Even though the U.S. financial system nearly experienced a total meltdown in late 2008, the truth is that most Americans simply have no idea what is happening to the U.S. economy. Most people seem to think that the nasty little recession that we have just been through is almost over and that we will be experiencing another time of economic growth and prosperity very shortly. But this time around that is not the case. The reality is that we are being sucked into an economic black hole from which the U.S. economy will never fully recover.
The problem is debt. Collectively, the U.S. government, the state governments, corporate America and American consumers have accumulated the biggest mountain of debt in the history of the world. Our massive debt binge has financed our tremendous growth and prosperity over the last couple of decades, but now the day of reckoning is here.
And it is going to be painful.
The following are 20 reasons why the U.S. economy is dying and is simply not going to recover....
#1) Do you remember that massive wave of subprime mortgages that defaulted in 2007 and 2008 and caused the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression? Well, the "second wave" of mortgage defaults in on the way and there is simply no way that we are going to be able to avoid it. A huge mountain of mortgages is going to reset starting in 2010, and once those mortgage payments go up there are once again going to be millons of people who simply cannot pay their mortgages. The chart below reveals just how bad the second wave of adjustable rate mortgages is likely to be over the next several years....
#2) The Federal Housing Administration has announced plans to increase the amount of up-front cash paid by new borrowers and to require higher down payments from those with the poorest credit. The Federal Housing Administration currently backs about 30 percent of all new home loans and about 20 percent of all new home refinancing loans. Tighter standards are going to mean that less people will qualify for loans. Less qualifiers means that there will be less buyers for homes. Less buyers means that home prices are going to drop even more.
#3) It is getting really hard to find a job in the United States. A total of 6,130,000 U.S. workers had been unemployed for 27 weeks or more in December 2009. That was the most ever since the U.S. government started keeping track of this statistic in 1948. In fact, it is more than double the 2,612,000 U.S. workers who were unemployed for a similar length of time in December 2008. The reality is that once Americans lose their jobs they are increasingly finding it difficult to find new ones. Just check out the chart below....
#4) In December, there were also 929,000 "discouraged" workers who are not counted as part of the labor force because they have "given up" looking for work. That is the most since the U.S. government first started keeping track of discouraged workers in 1949. Many Americans have simply given up and are now chronically unemployed.
#5) Some areas of the U.S. are already virtually in a state of depression. The mayor of Detroit estimates that the real unemployment rate in his city is now somewhere around 50 percent.
#6) For decades, our leaders in Washington pushed us towards "a global economy" and told us it would be so good for us. But there is a flip side. Now workers in the U.S. must compete with workers all over the world, and our greedy corporations are free to pursue the cheapest labor available anywhere on the globe. Millions of jobs have already been shipped out of the United States, and Princeton University economist Alan S. Blinder estimates that 22% to 29% of all current U.S. jobs will be offshorable within two decades. The days when blue collar workers could live the American Dream are gone and they are not going to come back.
#7) During the 2001 recession, the U.S. economy lost 2% of its jobs and it took four years to get them back. This time around the U.S. economy has lost more than 5% of its jobs and there is no sign that the bleeding of jobs is going to stop any time soon.
#8) All of this unemployment is putting severe stress on state unemployment funds. At this point, 25 state unemployment insurance funds have gone broke and the Department of Labor estimates that 15 more state unemployment funds will likely go broke within two years and will need massive loans from the federal government just to keep going.
#9) 37 million Americans now receive food stamps, and the program is expanding at a pace of about 20,000 people a day. The United States of America is very quickly becoming a socialist welfare state.
#10) The number of Americans who are going broke is staggering. 1.41 million Americans filed for personal bankruptcy in 2009 - a 32 percent increase over 2008.
#11) For decades, the fact that the U.S. dollar was the reserve currency of the world gave the U.S. financial system an unusual degree of stability. But all of that is changing. Foreign countries are increasingly turning away from the dollar to other currencies. For example, Russia’s central bank announced on Wednesday that it had started buying Canadian dollars in a bid to diversify its foreign exchange reserves.
#12) The recent economic downturn has left some localities totally bankrupt. For instance, Jefferson County, Alabama is on the brink of what would be the largest government bankruptcy in the history of the United States - surpassing the 1994 filing by Southern California's Orange County.
#13) The U.S. is facing a pension crisis of unprecedented magnitude. Virtually all pension funds in the United States, both private and public, are massively underfunded. With millions of Baby Boomers getting ready to retire, there is simply no way on earth that all of these obligations can be met. Robert Novy-Marx of the University of Chicago and Joshua D. Rauh of Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management recently calculated the collective unfunded pension liability for all 50 U.S. states for Forbes magazine. So what was the total? 3.2 trillion dollars.
#14) Social Security and Medicare expenses are wildly out of control. Once again, with millions of Baby Boomers now at retirement age there is simply going to be no way to pay all of these retirees what they are owed.
#15) So will the U.S. government come to the rescue? The U.S. has allowed the total federal debt to balloon by 50% since 2006 to $12.3 trillion. The chart below is a bit outdated, but it does show the reckless expansion of U.S. government debt over the past several decades. To get an idea of where we are now, just add at least 3 trillion dollars on to the top of the chart....
#16) So has the U.S. government learned anything from these mistakes? No. In fact, Senate Democrats on Wednesday proposed allowing the federal government to borrow an additional $2 trillion to pay its bills, a record increase that would allow the U.S. national debt to reach approximately $14.3 trillion.
#17) It is going to become even harder for the U.S. government to pay the bills now that tax receipts are falling through the floor. U.S. corporate income tax receipts were down 55% in the year that ended on September 30th, 2009.
#18) So where will the U.S. government get the money? From the Federal Reserve of course. The Federal Reserve bought approximately 80 percent of all U.S. Treasury securities issued in 2009. In other words, the U.S. government is now being financed by a massive Ponzi scheme.
#19) The reckless expansion of the money supply by the U.S. government and the Federal Reserve is going to end up destroying the U.S. dollar and the value of the remaining collective net worth of all Americans. The more dollars there are, the less each individual dollar is worth. In essence, inflation is like a hidden tax on each dollar that you own. When they flood the economy with money, the value of the money you have in your bank accounts goes down. The chart below shows the growth of the U.S. money supply. Pay particular attention to the very end of the chart which shows what has been happening lately. What do you think this is going to do to the value of the U.S. dollar?....
#20) When a nation practices evil, there is no way that it is going to be blessed in the long run. The truth is that we have become a nation that is dripping with corruption and wickedness from the top to the bottom. Unless this fundamentally changes, not even the most perfect economic policies in the world are going to do us any good. In the end, you always reap what you sow. The day of reckoning for the U.S. economy is here and it is not going to be pleasant.
The curse of millions of innocent victims of American imperialistic ways through out the world are slowly casting the darkest cloud all over the States the world has ever seen. Every great empire has come to an end and the judgment day for America is in the horizon.
God causes all things,good and evil,to judge man.there will be NO solution for these events as WAS CLEARLY STATED IN THE BIBLE.deny self and come out of the babylonian,persia/medes/greece,roman catholic money system of self-worship.
Painesright is correct. Government is the problem and the only smart thing for every American to do is vote out every incumbant. Get Independents to run for office, like Ron Paul. Five years ago, I would point out comments Ron Paul expressed and people thought you were crazy. Now, most are starting too see the total corruption problem in politics. Glenn Beck is correct too. We need to go back to the basics and vote out the socialists, they don’t get it and never will.
The book of Zephaniah sums it up accurately:”I will utterly remove all things from off the face of the earth, says the LORD.
I will bring a stumbling block against the wicked; and I will destroy man from the face of the earth, says the LORD.
And those who are turned back from the LORD; and those who have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.
Stand in awe at the presence of the LORD God; for the day of the LORD is at hand; yea, the LORD has prepared sacrifices, he has invited his quests.
And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD’S sacrifice that I will punish the princes and the kings’s children, and all such as are clothed in strange apparel.
In that day I WILL PUNISH ALL THOSE WHO DO VIOLENCE AND WHO DO PLUNDER, WHO FILL THEIR STOREROOMS WITH THINGS ACQUIRED BY MEANS OF EXTORTION AND DECEIT.
THEREFORE THEIR GOODS SHALL BECOME A BOOTY AND THEIR HOUSES A DESOLATION; THEY SHALL ALSO BUILD HOUSES, BUT NOT INHABIT THEM; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.
The great day of the LORD is near, it is very near, and hastens fast; even the voice of the day of the Lord; yea, it is bitter, harsh, and severe.
That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of confusion and desolation, a day of darkness, and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
A day of the trumpet and shouting AGAINST THE FENCED CITIES AND AGAINST THE HIGH TOWERS.
And I will bring distress upon MEN, that they SHALL WALK LIKE BLIND MEN, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SINNED AGAINST THE LORD; and their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.
NEITHER THEIR SILVER NOR THEIR GOLD SHALL BE ABLE TO DELIVER THEM in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall be consumed in the fire of his indignation; for he shalL make a speedy destruction against all the inhabitants of the earth.” (Zep.1:2-3,6-913-18)
His name is Yeshua, sent from Heaven to be crucified. Those who should have loved, turned and walked away…those who didn’t have eternal life.
His name is Yeshua, GOD’S Salvation Grace. Righteous Holiness, His name implies. For a sin-filled world, he lived,bled and died,raised and ascended to our Father’s Throne.
His name is Yeshua. YAHWEH’S Spirit Son; Wants the world to know that Love is blind. Renews hearts and minds…for His Kingdom come. Let His will be done forever more.
His name is Yeshua. Majestic Gloriness. Coming soon to judge the earth. Live to see the Son and His Gospel be done…the reading of GOD’S Word is the only way. Trust and Obey the Holy Spirit way. You’ll find your life transformed and changed as you walk His way.
His name is Yeshua. He’s soon to come as King. The parting of the clouds will be His sign. Look up to the sky and hear the trumpet cry. Always be prepared to be caught up on High.
As Christians who believe that Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for our sins, we have a hope through all of the hardship that once absent from this earth we will be present with our Heavenly Father. This gift is for free and for anyone who will accept it. It’s your choice, life or death. I chose life!
Phyllis and the rest of you idiotic holy rollers. WE are our own MASTERS. We make our life and the world around us.
If there was a God don’t you think he/she would have intervened someplace during the past few thousand years??
NJ guy
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Phyllis and the rest of you idiotic holy rollers. WE are our own MASTERS. We make our life and the world around us.
If there was a God don’t you think he/she would have intervened someplace during the past few thousand years??
(God intervenes everyday and constantly. You have only to have the faith to see it. You are right, we are our own masters with free choice. That free choice was provided by God. The basis of your argument is that we should live in a eutopia for the precense of God to be proven. In your euopia nothing negative would occur. You cannot have a eutopia and free choice because evil is a reality that is proven. The fact that humans have the choice of evil uspets the balance, not God)
You are ignoring the easy answer.
If you simply tax the wealth – not the income – but the WEALTH of the wealth holders inthe US you can quickly pay down the public debt and balance the budget.
If you ALSO decrease working hours while increasing minimum wage you instantly create mor ejobs that pay more which immediately pumps money into consumers hands that spend it and pay off their debt. This expand sthe economy and causes a huge boom.
This is EXACTLy what they did inthe 1930’s which got us out of the depression by 1933. by 1938 the us economy was equal to the overheated debt based economy of the 1929’s however by 1938 it was based on REAL economic activity becuase of highly paid now rich consumers spending their money.
It worked then and will work again.
their just aren’t enough starving people inthe streets yet to demand real chang einstead of the the fake change fronted by Obama who is really a republican (yes he is – look at what he has proposed and done -it’s exactly bush’s plan)
vivzizi
To all the Christians…. get that crap out of here. Wake up, there isn’t a God, a 5th grade science book confirms that. Get educated. Stop being ignorant to science and fact.
Vivzizi… that isn’t what brought us out of the first depression, it was ww2 and all the jobs it created, and all the money generated.
Get educated before posting, thank you.
jacob h -
Your comment is an exaggeration. It is amazing that anyone could think a simple 5th grade science book proves God does not exists. If that is so, then why do people such as Steven Hawking, Einstein, Newton, Dr. Francis Collins, Antony Flew, and many other respected scientists agree that there must be something else, a “superior mind” as they refer to it that created our universe. Whether they believe that mind is the God of the Bible or not is moot. The point is, they are some of the smartest men to ever live, and yet they know there must be something more than just the physical universe we see. I concur with them. Stop listening to Dawkins and other obviously bitter atheists. Dawkins puts his own foot in his mouth many times:
* The account of the origin of life that I shall give is necessarily speculative; by definition, nobody was around to see what happened. – The Selfish Gene (1989) p.14
* Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose. – The Blind Watchmaker (1996)
* It is almost as if the human brain were specifically designed to misunderstand Darwinism, and to find it hard to believe. – The Blind Watchmaker (1996) p.316
* As an academic scientist I am a passionate Darwinian, believing that natural selection is, if not the only driving force in evolution, certainly the only known force capable of producing the illusion of purpose which so strikes all who contemplate nature. – The Devil’s Chaplain (2003) p.10
* Darwinian natural selection can produce an uncanny illusion of design. An engineer would be hard put to decide whether a bird or a plane was the more aerodynamically elegant. So powerful is the illusion of design, it took humanity until the mid-19th century to realise that it is an illusion. – NewScientist (September 17 2005) p.33
Yes, the universe was designed. It is no illusion, as Dawkins likes to try to cover it up. Design and purpose are all around us. The Kalam cosmological argument helps us understand that a “superior mind” was needed for our universe to exist. That which has a beginning must have a first cause. The universe had a beginning, therefore it had a first cause. That first cause must transcend time and space – our universe, by definition. This first cause is therefore God.
The universe is not eternal, science has proven that. Matter and energy came from somewhere. Matter and energy cannot come from absolute nothingness – no time, no space, no energy, no quantum particles, true pure nothingness. Therefore, our universe came from a being – a “superior mind” as Einstein called it. If Francis Collins (Human Genome Project), Stephen Hawking, Newton, Boyle, Planck (Planck’s constant), and Einstein believe(d) in a “superior mind”, then why do you have such a hard time believing it?
At the very least, your comment seems to indicate that these great scientists are all a bunch of idiots, or that they never read a 5th grade science book. Do you see how silly that sounds?
Man…
You guys have to look a little closer at things.
Our leaders are educated people. Most have law degrees, I would bet NONE are HS drop outs or that any of them made it to Washington with just a GED.
So my question was why then have they advanced such destructive policies? We know they are not really stupid people. There can be a case made that its nothing more than short sighted greed.
Heres a quote by Bill Clinton:
“When we got organized as a country and we wrote a fairly radical Constitution with a radical Bill of Rights, giving a radical amount of individual freedom to Americans… And so a lot of people say there’s too much personal freedom. When personal freedom’s being abused, you have to move to limit it. That’s what we did in the announcement I made last weekend on the public housing projects, about how we’re going to have weapon sweeps and more things like that to try to make people safer in their communities.” Said President Bill Clinton on MTV on March 3, 1994.
This is a very telling quote.
It shows the total lack of respect he really had for our form of Constitutional government. He describes our Constitution and freedoms as radical. Note how many times he uses the word radical.
“And so a lot of people say there’s too much personal freedom.”
Who is saying theres too much personal freedom? Who? You know anybody?
Our leaders, thats who. Clintons view is shared by many of our leaders. The Dems and Republicans may fight over flag burning issues and gay marriage, but when it comes to destroying our system, they work together. Seamless transition from Democratic Presidents to Republican presidents, on all the big issues. Issues like Nafta, trading with China, curbing our freedoms.
I charge that the phony prosperity and balanced budget during the Clinton years was nothing more than a trap. The illusion of prosperity lulled most Americans into believing in economic security, and as a result, they went out and bought big ticket items, and overpaid drastically for housing. They went deep into debt, and now they are enslaved to that debt.
We are being brought to our knees. And in time, after our suffering worsens, we will beg government for a solution.
And government will provide that solution, and its not one we are going to like.
They want to change our form of government.
Thats what this is all about. There will be no recovery.
Washington is simply not addressing the issues that got us into this mess in the first place. So I must conclude, Washington isn’t really trying to fix this mess.
Democrats are not going to save you, Republicans are not going to save you.
My best guess is to vote them ALL out. And term limits on all elected officials and appointees as well. Get rid of the lifers, including all non elected government workers. Flush them all out, and put control of the government back in the hands of the American people, and out of the hands of special interest and the global elite.
I gotta say this too.
Its a critical mistake to think that turning congress over to the republicans this fall is going to fix anything. It never did before.
Under “conservative” president Bush, we had a huge expansion of the size of the federal government. We had massive deficits, and massive borrowing. We were handed the freedom shredding USA Patroit Act.
Whether they call themselves left or right, conservative or liberal, doesn’t matter.
I cannot justify rewarding the Republican party after 8 long years of Bush mismanagement and bad policies. BOTH parties have to go.
Vote Republican, and you might as well be voting for Obama. The Dems and Reps, are nothing more than the left and right arms of the same Frankenstien monster.
Oh they fight over health care, but who’s balancing the budget? Who’s creating conditions to make it favorable for companies to pull manufacturing out of China and bring it back here? Who is expressing an interest in restoring our lost rights?
Neither party.
Push for biodiesel from sewage wastewater effluent, every city & town has a treatment plant, Phoenix, AZ, has 10-million gallons/day that carries 83-million pounds of nutrients the algae have to eat before tomorrow, at the end the water is purified and recycled.
Line the Mississippi River and all its tributaries with biomass harvesters and squeeze that for the fuel for power plants and other large-scale energy uses.
Use thermal-mass in homes to reduce the energy needed to keep them comfortable, the pit house is thousands of years old and about 1,000 times more efficient in conserving energy than a modern home, put bricks in a sunlit window and they heat the room at night, this can be engineered and when it is like some adobe homes, the house can even stay cool in summer; all that power is now off the grid, what’s left?
These will spur a revolution, both economic and social, screw the system, it’s oppressive at the least and destroys the planet for sure.
For integrated solar-direct & solar-thermal architecture, and using biomass processing for home waste my houses supply the residents with their biodiesel from a miniaturized system, no money for this stuff but it’s possible: http://www.mallar-design.com
Like Matt, I too believe that the government is moving toward less personal freedom. Shake-downs at airports are a subtle reminder to all that ‘at the end of the day, we the government control you’.
Yes, Obama and company are making many moves that do nothing to change the core problems of the economy; and yes GWB is largely responsible for the current financial mess.
Congress that spent hundreds of man hours drafting high-res televisions rules while banks frittered away depositors funds, is the biggest fraud of all.
Vote them all out of office.
Seems that the uber-corporations are loving this because they get all kinds of spineless, cheap labor. People are afraid to say anything to their bosses for fear of being fired and replaced by one of the thousands scratching at the door to take their job. That and they can do cut-and-runs: joining a company then leaving with a nice severance package.
Part of the issue, I think, is that the average worker isn’t trying to flex their muscle to make the companies bend to their will. It’s the people at the bottom of the mega-corporations who actually do the work, and if they start making demands as a whole, companies will be forced to start paying them better because any replacement they bring in will have the same attitude. Unfortunately so many of us give undeserved and unlimited homage to people at the top of the food chain that don’t know what they’re doing.
The future is bleak. But remember: “If my people, who are dcalled by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”–2 Chrinicles 7:14.
As we organize our peaceful revolution for next fall, don’t forget to pray.
Jesus will be here in just a few more days and I along with all the other sinful souls who have humbled ourseleves before him and asked to be forgiven will be whisked away.
Sadly for the vast majority of the inhabitants of planet earth seven years of tribulation which culminates in the entire world at war against Israel followed by an eternity in hell is all they have to look forward to.
As you are reading this post there is a great and ongoing conspiracy world-wide both to destroy our present economic structure so that it can be replaced with a new system altogether and simultaneously strip citizens of the globe of their most basic human rights.
All of this will be accomplished just in time for the seven most sorrowful and terrifying years the world has and will ever know. All the while- the workers of such a grand and global conspiracy have no clue whatsoever that they are pawns of Satan himself, in their mind they are the masters, working tirelessly to secure their wealth:
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” -I Timothy 6.10
The Federal Government controls your healthcare now, the US Senate is working to outlaw home gardens and our economy is truthfully dead at this very moment (To be fair we can say that it is on life support).
All of this is preparing the way for The Anti-Christ… The man preachers have been warning about for two thousand years now- he’s undoubtedly here and walking upon the face of the globe today and immediately following the ‘ultimate tragedy’ of every child on the planet as well as every believer worldwide vanishing into thin air, not to mention the economic catastrophe that will follow the stunned powers of the world will be more than ready to surrender their sovereignty over to this spawn of Satan.
“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” -Revelation 13.16-18
God will judge the wickedness of this world so harshly that men will resort to suicide as a means of escape, yet even that will fail them:
“And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.” -Revelation 9.6
The Bible tell us that the Anti-Christ who was once celebrated so greatly will begin to lose his popularity as disease, depression and pain ravish the planet. He then will go forth conquering “with the sword” and will lead a million man army from the east towards the helpless nation of Israel.
In a perfectly climatic manner, just as the nation of Israel will be on the verge of total annihilation Jesus Christ himself will appear from heaven. Instantly all the inhabitants of planet earth will see him for who he truly is- the conquering Lamb of God… but by then it will be too late:
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” -Revelation 19.11-21
I know that by now I must sound to you like some sort of religious nut job and I suppose to some degree you may be right- The Bible does call Christians peculiar:
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;” -I Peter 2.9
However, I feel deep in my soul a true longing to share this message with everyone I possibly can before it’s too late.
For those of you who are holding onto the attitude, “Well I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing and if what he says ends up coming true then I’ll get right.” BEWARE: God will be your enemy during the tribulation (I’m not at all saying this as the wicked and false “church” Westboro Baptist says it, I’m simply stating to you what the Bible says in a loving manner)- God will send the inhabitants of planet earth a strong delusion so that they will believe a lie rather than the truth… And when God is sending you a delusion there is no way at all you’re going to get out of it.
“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:” -II Thess. 2.11
So what am I getting at by this incredibly long post?
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” -Ecc. 12.3
“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” -Romans 10.8-13
Sometime in 2010 US is going to be hit by a Cat 5 economic depression of Biblical proportions. This is going to come as a surprise and shock to all Americans rich and poor. Remember Katrina..that will sound like a walk in the park. Because this is going to be the real deal!
All macroeconomic indicators are buzzing now with warning signals, warning of an impending crash..but the captain is still oblivious and following his voodoo economics like all American economists and presidents have been doing in the past. Good luck America!
By the end of 2010 Zombie Americans will be walking around dazed in the streets of big cities not knowing what has hit them or changed their lifestyles forever.
I really liked , in my opinion the true scenario pictured by matt ” we have been brought to our knees …after time suffering worsens … beg for Gov. solution …they want to change our form of Gov. …there will be no recovery…and I think besides these things our vote will be nullified by the electronic voting .No , this is a curse from on high for our sins ! and nothing can save you but living the faith and obedient lifestyle to gods laws of love and mercy . Anyway you can’t say you weren’t warned by hollywood ! movies like running man with state controlled slander of anyone who speaks the truth about the way things really are and their game-show mass media hysteria does this mean that arnold is really ok? wow! or a shortage of trebidium a basic need for human survival and the willingness of the leaders allow to die a hole group of people under the guise of a shortage and resultant rebellion ( marshall law and the brought it on them selves) cause they wouldn’t behave . and the list goes on soylent green ,andromeda strain,1984 ,Farenheit 451, Logans run , red dawn, the day after , cuba ! an what a thought , a bunch of cubies in america under russian , possible nato command ! Talk about God humbling pride . well!” thats all i got to say about that”
God (or, if you are a non-believer, no God) has nothing to do with our economic predicament. This was caused by greedy people. The description in the original article is 100% on target.
It is the nature of the system we live in, and the notion of “free trade” that has got us into this predicament.
The only way out is abandonment of free trade, ultimate collapse of the multinational corporations (actually very likely, and I will be cheering from the sidelines), self-help groups and organizations in our towns and cities to prevent mass impoverishment (which for some would actually mean starvation). Some are predicting 25% unemployment. I would put the figure more like 50%.
It will mean rebuilding local agriculture and, eventually, local small manufacturing again, using the used materials and hulks of the defunct multinationals, and using an alternative to the current money supply controlled by the bankers, wealthy investors, and multinational corporations who caused this mess in the first place.
If there were a way to tax the wealth of the wealthiest, then that might be a possibility, but they also control the government and the military, so that is unlikely to happen. In any case their wealth is mostly paper-based, having no meaning in a self-helping society that is free of the bondage of the current monetary system.
Jonathan Campbell
Health Consultant
Lifetime Activist and Advocate
For Social Justice
‘God vs.Science’
The problem science has with religion.
‘Let me explain the problem science has with religion.’
The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.
‘You’re a Christian, aren’t you, son?’
‘Yes sir,’ the student says.
‘So you believe in God?’
‘Absolutely. ‘
‘Is God good?’
‘Sure! God’s good.’
‘Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?’
‘Yes’
‘Are you good or evil?’
‘The Bible says I’m evil.’
The professor grins knowingly. ‘Aha! The Bible! He considers for a moment. ‘Here’s one for you. Let’s say there’s a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?’
‘Yes sir, I would.
‘So you’re good…!’
‘I wouldn’t say that.’
‘But why not say that? You’d help a sick and maimed person if you could.
Most of us would if we could. But God doesn’t.’
The student does not answer, so the professor continues. ‘He doesn’t, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Can you answer that one?’
The student remains silent. ‘No, you can’t, can you?’ the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. ‘Let’s start again, young fella. Is God good?’
‘Er..yes,’ the student says.
‘Is Satan good?’
The student doesn’t hesitate on this one. ‘No.
‘Then where does Satan come from?’
The student falters. ‘From God’
‘That’s right. God made Satan, didn’t he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?’
‘Yes, sir..’
‘Evil’s everywhere, isn’t it? And God did make everything, correct?’
‘Yes’
‘So who created evil?’ The professor continued, ‘If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.’
Again, the student has no answer. ‘Is there sickness? Immorality?
Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?’
The student squirms on his feet. ‘Yes.’
‘So who created them?’
The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. ‘Who created them?’ There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. ‘Tell me,’ he continues onto another student. ‘Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?’
The student’s voice betrays him and cracks. ‘Yes, professor, I do.’
The old man stops pacing. ‘Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?’
‘No sir. I’ve never seen Him.’
‘Then tell us if you’ve ever heard your Jesus?’
‘No, sir, I have not..’
‘Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus?
Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?’
‘No, sir, I’m afraid I haven’t.’
‘Yet you still believe in him?’
‘Yes’
‘According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn’t exist… What do you say to that, son?’
‘Nothing,’ the student replies.. ‘I only have my faith.’
‘Yes, faith,’ the professor repeats. ‘And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.’
The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. ‘Professor, is there such thing as heat? ‘
‘ Yes.
‘And is there such a thing as cold?’
‘Yes, son, there’s cold too.’
‘No sir, there isn’t.’
The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly become s very quiet. The student begins to explain. ‘You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don’t have anything called ‘cold’. We can hit down to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat.
You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.’
Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.
‘What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?’
‘Yes,’ the professor replies without hesitation.. ‘What is night if it isn’t darkness?’
‘You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it’s called darkness, isn’t it? That’s the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn’t. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?’
The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. ‘So what point are you making, young man?’
‘Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.’
The professor’s face cannot hide his surprise this time. ‘Flawed? Can you explain how?’
‘You are working on the premise of duality,’ the student explains..
‘You argue that there is life and then there’s death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can’t even explain a thought.’
‘It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.
Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.’ ‘Now tell me, professor.. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?’
‘If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.’
‘Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?’
The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed
‘Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?
The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided. ‘To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.’ The student looks around the room. ‘Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor’s brain?’ The class breaks out into laughter. ‘Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor’s brain, felt the professor’s brain, touched or smelt the professor’s brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.’ ‘So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?’
Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. ‘I Guess you’ll have to take them on faith.’
‘Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,’ the student continues. ‘Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?’
Now uncertain, the professor responds, ‘Of course, there is. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man’s inhumanity to man. It is in The multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world.
These manifestations are nothing else but evil.’
To this the student replied, ‘Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God’s love present in his heart.
It’s like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.
The professor sat down.
PS: the student was Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein wrote a book titled God vs. Science in 1921…
To hell with the American Dream…I lived in Vegas during the boom days in 2005 and 2006 at the height of the hosuing and employment boom. It was easy to make “Easy Money” back then. I made some money too. Alot of people advised me to invest in real estate and at least have your own home. Those were really rosy words to the ear. But I resisted the temptation and stayed away. I remained liquid. And after 2006 everything went to hell. Housing will never recover in Vegas…and now with the Gulf oil spill, Florida housing and real estate is drop dead. So everything is collapsing pretty much around you. So I never bought a house and now never will. As long as I’m in the good old USA say goodbye to the American Dream.
Jonathan Campbell: Social justice? That’s bull****. Try survival of the fittest. And FREEDOM, which we will NOT have with this “social justice” bull****.
American conducted by corrupt and evils corporate. They gain benefit for hundreds years. The American citizen will earn the darkness, but those corrupt corporate can establish their new empire else wehere.
What Joseph Phillips posted about Einstein’s supposed debate with an atheist professor is an urban legend. See http://www.snopes.com/religion/einstein.asp for more info.
@Snopes
The importance of that debate is recognizing that there’s no such thing as debt, only the abscence of money… -:)
Matthew: Your comment is an exaggeration. It is amazing that anyone could think a simple 5th grade science book proves God does not exists. If that is so, then why do people such as Steven Hawking, Einstein, Newton, Dr. Francis Collins, Antony Flew, and many other respected scientists agree that there must be something else, a “superior mind” as they refer to it that created our universe.
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Hey Matthew…A letter in which Albert Einstein dismissed the idea of God as the product of human weakness and the Bible as “pretty childish” sold at auction for $404,000. Einstein rejected organized faith but often spoke of a spiritual force at work in the universe. EXACTLY how I feel.
Degrees in law, business administration, accounting or women’s studies are not evidence of educations. The only real educations are our sciences. The reason our economies are collapsing and the fabric of social cohesion unravelling is because no-one bothered to collect and objectively analyze data in compliance with the Scientific Method. The problems of our economy are easily understood in terms of basic mathematics and science. It’s just that no-one bothered to do it. This kind of laziness and malignant narcissism has resulted in our present circumstances. Also, many of the problems with our economy and lack of analysis can be traced to feminism and women in the work place, voting and owning property. Big mistake when all the resources of the State are redirected from basic necessisties for survival to filling the bottomless well of a woman’s emotions – better known as solipsism. There is no solution to our problems. I agree that what turned us around after the Great Depression was World War II and not any government policies. I believe that our current circumstances are God’s wrath and God will forgive those who are contrite and ask for His forgiveness. I hope this is true.
America is a country in decline due to social, political and economic corruption. Corruption in itself denotes a rejection of morality and the concept of morality is based on faith and religion. It is exactly the viewpoints of the atheists; i.e., truth is only how one perceives it, that has wrecked the nation. Congrats on your exceptional accomplishment.
Print some more money and protect the electric grid from the predicted electromagnetic pulse. (EMPs have already melted transformers in two other countries.)
To Jacob H and the rest of the Atheists:
A fifth grade science book confirms there is no God? I don’t know what fifth grade science book you’re reading. The ones that promote that embarrasing, unprovable evolution theory because certain people are so blinded and arrogant to see that there really is a God? It is not a faith verses science issue. Genuine faith and genuine science are not at odds with one another because the author is the same. There is more scientific evidence to support creatism than evolution. REAL science and faith are not contradictory. The phony fake science that atheists promote because they are scared to admit there is a God is a lie.