The Real State of the Union

"We belong to a generation that watched our future get stolen out from under us.  The American Dream our parents knew has been hijacked by men who are willing to lie, cheat and steal to protect their wealth.  Used to be if you got good grades, you got into the right school, got the right job.  And after 15 years of hard work, you get your name on the door.  But that world is gone."  

The real State of the Union
Image: Cliff 

The above quote was from the opening voice over for the film Paranoia, starring Liam Hemsworth.   While it wasn't the best thriller I've ever watched, due to some plot holes and not enough tension, it speaks to my generation in a way that is unusual in Hollywood.  

The film is about a 27 year old working for a major technology company and trying to take care of his aging baby-boomer father.  He is fired from his position at the technology company, but re-hired as the CEO's spy on its competitor.  For a passing moment, visions of the good life are enjoyed, until the dirty side of of corporate espionage rears its ugly head.    

Just like the above quote, my generation was told a lie: that there was a pathway to success.  The veil was  pulled back in 2008, and all of the corruption in the American financial sector lay exposed. 

The world we thought we would inherit, no longer existed.  Instead, we were handed a pile of debt, 17 trillion and counting, while the Boomer generation lapped in luxury.  That debt, that faulty system, are now ours.

It is time to create anew.  The financial system is in ruins.  The central bank has created wealth out of thin air, and that balloon of helium is about to pop in our face.  The Federal Reserve is trying to bail out the sinking ship by controlling interest rates.  How long can that ship stay afloat?  

If there is any last shot at saving the America, some things need to change: 

• Social programs need to be privatized and not government controlled 
• Americans need to get healthier to avoid high medical costs 
• Consumer debt needs to be paid off
• The dollar needs an overhaul and needs to be backed by physical assets
• The social security system needs an overhaul 
•  Produce our own energy and not be dependent on foreign oil 
•  Build a strong defensive military and stop playing offense 
• Create incentives and tax credits for entrepreneurs and American manufacturing  
• More government accountability and regulation, and less private regulation 
• Simplify the tax code

Beware of little expenses.  A small leak can sink a big ship. -Benjamin Franklin