A secular progressive (aka the Devil) holds the following truths to be self-evident.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

I Hope Hope Is A Plan

Photobucket

I have a confession to make- I am really an optimist at heart. Yeah, underneath the facade of (genuine) cynicism and wariness, I usually conclude that things don't suck most of the time. Unfortunately- and all too commonly- this underlying rosiness gets pissed the fuck off.

Like all good Obamunist liberals, I want to believe our president and his Democratic Congress can fix all that ails our dying country. And quickly. But I also know that the news is getting worse by the New York millisecond- GM is laying off 47,000 workers in one month, the Stock Market has had its worst two-month opening ever, GDP is at its slowest pace in 27 years, etc. And that's just the shit I can remember off the top of my head.

I'm beginning to believe that there's little anyone can do for the US of A except let this shitstream of failure continue. I watched part of Obama's address to Congress this week and while I love the oratory (I always do), it just seemed like more of a pep rally than a plan. Yeah, I know the stimulus got through, but it's going to take years to measure what, if any, positive effect that has on the economy. I did like how Obama challenged Americans to get more schooling and whatnot but what difference does having a college degree make if there aren't any "good" jobs to be had? I'll answer that question from personal experience: it don't make a damn difference.

Anyway, I know the economy will recover because it always does. And I also know that it's too early to call America completely out of the race. With a constant flow of immigrants, America is poised to remain the third most populous country in 2050- with an estimated 438 million people- while most of the populations of other industrialized nations will fall by that year. Fuck, we're like Jason- just when you think you've killed us for the seventy billionth time in the fourteenth sequel, we snap back to cut someone else's head off. We'll be hanging around like uninvited houseguest we are, just hopefully without the unwarranted go-to-hell attitude.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just don't see the US as presently constructed lasting much longer. We're ripe for a Soviet-style bustup, and if I were down in the heart of old Dixie right now I'd be looking for a way out-while there's time. I'm pretty sure it ain't gonna be a fun place to be when it breaks off.

Katie said...

I certainly hope things recover without changing us so much that we lose who we are.

Woozie said...

I think we've got a while to stick around. Really the rest of the world has far too much invested in the United States to let it dissolve so easily and so violently. A couple million poor Americans getting raw deals on subprime mortgages managed to plunge every economy on the planet into a recession. That should be testimony to America's far reaching economic influence.

alana said...

I share the same cynicism and it's good to see you're alive! lol

DB said...

Once we root out all the failed conservative ideas of and demonize their way of thinking so it is a long time before they come back, we will be fine. It will be a tough road to rid ourselves of such ignorance, but I am hopeful it won't be too bad.

unokhan said...

America is poised to remain the third most populous country in 2050

that otter keep the census bureau n bidness -- hang n there

Beelzebub said...

@ JollyRoger: I completely disagree with that but I suppose we shall see. It'd certainly be entertaining if that happened.

@ Can I Just Say: Yeah, but we're going to have to give up some things in the name of change. I think we'll pull through; we'll just look a little different on the other side.

@ woozie: True. But the countries who are invested in us also have us by the balls and could pull the rug out from under us at any moment. Again, that would be entertaining but probably not the best thing for the US of A.

@ alana: Yeah! Cynicism rulez!

@ DB: Unfortunately, I don't think that's possible. But having them hang around certainly provides the lolz we need during these dark times.

@ unokhan: LOL