Comments on: How to Escape the Black Hole Called the U.S. Economy

By: mike

mike — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:18:55 +0000

....after all....mobility is the lynch pin of freedom.....

By: mike

mike — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:04:18 +0000

...we need smaller lighter faster cheap cars.....all engines work on the principle of expansion....gas ignited...explodes in a confined cylinder etc etc .....or steam engines....water heated to a gaseous state...again the expansion principle...you could probably even run a car on vinegar and baking powder..for heaven's sake.....

By: Pete Letheby

Pete Letheby — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:27:36 +0000

Contrary to Dayahka's claim, evidence abounds all over supporting much of Kunstler's writing. Take off your freakin' blinders! Kunstler comes off as annoying to some because he's so in-your-face and he's so far ahead of people who comment on his writing and 98 percent of the rest of America. The agribusiness thing is a no-brainer. (Ethanol is a good example of everything that's wrong with America.) The public transport thinking has the backing of anyone who knows anything about community infrastructure, environmental degradation and CROWDING! One of the biggest problems with America is its incredible aversion to change, how it can minimize and rationalize anything it deems as "negative" or "naysaying" (which is just about every constructive proposal). Well, try minimalizing this: America's middle class hasn't been retracting this much since the 19th century, and there no signs of ending the retraction anytime soon. American economist's infatuation with ridiculous numbers glosses over some of the country's budding and alarming social problems with health care, the environment, education, whatever. It boggles the mind how status-quo adherents keep on their merry way, espousing more building, more construction, more cars, more SUVs, more coal power plants, more tax cuts and, of course, more subsidies for any of the above! Indeed a correction will occur -- whether we foresee it or not, whether we acknowledge it or not.

By: Pier Johnson

Pier Johnson — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:19:51 +0000

James Howard Kunstler comes across as a car-hating urbanist.

When folks get truthful price signals because their money is real instad of Fedback paper fiat funny money, folks can decide well.

At least Kunstler gets some of it -- a massive Progressive Utopian scientist/lobbyist Technocracy does not work and never will.

It's time to say good-bye to H.G. Wells dreamers and schemers.

By: Coffee Addict

Coffee Addict — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 06:03:18 +0000

I had to look up the meaning of Potemkin façade. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potemkin_village

The Potemkin fake village story to me sounds like the basis for the Puss ‘n’ Boots fable (although I stand to be corrected here).

Puss used the same deceptive scheme to win fame and fortune for his dim witted master and afford luxurious comfort for himself. Can Bill Bernanke use the same deception to deliver a good outcome for his master and himself? Bill is not nearly as smart as Puss as he tries to keep things together until the US election votes are cast.

In any case nobody in any of the any of these modern or ancient fables gives a real toss for the villagers.

By: Alfred

Alfred — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 01:01:27 +0000

Spot on Mr. Kunstler. America is ready for correction, re-pricing, and everything else that will give us the severe reality adjustment that we need. Back to fundamentals and building a real society and civilization.

By: Dayahka

Dayahka — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 23:35:21 +0000

Kunstler is a good writer, but he's just one of thousands of "seers" predicting disasters based less on factual evidence than on some kind of idee fixee. Kunstler is thus more like the Old Testament prophets heaping fire and brimstone on a sinful population than a scientist and futurist. The more evidence there is that things are not going the way he "predicts," the more he rants and insists he's right. There is no conceivable evidence that could refute his ideas. So, it's like listening to some John Bircher or fundamentalist talking about the "rapture"--an interesting spectacle, but that's it.

By: novosonic

novosonic — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:52:37 +0000

james, a 'rolling stone' writer never used drugs ?

james drop some lsd and get over yourself....

it's not that you haven't got splendid ideas. but where's da' money ?

anyway as to the mother of all credit bubbles: not once, not thrice, not even thrice...

imagine, the plunge is just about to begin. america has gone bust. you know 'broken'.

fractional reserve banking has given way to unltd. credit expansion... it's not just the printing presses can't keep up covering bush der feurheur's compulsive gambling insanity.

but der fed's are creating credit numbers out of an imaginary future.

amerika has run out of time...
tick tick tick tick tick tick

buy buy buy sell sell sell
sell sell sell buy buy buy

but with what ?

the silver lining with an escape proof gold clause is:

WELCOME TO THE NEW AGE.