that jobs are scarce, that the economy is not in a good cycle; that, no
matter what this government has said it has tried to do, it has not been able
to kick-start it.
Right
now, our country’s debt has gone up by 65% (and
counting daily) in just 3.5 years (from
10.1Trillion in 2008 to over 16.3Trillion – as off yesterday) and those who
are receiving government help now number just under 50 million folk. Up 100%
from the end of the year 2008. That accounting line increase alone represents
roughly between 750M and 1Billion in additional
yearly expenses. Those numbers, courtesy of the studied (non-partisan) folk who
are supposed to know about these issues. And the expenses keep piling on.
What
will happen if this trend continues for an additional 4 years? Shudder Me
Timbers!!! We will be mortgaging the future of the next 4-6 generations… that
is, if our country’s economy survives the savage attack. Today, for reasons
which really have no valid explanation, the US$ is considered to be still the
reserve currency of the economic world. For this reason alone, the Mint is able
to continue to print additional dollar bills and use them to, nominally, pay
the debt and maintain a usable supply moving around. If some other currency
happens to be treated as a favored currency, our $$$$ will devalue faster than
a shipment of air conditioners in the middle of a northern Alaska winter storm.
About
45 years ago, yours truly burst into the labor force, fresh out of the Army.
Then, I secured what was considered a very good job which paid $7,500 per year,
starting salary. My wife then made another 8-10,000 per year. With our combined
income of about $17,000 per year, we bought and paid for fairly nice living
quarters, had two cars, ate reasonably well, were able to take our vacations,
go out and even could “dress for success”. We came into our marriage with a
“pre-existing” daughter and then had our own. Yet, we were able to cover
expenses and do it all with that income. And this was being done in an area of
the country which was considered “expensive”. The North East corridor of
NY/CT.
Today,
just 2.5 generations later, in order to do all that in a similar family and in
the same area, the overall household income has to be in a $65,000 to $75,000
range. That is 4-5 times the amount. To those who say that inflation is not for
the US… think again!!! And when we see that the national debt clock (no, not really a “Republican” concept)
spins faster than my car’s engine at 60mph, I am left to wonder why not many
more see this as a real concern.
Marketing…
we have touched this in the past, in more than one posting. Tell people
something enough times, and they will believe it. The average person is being
told constantly that other –more easily identifiable- issues are the true core
of the problem… not to worry about the economy. Unfortunately, many do not look
beyond these “news” and assume them to be the full picture.
So…
even when their food basket gets smaller and more expensive every week and the
gas costs more and more… and with it so does everything else, the response seems to be
easily summed up as … “What, Me Worry?” the favorite line of Alfred E. Newman…
the face and voice of “Mad Magazine” of the 60’s and 70’s…
Happy
Hunting!! … or fishing… or… whatever we are supposed to be doing in this
beautiful, sunny, calm and happy day…
Be
Well … Be Back!!!
Final Notes:
- Pray for those who are fighting an illness which
may take them away from their loved ones… Every request is heard, and
counts!!
- Follow us on Twitter … @RJAsPandora
- Any comments please send to otherboxp@yahoo.com
- “La
Otra Caja de Pandora”… The
Spanish language Blog… “otracaja.blogspot.com”
… Bienvenidos!!!
- Remember: We are “On Air” every Sunday night at 6:30pm EST (GT –5hrs). http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theotherbox If the link does not work, please just copy and paste to your address bar.
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