It really is the economy, stu... eh, sir.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

From the Stewart Rally to TSA groping to a teenager calling someone a "faggot"... and the band played on.

But beneath it all, Americans today will or will not face a notably declining standard of living. It is likely that our standard of living is bound to decline in the long run (reversion to the global mean) but it doesn't have to be this week.

It is optional whether or not we create a generation with a huge prospects-hole carved out of it it, or merely the medium sized hole there already is.

What you make today affects what you will make in twenty years, actuarially. Being unemployed for a lng period today will have a dramatic effect on your retirement, even if you are only 35 or 40 today.

When and where you go to college will affect the arc of your earnings over a lifetime.

And psychology matters. When I was growing up it was routine to explain some folks seemingly weird attitudes with, "He grew up in the depression." Much like one would say, "He was a Vietnam combat veteran" or "He saw his mother commit suicide when he was eight." Essentially, this persons has deep scars.

And this is all optional. We do not need to take this ride.

But we will because our nation lacks the political will to do otherwise. And that is such a crushing and all-encompassing fact of life that it is almost too big to wrap our heads around.

We (America) have political leadership. We said, please do not allow this to happen. They said, "Oh, it's going to happen. But there are some disagreements about the details that we will blow up into seeming significance so that you will feel there is still a set of decisions being made."

This is not a "we should be talking about..." post. It really makes no difference whether we talk about it or not and it's a serious bummer.

[kayakjohnny]

1. Well put.

And I would add that 'political' is just one type of will that this nation lacks right now.

Thanks for this.