For most Americans it has been a slow and painful recovery from this recession.
Analysts, politicians, and pundits continually offer excuses for the slowness of this recovery; and there are a multitude of excuses.
Most prominent among them is 'the government,' and the catch phrase being pushed, 'uncertainty.' It's constantly stated, "businesses are reluctant to hire or grow, because of the uncertainty of government policies."
They've blamed low income home buyers for the housing crisis; buying more home than they could realistic afford. They call them liar's loans. But they hold corrupt mortgage lenders, Wall Street charlatans, and rating agencies, harmless.
Are there any other reasons the American economy is struggling?
Too many!
Unions are always a target of the Republicans, who argue that unions prevent corporations from making a profit! Hard-working employees inhibit production and limit a corporation's growth? Aren't corporations cash rich?
Socialism in Europe is another excuse; arguing that America is becoming Greece. The 'freeloader' mentality of socialistic government is being blamed for bringing down the PIGS and with them, the whole European economy.
The Middle East -- Arab Spring -- is a big thorn in America's recovery. It's the cause of high oil and gasoline prices that are taxing the American consumer, slowing any possibility of recovery, and forcing corporations to hoard cash.
It's easy to blame poor, hard-working middle-class Americans for a deficient recovery, diverting attention from the 'real' causes and their complicity in this global mess.
There are many reasons for the poor economy.
It's become extremely complicated. That makes it easy to continually blame others.
The party's responsible have created such a tangled, interconnected mess that there are no easy solutions.
Nearly every available band-aid has been applied by Congress, the Treasury, the Federal Reserve, and corporations to stop the hemorrhaging. There is little more they can do to prevent slipping back into another recession.
Despite the government claim that the recession ended two years ago, most Americans feel like they're still in one.
In order for the economy to recover and emerge from a stifling recession there must be growth. The best stimulus for growth is good, well-paying middle-class jobs.
The private sector exhibits no desire to use the more than $2 trillion they've amassed to create jobs, leaving the government to pick up the employment slack.
Corporation's, reluctant to do the patriotic thing, pay millions to lobbyists rather than hire additional employees. Many of these corporations paid no taxes last quarter and some have avoided paying taxes for several quarters in a row.
Speaker Boehner and his House majority promised to create jobs when they swept into office in January.
Instead they've focused on abortion, light bulbs, de-funding the FAA, shielding the rich from paying taxes, and maligning the unemployed.
House Republicans have done nothing in their first eight months to create jobs or grow the economy. Instead, the deficit reduction they pushed will reduce jobs and cause contraction in the economy -- pushing it back into recession.
We have incentivized corporations to hire off-shore. Now they're whining about repatriating over a trillion dollars asking for a 5% tax holiday to bring it back, unwilling -- again -- to pay their fair share and help the country.
We have our priorities mixed up.
It's not government policy that's in the way. It's weak government.
It's not low income home buyers. It's greedy, corrupt lenders and Wall Street's complicity.
It's not the unions that are the problem. It's the corporation's unpatriotic hoarding of cash and lobbying against fair regulations.
Nor is it the fear of socialism. It's deregulation, forcing the government to intervene.
It's the persistent unemployment and lack of demand perpetuated by an incompetent Congress and greedy corporations who have decimated the American middle-class.
Arab Spring is an example of what should be happening in America to re-balance the current 1920's ugliness created by the transfer of wealth. The similarities are amazing.
It's easy to blame the poor and middle-class who have little voice. They're no longer represented in Congress; a Congress that is bought and sold by big money in this country.
The answer to recovery is simple.
Tax the rich... give it to the poor... who will spend it and stimulate the economy... expanding demand... putting people back to work... raising corporate profits... increasing revenues... which will reduce the deficit.
Problem solved!
Social Security recipients, disabled veterans, and retired veterans have received zero cost-of-living raises for two years despite huge increases in food, energy, and healthcare; the necessities of life! These are the very people that would put the additional money right back into the economy.
This country -- professed to be so great -- is so impassively screwed up that failure is becoming reality rather than the exception.
There are many more reasons, why the economy isn't recovering, but those positioned to do something about it appear to have no political will to do so.
They seem incapable of fixing it on Wall Street or Pennsylvania Avenue.
The final resolution may have to be won in the streets; the Main Streets of America.