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THE ENEMY IS US
As Pogo once paraphrased, “I have seen the enemy and it is us!”
We don’t like the situation in this country right now, so we want to blame someone, anyone. Some candidates in the coming election have railed against “incumbents,” an easy target but not necessarily a valuable contribution to understanding.
Stand in front of a mirror answer the following questions truthfully. From 2007 to the present did you:
Buy a bigger house than you needed with minimum down and the smallest monthly payments?
Buy a new car with a lot of accessories with zero (or small amount) down and small monthly payments?
Max out one or more credit card paying (again) only the minimum monthly installments?
Chose not to save five or six percent of your income for future obligations?
If you answered one or more of these questions “yes” then you have seen the enemy. You contributed to the tangled mess the economy is in. Yes, the government made it simple to do these things, but no one forced you to take the action. You let the situation govern you, resulting in a cascading financial disaster for everyone.
The current administration inherited the downward turning economy and underestimated its depth. The stimulus bills prevented a depression. The gigantic inertia of the economy made an upturn difficult, but economists agree that the recession bottomed out a year ago, but the return to “normal” will take a long time.
If you lost a job it was because the company you worked for couldn’t afford you. There are only three alternatives:
1. The job you had was outsourced and will never return. You must retool yourself with marketable skills. Healthcare and the information fields will continue to grow and specialties are in demand.
2. The job you had shrank away with the withering demand for the goods or services you provided. You can try a new path by taking courses in a community college or CMU to complete a degree or get a masters degree in your field. When jobs open up (and they will) you will be a better candidate to fill one. When you get a job it may be at a lower salary and reduced benefits. Take it. This will become better.
3. Don’t do anything. Fall below the poverty level and stay there. You will never take pride in yourself again.
In this election determine which candidates have done things to turn the economy around and who has stood in the way. Be careful. You can recreate the same path that is turning this country into third world status or you can insure a steady, if slow recovery.
We don’t like the situation in this country right now, so we want to blame someone, anyone. Some candidates in the coming election have railed against “incumbents,” an easy target but not necessarily a valuable contribution to understanding.
Stand in front of a mirror answer the following questions truthfully. From 2007 to the present did you:
Buy a bigger house than you needed with minimum down and the smallest monthly payments?
Buy a new car with a lot of accessories with zero (or small amount) down and small monthly payments?
Max out one or more credit card paying (again) only the minimum monthly installments?
Chose not to save five or six percent of your income for future obligations?
If you answered one or more of these questions “yes” then you have seen the enemy. You contributed to the tangled mess the economy is in. Yes, the government made it simple to do these things, but no one forced you to take the action. You let the situation govern you, resulting in a cascading financial disaster for everyone.
The current administration inherited the downward turning economy and underestimated its depth. The stimulus bills prevented a depression. The gigantic inertia of the economy made an upturn difficult, but economists agree that the recession bottomed out a year ago, but the return to “normal” will take a long time.
If you lost a job it was because the company you worked for couldn’t afford you. There are only three alternatives:
1. The job you had was outsourced and will never return. You must retool yourself with marketable skills. Healthcare and the information fields will continue to grow and specialties are in demand.
2. The job you had shrank away with the withering demand for the goods or services you provided. You can try a new path by taking courses in a community college or CMU to complete a degree or get a masters degree in your field. When jobs open up (and they will) you will be a better candidate to fill one. When you get a job it may be at a lower salary and reduced benefits. Take it. This will become better.
3. Don’t do anything. Fall below the poverty level and stay there. You will never take pride in yourself again.
In this election determine which candidates have done things to turn the economy around and who has stood in the way. Be careful. You can recreate the same path that is turning this country into third world status or you can insure a steady, if slow recovery.
posted by Ed Fisher at
3:48 PM
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