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I think this is an Excellent Question - but I believe they are largely 'un-related'.
DEBT - Think of the USA as a beautiful piece of Hardwood. So from the very beginning and throughout the generations we have always thought of it as the Greatest piece of Hardwood to exist. When compared to all other Nations (and here I would say especially China - during in my chilldhood) - our Piece of WOOD was immensely 'Superior' and everyone would have laughed at the thought of them not only trumping 'us' but all the more to remotely believe that our Hardwood could deteriorate and become less than others (any other).
NOW - think of termites eating away at the Hardwood - that is so deeply ingrained from our Birth as 'Flawless and Stronger than ever' - because there is nothing we probably have more deeply believed in than the Integrity of our Country - and in essence we have largely held the conviction that our piece of Hardwood has remained 'as strong and perfect as ever'.
The ONE overwhelming belief that our piece of Hardwood is too strong and too powerful and too indestructable to Fail has fueled the Birth of Termites. Just one Termite having to do with college money - is $700 Billion. There are thousands and thousands of Termites - that all exist simply because they have some appearance of being for 'The GOOD' of the Country. Despite thousands of programs actively in place that are eating away at the Hardwood and making it crumple - it is NOT just the DEBT and the thousands of Termites continuing to rot the wood.
Some Industries and Corporations have become so powerful - they have been granted the freedom and the right to do whatever they please and the Government and most certainly the people at large were (and largely are) powerless to do anything about it. When Big BANKS and the Insurance Industry join forces - there is no stopping them - they have more power than the Goverment and they have GLOBAL control. Even in the worst case senario - when the Economy would 'collapse' - by virtue of their positions These Pillars of the Economy would be the FIRST to get whatever they need.
They get whatever they need - for the benefit of the whole. Perhaps they in reality gave birth to the Greatest Termite to exist.
The MARKETS have largely been 'breathing a sign of relief' and the immensely rapid and long downward spiral to the Bottom ended a while back. This side-ways stuff over the past few months in not a 'Bad Thing'. If anything - nothing more shows the resilence of the Markets than it's ability to climb back to where it is TODAY - and to hold.
That's where we are now - the Markets have been holding - they are 'surviving' and the Press is simply needing something to explain the day to day stuff.
But back to the DEBT. Our DEBT is most certainly eating away whatever stability exists - and as a result it will increasing force the Nation into a Socialistic Society. For people who live responsibly - who have done everything to avoid DEBT and have even amassed a comfortable 'nest egg' that is the worst part. At some point the ones who have rightfully earned their 'independence' - that will be taken when the good wood 'runs out'.
A long ramble - but I've thought about this a lot and was going to say something on another thread dealing with the National Debt but it got 'shut down'. Oh now I remember - par for the course - everyone blames the 'Politicians' presently in power because the TURMITES responsible for all the damage are rarely acknowledged.
When do you think our country will get the debt fire under some semblance of control so that the markets can breath a sigh of relief?
"You get what you vote for and right now you're getting it in spades." -- Scott Lily
Birch, you know me well enough to know that I wasn't trying to point out any one single person here. I think Mr. Bowl has a point that the stalemate is all about how much we're going to overspend. And the indictment Mr. Lily was talking about applied to every politician in DC.With four years of OJT he'll learn something - but he won't get a chance to prove it. Back to the hood he goes.