On the eve of the year 2008 I wrote a piece about the coming economic hardships based upon events Ryan, Robert and I saw occurring in 2007. In the end, I was right even though I had hoped not to be. This year I wanted to do something similar, an outlook for the upcoming year. I have been pondering this for the past few days in earnest, and doing so has filled me with a sense of melancholy and indignation. Simply put, They killed it.
Through greed, arrogance and lies the dream which mankind has pursued since the beginnings of Western Civilization has been killed; the golden goose is dead. Although flawed, we were a land of promise and ingenuity that was free and prosperous. We have squandered the gift which we have inherited, and that was paid for in blood; the blood of the pioneers, the blood of our revolutionary founding fathers, the blood of our soldiers, the blood of those who stood up for freedom and equality. As I see it, our nation is broken and defeated, not from some outside force, but from within by the cancer of greed and corruption which gnawed at our substance until it was all but gone, leaving a husk to collapse upon itself, and collapse the husk has.
The financial alchemy of the money lenders, federal reserve bank system, brokerage firms, an investment houses finished a job which started decades ago; the destruction of the United States as a self-sufficient nation. We have been duped in the biggest Ponzi scheme in the whole of human history (next to communism) and all that we, our parents and grandparents, friends and neighbors have worked for during our lives, our Tax dollars and our savings have been sucked into an abyss leading to nothing. Ex nihlio nihil fit. Yet, we were expected to believe in alchemy, and believe we did that lead could be transmuted into gold… and look where it brought us. The deregulation of the past decades in the financial system, and the wide spread “I got mine” culture of corporate greed left us holding the bag.
It wouldn’t be so bad, however, if there was still industry and production capacity for our nation to produce. However, our production capacity and capabilities have been sent offshore, where it was cheaper and easier to earn a profit without the presence of organized labor, environmental regulations, or fair prevailing wages. We’ve had the rug pulled out from under us. So now there is nothing left for us… unless you look forward for an American miracle to save us all from disaster… and it may very well come to that.
To make matters worse, our Tax dollars were invested by state and local governments, and in the case of the federal government gifted, to the very same corporations which sold our production capacity overseas and who wanted us to believe in financial alchemy. Our money is gone; we were robbed. Now State, county, and municipal governments are bankrupt because they threw away our tax money in the cauldrons of Wall Street as an offering to the high priests of corruption. Now, these governments will need to feed off of the people once again, but this time there is no prosperity; the taxes cannot be paid, so things must simply be taken. Expect to see massive seizure of homes, businesses, and properties to sate the hunger of the beast. Expect to see Black masked goons tearing families out of their homes and throwing them on the street.
So, what can we look forward to in 2009? Total collapse of the world order to which we are accustomed to, and massive hardships the likes of which our living generation, including those who have lived through the great depression, have not seen on these shores. As the economy breaks down further there will be an increase in crime, especially in the urban areas; however, due to the bankruptcies of the local governments the police forces will not be able to protect the citizens (not that they have an obligation to) and will focus more on revenue generation; fines and taxation enforcement. As a result, the urban centers may become very rough in the near future as unemployment and a bleak economic forecast will lead to an increase in drug addiction and the ills which are associated with it such as organized crime and prostitution.
The pension funds, 401Ks, hedge funds, trust funds, et al. will be seriously depleted, if not completely drained. Already, my contacts in organized labor and government are complaining about the massive losses sustained as a result of the current situation. When the bottom does fall out, the pension funds which are not completely drained will be further taxed. Taxation will also increase to fund the massive state. As a result, there will be widespread anger among the middle class, white collar and blue collar workers will riot, much like the events which we have seen in Greece and other parts of Europe.
As a result, a national emergency may be declared leading to US Army and other military units being feilded to “assist” local authorities. The US Army has already stationed a Brigade Combat Team inside of the US, and although their numbers are not enough to quell a nation-wide insurrection or a general strike, their experience in urban warfare in Iraq and their fire power will be more than enough to make statement.
In addition, the federal government will increase the amount of money which they are printing in order to fund the bankrupted State and local governments, leading to more federalization and centralization of power in Washington. However, this may lead to hyper-inflation as the dollar is rapidly devalued, and indeed the dollar has suffered massive losses in the last year alone. Also, the government will take Keynesian economic steps, increases in government spending and taxation, which will compound the situation leading to an increased national debt and little alleviation of suffering on the part of the people (that is of course if they still care at all).
Loss of the American market will stifle the growth of China leading to unrest, massive rioting and possibly an overthrow of the current government as the recent prosperity brought about by supplying America with cheap consumer goods at slave labor prices dissolves and disillusion with the disparity between rural and urban populations increases. The Middle East will also see unrest as the oil sheikdoms go bankrupt from a collapse of the American market and the oil sales and foreign aide which kept them afloat. Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia may have their governments overthrown. The regional wild-card, Israel, may take extreme measures to ensure a continued flow of US aide and security; they may start a war they expect America to finish.
These are the events which I see taking place in the next year. I pray to God almighty, ruler of Heaven and Earth, that I am wrong. But as always, I plead with you; wake up. If we see the problems now we can take steps to change them.
