I am not an economist, but my views can still be off the zig-zagging charts.
But really, just how really bad a factor is inflation and/or the big, bad burgeoning by the billions and more federal debt? For perhaps a majority of the last few decades, we have seen presidents on both sides of the aisle run these things up massively, then — usually — be a Behemoth brought back down by the next guy. But despite ascending percentage figures, Wisconsin and the world and our country did not end because of the woes. Leave that to The Doors.
But Fox tells us that one in five families will have trouble getting a turkey on the table. So maybe the economy is a turkey. And figuring it out is for the birds. But we all gotta try. By becoming birds of a feather?
Businesses are now closing, again, we are told every time we turn around even halfway, as the leadership — there is that word again — on all things economic was criticized. I have seen some of that, but it has been worse, in being cyclical. When Trump got in, the bigger of the big businesses knew that they had their man in the White House and suddenly were eager to share the wealth, offering start-up wages as clerks that we’d never seen. The plan seemed to be no plan at all, just let things take their course. Well of course, that only worked for so long. You couldn’t go a block in once profitable downtown Hudson without seeing a closure, or movement to a cheaper rent space.
What is missing here is that this recovery “plan” we keep hearing about never gets mentioned in even passing on the flyers. Granted, I know there are space constraints on the flyers, or they would have to be eight-by-11 or even full ledger or legal size. But the verbage is always the same, (frequent) flyer after flyer.
One candidate is said to be “the clear choice.” Another opines “the choice is clear.” Since I love nuance, I’m voting for the one who admits “I’m really quite murky.”
So this by-comparison solvent company slapped up my inbox and says that wants to save my mortal computer soul, said it would do so by helping my “website authority,” so now I may need this if I want to write about — and joke about — politics.
As far as Mr. Michels, he now has a new rival, gushing with photo images and saying he’s very far to the left, rather than me as a “true conservative.” Wow, that’s like calling Trump a Dem. A computer analytics tool — see even I can learn — says the pix weigh in at 150 mpl, and me-thinks that must be a lot.
The ultimate metaphor here is Metallica’s mocking song Sad But True, throwing in your face all the endless progressions that occur in the process of politicians manipulating to get your vote, then arrogantly not keeping their promises that once won that vote. Worthy of note is that the song came out in the midst of an election year.
Predictably in many of the certain death ads, a dad is shown at the table working out the numbers with worry in order to pay the bills, while in the background in the kitchen there is mom toting an infant.
Ever notice that there is that one photo, and maybe only one, that’s presented of Mandela Barnes make him look like a cocky thug? Why don’t those who oppose come right out and have him flash an occasional gang gesture? He is shown with his head cocked to the side and forehead leaning back, in what could be part of a rap video look.
Even in this day of prices higher than corn stalks, so many people are just bad shoppers, in part because they just don’t have enough time on their hands to compare prices, and from my side of the grocery aisle, there are still fairly decent prices to be found on some items. But I don’t really think everyone should expect to wolf down steak every night. The answer? If you’ve had a big cut in salary? No longer a fat cat? Eat more celery. And if on the more deserving end because of lack of means, let them eat cake. “Standing at the starting line, crouching …”
Gosh, all these several-times-daily ads make me happy to see the monthly auto coupon flyer in the mailbox. Like the savings on service work proposed — and that refers to the car — all the info has been said time after time and very little new has been spelled out in big letters since the primaries. And if I see the word “leadership” pushed one more time, I’m cancelling my subscription … oh wait I can’t really do that unless I tear down my mailbox. And how do you gather all that leadership experience without being a career politician?
See if this reminds you of anything we have going on today. The Israelites, even though they were said to be God’s chosen people, really screwed up at times, in ways where they should have know better. And we wonder why God was perturbed with them enough to have them sacked by rival armies? In one case, Jerusalem was under siege and its people were starving. But one of the Israel commanders was so intent with the idea that his minions who were in need of food should keep up the fighting, and that this was God’s opinion also and the only way to get more rations was to wage more war, that he had 20 years worth of grain destroyed to demonstrate more of a need. That was supposed to be motivation?
My mom said this, wisely. Not every student loan needs to be forgiven, as some people have more means than others, even at an early age (and I don’t think that family should be saddled with the debt). In the time I have known some people working their way through school, and again they really have to hump it, I have seen this scenario: They do not yet have a student loan that needs to be paid back, no mortgage to worry about and rent is cheap college fare, and there still may be mom and dad to fall back on if absolutely needed. So they can be kindly enough to literally, give you the shirt off their back, as they are living in the moment. Two takeaways: Have a better grasp on long-term financial planning, even if that means taking yet another course, and have such payback subject to an easier-than-mortgage-application to determine means, but make it short and simple and erring on the side of the student, (think back to the days, if not an ouch, of 125 percent loan-to-home-value refinancing options).
A parting bit of advice. Conservatives, in particular, tend to repeat information without checking its accuracy. (If Rush says it …) But especially these days, with work hours at a basically record high, people just don’t have time to fact check everything. So here are a few rules to use in evaluation of data before passing it along. Based on a sheer level of judging their capacity, is the source someone who is credible. Or unbiased. Or is the story presented basic enough where it would be hard to get it wrong. And if there is any question, cull out the sharing details like numbers or slim summations. An Ultimate Sin example: Ozzy was said to have bitten the head off a bat while in concert. True, to a point. But there is more to the story, to do it justice, then a sound byte, and those few simple words do not allow the happening to be more than yet another urban myth. Why? And this is telling. The full tale would take two full paragraphs. Nuance, smuance. Politics, smolitics.