Originally Posted by
u_not_i
I'm not at all trying to answer for sadmin. I can only address what his statement says to me. I will only base my comments on what I have observed personally. I make no claims as an expert.
It's very easy to feel the way he feels if you have been around a while.
Having been in commissioned retail sales for thirty-five years I feel I have somewhat of a grasp on the over-all economy. It's suckin' pretty bad fellows, they are just much, much better at hiding it. We have lost a lot of vendors lately. Those that are left have narrowed their offerings. Jobs are again being lost to countries with low labor costs and reasonable corporate rates. The percentage of folks giving up and dropping out of the workforce is the highest it's been in many years. Yet all this is out of sight with the help of a willing media and monthly replenished, tax dollar backed, charge cards. Bedding sales purchased by state and federal agencies with(again) your tax dollars are exploding. Corruption and favoritism is obvious. I have seen "free" merchandise delivered to $400,000+ homes owned by State or Federal employees. Some even beach front. It gets worse every day. I'm convinced few in D.C. care enough to stick their balls out. We have no Statesmen, only politicians. Get ready for a tax increase, my friends. It's coming. That's about all they have left.
On a world scale.... yes, there always have been "bad guys" we've had to deal with. Yet there has never been a time in history when it was like this. Never has it been so possible for a few a**holes to reach our shores and wreak the havoc possible today. (From within as well as without) Cyber attacks, CNB, and wide open borders. Our economy is being held together with bubble gum and a promise that is impossible to keep. The list goes on. My brother-in-law, past President of three banks, is getting out of the Market just as fast as he can. (he voted for the big O, btw) Yet he thinks I'm tinfoil hat.
The saddest part..... a generation of young folks growing up thinking all this is normal and .gov will be there to save them. I too fear our best days are behind us. I pray I am wrong.