Sunday, December 28, 2008

Comments on 2008

It’s in the news, it’s on everyone’s mind, but no one says it. This was the WORST Christmas season in memory. For Americans, this season was overwhelming sad. The sadness was truly palpable.

As if it were something over which to exude pride, an announcement in the paper read, more children than ever received some or all of their Christmas gifts from charity donations. Parents cry tears of gratitude, laced with despair and depression for their inability to make a living in the richest country in the world.

News writers declared earlier this month that it’s only a previous taboo to let go or lay off workers through the holiday season. It’s okay now. Oh really?

Would someone please explain how is it okay auto companies get the money and close the plants, at Christmas no less?

Where’s the relief for the families facing or going through foreclosure? The continuing and overwhelming numbers of families loosing everything is shameful. Banks got their money. Billions! But families are still being put out on the street. Where are those relief dollars going? The banks won’t tell, won’t tell? Won’t Tell? Won’t Account?

Love the drop in gas prices! But where’s the rebate check from being (please choose the words you like best) overcharged, extorted, extracted, obtained under duress, ripped off, for how many years?? Was it six or seven years of mostly rising, gouging prices? And let’s remember how rich they all were at 75 cents a gallon.

The crowning glory, even the elite have realized there’s a problem because their profits have gone down. They’re a bit slow on that epiphany. How many years slow could be debated. But the hysterical part is that the economists still don’t get it. Do institutions of higher education only suck the common sense or the complete brain out of these people’s heads?

To be a truly great economist the qualifications must read: blathering idiot able to keep a straight face in front of a camera while spewing nonsensical rot to take the focus off the real and simple solutions by making everything seem complicated through a series of algebraic equations which any sensible seventh grader will tell you has no applicability in real life past figuring marginally useful information, miles per gallon, etc.

An economist quoted in today’s paper actually said that it was the worker’s fault the plants had to close but it should have closed 15 or 20 years ago because those workers were just getting paid too much money. Is he being sarcastic? No, the fellow really believes it.

Contrary to economist’s beliefs, workers are customers until they’re unemployed. Just a guess but it’s doubtful that any of the people laid off will buy a new car in 2009. Hooray, lower sales next year! Squeezing your workers… customers… workers… customers… workers… out of existence, just doesn’t make for large profits. And, if you keep it up long enough there are no profits at all.

As we come to the beginning of 2009, let’s hope the privileged have a moment of clarity: get rid of all their advisors that have gotten them into this mess, talk to some real sensible people and get things back on track.

Accountability is only required of those who have the ability to make the change, the rest just live with the consequences of things out of their control.

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