Here's Something Every Proud American Needs To Know

This thread was motivated by listening to economist Benjamin Friedman speaking recently at the American Enterprise Institute. Friedman has a new book exploring the relationship between societal moral status and economic growth. It's basically a two way relationship but I'm not interested in talking about morality right now I have something else on my mind.

For the past six years per capita income in the US has not kept pace with inflation. Next year's figures are expected to be the same.

That's Friedman's contribution. (Or at least part of it.)

Now my contribution.

Well that's bad. Six years is a pretty long time. It means the US standard of living has been heading southward for an extended period. A nation that if it doesn't turn things around is heading down the tubes. I mean the way we're going we're heading down the tubes right now. Even I wasn't aware of this consistent trend. I didn't realize things had been this bad this long.

But --now-- use your brains. What's happened to the price of oil in the past two years? It's basically doubled. What do you think that's going to do to the cost of living? To the cost of business investment? To the rate of inflation? To the standard of living I was just talking about?

Every time we do anything that's too heavy or hard to do by means of our own pathetic little bodies we do by burning oil. Think about it.

What 's the price of gold right now? It's like at a 20 year high. Gold is an inflation hedge.

But that ain't all.

There are other players in the game.

Demand for petroleum in the next 20 years by China India etc will quadruple or even octuple while it's doubtful world oil production will be much if any greater than it is right now.

And you think Muslims are our biggest threat?

If there's one thing recent events show it's that things can get real bad real fast. Everybody better start thinking about where we're headed like RIGHT NOW. The matter of priorities I talk about in another thread. Otherwise I guess get ready to dig coal in your back yards and plant Victory Gardens. You who can. Call 'em Survival Gardens.