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Old 08-06-2011, 08:45 AM
 
Location: Iowa, Heartland of Murica
3,425 posts, read 6,293,794 times
Reputation: 3446

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I am on my way back to the US after having spend 2 weeks here in Europe and for the first time, I feel like, the American dream ain't no more. I was watching something on CNN Europe about the current situation and one of the analysts was comparing the current US economic situation to Japan, so even if things start to get better, we may have to wait 10 years before the economy goes back to "normal". Seriously?

I am in Sweden right now and life here actually is very good. Prices are high, taxes are high but people do not seem as stressed as most Americans are, high quality of life, very low crime if any, most people are thin, elegant and the women are beautiful!

I met a couple Americans doing their graduate work here and they do not think they will find a job if they go back to the USA. I truly believe that there is no future in the USA anymore, so, I have started considering the possibility of doing some graduate work here and eventually settling in the EU.

I truly do not see a way out of the current US economic situation and it is a scary thought!
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Old 08-06-2011, 08:50 AM
 
25,024 posts, read 27,842,561 times
Reputation: 11790
I don't think everything is doom and gloom yet for us. Sure, we're at the precipice, but we haven't driven off the cliff yet. Besides, Europe is on its way of imploding right now, by design. The bailouts, just like here, are only prolonging the inevitable.

I was in England for 4 weeks and the attitude there is similar to the one here. Full of pessimism especially since everywhere in England north of the Thames seems to be grappling with 9%+ unemployment, especially the east Midlands and the North
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Old 08-06-2011, 08:55 AM
 
47,525 posts, read 69,521,481 times
Reputation: 22472
I don't feel the doom and gloom.

Maybe the American dream of 56+ inch LCD televisions in every room, and 3 new cars in the driveway, iPhones for every kid in the family, and meals out every evening is gone.

All we have to do is get back to what we as a people once were.
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Old 08-06-2011, 08:57 AM
 
25,024 posts, read 27,842,561 times
Reputation: 11790
Quote:
Originally Posted by malamute View Post
I don't feel the doom and gloom.

Maybe the American dream of 56+ inch LCD televisions in every room, and 3 new cars in the driveway, iPhones for every kid in the family, and meals out every evening is gone.

All we have to do is get back to what we as a people once were.
Sometimes I think if the middle class really existed at all, if it weren't for loans and credit cards, especially in recent decades
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Old 08-06-2011, 09:09 AM
 
12,997 posts, read 13,600,782 times
Reputation: 11187
What I'm worried about is the change of attitude and mood in Americans. For most of our history, and up until pretty recently, we were an optomistic people who looked forward to the future and embraced challenges. We were determined to define history, rather than be defined by it -- to borrow from Bush, aka the devil.

Now, with something as relatively small as a dowgrade by one of three credit agencies from AAA to AA+ we're throwing in the towel. That's worrisome.

I am a solider and part of my duties is to make sure the soldiers under me remain physically fit. I have had guys who are overweight and out-of-shape whom I have had every confidence in them getting into tip top shape and passing their PT test because they're hungry. You can see it. They're serious about turning things around. They're pushing away from the table at meal time and pushing up the weights in the afternoon. I have gone to bat for these guys, and it has paid off.

I could care less how someone is doing currently. That's just a snap shot in time. What matters is overall character and attributes. Everyone is going to experience setbacks, but someone who is determined and disciplined is going to overcome.

Our best days are still ahead of us if we want them to be.
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Old 08-06-2011, 09:12 AM
 
Location: Iowa, Heartland of Murica
3,425 posts, read 6,293,794 times
Reputation: 3446
So, what do you suggest? Stay in the USA for the next 10 years, continue to work as a contractor like I have for the last 2 years, for a lack of better options and just be satisfied with it? When my contract ends in 2013, I don't even know what I am going to do, that is why I am traveling now, because I don't even want to think about the future

I heard that out of 10 people who have been out of work for over a year, only 1 person will find a job, this is alarming!

If we have people who have been unemployed for 1, 2 or 3 years, how many years will it take until the job market goes back to normal? 10, 15 years? I think the current economic situation is HORRENDOUS, most people just do not want to see it!
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Old 08-06-2011, 09:16 AM
 
Location: La lune et les étoiles
18,258 posts, read 22,472,790 times
Reputation: 19593
Quote:
Originally Posted by WestCobb View Post
What I'm worried about is the change of attitude and mood in Americans. For most of our history, and up until pretty recently, we were an optomistic people who looked forward to the future and embraced challenges. We were determined to define history, rather than be defined by it -- to borrow from Bush, aka the devil.

Now, with something as relatively small as a dowgrade by one of three credit agencies from AAA to AA+ we're throwing in the towel. That's worrisome.

I am a solider and part of my duties is to make sure the soldiers under me remain physically fit. I have had guys who are overweight and out-of-shape whom I have had every confidence in them getting into tip top shape and passing their PT test because they're hungry. You can see it. They're serious about turning things around. They're pushing away from the table at meal time and pushing up the weights in the afternoon. I have gone to bat for these guys, and it has paid off.

I could care less how someone is doing currently. That's just a snap shot in time. What matters is overall character and attributes. Everyone is going to experience setbacks, but someone who is determined and disciplined is going to overcome.

Our best days are still ahead of us if we want them to be.
I couldn't agree more.

We really need to detox ourselves from the daily onslaught of rhetoric, just dial it waaay down or shut it off. The polarization has created this mentality of "us vs them" but if we sink the other side we all go down because we are all in the same damn boat.

The credit rating downgrade needs to be the wake up call. Even for those who truly hate President Barack Obama, trying to destroy him, destroys America. The attempt to "take down" the Obama administration has backfired; its time for us all to move to a place in the center and work together on getting America back on track.
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Old 08-06-2011, 09:16 AM
 
47,525 posts, read 69,521,481 times
Reputation: 22472
Quote:
Originally Posted by Repubocrat View Post
So, what do you suggest? Stay in the USA for the next 10 years, continue to work as a contractor like I have for the last 2 years, for a lack of better options and just be satisfied with it? When my contract ends in 2013, I don't even know what I am going to do, that is why I am traveling now, because I don't even want to think about the future

I heard that out of 10 people who have been out of work for over a year, only 1 person will find a job, this is alarming!

If we have people who have been unemployed for 1, 2 or 3 years, how many years will it take until the job market goes back to normal? 10, 15 years? I think the current economic situation is HORRENDOUS, most people just do not want to see it!
We have people who have been unemployed for 1, 2, or 3 years but at the same time Obama is trying to expand NAFTA in order to destroy more jobs for Americans -- truckdriving jobs in particular. Jobs are still being exported and not only that - immigration rates in 2010 were higher than ever.
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Old 08-06-2011, 09:17 AM
 
12,997 posts, read 13,600,782 times
Reputation: 11187
Quote:
Originally Posted by Repubocrat View Post
So, what do you suggest? Stay in the USA for the next 10 years, continue to work as a contractor like I have for the last 2 years, for a lack of better options and just be satisfied with it? When my contract ends in 2013, I don't even know what I am going to do, that is why I am traveling now, because I don't even want to think about the future

I heard that out of 10 people who have been out of work for over a year, only 1 person will find a job, this is alarming!

If we have people who have been unemployed for 1, 2 or 3 years, how many years will it take until the job market goes back to normal? 10, 15 years? I think the current economic situation is HORRENDOUS, most people just do not want to see it!
Rep, no one knows the future, but consider this. Our corporations are reportedly sitting on $2 trillion in cash. Unlike some of the other posters on this board, I'm not a financial guru. I have no idea why they are stockpiling that capital, but I think once things stabilize and normalize they will start spending and the economy will bounce back. I don't think we're talking decades here.
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Old 08-06-2011, 09:24 AM
 
Location: SF Bay Area
14,317 posts, read 22,321,560 times
Reputation: 18436
"Doom and gloom" is what the GOP specializes in, especially when the President is a Democrat. They were silent when this country was going through hell under Bush.

Don't be a sucker and fall for it. Recognize that as long as Republicans and their bagger contingent have a say in the process, it will fail and get worse. This is true whether the President is a Democrat or a Republican. Deceptive marketing by the GOP suckered many people into supporting baggers and GOP for the Midterms, breaking Congress in the process. Time to unload these bums. They have negatively impacted the country.
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