Well, once again we find ourselves at the doorstep of a disaster and wonder how we got here, as if we had been slipped a date rape drug and we just came to. We look around and look for someone to blame. It's always someone Else's fault for the negative situations we find ourselves, But, reversely never fail to accept full responsibilities for any favorable predicament we find ourselves.
"Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all" The path that led us to this house, up the steps to the door of the house of cards called prosperity. The current conditions and future outlook for our economy are not the least bit sunny. The blame has been thrown in every direction but the one where it belongs. The housing market and the scruples of those involved has been the main scapegoat. Of course the buyers that flocked to opens houses, presale trailers and realestate investment opportunities were the victims. To that I only have one thing to say, "Encavet emture" (Let the Buyer beware)
The Woes in our economy, which regardless of the attempts to sugar coat it, is in recession, and will get worse before it gets better. The depth of which will be predicated on your actions. Blame has also been placed heavily on the energy markets and fears of disruption due to the many conflicts that are currently taking place in ares we rely too heavily on for our energy(Oil).
We have seen this coming and been warned over and over of its inevitability. We pull up the pumps in our Hummers and Expeditions and assume that availability of cheap gas will always be there. We constantly fall prey, like a shell game or three card Monty, to Big Oil and its "absolute ability to manipulate the market" decreasing production right around the times of the year were demand will be high.
Or in the present case, when our economy is slowing so less people are traveling which means demand is falling off slightly, OPEC begins to reduce production to prevent the price of a barrel of oil from falling(in this case trying to keep it above 80/barrel). Which of course means they sell less but still make a higher profit! They are acutely aware of the facts surrounding "Peak production" and the acceptance that their industry is not eternal. We have a limited amount of oil on this planet and its not a renewable resource, at least not in a time frame that would be useful.
It took millions of years to create the reserves that we are now depleting. Studies done by the Oil companies and every Government that is held captive of it, have universally agreed on these findings. They believe (with 95% confidence) that the total volume of oil on this planet was at one time 2,000 billion barrels.
Well, folks In just 60yrs In the "Age of Autos" We have all ready used half of that, and that half was the easiest to get at and of highest grade. The remaining (we will never extract it all) is going to be harder to extract and will be lower in quality, so the cost of production is going to rise regardless. The major players have all begun to create hugh storage reserves in the knowledge of whats to come. The oil moguls know that as our worlds demand continues to rise at a staggering rate and the fact that they have already reached "Peak Production" that things are going to get ugly. They have no long term future and that awareness is the reason they are squeezing every penny they can out of us.
They take no responsibility for the neg effect prices have on our economy and our way of life. Last year while we all saw the market weaken and stocks falling Exxon-Mobil Had a 40 billion dollar profit and gave there retiring CEO a 400 million dollar bonus. That bonus is not including the 100 million per year he earned! Oil is embedded into every single solitary fiber of our being. Everything that makes us who we are and are very way of life depends on it. we are "Driving" forward as if nothing could possibly go wrong.
We have a trade deficit today that is larger than ever before. The national debt is over 6 trillion dollars. 70% of which is Oil imports. Our entire forgien policy is tied to protecting our Oil life line. The Iraq war was, during the covert planning stages, refferd to as Operation Iraqi Liberation(OIL). Funny it wasnt called, We make Democracy(WMD).
We are facing a time in our lives like no other. The decision we make for our next president will be the single most important vote you/we will ever cast. We are in a new year and approaching a new era in human history. The "perfect storm" is brewing. Climate changes are creating adverse effects that will manifest themselves in extreme and "freak" weather incidents that will further tax our economy and elevate starvation and disease. Global unrest and genocide are continuing unabated and religious extremists have been busy planning an attach on our soil that will be their own form of "Shock and Awe" There have been enterseps that talk of mass casualties. They are very patient and through in the preparation for this event. We have been lulled into a false sense of security by the lack of attacks since 9/11. They will hit us when we are down. I for one see us as down. Not yet out for the count but, from my private polling which has been done everyday for the two years, I am terribly worried.
Without a very small exception, no-one is even aware or appears to care that we are ALL in for the fight of our lives. It is not only your right to be involved but, today its your obligation. You are not just hurting yourself but every other human being on the Planet. The candidates all speak of change. The perfect storms winds of change are blowing and will gain in strength. We must make the preparations needed to ensure we will be standing when they blow over. Together we stand and we will whether the storm, divided we will fall. If You dont engage today.....who will?
|
