Our Economy, Ourselves –

Recently, while talking with a friend about the economy, job situation, and such, one of us mentioned that people may now begin (as they did in the "olden" days) to repair and maintain what they have, rather than throwing it away and buying a new one (of anything, but specifically vehicles). My truck is a 1991, which he already knew. As the conversation continued, I ventured that maybe some people snicker about my truck’s age, though not in my presence (because I’m so fiercely in love with my truck, Lance, about whom some of my earlier posts speak). "Well", I said, "we could say that’s how I walk my talk, or in this case, drive my talk". (I'm not shy about airing my disapproval of discarding things instead of maintaining them, of buying a new vehicle every couple of years, of manufacturing gazillions of new cars every year and filling up landfills with cast-offs.) Also, what I was referring to were the twin realities of our population growing exponentially (here in the U.S. as well as in what we think of as third-world countries) and our being among the most insatiable users of resources and a major influence in getting the people of other nations to follow our example as users. All facets of our economy have, over the years, become driven by blatant materialism and keeping the market glutted with products. So now we are seeing that train coming to a screeching halt, even jumping off the track. I often think in terms of imaging and that is the picture our predicament brings to my mind. I believe it will take a major shift in the way we view things and the way we do things ... and setting things in a direction that is more congruent with sincere bipartisan efforts to bridge the chasm between rich and poor.

A Thrilling And Inspiring Event!

"It truly was remarkable to me, more than anything else, to watch the world celebrating with us and welcoming us back into the global community's embrace. It was like 'ding dong, the witch is dead' all over again. I never felt so good about my vote as I did this time. I knew I'd really participated in a very historically significant event." Those are the words of my friend, Sanman, a person I consider to be most wise.

Election night numbers felt like a miracle unfolding – at long-last, the eight-year pall was lifting and hope was becoming a reality; and then came that wonderful, defining moment when Obama was declared the president-elect! What an inspiring way to, at last, unite all Americans ... with pride and honor! It feels good.

There is an incredibly huge cauldron full of Bushist wrong-doing that now needs to be tackled, dumped out, fixed, renovated, reversed, cleansed, healed. The reeling and sinking economy, the chasm between the rich and the poor, the fractured health care "system", the ill-conceived war, the pulverized environment, the jobs that need to be brought back to the U.S.; all these are in the emergency zone, crying out for help. Obama has the intelligence, courage, leadership, and ethics to meet the challenge. It is monumental in size and scope. He deserves and needs the full support of each and all of us. Think about it. I am thinking about it. I’m very thankful our country now has a chance to save itself. Thanksgiving has, for me, renewed significance this year!

Out Of The Mouths Of ..... Comedians –

Always pushing the satirical envelope in ways that make us laugh – sometimes uproariously – at unfunny politics, Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert lately have been outdoing themselves. They are having a veritable feast on our country’s current political and economic fumbles, foibles, fakes, and fools. One recent scene that my mind still sees and hears is the Colbert Report’s observation that by "wearing these (a look-alike for the old cardboard-framed 3-D) eyeglasses, McCain almost seems to come to life". Well, it was hilarious the way Colbert delivered the line. Seeing and hearing the clip where Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says (regarding the economic crisis) that Americans "got put on the hook by the system we have, the system we all let happen, the system that Congress, the administration, future administrations let exist" pushed hilarity and outrageousness together as book-ends.

Truly, the arts (and comedy is certainly an art) can effectively convey the truth that other methods of communication can only struggle with. These guys and their writers are comedic and political geniuses.

Please Stick To The Real Issues ...

What I want to hear from presidential candidates and Congress is an emphasis on:

The economy and a sincere, sound plan to fix it;

Universal healthcare for all U.S. citizens, to replace our fragmented, non-system;

Getting out of the business of war (yes, I said "business");

Ethics (non-religious), truth, and humanitarianism.

Those are the things that matter to me and, I believe, to the survival of our country.

Let's Try To Keep Our Sense Of Humor :)

I’m thinking now of the economy. What – you say it’s not funny? Well OK ... I know, I know. In truth, it’s exceedingly troubling. The only remedies I can think of are to vote non-republican, meditate/pray/dance/sing (not at the same time), and laugh uproariously! Laughing won't keep us from going broke, but it may help keep us healthier and saner so we can stretch our dollars a bit further without having to buy extra meds and stress-related services.

Because my last two SS digits are in the government’s very last group of scheduled tax rebate mail-outs, I haven’t seen hide or hair of my rebate. I would say that maybe they’re running out of money, except that they were out of money way before the mail-out concept was even conceived.

I’ve heard that the hot line (for rebate inquiries) is not being answered (!) I wonder what that means. More reasons for therapeutic laughter in whatever uproarious style you prefer :)

Make A Garden Spot

Have you noticed the rise in food prices? There are many trickle-down tentacles that are resulting from our nation’s economic and international trade problems. Have you also read the headlines about people in various nations rioting in the streets over food prices? It will undoubtedly get worse as the populations and need continue to increase.

Here in our country, I honestly believe we have put ourselves at risk by becoming conditioned to getting all our food from grocery chain stores and restaurants. What if the trucks couldn’t roll to deliver food to stores and restaurants (maybe due to gas prices) or if food imports were curtailed (a lot of our food is imported and our own farms are being devoured by developers and housing) due to famine, economics, government feuding?

At a time in our not-too-distant past (my grandparents and parents actually did this when I was a tot), people grew food in their yards and canned it every autumn. It supplemented what they bought at the store ... or maybe it was the other way around. We’ve attained the convenience of just selecting and paying for what we eat and driving home with it ... but forgotten or never learned how to produce it. I think we need to remember or relearn how to farm. Now if this idea catches on, we can possibly expect the prices of seeds, tillers, and vegetable plants to sky-rocket. So I plan to get in on the "ground-floor" so to speak. That huge, back-yard-sized, fenced dog run (which is mostly unused by the dogs who prefer to be leash-walked) is my future garden or farmette spot. I think I just coined another word.

Footing The Bill -- U.S. Economics

You know, if you or I go out and run up a huge bill on our personal credit cards for a luxury item or a needed item, we then need to pay our bill but we can, at least, look at that item, use it, wear it, drive it, whatever ... and know it is the source of our debt. We in the U.S. citizenry have a huge, mind-boggling national debt; the ironic question is, what have we lavished on ourselves to incur this debt? Our national debt is our bill – the tab we are paying – for an ill-begotten war, corrupt politics, cronies and the good ol’ boy thing. The "items" we can look at and experience for this expenditure of ours are the millions of home mortgages in danger of or actually in foreclosure, business collapses, lost savings, a blatantly abused and suffering environment, neglected bridges and roadways, White House-sanctioned torture, invasion of our privacy, a badly damaged national reputation, and a horribly deformed and unbalanced health care non-system. Now there isn’t enough time left to impeach the scoundrels – the administration that brought our economy from a surplus into a deep and terrifying deficit.

The next president will have a fearsome job righting the wrongs committed over the past seven years and those currently ongoing, some of which probably cannot ever really be fixed. Hopefully, we won’t find ourselves with a Bush-like new president. McCain has admitted he knows nothing about economics (but he knows lots about war). Folks, the country is at the brink of economic disaster. I know it’s too scary to think about ... I don't want to think about it, but it’ll be even scarier if we just coast along the way we are. We need to think about it, talk about it, write about it, and vote about it. Vote for sound economics, a national health care system, peaceful resolution to political and world issues, honesty, true ethics, humane treatment of U.S. citizens and political prisoners, protection of our earth (forests, oceans, animals, air, rivers). Put our tax dollars to work on positive national efforts.

Those Anticipated Tax Rebates...

Personally, I think this plan will contribute to our burgeoning Bush national debt and not do much to spike the economy via people's spending, but many people are now painted into a financial crunch corner; these few dollars coming their way will be of some help to them for the moment, so bring it on! Because the economy is down-turned and has noticeably worsened during the past year, individuals and small businesses are having a really rough time staying afloat. Dear reader, if you're not at the top of the corporate food chain, you're already well aware of that. So this particular post of mine is probably more of a journal entry ... you know, the type of thing a person writes when venting about a topic beyond his/her control.