HOW'S YOUR DIET?

SPECIAL POST

There must be 1,000 surveys out there with the same question: “Do you believe you are better off this year than at the same time last year?”

You have a tendency to answer that question in economic terms only, but I think it encompasses more than just that. The question might better be several questions: “How do you feel about the following aspects of your life this year compared to the same time last year?”

• Economy
• Jobs
• National Security
• Congress
• The Future

In just those issues, we’ve been declining in confidence since about 2007, maybe even 2006. However, there are those out there in the audience who are saying they things are going to get better in 2012. Here’s my take:

While the stock market has been going up, I think the overall economy will stay the same or get worse in 2011.

The jobs situation is going to get decidedly worse in 2011, with unemployment reaching as high as 15% when state and local governments are forced to lay off in order to balance budgets and pay for federally imposed unfunded mandates. 

National Security is very scary. Remember that we have a President who wanted to prosecute CIA agents over GITMO, who had his back pushed to the wall before he agreed to surge in Afghanistan and who bows to foreign leaders in subservience as opposed to standing tall and erect in a position of power. We have North Korea to deal with, as well as Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Mexico and terrorism and it does not seem to me that we have leadership capable of handling all of these details.

Congress? Here’s a bright spot, I think, especially considering how the lame duck session is ending with the renewal of the tax cuts, the downright defeat of a pork-laden Omnibus spending bill, and the solid failure of the “Dream Act.” We haven’t gotten rid of all of the ugly crap in Washington, but I feel a breath of fresh air and the possibility that our message is finally getting through. Who knows, in 2012 we just might finally take our country back.

As for the future, I think it is overall going to get worse before it gets better, but I do think it will get better. Truly, the future is in our hands; it’s up to us. If we can continue to stay aware of what is going on in our country and to overtly speak our minds, we have a fighting chance of turning back the tide of government arrogance and elitism that has come so close to destroying our country. It’s like your weight; you can go weeks and months without being vigilant about what you eat but, when it comes time to trim off the fat, it’s difficult as all get out.

We have to stay vigilant.