The financial situation of our country (along with the rest of the world) is in quite a mess. This government-generated mess has been in the making for a long, long time. It should not have come as much of a surprise to anyone. Unfortunately, I think this mess will get bigger before it gets better. There is no easy way out of it. The recent government bailout was NOT part of the solution. In the long run, it will just make the problem bigger.
America has become too much of a socialist/welfare nation. In his book America’s Financial Reckoning Day, Charles H. Coppes writes, “The growth of our modern Welfare State has been a bi-partisan effort built up over the years through a policy of heavy taxation, debt restructuring, and redistribution of wealth. In 1962, Socialist Party candidate Norman Thomas described the two party system in America as follows, ‘The difference between Democrats and Republicans is: Democrats have accepted some ideas of socialism cheerfully, while Republicans have accepted them reluctantly.’ While it is true that the Democratic Party has traditionally embraced the ideas of Karl Marx with more enthusiasm than the Republican Party – there is very little difference today.”
Folks, much of what is going on is completely out of our control. We can’t do much about it. Therefore, we should concentrate our time and effort on the things we do have some control over. Worrying and fretting over the things we have no control over is a complete waste of time and energy. It is like riding a rocking horse. It will give you something to do, but it will get you nowhere.
Get Involved. I urge you to get involved in the politics of this country. Our current government has the mentality of a five-year-old kid running rampant in a candy store with a credit card. We, the American citizenship, have been somewhat responsible for creating this problem. In the past, we have expected more from our government than we should have. We need to understand that the government does NOT have any money of it’s own. The only real money it has is the money it takes from its taxpayers. We must not expect our government to do things that we are not willing to pay for. The only way we can change the way our government operates is to become more involved – and to support candidates who believe in the American Constitution and who know how to fix the problems we have. Unfortunately, candidates of this caliber are few and far between.
Be Prepared. It is much better to be prepared for a catastrophe that never happens than to be unprepared for a catastrophe that does happen. I’m just suggesting you do what you can do – and then go on with business as usual. It is no different than getting prepared for a blizzard or a hurricane.
The best book that I know of that talks about getting prepared for a financial crisis is Howard Ruff’s How to Prosper in the Coming Bad Years in the 21st Century. Howard will help you understand how we got to where we are. He will then discuss what he sees for the future and how to get prepared. You can buy this book for $11.20 through Amazon.com. Buy it, read it… and pass it on.
Look for Opportunities. No matter how bad things seem, there are always opportunities to be found. I try to spend at least two or three hours every week looking for new opportunities. To do so, I try to think like a contrarian. The most common definition of a contrarian is one who attempts to profit by investing in a manner that differs from conventional wisdom. For example, when everyone else is complaining about higher fuel costs, we need to consider ways that we can take advantage of this situation. Nearly every cloud has a silver lining. Finding the silver linings can be very fun and profitable.
Following the crowd or status quo is probably the last thing we should be doing. Unfortunately, NOT following the crowd is extremely difficult for most people. It is much easier to break away from the herd if we know we’re not alone. We need to encourage and support one another as we endeavor to replace old, outdated paradigms. So what… if the status quo criticizes and pokes fun at us?
Folks, mess or no mess, I still get excited when I think about the future! For the most part, the future is what we make it. Peter Drucker once said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” That is an awesome concept. If you would have understood and believed this concept five years ago, where would you be today?
