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  • From: EarthNSky <erthnsky AT gmail.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] As I foretold you ...
  • Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2010 22:32:27 -0400



Marie McHarry wrote:
In a normal economy -- the kind we used to have before all the
financial institutions were deregulated and China ate our lunch -- we
ought to be recovering about now. But we have hit the pit of
financial deregulation. In a word, we are seriously fucked. There is
no heart left for bailing out the so-called too-big-to-fail
institutions. When it's all over we'll be left with the real economy,
which has a competitive edge in aeronautics, chemicals, and raw
materials. If you've saved your seeds and learned how to grow them,
you might be okay.

In the last 18 months of the previous administration, the total value
of US wealth decreased by 20 percent. Unless we return to reasonable
trade policies, rebuild our manufacturing sector, and deal with
Chinese manipulation of currency, we won't be recovering any time
soon.

Marie
Careful there, Marie, in that last paragraph, you are starting to sound like a Republican! ;)

I live in a part of the country that is very much politically conservative. Even groups that you might think would be liberal are conservative. People here are disgusted, but more than that, they are scared. Everyone I talk to is very anti-government, turning against Democrats AND Republicans. Things are rough enough in these parts, with unemployment in my area pushing 14% or higher, and with this latest blow-the health care bill-most folks who had hope, lost it. The economy is toast. I agree with Marie that we are seriously screwed. It doesn't help that the President challenges those who intend to take the bill to court by saying things like "Go For It" and "Be my guest". For all the *class* this guy is supposed to have, he isn't very presidential in that regard. He is so cocky...that just doesn't play well here. I recall that Gene? used to say "The revolution is Barack Obama" or something like that. That may be truer than he intended, but not in the same way. I worry about what might happen on April 15th. People who used to think the Tea Party protesters were kooks are now planning to protest, after all, they aren't working...unemployment, here or overseas, often results in unrest. Oh and Marie, I think I disagree with you on the chemicals thing. Most of our 'chemical' industry is petroleum based and reliant on other economies. Lots of stuff comes from China, too, like waxes and resins and polymer feedstocks. I'm not so sure about that 'edge'-it is pretty much a slippery slope.

I just THOUGHT that a lot of folks planted gardens last year...even more will try it this year. Every where I look, I see folks tilling and plowing. Technically, we are a week or so away from our last frost date, but the 15 day forecast shows really warm temps. The pears and forsythias and daffodils are in full bloom, and my peaches are there, but the plum and the rest of the trees are still waiting. (zone 7)

Anyway, everyone is really, really worried. I'm lucky that my industry is still solid, but I am low on seniority and I am under no illusion about job security. The best I can do is to balance paying off bills with doing things like replacing the windows and doors on the house. The final blow to the economy will probably be a large natural disaster. I believe this might be the year for the Big One(8+) to strike the greater LA area-making my prediction(no guts no glory here<g>) for mid May, say between the 12th and the 17th, 14th or 15th, somewhere in there. Yup, my money is on a big earthquake in CallyFourNia, followed by regional economic collapse and social meltdown. I wonder if the President will be so smug and cocky when the riots start.



--
"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race"

~ Calvin Coolidge






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