I've survived the summer and work is incredibly busy as per usual. For the first time I'm starting to learn again instead of completing the rote work I've done for the past few years, although it's always tempting to stick with what you know.
What worries me most is the insanity going on in our government where a forced shutdown has already happened and yet Congress is threatening the debt limit. Best case scenario would probably be for the Supreme Court to step in and disallow any further shenanigans, especially considering that basically they would be approving spending that has already happened, putting the US in pointless jeopardy time and again.
When did our system become so completely screwed up? When did our idea of taking care of our citizens become so controversial? How can something as logical as providing universal, basic healthcare be so protested? There are so many disturbing aspects of what's occurring with our government and our populace that it is a constant worry that we may not make it out the other side without having to sacrifice things that should benefit the greatest percentage of our own citizens!
Occupy had some good ideas, but the trends that show no signs of slowing including wage stagnation, lobbying power out of control (and not checked by the Supreme Court, which is very disturbing from the Citizens United decision), corporate dominance, Tea Party extremism, and the insistence on crashing the US government and economy based on partisan, not logical decision-making is terrifying. How has this gone on for 30 years unchecked and through multiple crises (1987 Black Friday, S&L scandal, Reagonomics, government shutdown of 1995, Long Term Capital Management collapse, 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq, housing bubble, Madoff, Great Recession, current inequality post-Recession, etc) is baffling on one level. Why do we up with all of this with no or minimal consequences for those responsible?
All of this points to basically one thing; hang on for the ride of the next 5-10 years. The times when those companies that could write off poor quarterly earnings because of the recession suddenly have no explanation for why the average person can no longer afford their prices + inflation without raises. The times when Boomers start pulling from their 401ks and IRAs as they hit 59 and a half, regardless if they're working or not, leading to a rather large outflow from stocks (since many of them did not properly change their stock/bond mix as they aged). The new graduates and workers 35 and under so burdened by student debt and poor wages they can't afford to replace the money the Boomers will remove.
Overall, I think it won't be an immediate disaster, but there are fundamental dysfunctions that need to be resolved, most logically by regulation and oversight, but is being fought tooth and nail regardless. For now, I work for who I do, knowing all of this, trying to ignore exactly how this may eventually affect my business and my job. No matter what happens, I can't say I was ignorant.
What worries me most is the insanity going on in our government where a forced shutdown has already happened and yet Congress is threatening the debt limit. Best case scenario would probably be for the Supreme Court to step in and disallow any further shenanigans, especially considering that basically they would be approving spending that has already happened, putting the US in pointless jeopardy time and again.
When did our system become so completely screwed up? When did our idea of taking care of our citizens become so controversial? How can something as logical as providing universal, basic healthcare be so protested? There are so many disturbing aspects of what's occurring with our government and our populace that it is a constant worry that we may not make it out the other side without having to sacrifice things that should benefit the greatest percentage of our own citizens!
Occupy had some good ideas, but the trends that show no signs of slowing including wage stagnation, lobbying power out of control (and not checked by the Supreme Court, which is very disturbing from the Citizens United decision), corporate dominance, Tea Party extremism, and the insistence on crashing the US government and economy based on partisan, not logical decision-making is terrifying. How has this gone on for 30 years unchecked and through multiple crises (1987 Black Friday, S&L scandal, Reagonomics, government shutdown of 1995, Long Term Capital Management collapse, 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq, housing bubble, Madoff, Great Recession, current inequality post-Recession, etc) is baffling on one level. Why do we up with all of this with no or minimal consequences for those responsible?
All of this points to basically one thing; hang on for the ride of the next 5-10 years. The times when those companies that could write off poor quarterly earnings because of the recession suddenly have no explanation for why the average person can no longer afford their prices + inflation without raises. The times when Boomers start pulling from their 401ks and IRAs as they hit 59 and a half, regardless if they're working or not, leading to a rather large outflow from stocks (since many of them did not properly change their stock/bond mix as they aged). The new graduates and workers 35 and under so burdened by student debt and poor wages they can't afford to replace the money the Boomers will remove.
Overall, I think it won't be an immediate disaster, but there are fundamental dysfunctions that need to be resolved, most logically by regulation and oversight, but is being fought tooth and nail regardless. For now, I work for who I do, knowing all of this, trying to ignore exactly how this may eventually affect my business and my job. No matter what happens, I can't say I was ignorant.
posted by AnonymousX at 9:37 PM
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