Every day I wake up feeling pretty good. Most of my family are well. I have a roof over my head, food in the fridge, electricity, heating, cooling, and enough money to enjoy an occasonal modest treat for myself. And I live the the most free, most generous, most prosperous, most optimistic country in the world. All things considered, life is good.
For now.
But I have to admit that lately each day's headlines have been something of a downer and reinforce a nagging concern that we need to refocus on those things that made us the most free, most generous, most prosperous, and most optimistic country in the world and that allows us to enjoy the blessings of all that.
Just today for instance:
For those who think it is wrong that Americas wealthy are so wealthy, heres some encouragement for you, but for those of us who think it is to the world's advantage that the USA remain a strong superpower, it raises eyebrows:
And is it unraveling in the Middle East and what will that mean?:
And with a US economy still reeling and competent economists warning of double dip recession:
Yep. It is a major struggle for us eternal optimists these days.
Will this too again pass?
Or could we dig ourselves into a hole that we can't climb out of?
For now.
But I have to admit that lately each day's headlines have been something of a downer and reinforce a nagging concern that we need to refocus on those things that made us the most free, most generous, most prosperous, and most optimistic country in the world and that allows us to enjoy the blessings of all that.
Just today for instance:
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sales of new homes collapsed in May, sinking 33 percent to the lowest level on record as potential buyers stopped shopping for homes once they could no longer receive government tax credits.
New-home sales plunge 33 pct with tax credits gone - Yahoo! Finance
Investigator: Inmates get homebuyer tax credits
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON A government investigator says nearly 1,300 prison inmates have wrongly received more than $9 million in tax credits for homebuyers despite being incarcerated when they reportedly bought a home.
The investigator says 241 of the inmates were serving life sentences.
Investigator: Inmates get homebuyer tax credits
For those who think it is wrong that Americas wealthy are so wealthy, heres some encouragement for you, but for those of us who think it is to the world's advantage that the USA remain a strong superpower, it raises eyebrows:
Millionaires' Riches Return to Pre-Crisis Levels, Study Finds
By Joyce Koh, Alexis Leondis and Warren Giles - Jun 23, 2010
June 22 (Bloomberg) -- Lyle LaMothe, head of U.S. wealth management at Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc, speaks about the rebound in millionaires' assets close to pre-crisis levels as the number of rich people in Asia equalled those in Europe for the first time, according to a report by Capgemini SA and Merrill Lynch & Co. LaMothe talks on Bloomberg Television's "InBusiness with Margaret Brennan." (Source: Bloomberg)
June 23 (Bloomberg) -- The number of individuals with at least $1 million of investable assets in Asia-Pacific region rose 26 percent to 3 million in 2009, matching Europe and almost overhauling North Americas 3.1 million, according to the 14th annual World Wealth Report published yesterday. Bloomberg's Deirdre Bolton reports. (Source: Bloomberg)
Asia-Pacifics number of millionaires equaled Europes for the first time last year as the region powered the global economys recovery, according to a report by Capgemini SA and Merrill Lynch & Co.
The number of individuals with at least $1 million of investable assets in Asia-Pacific rose 26 percent to 3 million in 2009, matching Europe and almost overhauling North Americas 3.1 million, according to the 14th annual World Wealth Report published yesterday.
Millionaires' Riches Return to Pre-Crisis Levels, Study Finds - Bloomberg
And is it unraveling in the Middle East and what will that mean?:
Iran produced 17 kgs of further enriched uranium
Iran produced 17 kgs of further enriched uranium
Israel launches new spy satellite
Israel launches new spy satellite
Iran to send blockade-busting ship to Gaza
Iran to send blockade-busting ship to Gaza - Yahoo! News
Lebanon warns Israel against attacking ships
Lebanon warns Israel against attacking ships
Pakistan resolute on Iran gas deal
Defies US warning it could run afoul of new sanctions
By Sebastian Abbot
Associated Press / June 23, 2010
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan Defying a warning from Washington, Pakistans prime minister promised yesterday to go ahead with a plan to import natural gas from Iran even if the United States levies additional sanctions against the Mideast country.
Breaking: General Stanley McChrystal tenders his resignation – Telegraph Blogs
And with a US economy still reeling and competent economists warning of double dip recession:
Obama to push climate change on back of BP spill
By Anna Fifield in Washington
Published: June 22 2010 17:56 | Last updated: June 22 2010 17:56
Barack Obama will on Wednesday make a renewed push to spur the US Senate into action on climate change, saying the BP oil spill underlines the urgency for the country to lessen its dependence on fossil fuels.
FT.com / US & Canada - Obama to push climate change on back of BP spill
Business leaders say Obama's economic policies stifle growth
By Lori MontgomeryUnemployed and discouraged
The increase in jobs highlighted in the nation's most recent unemployment report carried the sound of economic promise, but Obama administration officials on Sunday warned that the public shouldn't expect any dramatic improvement in the jobless rate largely because of the effect of thousands of "discouraged" unemployed people who have resumed their search for work.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The chairman of the Business Roundtable, an association of top corporate executives that has been President Obama's closest ally in the business community, accused the president and Democratic lawmakers Tuesday of creating an "increasingly hostile environment for investment and job creation."
Ivan G. Seidenberg, chief executive of Verizon Communications, said that Democrats in Washington are pursuing tax increases, policy changes and regulatory actions that together threaten to dampen economic growth and "harm our ability . . . to grow private-sector jobs in the U.S."
"In our judgment, we have reached a point where the negative effects of these policies are simply too significant to ignore," Seidenberg said in a lunchtime speech to the Economic Club of Washington. "By reaching into virtually every sector of economic life, government is injecting uncertainty into the marketplace and making it harder to raise capital and create new businesses."
washingtonpost.com
Acknowledging that of 8000+ wells in the gulf, many of which are deep water wells and 700 mega deep water wells, and one serious accident involving all of those wells giving a 99+% safety record, a federal court struck down the Admnistations ban on drilling in the gulf. The reasons cited were the amazing safety recordthe best in the worldand the unreasonable and indefensible hardship the ban would impose on American citizens.
The Obama Administration responded to the court order by issuing a new ban. Meanwhile George Soros petroleum interests are bidding for the 33 rigs currently in the gulf to move to places like Brazil. Once the rigs are gone, it could be decades before the regions economy would recover, if then.
Federal Gov't Halts Sand Berm Dredging - New Orleans News Story - WDSU New Orleans
Yep. It is a major struggle for us eternal optimists these days.
Will this too again pass?
Or could we dig ourselves into a hole that we can't climb out of?