The Economy, Stupid

I don't know about anybody else, but I for one am sick of hearing how the Dow is up, therefore all is well. The American Middle Class are not an investor nation. We are consumers. The fact that the Dow is up means little to most Middle Class. We don't have millions or even thousands invested. We are in debt up to our eyeballs. Middle Class jobs have been replaced with service based jobs which are not going to pay the bills. The guy who worked at the Ford plant for 20 years, until it closed, now works for Wal-Mart at not even half what he earned before. The same clowns who proudly state the new jobs being created don't bother to tell you of the net income lost between the old Middle Class job and the new Debtor Class job. C'mon people, get real! We tell those whose jobs were lost that they need to be retrained into the jobs of the 21st Century. Oh, really, we need to be trained to work in the Garden Center at Home Depot for just over the minimum wage? Helllloooo! There is nothing wrong with working at Wal-Mart or Home Depot but don't equate that with a well paying job. Oh, I forgot, the Dow is up and all is well. Silly me for saying otherwise.

What Have We Learned in 2006?

The question begging to be asked after the midterm election is; What have we learned? A few things come to mind.

• Most folks appear to be against gay marriage or anything ringing of gay partnerships/unions/whatever.
• The minimum wage needs to be adjusted and if the Feds won't do it the States will.
• Americans want out of Iraq, plain and simple.
• Although the stock market is up and unemployed is down, there is concern about jobs and what kind of jobs (see minimum wage).
• "Get something done!" is loud and clear to both the donkeys and elephants.
• Absolute power breeds abuses absolutely.
• Incompetence will not be tolerated (Katrina, Iraq, Scandals, Iraq, Iraq, Iraq)

If the Democrats can somehow stop fighting each other and the Republicans can stop trying to beat up on the Democrats, there is a chance something can get done. However, I am somewhat pessimistic about the progress being made. The 800 lb elephant in the room; President Bush! If he digs in his heels as he has so often done and is stubborn just to be stubborn then we are all in for it. Time will tell.