For those who think my past posts on President Obama and his incompetent handling of the economy (not to mention the reckless spending by Washington and both political parties over the last six years) have been too harsh, all you need to do is check out this Hot Air link to graphs provided by the Heritage Foundation. Sure, the HH is a conservative think-tank, but while statistics can be shaped and molded to support whatever political agenda you might have, pictures don’t lie. The “Dangerous Levels Of Debt” graph alone ought to scare the bejeezus out of everyone, because that alone foreteels an economic disaster of biblical proportions if (once?) the dollar loses its role as world-traded currency.
Between this and the job numbers released today, we stand on a precipice that neither Washington, most of the American people, or (it seems) the Golfer-in-Chief appear to care about. You can whistle past the graveyard, but that doesn’t mean you won’t end up there someday. This country is in deep, deep economic trouble, and it’s only going to get worse. And, regardless of what obnoxious, incompetent, and senile old tax cheats like Charlie Rangel think, you can’t tax your way out of this mess, or, as Treasury Secretary Tim “Another Tax Cheat” Geithner wants to do, print our way out of it either.
As John Fogerty once sang, I see a Bad Moon Rising.
Old John is still singing Bad Moon Rising and he sounds as good now as he did then. CCR was huge in my old neighborhood. Huge. All of the neighborhood garage bands played Susie Q. Never saw Fogerty or CCR in person, though. Something I’d like to remedy one day but I really don’t want to go to a casino to do it.
Comment by Rob — June 2, 2011 @ 1:57 pm
If it weren’t for CCR my old band Top Priority would have half its playlist removed. That band was great, easy to play songs (major chords!) with great melody and good lyrics. People forget that between 1968 and 1971 you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing CCR on top 40 radio. Their LP Cosmo’s Factory is still one of the best rock albums ever recorded. Their music brings back a lot of fine memories.
…sorry for the delay in posting your comment, don’t know what’s going on there. WordPress is really bugging me lately.
Comment by The Great White Shank — June 2, 2011 @ 9:30 pm
My comment posted in the normal fashion but I have seen comments disappear and reappear on other WordPress blogs. Don’t know what to make of that. Movable Type has its own set of issues but I think I’ve finally got most of them resolved. See, I taunt the blog gods. 🙂
Comment by Rob — June 3, 2011 @ 7:42 am
Oh, and I think you’re being kind to some of us by saying “people forget”. A good many weren’t born. 🙂
Comment by Rob — June 3, 2011 @ 8:28 am
Damn, you’re right Rob. I figure anyone in 1968 who would remember the heyday of CCR would have to be – and I’m being generous here – at least, say, 8 years old. That’s 43 years ago, meaning you’d have to at least in your fifties.
What does it all mean? It means The Great White Shank is one very old dude.
Comment by The Great White Shank — June 3, 2011 @ 10:07 pm
Speaking of old dudes and 1968, my dad was taking my brother and I to Lakeside Shopping Center in Metairie (Just outside of New Orleans). They weren’t called malls then but Lakeside was one of the earliest ones. Because I was our neighborhood’s garage band groupie, I recognized the opening of another favorite. It was Iron Butterfly playing In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (A very abbreviated version). They were in town for a concert and did a very short promo set in the parking lot side-by-side with their opening act, Vanilla Fudge. I was allowed to stay because I was 11 but my brother, 5, had to go inside with Dad. I tease him about it all the time. It’s good to see those kinds of promo appearances making a comeback.
Comment by Rob — June 4, 2011 @ 8:37 am
Iron Butterfly and Vanilla Fudge. I can’t help but think of James Earl Jones’ character in “Field of Dreams” when, after meeting Kevin Costner’s character for the first time, shouts, “You’re from the Sixties! Get outta here! Get back!” 🙂
Comment by The Great White Shank — June 6, 2011 @ 9:52 pm
Jones has the greatest and most powerful speaking voice on the planet. He was perfect in that role.
Comment by Rob — June 7, 2011 @ 2:56 pm