INDY500
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
First, what this is and isn't.
This isn't to say these negative trends don't precede President Obama, most do, often by decades, Nor do I assume that the election of Mitt Romney was the solution to all our problems. Nor frankly am I enamored with the current Republican leadership. This is to say that President Obama has failed to provide the leadership this country needs and in fact over and over provides the wrong answers and prescriptions for our problems. Sadly the election of Barack Obama will only prolong and deepen what I see as our national entropy.
After the 2012 election I, like many conservatives, had to go micro for a while and concern myself only with work, church, friends and family. It was simply too sad to realize that the last chance to change course had come and gone and now my generation (born in the 60's and early 70's) was to be the first generation to pass on to our children a less prosperous America. One with less economic opportunity and optimism for the future.
Instead we pass on an America where the values that turned a normal people into a great country are now openly mocked and belittled; faith in God above all else, individual initiative, a strong work ethic, personal responsibility, thrift, pride in the goodness of the country and our unique role in the preservation of liberty (American exceptionalism) and a belief in limited government. Some of us had even hoped to pass on an America where the words of MLK rang true and our children would be the first generation not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. We aren't even on the right course for that now... sigh.
Besides the objective economic numbers I'll get to shortly (and I realize all older generations say this and it's subjective to a great degree), but we truly live in a time of societal entropy as well; a growing government crowds out the civil society (non-profits, private charities) that once defined this country, the most stabilizing factor in civilization, the family, is now in upheaval and too often dysfunctional, the culture is rotting (violence, the base and profane glorified) -- and I'm no bluenose trust me -- modern art sees no inherent beauty in man, academics is in decline, dependency is increasing and there is growing pessimism and unhealthy narcissism in the country.
If your 're still with me and think this is tough to read it's even tougher for me to write. And now let's document some numbers (which I looked up!!):
Avg. retail price/gallon gas in U.S. (regular all formulations)
Beg. of 1st Term
$1.85
Beg. of 2nd Term
$3.32
% change
79.5%
Consumer Price Index (all urban consumers)
Beg. of 1st Term
211.1
Beg. of 2nd Term
229.6
% change
8.8%
Unemployment rate, civilian labor force, seasonally adj. (current = Dec '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
7.8%
Beg. of 2nd Term
7.8%
% change
0.0%
Unemployment rate, alt. measure of underutilization (U-6), seas. adj. (current = Dec '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
14.2%
Beg. of 2nd Term
14.4%
% change
1.4%
Unemployment rate, blacks, seasonally adj. (current = Dec '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
12.7%
Beg. of 2nd Term
14.0%
% change
10.2%
Civilian labor force participation rate, seasonally adj. (current = Dec '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
65.7%
Beg. of 2nd Term
63.6%
% change
-3.2%
Number of federal employees, seasonally adj. (current = Dec '12 prelim.)
Beg. of 1st Term
2,790,000
Beg. of 2nd Term
2,794,000
% change
0.1%
Real median household income, in 2011 adj. dollars (2008 vs 2011)
Beg. of 1st Term
$52,546
Beg. of 2nd Term
$50,054
% change
-4.7%
Number of food stamp (SNAP) recipients (current = Oct '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
32,204,859
Beg. of 2nd Term
47,525,329
% change
47.6%
Number of unemployment benefit recipients (current = 1/5/13)
Beg. of 1st Term
7,770,779
Beg. of 2nd Term
5,659,482
% change
-27.2%
Poverty rate, individuals (2008 vs 2011)
Beg. of 1st Term
13.2%
Beg. of 2nd Term
15.0%
% change
13.6%
Disabled workers in current-payment status, SSDI (Jan '09 vs. Dec '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
7,442,377
Beg. of 2nd Term
8,827,795
% change
18.6%
U.S. rank in Economic Freedom World Rankings
Beg. of 1st Term
6
Beg. of 2nd Term
10
U.S. money supply, M2, in billions, not seasonally adj. (current = Dec '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
$8,249.3
Beg. of 2nd Term
$10,475.6
% change
27.0%
Price of gold, London (per troy oz.)
Beg. of 1st Term
$835.00
Beg. of 2nd Term
$1,688.00
$853.00
% change
102.2%
National debt, in billions
Beg. of 1st Term
$10,627
Beg. of 2nd Term
$16,433
% change
54.6%
Federal expenditures, in billions, current $ (4 yrs ended FY '08 vs 4 yrs ended FY '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
$11,945
Beg. of 2nd Term
$14,515
% change
21.5%
(S&P) federal gov credit rating
Beg. of 1st Term
AAA
Beg. of 2nd Term
AA+
Dow Jones
Beg. of 1st Term
8,281
Beg. of 2nd Term
13,650
% change
64.8%
GDP real growth rate
2012 2.2%
2011 1.7%
2010 2.8%
2009 -2.6%
2008 1.1%
2007 2%
2006 3.2%
2005 3.2%
2004 4.4%
2003 3.1%
2002 2.5%
2001 0.3%
Am I wrong, will these trends start to reverse? What will the country look like in 2016?
This isn't to say these negative trends don't precede President Obama, most do, often by decades, Nor do I assume that the election of Mitt Romney was the solution to all our problems. Nor frankly am I enamored with the current Republican leadership. This is to say that President Obama has failed to provide the leadership this country needs and in fact over and over provides the wrong answers and prescriptions for our problems. Sadly the election of Barack Obama will only prolong and deepen what I see as our national entropy.
After the 2012 election I, like many conservatives, had to go micro for a while and concern myself only with work, church, friends and family. It was simply too sad to realize that the last chance to change course had come and gone and now my generation (born in the 60's and early 70's) was to be the first generation to pass on to our children a less prosperous America. One with less economic opportunity and optimism for the future.
Instead we pass on an America where the values that turned a normal people into a great country are now openly mocked and belittled; faith in God above all else, individual initiative, a strong work ethic, personal responsibility, thrift, pride in the goodness of the country and our unique role in the preservation of liberty (American exceptionalism) and a belief in limited government. Some of us had even hoped to pass on an America where the words of MLK rang true and our children would be the first generation not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. We aren't even on the right course for that now... sigh.
Besides the objective economic numbers I'll get to shortly (and I realize all older generations say this and it's subjective to a great degree), but we truly live in a time of societal entropy as well; a growing government crowds out the civil society (non-profits, private charities) that once defined this country, the most stabilizing factor in civilization, the family, is now in upheaval and too often dysfunctional, the culture is rotting (violence, the base and profane glorified) -- and I'm no bluenose trust me -- modern art sees no inherent beauty in man, academics is in decline, dependency is increasing and there is growing pessimism and unhealthy narcissism in the country.
If your 're still with me and think this is tough to read it's even tougher for me to write. And now let's document some numbers (which I looked up!!):
Avg. retail price/gallon gas in U.S. (regular all formulations)
Beg. of 1st Term
$1.85
Beg. of 2nd Term
$3.32
% change
79.5%
Consumer Price Index (all urban consumers)
Beg. of 1st Term
211.1
Beg. of 2nd Term
229.6
% change
8.8%
Unemployment rate, civilian labor force, seasonally adj. (current = Dec '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
7.8%
Beg. of 2nd Term
7.8%
% change
0.0%
Unemployment rate, alt. measure of underutilization (U-6), seas. adj. (current = Dec '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
14.2%
Beg. of 2nd Term
14.4%
% change
1.4%
Unemployment rate, blacks, seasonally adj. (current = Dec '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
12.7%
Beg. of 2nd Term
14.0%
% change
10.2%
Civilian labor force participation rate, seasonally adj. (current = Dec '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
65.7%
Beg. of 2nd Term
63.6%
% change
-3.2%
Number of federal employees, seasonally adj. (current = Dec '12 prelim.)
Beg. of 1st Term
2,790,000
Beg. of 2nd Term
2,794,000
% change
0.1%
Real median household income, in 2011 adj. dollars (2008 vs 2011)
Beg. of 1st Term
$52,546
Beg. of 2nd Term
$50,054
% change
-4.7%
Number of food stamp (SNAP) recipients (current = Oct '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
32,204,859
Beg. of 2nd Term
47,525,329
% change
47.6%
Number of unemployment benefit recipients (current = 1/5/13)
Beg. of 1st Term
7,770,779
Beg. of 2nd Term
5,659,482
% change
-27.2%
Poverty rate, individuals (2008 vs 2011)
Beg. of 1st Term
13.2%
Beg. of 2nd Term
15.0%
% change
13.6%
Disabled workers in current-payment status, SSDI (Jan '09 vs. Dec '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
7,442,377
Beg. of 2nd Term
8,827,795
% change
18.6%
U.S. rank in Economic Freedom World Rankings
Beg. of 1st Term
6
Beg. of 2nd Term
10
U.S. money supply, M2, in billions, not seasonally adj. (current = Dec '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
$8,249.3
Beg. of 2nd Term
$10,475.6
% change
27.0%
Price of gold, London (per troy oz.)
Beg. of 1st Term
$835.00
Beg. of 2nd Term
$1,688.00
$853.00
% change
102.2%
National debt, in billions
Beg. of 1st Term
$10,627
Beg. of 2nd Term
$16,433
% change
54.6%
Federal expenditures, in billions, current $ (4 yrs ended FY '08 vs 4 yrs ended FY '12)
Beg. of 1st Term
$11,945
Beg. of 2nd Term
$14,515
% change
21.5%
(S&P) federal gov credit rating
Beg. of 1st Term
AAA
Beg. of 2nd Term
AA+
Dow Jones
Beg. of 1st Term
8,281
Beg. of 2nd Term
13,650
% change
64.8%
GDP real growth rate
2012 2.2%
2011 1.7%
2010 2.8%
2009 -2.6%
2008 1.1%
2007 2%
2006 3.2%
2005 3.2%
2004 4.4%
2003 3.1%
2002 2.5%
2001 0.3%
Am I wrong, will these trends start to reverse? What will the country look like in 2016?