Mounting foreclosures, job losses and debt are often cited as some of the main reasons why the US economy is in dire straits. After trillions of dollars spent and thousands of pages of new laws, the situation seems worse now than when the President took office.
While millions of Americans remain supportive of President Obama’s abilities, a majority are beginning to suspect that the economy will like get much worse before it gets better.
In recent polls, Americans believe that the economy is the biggest problem facing the nation, with 52% of respondents saying that the President has not spent enough time working on the problem.
With the brightest minds at his disposal, the President, who is essentially the Chief Executive Officer of the corporation known as America, one would think we’d have the best of the best working on the fundamental economic problems in this country. And since growth economy is, for the most part, dependent on private sector performance and expansion, one might imagine that the President would have brought on experts from the private sector to serve in his cabinet.
Many may be surprised to learn, then, that the President’s Cabinet has the worst private sector experience track record of any administration in the last hundred years:
source: The American
A whopping 7% of the President’s Cabinet has prior private sector experience. This economic dream team explains why the solutions being proposed by the White House heavily favor government intervention and cast small business and free market principles to the periphery. Even if they wanted to improve our economy, the ideological world view that the big government public sector is the only solution to the world’s woes would not allow the President or his Cabinet to envision how a truly free market could put America back on the track to prosperity.
Neal Boortz sums up what our expectations should be going forward:
So … now you might have a better idea why Obama can’t quite figure out how to grow jobs in the private sector. He’s a big-government president with a big-government cabinet. When your cabinet is made up almost wholly of people with nothing but government experience with a sprinkling of academia behind them you have to know that the private sector is going to not only get short shrift .. but it’s going to be pretty much abused or ignored. To Obama and his advisors the private sector exists to support and fund the federal government … and little more.
Welcome to the wonderful world of centrally planned economies.
If there was ever a misnomer, centrally planned economy would be it. A more appropriate description would be centrally mismanaged.
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Prior to Obama winning the presidential race, there were warnings that his policies would move us towards an economy similar to the Carter administration. We should be so lucky.
The Obama administration is nothing more than a continuation of puppet president regimes controlled by international corporations.Anyone who still believes ” We The People ” own this country should read their Constitution and prepare accordingly.
One just needs to look at the back-rounds of the people Obama has appointed. Most made their earnings from organizing, promoting social restructuring, or working as political hacks. Yes, most have some form of “higher education”, but just look at how and what that education was applied to. In talking with people in my area, most have the consensus that these same appointees were all spawn from the ’60’s hippies. While a lot of people were either off to war or busting butt working, these same ones were doing dope and protesting any cause that fit their pistol. Now after they’ve aged, they’re the ones who are teaching in our collages and rallying our political parties. Character and Basic Morality are unknown to them. They are now in POWER. That power & greed has corrupted and twisted their already brain damaged minds. The only answers they have for ANY problem is to place blame on others and throw tremendous amounts of money at the taxpayer’s expense. They enact Laws and implement Executive Orders that bypasses the Republic. Representation is nonexistent unless your are corporate entity.
Right now, things in government are so FUBAR, that a person with good Character and Morals either doesn’t have a chance or doesn’t want to be near the filthy bastards. Just look at how far we have come….YOU can buy a Congressman or a Senator; all you need is enough money. The one’s you can’t buy don’t stay around long after being terrorized or smeared.
Yeah, the saying “Power to the People” was the chant of the late ’60’s-early ’70’s. What a bunch of dumb-asses! The people ALWAYS had the POWER; they were either too dumb or too lazy to use it. So now we have a POTUS that is incompetent. So what in the hell would make one think that he has the capacity to select a competent and experienced Cabinet? It looks more like a employment “Blacklist” or his buddies from the neighborhood.
It’s shameful that the situation has gotten this far. There’s going to be a lot of grueling labor and pain to correct it, because the one’s in there now sure as hell ain’t!Â
The interesting thing about that chart is that Eisenhower had the top score (just short of 60%), but let’s face it. Â We’re talking about just short of 60%. Â The current Idiot In Chief has less than 10%. Â Well, we’re always looking to set the new record these days aren’t we?
Nixon had a high score (by these standards), and he was the asswipe that abolished the remains of the gold standard. Â Carter came along, the arabs embargoed the oil, and my dad provided me with intense instruction in cursing every time he had to get in a gas rationing line and pay 70 cents plus per gallon. Â Even license plates mon-wed-fri, odd plates tue-thur-sat. Â Even with his perfect credit, the mortgage was over 13%. Â Not many people would stand for that these days.
The real story is that we’ve borrowed from every country we can. Â We owe money to everyone. Â Colossal amounts of money. Â Tens of trillions of dollars. Â There is no hope that we’ll ever be able to repay this huge amount.
Both parties have had scores of chances to fix things. Â Both parties have badly botched every time. Â No one has ever made any effort to pay off any debt. Â We had a chance when Slick Willie was in there, and there was a surplus, but the surplus evaporated with massive new spending, and then just to make sure, we started a war for no reason.
My own personal view is that there won’t be any “Mad Max” style meltdown. Â What probably will happen is that government will break down because the underground economy will grow at ever increasing rates, revenue to the feds will fall at ever increasing rates, EU countries will begin to default, and finally, the US will default.
The underground economy will save most of the population. Â I think that people and even companies will be buying things and paying people off the books, either with cash, goods, or PM’s. Â The national government will lose out trying to maintain the military and the corporate criminals.
Smaller regional economies will emerge, not nearly so beholden to federal authority. Â “Jesus Land”, “Yankee Land”, Hippie Land”, and whatever California/Arizona/Nevada (ends up being), might not be that far off.
Better work your social network and learn basic skills folks. Â It’s coming to an area near you.
Jonny V;
 They underground economy has already started in our area. There are many who are finding out that they do need social skills and skills that were once considered menial or beneath their status. Those skills gotten from a X-Box or MTV rap music don’t help getting a truck garden patch put in & producing. Let’s see Lady GaGa butcher out a beef for a T-Bone!
 The Entitlement crowd are the one’s to worry about. Obama & his appointees keep telling this bunch it’s cool; we’ll take care of you. Trust us and help us root out these lawless people who don’t pay your share. Vote for us and we will make sure the black marketeers will pay both in jail and seizing their ill gotten profits.
 No, it won’t be “Mad Max”. but it will place more responsibility on an individual for their own security & safety.
Â
Mismanagement is an extremely generous word for what the idiots in washington are doing.
Sure, some are merely idiots, but the MAIN force consists of depraved, often psychopathic men who are NOT mismanaging, “good-willed bunglers” — and the sooner people grasp this, the better. FWIW, all talk of mere “mismanagement” actually helps TPTB as they drive toward their nefarious goal.  Call a spade a spade, taking the response like a man. Godspeed 🙂
yeah Bert: Â We’ve got a black market around here, going strong too. Â There are already lots of companies paying guys “off the books” for most phases of residential construction, and that’s what got me to thinking.
Most people don’t want to see “Mad Max”. Â Sure, some dumb-asses do, but those are the one’s who’ll end up dead within the first week when they find out that survival takes a lot more than an AK or AR. Â Some prepared M-F’er will just shoot the violent idiot and then add his weapon to their own collection. Â Which means that life will go on.
I think that with the right social network, some Pm’s, skills that you can barter, and goods to trade, a prepared individual or family will find out that they can make it in a smaller, more agrarian type economy. Â I really think that’s where the future is headed.
We’re just waiting for the tower of spending, subsidy, tax break, and entitlement cards to collapse. Â People have got to get their heads around the idea that they can’t have ribeyes and truffles every night. Â Real food takes work, and when the farm subsidies get shut off, you’re going to see just how much money real food costs too. Â People will be growing some, trading for some, and getting by on a lot less meat than they are right now. Â Good idea to look into having some egg-laying chickens around. Â I’m building a coop before the year is out (other stuff to finish first).
Boy, all the Mc-Gag-in-the-Bag eating gangstas in the city is gonna be pissed when the fries cos 8 dolla! Â 🙂
I know this is off base from the topic (sort of) but check out the movie Hardwired.  Interesting the name of the town (corporation) in the movie is called Hope.
You might also consider quail, rabbit, 2 quality PV panels, sundanzer AC/DC freezer, vacuum bag processor & an AC/DC egg incubator for future money maker.
Do you think the FLOTUS could garden & raise protein? I always was proud to be an American.
Hey Tom: Â FLOTUS has some stooges growing his garden out back of the White House, remember? Â Do you ‘spose they used Monsanto seeds in there?
The best and brightest minds? Actually to succeed in Washington it’s just the opposite. You must be a total loser, a great talker, and have the ability to follow zee orders from the jew establishment illuminatti. Case in point, Tim Geitner and W Bush. Everywhere they’ve been they leave behind a trail of failure and bankrupcy. Always someone else to clean up their mess, sort of like kids.
Mac, I keep hearing “we gotta create more jobs”…what jobs?? Note: most middle class (61%) live paycheck to paycheck.Let’s look at common types of jobs:1. Factory workers…How many jobs can be created there? Textile: Gone…period!….try and find any type of textile still “Made in America”, Shirts, Pants, Underwear, Bed Linens etc. even if you find a product made here, can you afford it?… will the 61% buy it at a higher price…NO! they can’t afford it. Food: Everyone has to have food!….but just look at frozen Seafood…most comes from the Far East…will the 61% buy local at a higher price…NO! they can’t afford it. Toys: See Textiles above Heavy Machinery: Includes Trucks, Buses…A large % of these are still made here ( only because of the transportation cost to get the materials and final product to the end user) In most Factories, a large % of labor is automated to increase profits ( gotta keep the share holders happy ) Household Goods: Includes Electronics…are there still any “Made in Amerika”???…if there are/were, will the sheeple Pay more for “Made in USA” ???…NO!…remember they can’t afford it! I can go on and on in this category, but you get the picture.2. Housing: Hell, do I even need to go there??? 3. Service Sector: How many burger flippers does a restaurant need??? one for every customer? and if they hire more where are all the new customers gonna come from?…remember the 61% stat. polls show less and less consumers are eating out. I could go on and on, but am getting depressed writing this.The bottom line: I hate to say this, but without a reduction in population…we are SCREWED!!
Sorry, Mac & Readers …dumbass me hit send before putting in name and email…resending screwed the typing format up.
 I don’t have a gardener, do you have a gardener?Â
@ Roger Mack
I hope to grow very old and die in my sleep. Of course I do realize the PTB continue to try and keep that from happening. If they do come up with the ultimate human genecide device, I hope their foot gets caught in the dang thing and ‘they’ go too.Â
Just me, I feel so disadvantaged…..:(
Jonny V:   I still believe in a “Mad Max” scenario in the cities, eventually. Not real soon, but in my lifetime. Don’t want it, and I will be able to avoid it personally, but I truly believe that social unrest will reach a point in the cities where madness will reign and will consume a large percentage of that population. The difference in the psychology of living between a major city and a small town is radical. Magnify that by the stress of hunger, thirst, darkness, etc; and insanity will become contagious for millions in the major cities. That will mean violence and death for tens of thousands.
Eventually, events will ovetake the governments ability to manage disaster, even though the government has planned for that by training troops to police cities and strategic facilities. There won’t be enough troops or police in the northeast corridor or in southern California to contain the mania.
Anarchy will reign and citizens will have to protect themselves. Preppers should prepare to evacute large population centers, and in advance if at all possible. While the world is pregnant with transition, relocation is a smart option. Right now, some in harm’s way have a choice. Its your option.
Did you see where Chavez is talking about embargoing the oil supply to the US today? Â Venezuela is a member of OPEC. Â If those muslims get it in their heads that they want Iran to have a bomb, they just might all do it. Â The USA would be finished within 6 months.
THEN, we would have your “mad max” in the cities. Â Personally, I feel that I can hold out in Hippie Land for as long as it takes, although I wish I had more time to prep first.
Did you check American on your census form?
Roger Mack,
You hit the nail right on the head. We need production in products to increase labor, but as you stated, we clearly had a culture here in the U.S. of demanding high wages in order to maintain a certain standard of living.  Outsourcing to cut costs & globalization destroyed that. Either you except a much lower wage & lower standard of living or you will perish. Famiies & friends will also start having to pool their resources (living together & divind living expenses) more than ever now. Wow, how quickly things change.
“Sure, some are merely idiots, but the MAIN force consists of depraved, often psychopathic men (and women) who are NOT mismanaging, “good-willed bunglers†— and the sooner people grasp this, the better.”   I agree with you, Eamon.Â
Looking at some of the statistics bandied around, the progressives number about 20% of the voting population. I would guess another 15% are ‘go-along’ Democrats (old liberals, probably not too happy about party prospects, but what can they do about it?). The mid-section, so-called “independents”- 30 to 40% probably don’t know what to do about it all? They may not like it- but when they look at the 30-40% at the other end of the spectrum- conservative/libertarian leaning- what is being offered? The old GOP seems to be foot-dragging (again) with the hardliners. Leadership of that party has not been determined, as of yet. That’s the pickle, politically- no hope yet for any change from this debacle. Makes for big angst right now, imo. Not even soft pastels, as Reagan might imply. Nothing going, nothing to coalesce around. That spooks me- its like……. the pols know things are about to get so bad they don’t want to be called to answer for any of it. And further, as we’ve seen- the current cast in the WH have no qualms in branding them ‘racists’ if the do -at the drop of callous hint, faux pax! The best we can hope for is stalement for the next two years, maybe some impeachments…….. provided the currency situation does not completely collapse, along with the world’s economy. Then the progressives will get real crazy, mean.  Commonsense demands that one prepare for the worst case that could come out of that. I feel, grieve for the young people- they have some major mind adjustments coming, imho.
Tom: Â I thought I did. Â Must have f’d up and checked “illegal immigrant” and that’s why I don’t have one………..
Denny: Â so you think this whole thing is just from the last couple years huh?
“No hablo” is what I should have said when they came a knock’n. Didn’t know how to say “just visiting, who are you”? Get off my lawn!
No, Jonny……. as a fogie, I’ve seen it all devolve for most of my life (Eisenhower gave us a warning….).
I’m just kicking around the chances of avoiding impending violence. Nullification, peaceful disintegration of power back to the States might be possible. The right wingers might go along with it?… possible. The progressives? ….. no way.
After all this time going in the wrong direction, away from the Founders principles, my assumption is that we have hyperinflation or repudiation. Threading the needle?….. I think things are out of control of even tptb, just mho.
yeah, I’m with you.  I think things are going to shit, and the feds are gonna make it worse by trying their damndest  to prop up the criminal bankers, the military/industrial complex, and the prison/industrial complex.  The feds will lose control trying to keep supercarriers threatening Iran when we should be trying to re-establish community seed programs to feed ourselves and taxing the shit out of corporations who’ve moved overseas.  Greed must be punished.
At the same time, our infrastructure is falling apart. Â We could in up in the third world based on the “merits” of our electrical grid alone. Â We do need some “socialized” projects (grid, roads, water/sewage) to keep us going. Â We’re gonna have to give up Social Security though, IMHO. Â People are gonna have to find ways to pay for medicine and doctors. Â We can’t afford to use our military to control the world anymore, and gonna have to get used to the idea of people doing stuff we don’t like. Â Things are gonna change.
Yes, team obama is composed mostly of private industry neophytes. But after observing them in action ( BO, timmy, larry, helicopter ben)Â for the past 18 months my feeling is that they are merely puppets (order takers) for the real holders of power.
Despite the faltering economy, the fact remains……… the government is firmly in power. They hold the cards:
Tax policy, police state, Internet snooping, war mongering, the media. They are in control.
True, control might be slowly slipping from their grasp under the hood, but make no mistake…… a Mad Max meltdown is nowhere on the horizon as of now. In fact, with the recent passage of obamacare and the financial “reform” bill (and all the nastiness contained wherein) … things are worse for us than ever.
I believe we’d be better served in focusing our energy in exactly who is pulling the strings beyond the politicians.
Obviously it involves the bankers, the money men.
Use to be that I discounted talk of the Illuminati, bildenbergs, rothschilds as tin hat conspiracy stuff … only now that’s not so.
In many ways this is like some scientist using empirical observations to formulate theories in order to substantiate observations. Why do so many government actions seek to enrich a relative few (and seek to enhance Governments power and control)? My conclusion is that Yes… it does appear that there is a “Power Elite” behind the scenes. Certainly it involves the owners of the private Fed. It involves the owners of the private BIS (Bank of International Settlements).
WHO are the folks behind these organizations?
My feeling is they are the uber-wealthy that bankroll so much of the political and corporate world. Conceivably we could be talking about less than 1000 persons. A handful of persons….. who effectively rule the western world. Incredible, at first glance. The kind of stuff you’d dismiss out of hand.
But to you who disbelieve… think back to TARP as one example. Congress was getting input from their contiguents running over 95 percent against passage…. and yet it passed. Remember? It failed on the first try, and then a second vote was pressed for and it passed! How could that happen? Or, as another example, how could Obama campaign on withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan… and yet we find ourselves immersed as much as ever? And no one in the media or Congress has called him out on this? Unbelievable.
Think of the Trillions (yes TRILLIONS) in the US and Europe of taxpayer money that has gone to bailing out Banks in the last couple years. Who has that much political power to pull it off. Not only pull it off, but have the mainstream media saying it was necessary or just ignoring the magnitude and implications of this huge debt passed to the public.
Surely there must be a commonality behind the subversions of our political & economic/financial processes. Yes it involves lobbyists, banking interest, the military industrial complex at the ground level. But behind them are the central banks … for CBs monetary policies make the system possible by bankrolling it.
Look to the powers that sit behind the Central Banks.
Identify them. Exactly who are they? It’s not easy to do that because these folks have gone to lengths to cover their trails.
Ben Bernake isn’t calling the shots any more than a short order cook is. He’s an employee, Timmy is a employee, and so is BO.
(that’s why he eschewed public financing in the presidential election). That’s how someone with NO Business experience can be president. He’s a puppet. A personable puppet perhaps, but nevertheless a tool, a Manchurian Candidate for powers that oh so need the light of day to be shone on them. Only it won’t happen unless many of you out there focus on this and make it happen.
Audit the Fed.
Audit them with a fine tooth comb.
Have severe,draconian penalties for any who seek to prevent,obstruct or evade this.
Comments….Joe in JT, Tedrab you are the only two on this post that come  close to the truth, everyone else just seems to talk about nothing. These invisible powers that are mentioned by you two are so powerful, yet subtle that few recognize their existence as the ones pulling the strings of the so called government pawns. Once they’re done sucking the country dry, they will bail out to their new homeland leaving behind self destruction, it’s a fact that the Devil misleads then abandons. As for the time, no one can hasten or delay the demise of this country, it will all unfold according to perfectly designed plan. There is no such thing as mismanagement or miscalculations, it’s all by design, you might criticize the government fronts as incompetent idiots but behind the scenes is a power that holds so much genius and evil combined that it’s beyond any feeble Gentile mind to grasp.
When we go into self destruct mode the Mad Max scenario would be an under statement.
bush bush bush, obama obama obama.. On and on and on. Does anyone here honestly believe that the powerful men in control of the banks and corporations would trust either of those to so much as replace the toilet paper in the white house?
If they did a lot of people would be running around with fecies on their fingers I can assure you. They are but the puppet show with the puppeteers well out of sight. As a good puppeteer always is.
They are the ventrilloquist’s dummy, their mouths move but the words and ideas come from behind them. They are not on the whole even good impression managers though some are passing actors.
On comparison with the political leaders of past generations, landed British gentry, wealthy Roman merchants etc. they are a pathetic array of transparent nobodys. Stooges they are, devoid of intellegence, cunning, or true power even. I can understand why plebs from past generations voted but why the current plebs involve themselves mystifies me.
The only explanation plausable, to me, is mass delution, brought about by mass media indocrination. A very sad state of affairs painting a very sad picture for the future of western civilization.
The thing about oil, Jonny V, is that no matter where you find it, or sell it, its still another drop in the world oil supply. Venzuela’s crude is a heavy crude that requires sophisticated cracking (unless you want to release all the sulpher into the atmosphere) and the refineries that crack it best are located in the United States.
Anyone except China who buys it will just resell it to the United States.
Mismanagement is the only outcome we could expect when we continually send idiots to DC.
Remember the congressman, who thought Guam would capsize, if we sent anymore soldiers there?
Just last week, a congress woman from Texas, said North Vietnam and South Vietnam  didn’t fight anymore, because the USA left.
Then there was the government official, who said Arizona didn’t boarder Mexico.
Too many Americans took the same attitude I did for the last  25 years, which is,  “I will pay my taxes, as long as you leave me alone, and let me make a living.”
Now, Â making a living is getting harder and harder, and more and more people are saying ” Government owes me a living” and our
politicians are happy to buy their votes.  WE AS A NATION ARE SCREWED!  It is not going to get better….brace for the collision.
As the old saying goes ” To many Chiefs and not enough Indians” We have all the chiefs, CEO’s and all the Indians have been shipped to Aisa and South America. The only way out of this mess is production by American workers and American companies.
One good thing about an economic collapse is we would be forced to start producing again.
 Since 2008 the companies that were too big to fail have only gotten bigger. Bigger banks, Bigger oil companies, Bigger wall street financial companies and Goldman Sacks has their fingers in all the pies. The competition is slowly being eliminated and so is America.
I’d like to take this opportunity to speak for all conservatives when I say: “I told you so.”
I told you not to vote for Obama. I told you he was a jerk. I told you he was a megalomaniac. I tols you he was all talk and no walk. And IÂ told you he was going to bankrupt the country.
I hope you’re happy.
When 2012 rolls around, you can vote for him again, just in case it’s not enough to make a bad choice only one time. Then, you can really wallow.
I told you so.
John there are no liberals on this comment site.