Michael, I enjoy much of your writing and find myself in agreement with you sentiments, much more often than not. In this, I believe you've outdone yourself. Bravo sir!
A little more than 30 years ago, I was doing a major rehab on a home, close to a million dollar job and the customer was a financial planner. In doing so well for himself, I took the occasion to ask what sort of investment someone like I and my employees could make, given our modest means. Without batting an eye he said, "A gun that shoots straight."
I thought he was joshing, but then he spent the next 45 minutes, on his dime, as we were all listening attentively, just how tenuous our way of life was. he figured current debt, spending, and the widening gap between those that knew hardship, the Depression and WWII, and those that knew nothing but plenty, Baby Boomers and their offspring, were on a collision course with history. Sort of a Yeats moment, in that the 'center cannot hold'. He went on to predict with uncanny accuracy the folly of government, war in the middle east and the coming of a charismatic leader that would galvanize the population. He only error it seems was the timeline. He predicted where we now find ourselves in 15 - 20 years.
As I've stated before, I've always tried to caution those that wish to burn it all down and start over, as the likelihood of retaining our foundations would not be guaranteed. I'd always held out hope that sanity would prevail, but that hope has been overcome by the cynicism you describe and I'm just over here with five gallons of gas, a book of matches and a gun that shoots straight. I just6 pray we have the will to rectify our ways before my grandchildren have to.
Michael, I enjoy much of your writing and find myself in agreement with you sentiments, much more often than not. In this, I believe you've outdone yourself. Bravo sir!
A little more than 30 years ago, I was doing a major rehab on a home, close to a million dollar job and the customer was a financial planner. In doing so well for himself, I took the occasion to ask what sort of investment someone like I and my employees could make, given our modest means. Without batting an eye he said, "A gun that shoots straight."
I thought he was joshing, but then he spent the next 45 minutes, on his dime, as we were all listening attentively, just how tenuous our way of life was. he figured current debt, spending, and the widening gap between those that knew hardship, the Depression and WWII, and those that knew nothing but plenty, Baby Boomers and their offspring, were on a collision course with history. Sort of a Yeats moment, in that the 'center cannot hold'. He went on to predict with uncanny accuracy the folly of government, war in the middle east and the coming of a charismatic leader that would galvanize the population. He only error it seems was the timeline. He predicted where we now find ourselves in 15 - 20 years.
As I've stated before, I've always tried to caution those that wish to burn it all down and start over, as the likelihood of retaining our foundations would not be guaranteed. I'd always held out hope that sanity would prevail, but that hope has been overcome by the cynicism you describe and I'm just over here with five gallons of gas, a book of matches and a gun that shoots straight. I just6 pray we have the will to rectify our ways before my grandchildren have to.