I can certainly confirm GWR's statements regarding his singing this tune for at least 10 years, cuz I've heard it from him myself for that long!

I think about this kind of stuff a lot, and regardless of what angle I take, I don't see a way out in any short time.

The US (and it would seem Europe, too, but I have no personal experience there) is in a very tough spot. I don't blame Bush and I don't blame Obama, any more or less than all of the rest of the politicians - and maybe less. The leadership in the country is weak, or perhaps it's just that those who occupy the country have become less reachable, less able to be inspired, in the last 20-30 years, than ever before. Maybe some of both, but maybe a whole lot of the latter.

Look, we might be able to divy stuff up so that the rich pay some more and many others get some more stuff, deserved or not, and the rich truly won't suffer much, and the others (notice I'm not saying "poor") may be better off. And maybe that's what Obama and his folks see, and surely it's politically expedient, as those numbers of "others" grow, and maybe it's the kind-hearted, charitable, good-hearted, liberal thing to do. BUT, and that's a Jennifer Lopez sized butt, it will lead to sure ruin, as, under such circumstances, more people will join the "others" and fewer people will be those able or willing to help support them.

What I fear is that we're past, perhaps well past, the tipping point here. I don't know. I would have had to live through the 30's to see if I thought the percentage of the population was as "good for nothing" as the percentage that is so now.

Not many politicians are willing to share what must be obvious to many of them, and that's that things are really bad, and, beyond that, things may not be fixable in 2 years, 5 years, or even 20 years. And, oh, it's not very popular to come right out and tell people their standard of living is going to suffer substantially during the period before the fix begins and during the fix.

I don't know that having gold or silver, shares or physical, is the answer, it may be, but generally, when we think we have something figured, well, we don't. I'm just hoping the stuff in the previous uplifting paragraphs is an example of that on my part - it may be our brightest and best hope!!