The Cost of Living & The Dollar Devaluation

Are your children doomed to a lower standard of living than you have enjoyed? Many would think so. Let’s go over the facts, the dollar is having its value crushed by the ever growing debt of out nation, cities and counties are going bankrupt and even states are beginning to renege on the promises of the last 30 years. Take a look at what is happening in Wisconsin as an example. Furthermore, we have nearly completed the outsourcing of the jobs that actually created products to the third world nations of the world. This first started with the advent of NAFTA, (The North American Free Trade Agreement), that was designed to help improve the lives of our friends to the south and has moved to the Asian continent, (China, etc), as our appetite for cheaper goods has grown to new heights.

Let’s ignore the facts for a moment and look at our recent history and the improvements in our standard of living. It was in the early 1900s and 90% of the nation didn’t have access to electricity. So with an effort only the Federal government can put forth, we began to electrify the nation. Before you knew it was the 1970s and 98% of the nation now had access to reliable grid provided power. This lead to the advent of electrified home appliances, reliable lighting, and innumerable other changes in the face of America. Things throughout the nation improved.

Then there was World War II and the changes if wrought in America’s view of how things should be done. Millions of young and not so young men came home from years of war having seen things that only the elite had seen before such as the Eiffel Tower, London and even the rubble of Berlin. One of these men, a General who later became President, saw how effective the Nazi military was able to move from point to point using the new fangled autobahn, (freeways) and was determined to do the same for America. During his administration he was able to push through legislation that soon gave America its first national highway that was later dubbed the Eisenhower Interstate and Defense Highway system. The same system we now use to move freight and goods from one end of the nation to the other in a matter of days, instead of the weeks it used to take by train or even boat. Things again improved and we now had access to goods that in the past we too expensive or just impossible to get.

During this time, America produced and produced, requiring an ever-increasing skilled labor pool. Unions that had been around for what seemed to be forever were able to negotiate higher and higher wages. New products were developed such as the microwave oven, video games, and with the deregulation of the phone company, cell phone technology. Furthermore, with the kick in the pants by the Old Soviet Union, we even reached the moon but no further. The military complex gave us the Internet and NASA gave us uncountable improvements to our health and well being that it seemed that they were always up to something new each and every week.

Then the 90s came around, and things began to slow down. Yes, we have new developments all the time, but they are only incremental improvements on what already exists. No longer do we produce and produce, but rather we consume and consume. We are becoming fatter and slower and no longer strive for greatness. We have even gutted out glorious space program and instead use it to monitor the weather on this planet and not the others we once did. Our jobs are no longer able to provide an ever-increasing better life and standard of living, but simply help us survive. We live off of handouts from our government, (1/3 of all families life off of the government entirely), and we constantly demand more. Our lives are filled with the reality shows that are pumped out of our ever improving televisions instead of tinkering in our garages to build the newest invention such as the Apple Computer was decades ago. We have even passed laws to prevent the next Microsoft Corporation from forming in order to spread the wealth and feed the demands of those who are unwilling to produce.

So the answer to my question is simple. Yes, your children and their children and their children’s children are doomed to the ever-lowering standards that we have set for ourselves. In time, those who wish that we all be the same, shall have what they wish, we will all be poor and dependant upon our government for the basic necessities in life.

Enjoy!