Re: What Will the USA Look Like in 1, 2, 5 and 10 Years?

On Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:45:12 -0700, Curly Surmudgeon wrote:


Beginning with today's events please share your vision of where the USA is
going along with reasons for that logic trail. Let's try to avoid the
usual cockroach sniping and instead try to plot a path through an
uncertain future minefield.

I see the USA in stasis, waiting for a recovery that is unlikely to occur.

I had hopes, along with most of America, that the bad years of Bush were
over. His programs live on, the debt incurred still mounts and is
unfunded contributing to an escalating national debt.

The refusal by Obama to bring the pirates to justice, or appoint a special
investigator makes me angry. The damage done to the country I love makes
me even angrier. Bush claimed to be a "Uniter, not a Divider" all the
while increasing the polarization of America setting class against class,
color against color, religion against religion. The political warfare is
too great for one man, any man, to overcome. It's a death-spiral.

Federalizing the plundering of the economy doesn't fix the Bush disasters,
it only defers them adding to the skeletons in the closet. The day has
come when debt service dwarfs social services and military expenditures.
Since the courage to repudiate the Bush debt doesn't exist either social
services or military expenditures, or both, will suffer.

I believe it unlikely that Obama will risk his base and cut as deeply into
social services as required to balance the budget. The only remaining
possibility is to slash military spending, perhaps by half in the next
budget. That will be inadequate to stem the red ink.

As perception of strength fades so will the value of the US Dollar. In
fact a failling dollar is inevitable given the massive borrowing, national
debt, printing of money. Inflation has already begun, fasten your
seatbelts for it will get much, much worse.

Stock markets may not fall much, of any, further in dollar terms but their
values will continue to decline in real value. Perhaps for years.

Inflation, once unleashed, has a life of its own and is difficult to put
back in the bottle. With other nations competing in the credit market
America no longer has a guaranteed market for debt bonds and therefore
limited control of interest rates required to bridle mounting inflation.

I think we will see, within 3 years, the Yuan move into center stage as
the world currency along with other Asian nations, Japan (if they can get
their financial house cleaned up), Korea, Singapore. This will put
further pressure on the US Dollar.

With the ill will generated by Bush against OPEC nations they'd love to
change currrencies almost moving to the Euro late in Bush's last term.

The US housing market will not recover. Ever. A state change will occur,
mortgages much more difficult to obtain, building codes will need to be
revamped, multi-family households. Gone will be verdant lawns,
ostentatious living, high energy requirement homes. In will be alternate
building materials like hay bale homes, subterranian homes, high r-factor
homes. Cars will downsize to 1600 cc family cars, high mileage electric
city cars. Look for tax and regulation changes to encourage them.

America will have to end oil importation either by changing markets or by
edict. The trillions spent annually on energy sources is sucking the
treasury/economy dry.

Cities will begin to redesign to the European model with commercial
storefronts at street level and apartments above, parking below. To
further stem the outflow of dollars I forsee trade wars and barriers
returning. Ross Perot was right.

Therefore I see a long, gradual, slide down for the USA. One that may
eventually result in disassembly of the nation.

--
Regards, Curly
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arrest Bush
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

.

Loading