Great Depression II: Obama or McCain?
Obviously our economy is in crisis and at risk of plunging into an all out depression. In addition to our ballooning national debt and the current financial crisis, our infrastructure has been slowly eroding and cronyism and corruption runs rampant. Who will we turn to for real change: Obama or McCain?
Corporations, driven as they are entirely by an insatiable need for bigger profits, have become beholden to short term results and temporary capital investment strategies. Higher paying jobs are following blue collar jobs overseas. Our dependence on foreign oil and cheap debt weaken our ability to react to economic shifts. Our educational standards are decaying along with our ability to innovate.
This is a time when Obama's message of coming together to solve our problems, reform government and reinstate the American Dream should be resonating with everyone. But, it's not. Being "smart" is twisted into the Orwellian "elitist"; Superficial style points and culture wars rule the media debate (charges of lipstick, sexism, racism, bridges, sex education, pregnancies, etc.) and Americans, once again, are being swayed by negative campaigning and outright lies.
American culture, politics and values have changed dramatically since the "great generation" went through the Great Depression. Americans have become more materialistic, less engaged, more dogmatically religious and more entitled than ever. The fourth estate is in shambles. Our constitution, privacy, ethos and freedoms are under continual attack by the executive and judicial branches. The tentacles of a bloated bureaucracy impede progress almost everywhere while oversight within our government is almost non-existent.
Maybe after so many years of Bush "leadership" and the predictable, mindless mob mentality he both choreographed and commanded in the wake of 9/11, I've become cynical about how America would react to an economic collapse. instead of electing real leadership to bring the country and world together, our society's reaction to 9/11 was to give up liberties for "protection" and turning to the socially dividing, fear mongering neocons. How does someone like Obama compete in this type of cynical and fearful environment?
What would happen if the entire middle class was thrust into poverty this close to the election? Not the type of recession where the middle class needs to cut back on vacations or keep the family car a few more years, but the kind of poverty where it is impossible to get work, even a McJob. And forget about trying to pay the mortgage, it's a struggle just keep the heat and electricity on and put food on the table. Many of us have never lived through such an economic calamity and think we are immune during these modern, prosperous times.
Can Americans -- saddled with a corrupted political system and autocratic corporations -- rise to the occasion and pull us out of a depression? Can we bring back the "can do," problem solving, innovative, hard working values that used to make America strong? In our current political environment, what would fill this economic vacuum: A McCain/Palin monarchy? Totalitarianism? A sweep of Christian fundamentalism? Will we be willing to give up even more freedoms and competent leadership in exchange for safety and comfort?
An optimistic view is that we can still rally this divided nation through innovation, resolve and visionary leadership to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. America, albeit sometimes reluctantly, has risen to the occasion to lead the world in the past.
After going through this type of economic fire, America could emerge truly changed with a new responsible corporate structure, honest and humanistic leadership and a cooperative world outlook. Maybe we would even change how money and greed corrupt our political, business, environmental and person domains.
Personally, I'm dismayed that the election is so close after the conventions. The democratic convention was filled with hope, inspiring change and real solutions. Obama has proven that he can and will rally America and the world. The Republican convention was just mean spirited and did nothing to address regular "folks" concerns. McCain and Palin are reactionary hot heads. Palin, especially, suffers from excessive and uninformed decisiveness and lack of worldliness and historical perspective.
Where do you think the country is headed during these increasingly tough times? Will Americans turn to inspiring hope and authentic change or to safety and reflections of their own mediocrity?
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
I THINK HE MEANS OBAMA OR PALIN MCCAIN DOES NOT HAVE THE SENSE TO RUN THIS COUNTRY SO SOMEONE WILL BE TELLING HIM WHAT TO DO SO SHADY SARAH, HER HUSBAND (LIKE IN ALASKA) AND THE LOBBYISTS WILL BE DOING IT
Given the fact that this countries majority of voting citizen brought George Bush to power twice I find no reason to be hopeful that the citizens of this country are intelligent enough to vote for Obama. Soccer moms will probably vote for McCain because they scared and gutless. How pathetic! Racists will vote for McCain because they are afraid of Blacks. How pathetic! Wall Street folks will vote for McCain because they want to continue picking peoples pockets. How pathetic! This country does not deserve a good leader as Obama is. They need to get fried in the pan first . If there is anything left then a new country should be formed from what is left of the wreckage of the wars that surely McCain and Palin will get us embroiled in. This country sucks big time bro!
So one Obama's economic advisor's ran Fannie Mae?
If that is true... wow
If the reforms presented in the Senate were passed we might not be here. Once again a do nothing Congress has let us down. Even Bush tried to push reforms 4 years ago but was shouted down.
It is time to fire everybody as they come up for reelection.
This financial meltdown isn't too difficult for mere mortals to comprehend,
but you have to read folks.
It's history repeating itself.
I won't link to any articles or sites. That way, the historical facts can't be dismissed as bias.
But I urge you to do your own research.
If you don't know or understand what has happened in the past, the players involved, and the origins of this current mess, it'll happen again in another 15-20yrs.
Search and read up on the following .... connect the dots .... then cast an educated vote.
Savings & Loan Crisis
The Keating Five
Financial Services Modernization Act 1999
The "Enron Loophole"
Commodity Futures Modernization Act 2000
Phil Gramm
The short answer is: "None of the Above."
These are Senators, Mike. Their every official act is public record at http://thomas.loc.gov.
"By their fruits shall ye know them." A politician will say absolutely anything to get elected, but when he is casting a vote you know his real mind. And what you see here isn't pretty. But it's true.
There ARE more than two names on the ballot in every State. Now, if your State uses paperless voting machines that give no receipts and keep no paper records, you may as well not bother voting (because the machines will vote for you... ballot-box stuffing made easy), but if it doesn't you might have a chance.
I have been watching for the Great Depression of 2008 and it has, in fact, been with us for quite some time. The parallels with other Great Depressions in this country (and we have actually had one every sixty years or so...) are quite unmistakable.
Read the book "It can't happen here," and weep.
It is a book about how it is "impossible," for a Fascist dictator to take over the US, but nonetheless it happens. The funniest/scariest part is that the book could have been written about the Bush administration, you can even peg which characters in the book match which Bush characters. Fortunatly it didn't happen, yet...
Still, the days of this nation are numbered, even Obama will just delay the fall of the empire.
Step away from the keyboard. Go outside. Register voters. It's fun. It'll calm your stomach, maybe even make you happy. I scored nine Democrats and one Independent today, by simply leaving my house with some forms, a clipboard and a pen. Was I nervous walking up to total strangers? A little, but you get used to it and then you start to enjoy it. In most places there are only a couple of weeks left to register people.
People aren't laughing at Ron Paul anymore. The government is corrupt beyond all help. The first thing to do is impeach Bush/Cheney. But then again, people here have no brains or patriotism anymore.l
I agree. But why should they wait for impeachment. The decent thing for both of them to do would be to resign. The same thing goes for McCain and Palin. They should give it up because neither of them has the temperament to lead our country out of this mess.
I know I would never have laughed at Ron Paul - I would never laugh at a politican that actually LIKES the Constitution and takes his job so seriously. I don't agree with Dr. Paul much on the role (or lack of it) Government in the lives of the people and business - but I respect him all the same.
If the House could get good people, people like Ron Paul, Dennis Kucinich, Wexler, and a select few others into majority and minority leadership roles, and get some of the vermin and cockroaches (like my old Congress Critter Steny Hoyer) out of office - things could actually start to work again.
Pelosi and Reid were almost completely ineffective in running an effective party. Somebody else needs to give it a go.
We all sit here bitching on our computers when we should all be marching on Washington and doing what our Congress doesn't have the guts to do.......take those bastards out.......there is a McCain or a Bush involved in nearly every failure we have had......are we stupid, or are we just weak kneed? Let's start a movement..............WE CAN CHANGE WASHINGTON........
dON'T COUNT ON THIS ELECTION BEING A FAIR ONE, THEY ARE ALREADY PURGING VOTER ROOLS.............. WE HAVE TO GO TO WASHINGTON !!!!!!!
"Will Americans turn to inspiring hope and authentic change or to safety and reflections of their own mediocrity?"
It is my fervent hope that at least 51% of Americans will choose the former. If it is the latter, we are almost certainly doomed.
And that is not just overblown rhetoric. Even if Obama wins, it will take everything he has and ALL of us have to turn things around.
I don't know but my stomach is upset & I have difficulty sleeping. I wonder if I should prepare for a depression. I wonder if there will be a constitution if McCain gets elected. I wonder if there will even be a democracy or will it be a hollowed out core like USSR pretending to have elections. This man who has stated he wants to damage the constitutional protection of habeas corpus scares me stiff. I find overturning Roe versus Wade far less frightening. But our constitution... the document that is a beacon to the world of hope and opportunity and justice. How can we have let fear lead us to this? Wars and more potential wars under McHoover bankrupting us. I didn't realize we capitulated and saved anyone else the effort of destroying ourselves. The humans who live in this country and call themselves Americans will still exist after it ends but we will have lost something so Fine it makes me weep to contemplate its end. Are Dems not responsible for some of this YES they are. But we at least are willing to change or at least argue it out and then try to change. But MCain wants to take us down because of his ideals whatever they are... Can't tell any more and I once told my son that I considered him one of the best the republicans had to offer ... No More...ENOUGH. ENOUGH
ENOUGH ENOUGH ENOUGH ENOUGH
This culture has been headed for a crisis of this nature for as long as we've endured and enshrined greed and the inherent fraud of self-first-and-everyone-else-be-damned ethics. There is little reason to think it will be easy--the American ethos of greed is revealed as bankrupt, but almost half the population cannot think critically nor face facts nor make rational decisions, and they have the vote. And they can demonstrably be successfully fleeced by neoconmen and charlatans and just plain corrupt and evil men.
We are stuck with our countrymen, the worst of them. I guess we can only make every effort, day-to-day and moment-to-moment, to demonstrate an enlightened, less selfish, more embracing consciousness and woo the fearful and stupid, one at a time, with the attraction of genuine peace of mind and the spiritual values we have always SAID we honor in this country.
Iow, this is as much a spiritual crisis as anything, an opportunity to break from old, failing structures, social and mental, in favor of new and more enlightened values and ways.
I remember a year ago I was at a party and met a woman who tried to explain to me what she did: bundling mortgages and selling them. I was asking questions, trying to figure out what her "job" was. My husband was very impolite to her. Now I understand. She was a real yuppy -- the kind who look down on anyone not making $500,000 a year.
I was watching a mccaine rally and I realized that those people standing behind him and clapping and cheering comprehend the world in a completely different way than I do. They are like aliens. I have no common ground with them, no shared values, no shared hopes, nothing! We are living in two different Americas. I believe that they simply do not want me as part of the social web that makes up this country.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
