We often say it: "Oh, that I had a crystal ball!"
But, if we each had crystal balls—no double entendre intended—we might not like what we see. The ability to look into the future and then, the ability to deal with it, are two different matters.
Oh, Crystal Ball, pray tell me: Will corporations continue to price-gouge the population? Will high interest rates destroy the housing market? Will we be able to manage the fees for Jr's soccer league? Will we ever be able to afford that pricey, snarky electric vehicle—in fulfillment of our sacred responsibility to protect and preserve our planet? Will the Orange Clown ever retire to the Big Circus in the Sky and his much deserved reward of Eternal Lie? (Oops, the "f" was intentionally omitted)
Even more important, will the great USA remain a democratic nation, or will it go to the boneyard of failed systems, hijacked by the rule of the pseudo-Christian, wacko minority?
Of course, we can't forget the most pressing concern: Will we still be able to afford our satellite TV and internet?
I'm an eternal optimist, but I fail to see an easy way out of this mess. Recession coming? Hopefully not, but I suspect that the most recent evasive tack—tripling and quadrupling interest rates at a blistering rate over a very short time—is only adding to America's pain. Economists differ in their recommendations, and current economic policy gurus can certainly make mistakes. Only time will tell if the interest rate increases are a boon or blunder.
Luckily, we can almost assume that the pain is only short term; the reality is that nothing—good or bad—goes on forever. So, whatever's ahead, you can tell yourself, "This too shall pass."
But, there's no way to avoid the current economic crunch. Except for the uber-rich who line their pockets every time their countrymen are struggling, Americans are justifiably worried about their economic future. I hate to say it, but when everyone else is losing their butts, the rich are raking in the dough. Just look at the quarterly profits while viewing your own bank statement; it's enough to make you sick.
After so many years of strong economic growth—which convincingly lulled most of us into a sense of security about the future—we've finally arrived at that come-to-Jesus moment. It's serious.
We're all deeply concerned about the current economy. The promise of sustained prosperity was probably an achievable goal, but greed—the Achilles Heel of our political, societal, and economic systems—is spelling out an ominous message on the wall. Americans, not so different from the rest of the world, are being beaten up by the people and companies who see money and power as the only real goal.
Even well-heeled older folks, who may see themselves as being invulnerable to our country's economic fluctuations—ones who always believed that their "nest eggs" would be sufficient to last a lifetime—are suddenly nervous in their waking moments. Notions that had never crossed their minds before are uncomfortably perking up: Will I need to live with my kids?—you know, the horrifying prospect that we may be doing those things our parents were forced to do, just to survive.
And those who are still plodding along with their careers—raising kids, getting an education, buying homes and attempting to recreate on shrinking budgets—are wondering how their pay will ever be able to cover the rising prices.
The glimmers of light created by rising minimum wages don't look as bright as they once did. The idea of a living wage—the premise that allows anyone, working eight hours a day, to be capable of having life's essentials—has evaporated in this latest round of OMG escalations in prices. Instead of achieving a real benefit, the long-delayed, inadequate living wage initiatives have largely failed. The money is never enough for the average, hard-working employee, and there's no question that wages have failed to keep up with corporate greed. Powerful interests are ensuring that healthy competition—something that could solve much of the problem—simply won't happen.
The happiness and abandon of a healthy economy are—at least temporarily—gone, and even the most qualified opinions don't foresee a quick fix. Beaten down by years of the pandemic, the horrors of Russia's barbaric aggression against its neighbor and the dictatorial, pop-up, Whack-a-Mole copy-cats of the Trump playbook, most of us still believe that the American economy will emerge healthy and robust from the present crises.
Let's face it, crystal balls are not all they're cracked up to be. Even being able to see the future doesn't suggest that we'll be better able to deal with it.
One thing is for sure. We will never see our country and our world through the same rose-colored spectacles of yesteryear. That said, the world needs to make changes, and not all of them will be easy. Hopefully the future will be one in which the U.S.—which has had its share of terrible screw-ups—sets an example of how to do things right. Frankly, taking our lessons from history would be a good start—and a wise approach.
It's likely to take a lot of virgin-goat sacrifices to get our economic problems fixed, and, as you know, virgins are in short supply.
The author is a retired novelist, columnist and former Vietnam-era Army assistant public information officer. He resides in Riverton with his wife, Carol, and the beloved ashes of their mongrel dog.
