What's The Plan?

"We have tried spending money. We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work. And I have just one interest, and if I am wrong somebody else can have my job. I want to see this country prosperous. I want to see people get a job. I want to see people get enough to eat. We have never made good on our promises.  I say after eight years of this Administration we have just as much unemployment as when we started.  And an enormous debt to boot."

"We want to see private business expand.  We believe that one of the most important ways of achieving these ends at this time is to continue progress toward a balance of the federal budget."

Henry Morgenthau
United States Treasury Secretary
1934-1945

In the early 30s FDR took Herbert Hoover's "New Deal" spending plans and tripled and quadrupled down on them.  Hoover's very Keynesian spending plan was embraced by FDR, only creating a couple of new agencies on top of what Hoover had there.

What ended the depression was when people finally got to work turning plowshares into weapons.  Many left to fight and many stayed to work.  And private business did expand.

And it is said by many economists today that FDR took a recession and turned it into a full-blown depression.  Some economic historians do not have the depression ending officially until 1948, after a brief and slight recession at the end of WWII.

AS I LEARNED MY FIRST DAY OF WORLD HISTORY CLASS IN COLLEGE, WE LEARN FROM HISTORY THAT WE DON'T LEARN FROM HISTORY.

Economics books published this 1934 cartoon, which I first saw while studying economics in college.  I didn't get it then.  I do now.

So here we are again.  Nearing the end of a presidential election campaign we have two philosophies.  One is not addressing issues, saying "give me more time."  The other is not addressing issues, saying "I have done it before, I can do it again."

History says the plea of the former is ridiculousness.  More of the same does not RECOMMEND re-election.  The latter has not garnered enough trust.  His position, however, will be very, very difficult for many to live with.  Why?  Because his vision is one that says we will grow out of this thing through hard work.  People won't need welfare, or food stamps or free phones or whatever because they will be working.  His vision is the traditional American way.  That is the harder thing to vote for.  Both sides of the voting electorate desire "hope and change," and both will get the change part.  But hope?

WE HAVE SERIOUS ISSUES THAT EXISTED AND/OR HAVE BEEN MADE WORSE IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS.  BUT I DON'T SEE ANY PLANS TO ADDRESS THEM.  THESE ARE ISSUES THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED!  THEY MUST BE HIT HEAD ON.  MORE OF THE SAME WILL NOT WORK!  WE NEED TO CHANGE NOW OR WHAT MADE THIS COUNTRY STRONG AND GREAT WILL EVAPORATE.  HERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT MUST, MUST, MUST BE TACKLED:

• GDP growth barely moving at 1.3%.  During the Depression such growth was 8-9%.  What's the plan?
• The US credit rating was reduced for the first time in history.  There are some rating agencies considering doing it again!  What's the plan?
• Even the "mainstream" news media recognizes that 16% of the population, some 49.1 million people, are in poverty!  That's the most in history.  What's the plan?
• Some 47 million people are using food stamps.  Again, the most in history.  What's the plan?
• Unemployment is said to be 8.1%.  That is statistical poop.  If you include those who truly aren't working, those who have given up, and those very UNDER employed that number more than doubles.  I read where between the Truman years and 2009 the economy has only had 39 months of unemployment over 8%.  Even using the statistical poop numbers, we are now experiencing 43 consecutive months of unemployment over 8%!!  What's the plan?
• Almost 50% of the American consumer budget is food and energy.  Yet these two criteria are NOT included in the national inflation statistic.  Inflation is said to be "in check."  What?  I buy gasoline and meat.  Inflation is not in check.  What's the plan?
• We have unimaginable debt!  It is not "in check!!"  The deficit and national debt have exploded in four years!  The mushroom cloud is still growing.  Such debt is truly unsustainable, especially as 10,000 Baby Boomers exit the work force every day.  What's the plan?
• The "average" family's annual income is down 4.7% (about $5K) in the last four years.  What's the plan?
• Personal income and national income, as macroeconomic statistics, are down in the last four years relative to population growth (according to PBS!).  What's the plan?
• How about energy production?  How are we doing?  And don't count North Dakota, because that is PRIVATE ENTERPRISE at work!  The gubment has no role there.  How's oil and coal production going?  Oil is selling between $90 and $100/barrel!  Structural changes have been made to those industries, and that is significant as there is no energy substitute, no matter what the regime pretends.  What's the plan?
• Huge tax increases are coming in 2013.  They are already in the works.  What?!  What's the plan? 
• The Middle East is in flames.  Our embassies have never been attacked like this, and in US history only 6 ambassadors have been killed intentionally.  The "mainstream" news media hardly mentions this!  What's the plan?

Could I go on?  I guess I could!  Student loans, housing, personal bankruptcy, trade - gee, what's going gangbusters?

WE HAVE BEEN WARNED, AND KNOW, THAT WHAT IS CALLED A "FINANCIAL CLIFF" IS COMING.  AND IT IS COMING!  THIS HAS BEEN CALLED "THE MOST PREDICTABLE ECONOMIC CRISIS IN HISTORY," BY MANY PEOPLE!

WHAT'S THE PLAN?  WHERE'S THE LEADERSHIP?  WHAT'S THE PLAN?  WHERE'S THE LEADERSHIP?  WHAT'S THE PLAN?  WHERE'S THE LEADERSHIP?

Leaders rarely, and that is really true, RARELY, have so much information in advance of a crisis.  CRISES are usually not predicted, OR EVEN PREDICTABLE! 

A TRUE LEADER HITS THE PROBLEM HEAD ON.  IF A LEADER HAS INFORMATION IN ADVANCE OF A CRISIS, IMMEDIATE EFFORTS ARE EMPLOYED, AND LEADERS SPRING INTO ACTION, TO DEAL WITH AND/OR MINIMIZE THE CRISIS.

Don't tell me what you are going to do.  That is useless.  Should we go over all the unmet promises of the last four years?

I WANT TO HEAR HOW, HOW, HOW YOU INTEND TO HANDLE THESE PROBLEMS!!  

THE HOW IS WHAT COUNTS.