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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT gmail.com>]

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