Likewise the cure for high commodity prices is increased production, not simply conservation. While I believe that we should try to conserve energy, we must increase production as well. Simply conserving energy will NOT meet our future needs. While alternative energy sources may work eventually to reduce our demands for fossil fuels, nuclear power is the only form of alternative energy that is both safe and efficient enough to be practical. Unfortunately the same people who are screaming for alternative fuels are also demanding that we NOT use the one form that will work. This is the same mentality that lead to our government mandating air quality standards that caused power plants to convert from cheap efficient coal to more expensive oil in the early 70s. While the technology exists to burn coal efficiently, it was cheaper to convert to oil than install the scrubbers necessary to meet the air standards. A decision that has cost US power customers BILLIONS of dollars over the last 30 years. Coal is still plentiful and cheap. Oil is still plentiful if we allow the oil companies to drill for it. While the ecofreaks stop our companies from drilling for oil, countries, who are not necessarily our friends, are drilling for oil in our back yards. Countries using 50 year old technology with little or no regard for the environment.

The issue with that is that the governement has changed the methods used to measure economic prosperity, like using GDP vs. GNP, etc. It bends the numbers sometime to look better than they are.

I’d like to add though that thoughout our history there have been very high high’s and very low lows and we have persevered as a nation and prevailed in spite of it.

What does bother me though is Hillary for president. That would quite possibly be the worst thing for the U.S. Certainly for the military as I believe her statements with regards to Petraeus bear her out. She is not C.I.C. material.

GBood points all- let us not forget the fact that business in America are taxed more here than in any other country. This is a big reason why they go off shore.

It used to be traditionally that the economy was cyclic, but when it was good, it was robust. But this recovery is built on a foundation of sand. Energy prices are a wild card that alone could put us into recession. The continuing Federal defecit, competing for money in markets with businesses. And the way they get more money into the market money is to raise Treasury note rates (even as we seek to lower them to help the mortgage difficulties) is another fundamental problem. The fact that foreigners own huge amounts of our debt, like the Chicoms, just doesn’t feel very good either.

I’m an amateur economist at best, so what do I know? Maybe it’s all just peachy. But it sure doesn’t make me feel very secure.

In all likelihood I agree with you regarding the economy collapsing, however we are walking on thin ice as it is now. There is more than one area (such as the shinking of the dollar- we are almosy on equal ground with the Canadian dollar and gas prices beginning to surge which could spark a recession)to be concerned about.

I think Hillary is betting on it though- if it does she will be the next President.

Matter of fact- I think she’s counting on it. She wants to be the new “new deal” FDR.

I hope during the next election the Republican candidate takes those words from HilLiary and shove it up her you know what…

Damned Democrites. They have their own, very active Culture of Corruption. The difference is somehow they are not held accountable for it.

The best quote I heard the other day was “Republicans take out their trash. The Democrats ignore or protect it”. And that, our middle-of-the-roaders, is one of the fundamental differences between the two parties.