Entry tags:
the USA economy in 2021
The economy isn't just "the invisible hand of the market", where some like to hold their faith. It's the result of many individual choices, yes, but some people and positions make choices with much greater sway than the rest of us. There's no reason their choices will be good for us peons.
Example 1: You've heard about the global supply chain problem, with material stuck in shipping channels worldwide. Did you know that President Biden initiated a fine in November of US$100/day/container stuck in waiting? Lo and behold, the delays started clearing up (free archive). It's almost like somebody enjoyed profiting from scarcities that they implemented. Prices aren't going back down, though, so I guess big business got what they wanted. I'd much rather my government prosecuted crimes, but at least temporarily applicable fines are a tiny improvement to our plutocratic government.
Example 2: A US Federal Reserve Bank is now providing nutrition advice. Yes, you read that right. As commenters to that tweet agree, we're just a step away from plutocrats telling the masses to eat bugs from their back yard because it's a free form of protein. As Edward Snowden commented, it's hard "to imagine a context in which the Federal Reserve talking about calories is not inherently alarming". They know people everywhere are struggling.
Example 3: People self-medicate when they are stressed. We don't know how high the numbers are, but we do know that an astonishing 100,000 Americans died during the last year due to drug overdoses: "The financial, social, mental health, housing, and other difficulties of the covid-19 pandemic are widely blamed for much of the increase."
Example 4: I've mentioned several times over the years that infrastructure cannibalization precedes collapse. It happens because individuals find greater worth in raw resources than in the final products and services of the functioning system. That's how badly the system serves them. I first noticed it with copper cannibalization. These days it's catalytic converter thefts, with Minnesota thefts more numerous than the rest of the USA combined. There's also ransomware directed at hospitals, governments, and industries. Scalpers are still hoarding video cards. A new thing, though, is people stealing GPS equipment from farms. The march of infrastructure cannibalization continues. I figure the last phase of this trend will be frequent kidnappings for ransom. You'll know we're finally at the last straw when that happens in the USA.
Given how long I've noticed these trends, I really can't explain why the USA economic and political system is still standing. By my reckoning, we're long past due for a collapse of the whole thing.
Example 1: You've heard about the global supply chain problem, with material stuck in shipping channels worldwide. Did you know that President Biden initiated a fine in November of US$100/day/container stuck in waiting? Lo and behold, the delays started clearing up (free archive). It's almost like somebody enjoyed profiting from scarcities that they implemented. Prices aren't going back down, though, so I guess big business got what they wanted. I'd much rather my government prosecuted crimes, but at least temporarily applicable fines are a tiny improvement to our plutocratic government.
Example 2: A US Federal Reserve Bank is now providing nutrition advice. Yes, you read that right. As commenters to that tweet agree, we're just a step away from plutocrats telling the masses to eat bugs from their back yard because it's a free form of protein. As Edward Snowden commented, it's hard "to imagine a context in which the Federal Reserve talking about calories is not inherently alarming". They know people everywhere are struggling.
Example 3: People self-medicate when they are stressed. We don't know how high the numbers are, but we do know that an astonishing 100,000 Americans died during the last year due to drug overdoses: "The financial, social, mental health, housing, and other difficulties of the covid-19 pandemic are widely blamed for much of the increase."
Example 4: I've mentioned several times over the years that infrastructure cannibalization precedes collapse. It happens because individuals find greater worth in raw resources than in the final products and services of the functioning system. That's how badly the system serves them. I first noticed it with copper cannibalization. These days it's catalytic converter thefts, with Minnesota thefts more numerous than the rest of the USA combined. There's also ransomware directed at hospitals, governments, and industries. Scalpers are still hoarding video cards. A new thing, though, is people stealing GPS equipment from farms. The march of infrastructure cannibalization continues. I figure the last phase of this trend will be frequent kidnappings for ransom. You'll know we're finally at the last straw when that happens in the USA.
Given how long I've noticed these trends, I really can't explain why the USA economic and political system is still standing. By my reckoning, we're long past due for a collapse of the whole thing.