“A nation can only withstand so much economic pain before the political fallout
becomes ugly. And that fallout can extend beyond the border of the
problem nation.” Greg
Mankiw
Puzzlement: We know that our entire culture, our economy, our industry and our political system are leading us to a disaster, yet the fruits of our culture, economy etc. make it impossible for us to avoid the inevitable. Or to even talk about it. Don't blame it on them, Pogo.
Echoes: For all the punditry trying to explain the Donald Trump phenomena, few seem to understand that Trump taps into the long cultivated slice of the Republican right that is permanently estranged, frustrated, mad-as-hell and, sadly, full of hate and anger. Political correctness keeps the media from acknowledging what The Donald knows is true – there is a large part of the electorate who want to hate and want to share their hatred. The elite want to pretend that he is a sideshow, a ridiculous egomaniac and a bully. So was Hitler, so was Mussolini.
The Map & The Territory: The EU was supposed to be the pat to a continent-wide blossoming of social, political and economic cohesion and peace. The smaller steps were reasonable, but the coming of the eurozone was the beginning of the end. Instead of sustainable prosperity and its bedmate peace, what we see now is the rise of unrest, unemployment, poverty and disappointment that is feeding a revival of racist, xenophobic, reactionary politics. Golden Dawn, France's National Front, the UKIP are the future. As are the wars that will come with them.
Without Comprehension: China's burgeoning growth is leading to the rise of a new city, a megalopolis called Jing-Jin-Ji. Centered on Beijing it will cover as much area as the state of Kansas and is expected to be the home of 130 million people. Me, I'm glad I've got that cabin in Maine.
The Competition: If you are still wondering what happened to all the good jobs in the US and have not quite understood what globalization and all that free trade horseshit is about, let me point out that the folks who actually make your clothing live in Myanmar (which you cannot even find on a map) and work for companies that refuse to pay their workers 40 cents an hour.
Porn O'Graph: How deep is the ocean?
