2008 – Good Riddance
While a few good things can be said of the year 2008 (although I can’t think of any at the moment) I am excited about the introduction of 2009.
First, we as individuals, and a nation, will be able to mentally set aside this particular set of baggage. Ceratinly, you know what I mean? When one has a break up in a relationship many times it is best to do away with objects thatbring back strong memory of the recently departed. 2008 is no different than mental baggage that, at the very least, needs to be put up into the attic of history. Only to be pulled out at a later date in which we are mentally strong enough to handle the memories.
Why 2008? What could possibly create such loathing for any particular year? Let’s look at just a few that come to mind:
- George W. decided to top off a lackluster presidency by doing everything possible to screw up conservative philopsophy. Even as Gov he wasn’t a bastion of conservativism. But he had his moments. Well, he lost those moments and went one step further.
- Which brings us to TARP. This is the Fed and Bush’s Treasury Departments way of throwing out the baby with the bath water. Apparently GW felt that his legacy as president meant more than adhering to any conservative economic philosophies on how to handle an economic meltdown.
- $750 BILLION TARP, and the other money that congress keeps throwing around. Is it $1 trillion or is it up to $7 trillion now (counting all of the guarantees our government has so kindly thrown out to corporate America)?
- But don’t worry “the Office of the Pres-elect” didn’t have the patience to wait their turn to get into the act. Otherwise, Obama wouldn’t have a say in 2008. But with Obama girding his loins and crowing about an additional trillion dollars worth of “stimulus” he is allowed an honorable mention.
- The war in Iraq & Afganistan. While it can be debated whether the US should be there or not is a moot point. The fact is that we are fighting a war. And until the surge we were pretty much doing it the wrong way. You’d think American politicians would learn to let the generals fight the war. Since Korea America has let political hacks make war policy. This policy only allows America to keep getting our butts handed to us. It’s not like we actually lose the war. But by the time it’s over it’s damn hard to feel good about what we’ve accomplished. THE POINT OF WAR IS TO BLOW UP THINGS & KILL AS MANY PEOPLE OF THE ENEMY THAT THEY LOSE THEIR WILL TO FIGHT. POUND THEM INTO SUBMISSION…THEN WE WIN! We need to remember this for 2009.
- Bad Mortgages……. ’nuff said. At least two things created the mortgage problem. Interest rates went down to an all time low coupled with a significant reduction of lending criteria. The feds had demanded that lending institutions lower standards becasue not only do Americans deserve a chickenin every pot, a car in every garage. But American have a right to won said garage to put the car.
- Housing foreclosures…. While I’m against bailouts. What about the INDIVIDUAL “little guys”?
- Bad Wall Street investments. Can you say “collaterialized mortgage obligations”? These damn things are so complicated that the ones creating them don’t fully understand them.
- Hyper inflation in energy prices. It can be argued that the meteoric rise of energy prices was the straw that broke the camels back (read the global economy). Yep, the oil producing nations true to form are a bunch of greedy little minions who killed the goose that laid the golden egg. OOPS!
- Complete meltdown of available credit. Yep, Wall Street & the federal government stood back and let us, the consumer, spend our country out of the last recession. Bet it ain’t gonna happen this time. You see, “the consumer” is so tapped out that we can’t even make the monthy payments on our existing credit cards. So, who cares that interest rates are at an affective rate of zero.
- 2008 presidential election – About the only thing that candidate McCain did correctly was choose Sarah Palin as his VEEP chice. Then he immediately proceeded to throw her under the bus.
- Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Sallie Mae, AIG, Merrill Lynch, The BIG Three, Lehman Brother (Hey, at least we let them go broke), and a multitude of other investment houses. And I can’t wait to see what other industries go to congress. There mission, with hat in hand, will be to convince them they can’t be allowed to go under.
- Senate Votes to Expand Government’s Surveillance Power (Feb. 13): After a year of debate, the Senate votes, 68 to 29, in favor of legislation that extends by six years the law passed in August 2007 that allows the government to eavesdrop on telephone conversations and emails of American citizens and people overseas without a warrant.
- Senate Votes to Overhaul Wiretapping Bill (July 9): Approves, 69 to 28, legislation to expand the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The law gives legal immunity to the telephone companies that participated in the National Security Agency secret wiretapping program after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and broadens the government’s ability to eavesdrop on those in the U.S. and abroad it suspects are linked to terrorist activities. (July 10): Bush signs the bill into law.
- 6.7% unemployment rate in the US. Highest since 1974.
Well, these are but a few of the wonderful developments in 2008. If yu can thinks of others (of which there are many) please fill free to add to the list. If you disagree to some listed I’m open for civil debate.
