Were making history

[Vote Waterman 2028]

Has it crossed anyones mind that we might be living through a period in human history that will be remembered and taught to students for hundreds of years, possibly thousands. I remember reading in school about the great depression of the 30's and was like DAMN, i cant imagine that happening to us. Now we may be living through a depression to the likes of which no one has ever known. Its wild to think about.

[Highland]

yes....if there is anyone in the future to tell it too....trying not to be pessimistic.

[dude58677]

Has it crossed anyones mind that we might be living through a period in human history that will be remembered and taught to students for hundreds of years, possibly thousands. I remember reading in school about the great depression of the 30's and was like DAMN, i cant imagine that happening to us. Now we may be living through a depression to the likes of which no one has ever known. Its wild to think about.

The more crumbles then the more that Ron Paul becomes popular and the sooner will have a libertarian President in 2012 and America would be the best off since 1776.

[Mortikhi]

Yeh. Whoopy.

Color me thrilled.

[cska80]

Here's a good question. Would we have pulled through the depression with almost half of the country refusing to work but instead asking for handouts?

[fr33domfightr]

If things get really bad, we should have an easier time, more than ever, to attempt to fix our government.


FF

[Teenforpaul08]

Yeah we don't have any money, but we still have food in the stores everywhere. Why don't we just give it to them so no one has to die of starvation?

[libertarian4321]

The more crumbles then the more that Ron Paul becomes popular and the sooner will have a libertarian President in 2012 and America would be the best off since 1776.

There were a lot more Republicans who thought like Ron Paul in 1932 than there are now.

Did the crash of 1929 and the Depression issue in an age of less government?

Of course not. It brought us the biggest increase in the scope of government in our history.

When things go bad, when banks and business's fail, when people have no jobs, no money, no houses, and no food, they aren't going to look for a guy who says "let the free market fix it," they will look to more government.

[mediahasyou]

Yes. 2008 will be the year the Great Bernanke saved us from our own doom.

[heavenlyboy34]

Here's a good question. Would we have pulled through the depression with almost half of the country refusing to work but instead asking for handouts?

that's debatable. You'd have to ask someone who's able to compare the size and type of the economy then and now. Indeed, a good question.

[tpreitzel]

yes....if there is anyone in the future to tell it too....trying not to be pessimistic.

History making periods are good for just one thing: history books. I'm sure that most people would rather not go through notable historical periods as these periods tend to be kind of messy. If you're a thrill seeker, hang on for the ride as this historical period might launch you into orbit. ;)

[cska80]

Do you think there would ever be a point where the government would have to suspend SSI payments and welfare benefits? States as well? Would you be safe where you live if they did that? I know I'm 10 minutes away from a great example of the breakdown of civilization called Providence and it would not be pretty.

[heavenlyboy34]

Do you think there would ever be a point where the government would have to suspend SSI payments and welfare benefits? States as well? Would you be safe where you live if they did that? I know I'm 10 minutes away from a great example of the breakdown of civilization called Providence and it would not be pretty.

Yeah, I read a story once back in the day about how that happened in the 90's in one of those midwestern states. Ask Kade and TW about that.

[Highland]

History making periods are good for just one thing: history books. I'm sure that most people would rather not go through notable historical periods as these periods tend to be kind of messy. If you're a thrill seeker, hang on for the ride as this historical period might launch you into orbit. ;)

yes...there is room for innovation during these times...we have focused our business plan on that and it is proving to hold so far.....it is weird though...all our business is coming from Country Clubs.

[tropicangela]

Do you think there would ever be a point where the government would have to suspend SSI payments and welfare benefits? States as well? Would you be safe where you live if they did that? I know I'm 10 minutes away from a great example of the breakdown of civilization called Providence and it would not be pretty.

Oct 3rd

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/04/business/economy/04questions.html


Q. If taxpayers finance this recovery plan, will Social Security and Medicare be affected?

A. There will be no effect on Social Security and Medicare, which are paid for through deductions from paychecks and contributions from employers. Yes, Social Security and Medicare face some problems that will have to be addressed sooner or later, but to avoid a headache, you should think of those issues apart from the current financial crisis. And tune out oversimplified, alarmist language.

Thoughts? I have an out-of-state relative who depends on social security and Medicare.

[Pete]

Old Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times."

[TruthAtLast]

To this day people argue about what caused the Great Depression, and the text books in school certainly don't talk about how the FED was illegally created to enslave the People through inflation and fractional reserve banking.

I was listening to the Congressional hearings this morning and only ONE person (who was quickly cut off) said that questioning the CEO of Lehman Brothers is like holding a hearing after a huge train robbery and only focusing on the stewarts in the Dining car. He went on to say that it was Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that needed to be questioned and there were no plans to do so.

People don't get that the cause is Fannie & Freddie, the Community Reinvestment Act, the FED creating the housing bubble by lowering interest rates after the NASDAQ bubble burst and Congress that allowed all of this to happen (and in some cased DEMANDED that it happen).

Instead Congress needs someone to hang for this and are blaming "greedy wall street fat cats" or "predatory lending" or "deregulation". What did they expect was going to happen when they forced Fannie and the banks to offer sub-prime "affordable housing" to people that they KNEW couldn't pay it back? But they aren't going to hold hearings on themselves are they?

My point is that YES we are going through a historical time, but not even a week after all hell broke lose in the financial markets, ALREADY people are blaming it on the wrong thing.

So who knows how the history books are going to remember or portray this crisis over the next few hundred years. But if the Department of Education has anything to say about it... :D

[Michael Ingram]

The more crumbles then the more that Ron Paul becomes popular and the sooner will have a libertarian President in 2012 and America would be the best off since 1776.

Other way around. Think FDR+LBJ version 2012.

[enjerth]

Has it crossed anyones mind that we might be living through a period in human history that will be remembered and taught to students for hundreds of years, possibly thousands. I remember reading in school about the great depression of the 30's and was like DAMN, i cant imagine that happening to us. Now we may be living through a depression to the likes of which no one has ever known. Its wild to think about.

I get the feeling that most people, even here, have absolutely no idea what we're facing.

Never, in the history of mankind, has there been such a large percentage of the population with ABSOLUTELY NO BASIC SKILLS. An economic collapse may send us back to the stone age.

Who here can forge metal? Hand-sew? Sow and reap crops? Craft shoes?

Can any of us do anything?

The industrial revolution has taken it's toll. We've practically been dead since that day. We are only waiting for the collapse of that technology through one of it's vulnerabilities, which it's looking like the weak link is investment banking (well, it's always been clear that that is the weakest link).

Civilizations have risen and fallen before, but none so great as the fall we now face. Will we ever learn?

[Dary]

...for hundreds of years, possibly thousands.

I give us 15 max.