Thankfully, 2009 ended better than it began. Economists talk about green shoots of recovery taking hold. Consumer confidence has improved. Equity markets have soared. But for all the progress, the American economy remains extremely vulnerable.
To understand those economic risks, it is worth considering Japan’s experience in the 1990s.
“The Japanese government lacked the resolve to do what was necessary. It failed to fix its banks and stopped its early fiscal stimulus before recovery had taken hold, leaving the economy all too vulnerable to outside shocks, including the Asian currency crisis and the dot-com collapse in 2001.
The green shoots are barely out of the ground and Republicans and conservative Democrats in Congress are already demanding that the administration “do something” to cut the budget gap. We worry that the political drumbeat may be too hard to resist. In 1997, after three years of tepid growth, the Japanese government stopped its stimulus: it raised a consumption tax, ended a temporary income tax cut, increased social security premiums and nipped recovery in the bud.
Japan’s other blunder was its unwillingness to fix its banks.”
Sadly, I have confidence that only getting reelected will be given the attention of our congress critters. And, corporate America will win again, thanks in part to the ‘willfully ignorant and proud of it’ tea bagging Americans who will encourage efforts detrimental to further progress.
My suspicion was right that my son was not telling me everything.
To remind, he told me of a mortar attack upon the FOB that injured one person.
But from a statement about withholding to spare someone concern.
I thought I was not being told everything, there were weekly mortar attacks.
Generally there were weekly attacks, but the insurgents lacked accuracy.
The rounds would sail over the FOB and landing outside.
Then the insurgents would scoot, as they knew the Americans would be more accurate in retrying fire.
He and family left yesterday morning to go back to N.C. then in March it is on to Germany.
Ahh there never seems enough time spent together to satisfy and the realistic thought that is the last time for three to four years. Made the Good byes even more emotional, it has happened for centuries.
It is the way that the human race spread over the face of the planet.
His wife hates Kansas so no real hope they will ever move back here.
LOL she is also not to keen on the surrounding states either.
So who knows where they will land once they come back to the United States.
God I hope it is somewhere warm and with clear water to dive in!
But of course the reality is even if he ends up in the coldest, crap hole I will come.
Listening to arguments about anything is becoming intolerable for me. People who argue aren’t looking for a solution, and they probably won’t pause long enough to consider a compromise.
Sad.
Because in the process of compromise is the opportunity to find out whether your ideas are worthwhile, what else deserves consideration and where the solution will be found.
Of course compromise would take respect and good will toward men. Politicians seem to be lacking those qualities among others.
It’s probably good we don’t need the equipment to keep roads and highways clear of snow that comes on top of snow for most of the season. It would just be another expense that would cause something else to have less funding.
Mom paid the extra to get more channels on cable it required a box be put on the TV.
For some reason even though she said it was to get more movies to watch.
She had them put it to the TV in the family room rather then her bedroom where she watches TV.
Anyway, I now get to watch channels I would not have.
The Military channel and Sun dance along with IFC.
Oh foreign movies and independent!
I do not mind sub-titles so the fact I can not understand the languages is no big deal.
But man some of the plots and actions are out there!
There is one independent that is just sick, set in a middle American town maybe in West Virginia .
I think the title was something like “Gumbe” the main character is a odd ball teen boy.
The first scene is him wearing rabbit ear, gym shorts and in the rain on a walkway over the highway.
Shaking in the cold and peeing from the overpass.
He hate cats and they show him drowning, burning and shooting them through out the movie.
If he is not having sex with different girls in town who all think he is so cool.
But then these girls also think that their true worth is how big their boobs are getting.
I recently discovered the on-demand free movies and the fear net channel.
LOL all foreign horror movies, Eastern block and Great Britain though the one from Scotland needed sub-titles more then the ones from the eastern block countries.
There is one I would recommend called the “Devils chair“, a good story line involve some twists and man it was good screen writing! Blood though and about the time you think you have it figured out the twist comes and you are blown away!
It is a good story of how different the country is.
Visiting my relatives in Virginia at 13 y.o. my Uncle asked me where I was from?
I told him Wichita, which caused this bout of where? Wichita, where? Wichita!
Finally he said “Oh I thought you said Witches-toe!
Most of the time back there I felt I should have a translator as either they could not understand me or I them.
There was a kinder soul though, a great Aunt from Boston they could not understand her either. LOL but I did so we often sat alone away from the others and talked.
Go figure!
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
Of note:
Avoiding a Japanese Decade
Thankfully, 2009 ended better than it began. Economists talk about green shoots of recovery taking hold. Consumer confidence has improved. Equity markets have soared. But for all the progress, the American economy remains extremely vulnerable.
To understand those economic risks, it is worth considering Japan’s experience in the 1990s.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/opinion/03sun1.html
“The Japanese government lacked the resolve to do what was necessary. It failed to fix its banks and stopped its early fiscal stimulus before recovery had taken hold, leaving the economy all too vulnerable to outside shocks, including the Asian currency crisis and the dot-com collapse in 2001.
The green shoots are barely out of the ground and Republicans and conservative Democrats in Congress are already demanding that the administration “do something” to cut the budget gap. We worry that the political drumbeat may be too hard to resist. In 1997, after three years of tepid growth, the Japanese government stopped its stimulus: it raised a consumption tax, ended a temporary income tax cut, increased social security premiums and nipped recovery in the bud.
Japan’s other blunder was its unwillingness to fix its banks.”
Sadly, I have confidence that only getting reelected will be given the attention of our congress critters. And, corporate America will win again, thanks in part to the ‘willfully ignorant and proud of it’ tea bagging Americans who will encourage efforts detrimental to further progress.
My suspicion was right that my son was not telling me everything.
To remind, he told me of a mortar attack upon the FOB that injured one person.
But from a statement about withholding to spare someone concern.
I thought I was not being told everything, there were weekly mortar attacks.
Generally there were weekly attacks, but the insurgents lacked accuracy.
The rounds would sail over the FOB and landing outside.
Then the insurgents would scoot, as they knew the Americans would be more accurate in retrying fire.
He and family left yesterday morning to go back to N.C. then in March it is on to Germany.
Ahh there never seems enough time spent together to satisfy and the realistic thought that is the last time for three to four years. Made the Good byes even more emotional, it has happened for centuries.
It is the way that the human race spread over the face of the planet.
His wife hates Kansas so no real hope they will ever move back here.
LOL she is also not to keen on the surrounding states either.
So who knows where they will land once they come back to the United States.
God I hope it is somewhere warm and with clear water to dive in!
But of course the reality is even if he ends up in the coldest, crap hole I will come.
At least the next place doesn’t sound dangerous. The internet has made staying in touch with anyone anywhere easier.
Listening to the Republicans arguments against bring detainees to the U.S. or releasing them to other countries.
So sounds like an excuse of a rapist.
“I would not have raped her but she refused to marry me!”
They know that to follow the law will forbid the use of torture.
They know the fact that torture was used that it makes the United States the criminal.
To have them tried in U.S. court is to expose the torture which is illegal and is amoral.
Listening to arguments about anything is becoming intolerable for me. People who argue aren’t looking for a solution, and they probably won’t pause long enough to consider a compromise.
Sad.
Because in the process of compromise is the opportunity to find out whether your ideas are worthwhile, what else deserves consideration and where the solution will be found.
Of course compromise would take respect and good will toward men. Politicians seem to be lacking those qualities among others.
I guess I should count my blessings when it comes to this snow.
I still remember the winter before I moved to Oklahoma.
three storms that dropped 18 inches of snow. About the time that the streets started to clear enough. Another storm hit and more snow.
I can not stop thinking though, when mom and dad moved South from Parsons.
Why did they have to stop at the Kansas State line?
It’s probably good we don’t need the equipment to keep roads and highways clear of snow that comes on top of snow for most of the season. It would just be another expense that would cause something else to have less funding.
Mom paid the extra to get more channels on cable it required a box be put on the TV.
For some reason even though she said it was to get more movies to watch.
She had them put it to the TV in the family room rather then her bedroom where she watches TV.
Anyway, I now get to watch channels I would not have.
The Military channel and Sun dance along with IFC.
Oh foreign movies and independent!
I do not mind sub-titles so the fact I can not understand the languages is no big deal.
But man some of the plots and actions are out there!
There is one independent that is just sick, set in a middle American town maybe in West Virginia .
I think the title was something like “Gumbe” the main character is a odd ball teen boy.
The first scene is him wearing rabbit ear, gym shorts and in the rain on a walkway over the highway.
Shaking in the cold and peeing from the overpass.
He hate cats and they show him drowning, burning and shooting them through out the movie.
If he is not having sex with different girls in town who all think he is so cool.
But then these girls also think that their true worth is how big their boobs are getting.
I recently discovered the on-demand free movies and the fear net channel.
LOL all foreign horror movies, Eastern block and Great Britain though the one from Scotland needed sub-titles more then the ones from the eastern block countries.
There is one I would recommend called the “Devils chair“, a good story line involve some twists and man it was good screen writing! Blood though and about the time you think you have it figured out the twist comes and you are blown away!
“though the one from Scotland needed sub-titles more then the ones from the eastern block countries.”
LOL ain’t THAT the truth! wtf brand of English do they speak there!?
It is a good story of how different the country is.
Visiting my relatives in Virginia at 13 y.o. my Uncle asked me where I was from?
I told him Wichita, which caused this bout of where? Wichita, where? Wichita!
Finally he said “Oh I thought you said Witches-toe!
Most of the time back there I felt I should have a translator as either they could not understand me or I them.
There was a kinder soul though, a great Aunt from Boston they could not understand her either. LOL but I did so we often sat alone away from the others and talked.
Go figure!