Tuesday, January 15, 2008

It's NOT the economy, stupid

Now, that our brilliant presidential candidates have finally discovered the poor economic health of our country, if we exclude a few Republicans (Bush, still does not know what is a recession), we are witnessing a series of programs to cure our cancer. Because, cancer it is, and will get worse, unless there is a candidate with courage to stand up, and diagnose the real causes of our financial illness.
Forget the 1990s with "it's the economy, stupid". Fifteen years later, we did not learn anything. It's not the economy, but us, only us, who are stupid. No use to repeat the accumulation of mistakes made by the White House, with the support of a spineless and irresponsible Congress.
By allowing young couples to buy a $400,000. house with no down-payment, no interest (combined with the big cars in the driveway, and luxury furniture), the real world was just watching and waiting to see the foreseeable disastrous ending. We just can dream so much. Eventually, we have to wake up....or stay in bed....or take more sleeping pills. We are addicted to oil, but also to drugs.
We will just briefly enumerate a few causes of our financial woes. First, Americans, as individuals, are not savings. As a matter of fact, they spend more than they earn. As a nation, forget it. We are just getting deeper and deeper in red.
Secondly, cutting the interest rate is not the solution, but part of the problem. We provide a short term stimulus, but, six months later, we face a bigger problem. A band-aid solution can protect temporary, but does not cure the wound.
Thirdly, we must stop borrowing, as a nation, and as individuals. More than time to address the huge budget deficit. We are shipping billions and billions in interest to Asia and other international lenders. The collapsing value of our dollar for the last four years make it more difficult to borrow abroad. Already, several international companies and financial entities are switching to the Euro as their currency of exchange.
Fourth, we have accumulated so many faux-pas in our foreign policy (see several of our articles, last year), that we are assisting other countries to outbid us in international trades. We are losing more time and energy in boycotting certain countries, than trying to create mutually beneficial business relationships.
Because of our naive, childish, and retarded approach with Cuba, we are losing an important share of the Latin American countries, a market of 500 million consumers.
Because of our arrogant, narrow-minded and stupid behaviour with Iran, we are alienating several Arab countries, making a joke of ourselves, and providing companies of other countries to compete, at our own disadvantage.
While we are wasting one trillion dollars (and counting) in Iraq, China and Russia develop strategic alliances with the real world, including Europe.
Fifth, Washington is responsible for the economic problems in Michigan. Irresponsible Congress should have forced, a long time ago, the production of more efficient cars. No, they were bribed by lobbyists. Not in Japan.
It is NOT the economy....it is us, we the people, who are stupid. So, we have the government we deserve. Sorry for the children of the boomers who will pay for the ignorance of their parents.
The Facilitator.