I think the crisis in America is MUCH worse than people realize.

[Philosoraptor]

I have come to the conclusion that they are putting something in our drinking water that makes us ignorant of what is happening to us. No one seems to even notice that America is collapsing and floundering and in great peril as a nation state. I think things are much worse than they appear, and that this is being done deliberately to hold off the inevitable chaos.

Just like with what they are doing to make it appear bush is the president, they are making it appear as if everything is just hunky dorey out there in happy land. They are holding gas prices down deliberately for political gain, they are lying about the wonderful economy, lying about unemployment, lying about everything to make it look as if mayhem is not about to erupt.

Being eternally pessimistic and jaded has brought me to the conclusion that we are actually in a full scale disaster and that we just don't realize it yet.

[lvx35]

1. Correct. But we can hit the snooze button 1, maybe 2 more times.

Before the inferno starts to consume our bed.

on that note, I'm off to bed. Good night! :)

[acmejack]

17. I am learning to play the violin.

I wish to be able to fiddle as Rome burns.

[WCGreen]

2. In my neighbohood, within a quarter mile,

there have been four major water main breaks...

Two miles away, another Rash of water main breakage...

I've lived in this area for ove 30 years now and can't ever remember all this infrastucture breakdown happening at one time...

[shadowknows69]

27. You should see our city streets

New schools being built, and then blown up, in Iraq all the time.

[WCGreen]

57. That wasn't my point to whine about the state of my cities

infrastructure in comparision to Iraq...

What you should know is all politics is local and if things are going well locally, perhaps no sequenctial water main breaks, the average voter is not going to change voting patterns...

Now, as more and more things break and not get fixed, New Orleans and a missing Osma on the national agenda and water mains on the local level, that makes for a possibility of more political involvement...

It's really politics 101...

[shadowknows69]

66. I agree with you

I was being sarcastic with the Iraq remark. Our country is falling to pieces around us. Physically and idealogically.

[elehhhhna]

We have hs dropouts selling pot in the middle of the culdesac...

in broad daylight...while the parents look the other way. Ya think financial pressure is contributing to this behavior? I do.

[WCGreen]

56. Yes I do...

Financial pressure always brings about an increase i undergorund activity...

[elehhhhna]

63. lol if this was "underground" we wouldn't care. It's in the middle

of the street. Nice Republican Nascar family they've got huh?


Sheriff's Deputies put a stop to it immediately.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

64. We have the same problem. The state had to take over from the feds

or some such thing. I'd hate to see what happens if we have a hurricane (this is in Florida).

[H2O]

3. I am afraid so

and it would appear that many see it as long as they don't live in the U.S. Hugo Chavez actually called Bush "the devil". I don't know if any American President was ever openly called that before, although, someone I knew once called Clinton "the Antichrist".

[Philosoraptor]

5. These are the same folks telling us everything's swell in Iraq.

And we are to believe them when they say everything is swell here too?

[Divernan]

4. Many restaurants, other businesses just closing up.

In my immediate area, SEVEN upscale restaurants have closed down. We're talking places with good food, tableclothes, little candles or vases of flowers on the table. The oldest three had been in operation since the 1940's, another two anchored a local upscale mall which opened back in the late 70's. We have to drive some distance to get to this type of restaurant now. Good thing I like to cook, because I hate fastfood - overpriced, high salt and calories, poor nutrition.

I've also been seeing small businesses advertising going out of business sales, or just been driving along and suddenly noticed filling stations or car dealerships closed down. Overnight it seemed, the BP ProCare operation, which always seemed very busy, left. JoAnn Fabrics also closed down. And the mid size Walmart, which drove a lot of other small businesses out of the local mall, is now closing down, because a supersize Walmart has opened up 12 miles down the highway.

[Justyce]

8. We've lost a lot of local businesses too --

ones that have been in business as long as I can remember. We only have 1 filling station left in our town out of about 6. A lot of restaurants, stores in the mall, a Burger King, lots of locally owned places.... all gone. It's so scary -- I'm so tired of feeling like any day now, it's all going to completely crater. Sometimes I feel like I'm the crazy one since hardly anyone else I talk to even seems to notice, much less worry.

[Horse with no Name]

53. One young lady that runs around with my daughter

works at an upscale local restaurant. She gets paid about $2 an hour + tips.
Last year around this time, she would bring home about $150-200 a week in tips.
She says this year, the traffic is the same, but people aren't tipping. She says she is bringing home about $30-50 a week in tips.
Conversely, my daughter works at a fast food drive in.
Cheap food, but better than McDonalds. Their business has actually picked up, and she says the tips have picked up too.
She has been bringing in about $30-40 a night in tips.
My unsubstantiated theory?
I think people want to treat themselves to something nice but can't afford the tip, so they go to the nice restaurant--still keeping up with the Jones's.
However, many others that want a cheaper night out with decent food, go to the drive-in and still have money left to tip.

[az chela]

6. You are so right about this

The people in this country better damn well wake up before it is too late.We have been played like a violin for the last 6 years and the strings are about to break.
What will it take to stop these evil criminals??

[liberal N proud]

7. What are you talking about...

The economy is good, Iraq is going well, everyone has jobs, interest rats remain low, gas prices have actually come down and the stock market continues to boom.

RIGHT?

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Philosoraptor]

9. you seem to be having a sarcasm overload

Have a couple beers, a joint, watch a favorite movie, and in a few hours you'll be fine.

[az chela]

10. Dream on teenage queen

Just dont watch tv ,or read or go on the internet and you might actually convince yourself of this

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

11. You're right. Once they hi-jacked our electoral process...

...in 2000 and were given a complete pass on it by corporate media, the FBI, and the majority of our head-in-the-sand citizenry, the writing was on the wall. It's like awaiting a tsunami on a small island where BushCo controls all transport on and off the island.

BushCo knows what's coming and they're preparing for it with detention centers and microwave directed energy weapons for crowd control.

Hugo said it, "The devil is in our house." He's right.

[enough]

22. Yes, that was the moment: when the media decided to pretend that

what happened in the election of 2000 was perfectly normal business as usual for the nation. It was the moment when BushCo realized: WE CAN DO WHATEVER WE WANT.

I'll never forget reading a long retrospective on the career of Justice O'Connor when she resigned. At least three full newspaper pages worth of writing and photos. The case of Bush V Gore was not mentioned once in the entire article.

At this point, we have the forms of the former republic without the substance.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

32. Interesting about the O'Conner retrospectives...

...omitting the ONE thing she will always be most remembered for: the swing vote that gave us Chimperus Maximus...

[Arugula Latte]

48. The months of Nov. and Dec. 2000 and Jan. 2001 freaked me out

I felt as if I were living in "The Night of the Living Dead" -- looking around, everyone walking around with glassy-eyes, accepting the fact that Democracy had unceremoniously been flushed down the drain overnight in the USA, no problem, let's get back to our TV shows ... :scared:

[xchrom]

12. agree.

i might have a different list of favorites when i come to think about the morass the country is living in -- but i think we are in a deep and abiding crisis.

for me it became evident with reagan -- but we are there none the less.

[OneBlueSky]

13. the time to act is NOW! . . .

World Can't Wait! Drive Out The Bush Regime!
http://www.worldcantwait.org

read the ad . . . sign the petition . . . send it to your friends . . .

WE cannot wait! . . . the time is NOW! . . .

[meganmonkey]

36. Yes! World Can't Wait!!!

I just posted a thread about that, and requested the day off work.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2185950

Solidarity!! :patriot:

[JuniperLea]

14. Being dysfunctional is always that way

Looks pretty on the outside, vile and rotten on the inside. The facade is crumbling though, the veneer peeling, the thin veil of civilization is slowly being pulled away. Toto is pulling the curtain back... slooooowwwwwwwlllllly. The little man in the booth is far more vile than he first appears.

[no_hypocrisy]

15. The erosion of the economy (esp. the tapping of the middle class) and

the other societal institutions (education, government, family) has been steady for several years. It isn't in the media because reporting it doesn't behoove the powers that be and the media is essentially owned by the powers' cronies and enablers. Try to find a local radio station, television station (all networks now), and/or newspaper that is "independent".

Plus, even if it were reported that the majority of Americans are doing worse and the dye is cast for many years hence, there would panic in the streets, particularly Wall Street. As much as this would be the hens coming home to roost as far as corporate leaders losing their wealth, the rest of us simultaneously would go down with them (losing homes and/or employment).

Add in cynicism with government to improve situations. Even if citizens were disturbed enough to demand "change", the elected officials and/or their staffs don't offer the impression that they can go to their respective governing bodies with proposals and effectuate them with getting other officials on board with them to enact policy.

That's why it's almost irrelevent whether or not the public knows or cares. It comes down to "What are we going to do about it?"

[schmuls]

54. A military coup here would be interesting...I'm not saying it would

be good or bad per se, but if it did happen, I wonder how it would play out? With violence, no doubt. I wonder if anything BUT a military coup would change things? Our congress, which has a few heroes in it, doesn't represent most of us anymore, it seems.

[unblock]

16. oh i think they are aware. they just don't know what they can do about it

once upon a time, when there were great corporate excesses, there were loud, visible unions who were able to make news and give people a way to fight back. the media covered their complaints and occassional successes, and soon enough it became a movement and achieved great successes.

so much so that the people go complacent, but that's another story.

this story, instead, is all about NOT HAVING any equivalent of the union to fight back through. there IS no institution for resistance. internet sites like du are the closest things, but most of the time, it's just a place to get news, share, and vent. it's not an institution that, in and of itself, can clearly lead to specific change. at least not the kind of successes that make people feel like we're winning enough battles to have hope. perhaps someday it will.

if there were a clear institution for resistance that got fair media coverage, people would join in droves. but when millions of people can march in washington and in other major cities throughout the country and it's a small, one-day, non-lead story, most people feel, "why bother".

[sweetheart]

30. We know how to fix what has gone bad

Resistance in this world of corporate stupidity,
we could use a platform, and a better education facility,
new media has still done a fairly bad job at getting across
what progressive means, and how its a comprehensive approach
that really can solve the worst problems of government.

The drugs war needs to end yesterday.
Al Gore's tax proposal yesterday.
A proposing of a global moratorium on nuclear arms, and a cutting of arsenal by half, unilaterally,
asking all nuclear nations to join in that act of goodwill.

If we had the bully pulpit, it would be so brilliant, without the
cynical hatred of the rethuglican approach. But we do have the
bully pulpit on places like DU, yes, but the message is to the choir,
and not to the masses, progressive mass messaging is still incoherent.

The democratic party is covering up its own void, regarding being a corporatist
party or a progressive party, and by this void of what the TV stations will
broadcast, the dukes and barons control our futures, and we are truly back
in a feudal age, without question. And begs pray where is a good king.

[LaurenG]

18. I think that people are waking up but it's a slow process

I think it may take until 2008-2009 for the jarring of America to fully wake up the sleepers. I think we may be in for it for another year or two.

[atfqn]

19. You are right

they are putting something in the water - it is called flouride and it makes people docile and accepting of their environment.


http://www.holisticmed.com/fluoride/
http://www.fluoridation.com/atomicbomb.htm
http://www.proliberty.com/observer/20060818.htm
http://www.miraculewater.com/WaterLibrary/Fluoride.html
http://www.government-propaganda.com/NWO-Forum/showthread.php?p=122
http://people.tribe.net/heatherlsalmon/blog/7ff0785d-6aa4-4045-9f10-f4eab43c1bd9

[deaniac21]

41. They are putting it in our toothpaste too.

[elehhhhna]

42. We don't have fluoridated water in Tom DeLay's district,,,

must be something stronger.

Must be strong enough to make those Bush bumper stickers fall off.

They are GONE.

[windbreeze]

58. Thank you....I was reading the thread to see if anyone had

posted links to the Flouride information....I go to the dentist on a regular basis...they no longer insist you allow them to flouride your teeth, after cleaning...in fact, they sell a complete line of dental products WITHOUT flouride in them....so what does that tell you??...just in case you doubt the flouride connection....
wb

[atfqn]

69. I just thought more people should see it.

I mean Germany banned it and England banned it this year. It is known to be toxic - I mean come on before they started putting it into our water they were using it as a pesticide and as a main ingredient in rat poison.

As to going to the dentist, I read the book called "Tooth Truth" a couple of weeks before I went in for my cleaning. Funny thing my dentist won't use fluoride on himself or his family either. He just doesn't go around preaching it because people get upset. I guess I joined the group of crazies (everyone I try mentioning this stuff to, lose interest quickly.) So like teflon, aluminum cooking pots and silicone cookware I suppose we will just have to wait and see what kind of nasty long term side effects there will be.

[Warren Stupidity]

20. The Good News is that after the collapse

they Stupid Party will suffer another 50 year trip to siberia. The Bad News is that they have been busy training their Jesus Army to kill us all.

[DemReadingDU]

21. Still, there are a lot of people

busy with jobs, family, hobbies. These people are not paying attention. They rarely read any newspapers, and get snippets of news on TV. They listen to their friends tell them about Rush Limbaugh.

Some people truly are asleep, and have not a clue. When they finally wake up, they will be in a state of shock.

[elehhhhna]

43. the only Bush lovers left in my hood are the DRUNKS. They know NOTHING

about what goes on in their own homes, let alone the world.

[Vinca]

23. I agree with you completely.

When the United States of America debates whether or not to torture, we have lost our integrity, our soul, our reason for being.

[Daphne08]

65. I couldn't agree more. n/t

[BeFree]

24. You make it sound pretty bad

But the fact is America is getting old, that's all. Getting old and must retire from being so damned active. Needs to draw back into a retirement home and quit raising hell.

Since we are aware of the coming changes, it is incumbent on each of us to prepare for the retiring America. Stay close to home, take care of business around the house and unite with like minded folks. The world is changing and we must grow old gracefully, or die.

We are the change that needs to happen, and each of us meeds to dedicate ourselves to seeing that the change doesn't end the American dream of freedom.

[Divernan]

37. I prefer the ambitious, very active agenda of the EU & "old Europe"

Our massive deficit and crumbling infrastructure will take decades of effort to repair, not to mention salvaging our good name around the globe.

[BlueEyedSon]

25. No sh*t

[cap]

26. no... people arent dead...

they are quietly trying to survive...

Either they are running around on 60+ hour work weeks and dont have the time to look at anything because they are just trying to survive.

Or they are quietly going bankrupt... 10% of the working age men are sitting at home. Watching TV and cruising the internet... waiting for things to get better so they can go back to doing what they have been doing...

Except things have changed... and those jobs are gone.

The media just isnt reporting all this until things get so obvious that they have to.

[marions ghost]

49. yep

you have to account for the demoralization factor. It's actually a luxury to have the time and energy to discuss politics, rail against the media, beat your head against figurative barricades, and worry about detainees in Gitmo.

[Blackhatjack]

28. The Goal Is To Make People Doubt What They Observe With Their Own Eyes

You see the newspaper full of foreclosure notices, and then read that the economy is booming. You note that thousands are being laid off or having their jobs transferred outside the US, and read that unemployment is low. You meet people who are employed in low wage service jobs who had high paying jobs before being laid off, and read about all the jobs being created as if the net effect is no big deal. It goes on and on ....

Management of the "news" and access to the media is a major aspect of controlling public opinion in this country --in much the same way it was managed by the old Soviet Union before it fell.

What we see locally is probably a lot closer to reality than what we see on the "news" and hear from the paid pundits who spin it.

PS. And don't forget we have a WHite House that has openly admitted that it pays millions of taxpayer dollars to 'journalists' to write slanted stories talking about the "good news." And what kind of reaction is there to this outrage? So far, almost nothing....

[Jcrowley]

29. Distortions

Distortion #1
The True Unemployment Rate Is Over 12%

One of the first new wrinkles in the unemployment stats was added during the Kennedy Administration. And it persists to this very day.

Instead of measuring how many people are actually out of work, they figured it would be easier to simply keep track of how many people are applying for jobless benefits.

Distortion #2
The True Inflation Rate Is Over 7%

Probably more so than any other number, the government has a direct, vested interest in keeping its official inflation numbers low.

Reason: The higher the rate of inflation, the more it has to pay in Cost of Living Adjustments to Social Security beneficiaries.

<snip>

Distortion #4
Deficits and Debts

The official 2005 budget listed the U.S. federal deficit at $319 billion.

But according to the GAO, if the government followed the same generally accepted accounting principles it demands of corporations, the real 2005 deficit would have been $760 billion -- or more than DOUBLE the official number.

http://www.safehaven.com/article-5917.htm

[Anita Garcia]

31. I agree with you.

I am disappointed that people are afraid to speak out against this administration. What people did in protest in the past is unthinkable today. I am shocked that people will not take to the streets or speak out because of their fear. People that I admire for their past activism tell me that it is not safe. I am angry that "our" representatives continue with their silence. I have had enough of the deafening quiet.

[NotGivingUp]

33. Can definitely relate! I feel like we're living in The Truman Show.

[Nordmadr]

34. This is my first post on DU for some time.

I had to take a step back. All in all, I've come to the conclusion that pretty much were f*cked, and I mean that in a very, very badly f*cked kind of way. THE grandaddy of them all. The charade can't possibly last much longer.


I don't mean to sound so doomer, but I just can't get passed it. I'm still living my life, but with a diferent perspective. You know, the one with the acknowledgement of the current f*cking and the bigger one yet to come.

Global warming
economic breakdown
religous wars
energy shortages
loss of freedoms


Welcome to the dawn of the new dark ages.

There, now aren't you cheered up?

Olaf

[NotGivingUp]

35. The same thoughts have been prevailing in my mind, but it's

another thing to 'hear' someone else 'say' them.

[Nordmadr]

39. I kept trying to figure out how to adjust my life to

accomodate for every possible bad thing that could happen and I came to the conclusion that it simply could not be done. I was making myself crazy trying to figure out how not be a victim; and I have generally considered myself to be a fairly reasonable and rational kind of guy. I'm maried, a veteran, college educated, and have a pretty decent local government level job. I'll tell you though, over the last few years I've had multiple moments where I have thought, "either most of the people in this world are delusional and crazy, or I am".

So what I've done instead is just try to mentally prepare myself for all of these various contigencies, and still try to go about my life as it exists now. I figure, if shit gets really bad, at least I won't be totally shocked and surprised, standing there with my mouth open as I get steamrolled. If I'm wrong about stuff, so be it, but I won't be one of those people going "How the hell did this happen"?

I quit smoking.
I exercise more.
I'm working out of my debt.
I'm trying to learn useful hands on skills.

As I sit in front of this computer, I get thoughts like; "I wonder how much longer I'll get to do this for"? You know, sort of, "I guess I should savor this".

Olaf

[loudsue]

62. I'm going through the very same exercises, Olaf.

I post VERY little anymore, partly because we've said it all, seen it all, and know how bad it really is. Even here on DU, the right wing propaganda gets a pass. We no longer have the country I loved, and I cannot, for the life of me, see how it could possibly get turned back around.

When Keith Olberman is allowed to speak truthfully, we feel SO GRATEFUL! Just for the one grain of truth. We have become so hungry and grateful for the truth, it's like a crumb of bread and water to a person who has too long gone without anything to eat or drink.


The corporations have BECOME the governors of this country, and they keep giving themselves more power and more money. The money brings them more power, and they use it to bring themselves more money. It is a circular spiral to absolute power, and the people have lost their will to fight.

We have become a country of beggars: we beg our "elected" representatives to protect our votes, and they look the other way while they spend more money for the very computerized election process that is stealing our voice.

We beg our reps to throw us a crumb, and they only screw us harder. We're a nation of people being raped repeatedly, and our spirit has been broken by it. We beg for them not to vote for harmful, ridiculous legislation, and they vote for it anyway, and make no excuses.

Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove -- these are truly evil people in every aspect. They do the bidding of the dark forces who control their souls. They kill, they torture, they steal, and they delight in it.

The future looks dark, indeed.

:kick::kick::kick:

[Cha]

38. Of course, it is! Most don't have

a fucking clue and won't until it's too late for anything but a REVOLUTION!

[area51]

40. Agreed.

The economy is really bad; people who haven't lost their job may have no idea of how hard it is to get a job in this economy. I think we're going to see multi-generations of families living together since jobs are so hard to find.

[Ron Green]

44. My quick answer:

(I'm on the way to a meeting and didn't have time yet to read the whole thread) -

We know, deep down, that our way of life is unsustainable, and we're desperately avoiding the profound and painful changes required to turn our country (and the world) around. So we continue to shop, and turn away from civic participation.

[lonestarnot]

45. We are definitely on the other side of the looking glass, but I am going

to continue to hope! :grouphug:

[leftofthedial]

46. Nearly everyone I know

(except for a couple of wealthy trust funders who are doing just fine, thank you, buying out all sorts of stuff on the cheap) is either already ruined or hanging on by their chin whiskers.

Most of them don't even realize it unless you call their attention to their unsustainable debt and their complete lack of job security. Most are 60 days or less away from the street if the bankers exercise their new rights under the repuke-DLC predatory lender protection laws.

Meanwhile, nearly everything is getting more and more expensive. Gas is "down," but still double what it cost before the coup of 2000.

Streets are pretty good in my community, but we have recurring power outages that we never had before.

[ArmchairMeme]

47. Effects of stress from government lies is torture

I have seen more people ill in strange ways these past few years. People who have been laid off from their jobs and unable to get new jobs. People who are still working but are in major stress due to watching others disappear through previous layoffs. They are afraid that they will become ill due to the stress of an insecure job while they see the heads of the corp. get major bonuses and mega salaries while their pay remains the same or gets reduced (to help the corp. (sarcasm)). A lot of other people are just barely living while living unemployed unable to afford any more than a trip to the library. All of these these people are educated but they are definitely not living the good life.

The uncertainty of the years under the current administration has added another level of stress. I believe over a few years this breaks down the natural defenses of people in general.

I see all of the disabled parking spaces full when I go to the store. Is our nation a lot sicker than it was a few years ago?

[marions ghost]

50. stress is widespread

many people feel like, "all this S* I have to put up with and Bushco on TOP of it?" A lot of people are overwhelmed and shut down.

[indepat]

51. Maybe you're not that eternally pessimistic and jaded, but a grim realist

whose senses are keen and you see what is going down and smell what is in the air and water and it ain't a pretty sight or nice fragrance.

[Bandit]

52. Back in the mid sixties there was a magazine called FATE

It had an article in it about psychics making predictions for coming years. One that has stuck with me all this time is that an enemy of the USA possibly USSR used chemicals to destabilize the American population and that insanity would be rampant for forty years and then an awakening would happen. It has been forty years since I read that article. :shrug:

[Blackhatjack]

55. Next Step Is Crush Medicare, Medicaid, Education, Regulation etc

The reason the NeoCon/Repubs have run up so much debt is: (1)tp transfer public treasury funds to their friends under no-bid contracts, fraud, etc.; and (2) to "drown our government in a bathtub." To do away with every Government Entitlement program that benefits anyone other than the corporate/richest 1%.

When the Economy crashes, debt will be unsustainable by most people and there will no government assistance to cushion the fall. This will destroy the "middle class" and create a single class of "servants" to meet the needs of the super-rich/corporate interests.

And when the Economy crashes, the corporate/super-rich will pick up all of the private sector assets for pennies on the dollar. Another massive transfer of wealth to them.

Make no mistake, we are in the midst of a class war --and most people are still deluded, apathetic or asleep.

[earth mom]

59. Some of us realize it.

That's why many of us-including myself-are on DU nearly every day. We're waiting for "IT". Whatever "IT" is that will make everything REALLY hit the fan.

:scared:

[Generator]

60. Our day to day lives are pretty good for most people

Even with Bush. Even with 2 wars. As long as you aren't related to someone in those wars, an Iraqi, an Afghan, as long as you didn't have a loved one die on 9/11 and want answers to what really happened. Most people are not affected at all!

So I share your concern. My concern is for the future. I've see a ideologues (whether religious, greed based or power based) take over our government completely. I've seen there is no opposition party. I've seen the media roll over. As I said on my habeas corpus concern thread-we are alone.

My concern is the future. Another supreme court judge that's like Alito. Another few bills wiping out the Constitution. And then something bad happens whether they just let it happen out of incompetence or they don't give a shit-it doesn't matter. Then we have everything I fear. A president worse than Bush (oh yes it's sure possible-on the list of history's tyrants he's a fucking small minded one) that declares marshall law. That eliminates free speech. And we continue to do nothing. When it's too late, it's too late. I fear the future.

And you are correct. They are falsely propping up the economy. How can we be billions upon billions in debt and be okay??????? IS that even possible? I'm not sure I buy peak oil-but I certainly understand that one little blip and the prices will be out of reach and then this country will have a second depression.

I fear it's never going to end. I can't see an end game. McCain will be the next president? Well he sure as hell will be if we are stupid enough to even think of Hillary Clinton. A Clinton on the ticket is another clue to pack your bags and stop the charade. Who the hell are we kidding? Let's stop lying to ourselves. That's all I ask. And for now, all I can do is take my kids to school, enjoy the fall sun, and yes, watch my reality TV and drink my wine. I don't know what else I can do but keep saving money and have the passports in order.

[wiggs]

61. Not just economic...but also

...constitutional crisis (imbalance of power among three branches)

....health care crisis

....environmental crisis (most regions)

...global warming crisis (a big one)

...moral crisis (can't believe we used white phosphorous and are debating torture)

...economic crisis (deficits, personal debt, outsourcing)

...education (where do we rank?)

...freedom of the press crisis (I think we're #21 in the world...bad)

...democracy crisis (lobbying, misinformation, election integrity, etc)

...social security crisis (trust fund raided, no replacement)

...military crisis (morale)

...diplomatic crisis (have lost many friends and much respect that we will need in the future)

Still, people are going to work, raising families, watching TV etc and to most people, things are normal. There is going to be rude awakening someday

[NMMNG]

67. A gram is better than a damn

Just keep taking your Soma and everything will be seem just fine.

[Philosoraptor]

68. We can't go on like this, not for too much longer