It's The War Y'all

"Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Tuesday that the fragile economy is being confronted by "numerous difficulties" including persistent strains in financial markets, rising joblessness and housing problems — despite the Fed's aggressive interest rate reductions and other fortifying steps over the past year."--From AP, July 15, 2008

Yes, GM announced today it is slashing deeply to 'keep alive.' There's a run on banks in California, and perhaps as many as 150 more banks collapsing in the next 12 months. The federal government is bailing out Freddie Mac-Fannie Mae. The Euro is trading better than the dollar. Gas prices continue to rise, and inflation is tied with the record set 27 years ago. People are losing homes, and the stock market is sliding down about 200 points a day. Bush's appointee Bernanke sites numerous causes, except the real culprit--spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

How long can a country keep throwing money and lives into losing causes? Now we are seeing the folly of spending trillions overseas--the dollars are leaving the country, and we can no longer support ourselves. Admittedly, I studied political economy in England at a progressive school of thought, and learned my analysis there. I do tend to see the bigger picture. What I see is money leaving the US with no tangible result, and no fungible product resulting either.

End the war. We won WWII in 3 and half years, but this travesty goes on over 5 years now. Results? Thousands dead, a pseudo-democracy that will fail when we leave, further destabilization of the Mid East, the rise of Iran, and over burdened Americans. The economy, the quality of life back home, the banks, the markets, all of it--it's all driven or crashed due to war spending. It's the war, it's always been the war. Blame bad loans in the housing market, whatever, but the real problem is war spending.

What is to be done? Elect somebody who will end the war for one. That includes the do nothing Congress as well. By the way, what have they done for us lately? In the last 2 years? I don't like Bush, but I also don't like Pelosi and the Congress, both houses. It's time for major change. Throw the rascals out. End the war. Spend that money at home.