If you say the glass is half full than you're an optimist and if you say it's half-empty then you're a pessimist...
What does it mean if you wonder what's in the glass?
It is typical at this time of year to take stock of what has been and to mull over that which lies ahead of us.
While prospects vary between individuals 2005 was a down year in general. Wages stagnant, corporate profits high, the job market lackluster...
And there's no relief in sight.
The `next big thing' has once again eluded discovery leaving us with a dwindling supply of the same old, same old.
One can suppose it's times like these that cause the optimists and the pessimists to bicker. The optimist insists that the next big thing must be right around the corner while the pessimist points out that there's nothing on radar that even comes close to being the next big thing...
Why, you might be wondering, is the next big thing so important? Why is it the world's economy is incapable of sustaining itself without this constant expansion?
On one hand we have the drive for efficiency that reduces the need for manpower while on the other we have an ever-increasing population.
Now, the logical solution to this problem, since every individual needs a way to support themselves, is work sharing.
The illogical solution is to shut people out of the ever-shrinking job market until some new innovation sparks exponential job growth.
In a feeble attempt to preserve profits.
A shrinking job market and an expanding workforce, this is the nut that needs to be cracked. Failing to do so will erode the fabric of society to the point where the rule of law collapses.
That's the real boogey man on the doorstep good citizen, imagine waking up to find a free for all in the streets outside your door. A bloodbath of neighbor killing neighbor over a scrap of food.
How far would you go to save your children from starving to death?
Don't have kids? Does your neighbor have kids? Should you get them before they come for you?
When you find yourself in the position of having to consider such imponderables it will already be too late.
So a few can be rich.
Understand that civilization is only nine meals deep. The transition period between life as we know it and living your worst nightmare is a mere three days.
Re-read the above paragraph until the truth sinks in.
Impossible? Why do you suppose the military is rushed to the scene of natural disasters? Distributing aid is a secondary function to maintaining order.
A worldwide event (such as financial collapse) will produce a dearth of soldiers who, like everyone else, will have their hands full keeping their own families alive.
If we take into consideration that the `economic expansion' of the past five years has consisted mainly of people refinancing their homes and buying shit with they money they pull out...we find ourselves in a situation that eclipses conditions prior to 1929.
A situation driven largely by globalization and the negative effects these policies have on wages.
Most think we dodged a bullet in 2005 and some think (due to mid-term elections) that we might also avoid it in 2006.
Yet the reality that few can afford the now astronomical price of a home is starting to emerge from the `frothiness'.
With the average male making less than $27k a year and the average female making less than $15k asking oneself just who can afford an $800k home is a very legitimate question.
Because that's what they're building, affordable housing is an after thought if it gets considered at all in most markets.
I want to wish you all peace, goodwill and hope but if we are to hold on to our hope we must recognize what lies ahead and work towards solving the single greatest problem facing our society...
An increasing workforce faced with a shrinking pool of jobs.
Happy holidays,
Gegner