Everyone is reading the headlines about unemployment, job losses, the governments recent billion dollar stimulus package, AIG's endless troubles and GM's doubtless hopes of succeeding for the future. Even this morning the nation is waking up to the new report that unemployment has risen, yet again, to 8.1%. Amidst all the speculations and the finger pointing there is one question that still looms.
Are we heading for another economic depression? A depression like the one's our grandparents saw in the 1930s? In 1980 our unemployment was about the same as it is today. Stocks were bad, as they are today, and a new President entered office, again just like today. So what is the difference? The difference is, from a historic point of view, that during the hardships of the Great Depression people stood in bread lines--NOT at job-markets or job-fairs. There were no jobs and no real hope, that is until FDR legislated the New Deal.
Pulling Americans up by their boot straps and working hard to construct projects such as the Blue Ridge Parkway via the Civilian Conservation Corps and local libraries and town businesses completed by the Works Progress Administration was exactly what the country needed. So if that is the case are we in line for a new New Deal? Honestly no one knows for sure but it is certain that needless spending and gloomy remarks from leaders in government are not what we need. And while there might be some truth to what they are saying, the truth is also that we are a nation of prosperous people. We are a nation of inventors and dream seekers and it's high time we started to pull ourselves up by the boot straps instead of asking big government to do it for us.
No comments:
Post a Comment