I really am starting to envy my parents and their luck of being born in the 50’s when the US was thriving, and living out their early adult years in the 70’s and 80’s the two sweetest decades in history by far. Not only were my parents, and many like them, able to have two cars, a nice house, and pretty much a worry free lifestyle where prices for goods were reasonable and income was steady. I, and the now twenty somethings, are facing the neo-depression much like our great-grandparent’s. Now I’m no economist or businesswoman, but I have a college degree and have taken many of courses relating to these issues and it’s not looking good for us. Gas, one of America’s lifelines, is depleting and has been for some time now. I’ve heard many different reasons why this is all happening but it seems like greed, scarcity, and foreign conflicts are to blame. Today oil reached $140 a barrel the highest it’s ever been, yesterday it cost TJ $49 to fill up his car just so he could get to work and back. Places like England, France, Germany, and other European countries have planned well for this ultimate demise of an essential resource and will feel little impact. We in the U.S., and especially us in the Mid-West and rural areas, are totally screwed. It’s pretty much too late to rectify an efficient public transportation system that mimics those of Europe or Japan. Even if we did it would only stretch to the urban and suburban areas unlikely to extend major city to major city. BART (Bay Area Rapid Transportation) was built in the 70’s and if it hadn’t the bay area would be f*$^ed in the area of transportation. If the bay area didn’t have a train system like that of BART and needed to build one today soooo many people would be pissed off loosing their homes to emanate domain. Indy and other cities are facing this same realization that we’re all screwed because we have no train (or efficient source of transportation) and gas is getting too expensive for the middle class citizen. This is turn effects the prices of food, products, clothes...basically everything you use. Because pretty much everything you use is transported and the manufacturer's costs are also increasing because of shipping this would create a depression because wages aren't going up, in fact unemployment is going up.
Bring on the depression, and I’ll work until I die for the greater good of the country. Or maybe I can convince TJ to move to France….that would be badass. France is freakin’ awesome.
*This post is meant to ignite discussion of the future of the U.S. and support my claim to TJ that we should totally move to France.
3 comments:
You think gas is high at $4 a gallon?
I got news for you kid, it's going to hit $6 in the not-so-distant future.
Welcome to our new global economy.
But the good news is problems are really opportunities. Each person decides which it is from their perspective.
What's it gonna be for you?
U T
I don't know if we're all screwed no matter what - we're just screwed if we refuse to change our way of living.
We DO have an advantage in that we're still young, and our lives and futures are more malleable. We don't have mortgages to pay, kids to worry about, or sick family members to care for.
So take advantage (like I hope to do)! And cheer up, emo kid.
As for me, I am not opposed to living IN a library to cut down on commuting costs. :)
ps - London IS way cooler than France ;)
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