Many of the economic forces that have damaged the national and international economy and skewed it away from working people began as far back as the mid-1970s. We can blame administrations for their actual fiscal policy, which has some real consumption and wealth distribution effects in the short run, but the larger trends flow from congressional legislation and executive trade policy. But the trade effects take a while to kick in, whether it's foreign direct investment, preferential treatment on international earnings, etc. The things you can blame on Bush are squandering the surplus with two costly (one of which was a blatant manipulation of the public) wars and allowing (along with Congress), increased financial deregulation (which Clinton arguably started with his Wall Street-heavy economic team). Much of the current economic crisis has its roots in these long-term structural changes, but some of it is just plain old greed and near criminality in the private sector.
orejon4, I wish more people understood this.
In the 80's when Reagan took office, things weren't so great but they were on the up swing. You could come out of high school, get a job, work hard and build a nice life for yourself and your family. Often you could work in the factory and make more money than your teachers back in high school. You could send your kids to a public school and know they would get a great education. Gas was cheap.
About that time conservatism started to take hold. It was heralded as the solution to all of the ills that liberalism's "Great Society" had either caused or failed to address. History shows us conservatism could not deliver on it's promises. And, at the very least, made things worse.
Fast forward to today and even if you have a college diploma, it's still a struggle to live the American dream. My parents worked as care givers in mental facilities. These were not positions that required special training. They worked a typical 40 hour work week. Yet, they were able to raise a child, purchase two homes in safe neighborhoods, three good running vehicles (a new car every five years), and take yearly vacations. Plus, they had really great health insurance. A young couple today, fresh out of high-school (hell, my mother never made it past the 8th grade) could not do what my parent's did.
Our school system is a joke. Our students are steadily falling behind other countries. Charter schools, as a whole, are no better than the public schools they've replaced. And, they don't have to take disabled or mentally challenged kids.
Where I live gas is $4.37/gallon for regular unleaded. Where are our alternatives?
If conservatism was so great, why have things gotten this bad? Notice, I said "conservatism" not Republican. Because Dems have basically embraced a lot of conservative principles. It's more about ideology than party affiliation. In all due actuality, Obama is further right than Clinton. And Clinton was pretty centrist. Neither are, or were, classically liberal.
There is something I learned about in school called, "Occam's Razor." Which basically means the answer with the easiest explanation is correct. So, I apply that to what I've seen happen to this country since conservative ideals began to really take a hold, the only conclusion I can come to is conservatism doesn't work for the average working man. One need only look at the state of our country for evidence.
I think the Bible teaches us to know a tree by the fruit it bares. After 30 years of conservatism, financial planners are telling people owning a home may not be such a great goal. In my opinion, that's some bitter tasting fruit.
