05-12-2011, 09:16 PM
rankandfile wrote:
There are a number of other areas in which I believe we should invest, but I don't have time right now to flesh it out. I'll just add one more example: This is the best time since the end of WW II to make major investments in critical areas of our educational system. We practically drag bottom in the industrialized world in literacy.
We could transform this country. Why not?
Thanks for that. I think we WILL transform this country. I see it happening in small ways all around me. Americans got very discouraged that the economy did not turn around as quickly as hoped after Obama's election. The bean counters have determined that we hit the bottom of this recession in June of 2009. With unemployment the lagging indicator, we've got a ways to go before that returns to healthy. And as you said the jobs that have been created are relatively low paying compared with what was lost.
Economic indicators are ticking up, and even though high gas prices aren't helping, people are starting to spend again and use credit again. I expect all indicators will look better by next fall. Obama will be re-elected, and the Tea Party agenda that arose from fear and despair will have not only cooled but largely evaporated. Boehner's congress already has not done any of the things they promised: health care reform will stay, the debt ceiling will be raised, spending won't be slashed more than it already has been, and in fact will start to increase again, helped along by the need to spend significantly less on our middle eastern adventures.
This will propel us to make those investments in our own country that are, as you say, so desperately needed.