Gen X to the Rescue!–Part I
The Baby Boomer generation has enabled our current socioeconomic, geopolitical, and geophysical problems. The Gen X’ers will have to lead us back to peace and order. Here are some thoughts…
I sometimes get lucky and am able to see some of Richard Russell’s analysis of the markets. The esteemed Mr. Russell has been writing The Dow Theory Letter since 1958, and his publication is valued by thousands of readers all over the world. He is highly respected by experts and novices alike. He suffered some TIA’s (transient ischemic attacks, or mini-strokes) a while back, and, being in his 80’s now, he is cutting back on his work load. He brought his son Ryan on board not long after the stroke events, and Ryan helps publish his Letters.
I enjoy reading Russells because of the market savvy, and I also like his stories, reminiscences, and life lessons learned from his experiences aboard WWII bombers, manning a machine gun position. His generation bore some heavy loads, and shouldered them well, before the Baby Boomer gush of abundance and indulgence set in during the post WWII good times, into which I was born. Those who came through the Great Depression years were resilient, self reliant, and could make do with less. This generation cultured valuable skill sets.
The Russell printed on May 5, 2009 started off with some prognostications and some sound advice from the seasoned and wizened elder:
“My opinion is that the economy is not fated to turn up towards the end of 2009 as is widely predicted, nor will it turn up in 2010. I believe we are entering into the ‘land of unintended consequences.’ We are now watching a deadly battle between deflation — and over-creation of fiat money, meaning future inflation or even hyper-inflation. Making the picture even more confusing, there are increasing doubts about the viability of the US dollar and whether it can keep its reserve status.
What to do? I’ve done a lot of thinking on this question, and my conclusion is as follows — hold a fairly large quantity of physical gold (coins), hold cash, hang on to your house, and you might even buy a bargain-priced foreclosed home if you wish — but above all, cut back on unneeded expenses (cut back on coffee, vacations, movies, fast food, and other non-essentials). Cash is for deflation if it continues, gold is insurance against future inflation, a bargain-priced foreclosed home is good value and it’s also a tangible asset.”
I would take Mr. Russell’s commentary many steps further, and advise converting a significant portion of your now currently liquid assets into the hard durable goods which will allow you to weather the coming social and economic storms. My tracking of this wounded animal through the forests of the past 7 years tells me that the window is closing on our ability to access liquid money, and have the financial freedom to acquire what we will need to have a life. Invest in preparedness, now. As they say, it is better to be a year early than a second late. In this case, I would reduce “a year” to months.
As I see it, the Baby Boomer Generation has done a pretty horrible job at the stewardship of all things Gaia. We had one good leader, JFK, who, despite his extraordinary physical ailments and sexual addictions, was an individual with the best vision, ability, and leadership dynamic of any president in my lifetime. He was intelligent, articulate, had a sense of humor, and could speed read about 5 major newspapers every morning. Then he would write most of his own speeches and formulate his own policy, largely independent of outside controlling interets.
He was assisted by his attoney general brother Bobby, who was a “strong man,” tough on the mafia and others, and garnered JFK some enemies. JFK was removed from power for a variety of intriguing reasons, all of which are a severe indictment of the unprincipled greed and misuse of power by the various groups who wanted him to be eliminated. This subject deserves a blog so that the reader can be informed as to who is really running our government.
After JFK, the presidential office devolved into a pulpit of American Imperialism (Carter was more self aware, and later redeemed himself by working for the upliftment of humanity, and was honored with a Nobel Peace Prize), an office controlled by the power brokers who go by an assortment of familiar names: names of Councils, Groups, etc. Generally these groups are interested in a continuation of the status quo, force.
Examples are: the petro oligarchy (think Rockefeller, et al), the military industrial complex (think military contractors, et al), the banking industry (think the Fed, Wall Street, and other havens of financial corruption), the media (including Hollywood, largely a mafia of its own, but there are notable exceptions who are attempting to deliver some Truth) and yes, the religions (particularly the Catholic, Mormon, and Jesuit “faiths” who have aggresively assisted in the cover up of the presence of Extraterrestrial Intelligence).
These individuals and groups exist to control mass consciousness and keep us in perpetual servitude. Let’s not overlook the IRS, an unconstitutional taxation arm of the Federal Reserve System. Pick up the book, The Creature from Jekyl Island by G. Edward Griffin. This books explains the history, and individuals involved, who formulated the Fed in 1910 on the resort island off of the coast of Georgia. If books aren’t for you, pick up Aaron Russo’s documentary video, “America: From Freedom to Fascism.”
I have often wondered about the ability of the Gen X’ers to pick up the banner and carry the fight through to more peaceful and harmonious future times. I know something about Gen X’ers, in so much as our 4 children were born in this period, roughly ascribed to the time period of 1965-1986. This cultural generation came out of the Viet Nam War period, and their political experiences were influenced by the end of the Cold war, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the dubious presidencies of Reagan and Bush I, who went far to solidify firmer presidential power via a litany of Presidential Directives which enabled the disablement of individual rights and freedoms as are founded in our Constitution. Bush II was a criminal worsening of the devolvement.
Gen X’ers saw the inception of the home computer, the rise of the video game phenomenon, the use of the Internet for social and commercial purposes, the advent of the Dot.com businesses, MTV, Grunge music, the Hip hop culture, and AIDS, to mention a few. These last few statements will forever and more deeply endear me in the hearts of our children, even more than I am already endeared, I am proud to announce, for they now can understand that my knowledge extends deep into their social psyche, and was not merely wrapped up in surviving surgical workaholism.
Nonetheless, this cultural generation was the first generation that I label as being “too electronically distracted to be properly grounded in their bodies.” Fortunately, our children were indulged with athleticism, growing up in nature, arts, and creativity. And yes, they were creative, often rendering some exciting moments for anyone in their immediate vicinity. Gen X people will need to hold and evolve this immense creativity and strength.
Coming back to tracking the wounded social and economic animal, I would like to post the May 6, 2009 Dow Theory Letter commentary of Ryan Russell, who is a 31 year old Gen X’er. My reading of his commentary this morning was a real first for me; in that it is the first writing I have seen emerge from the wellhead of Gen X that lets me know that a number of Gen X’ers really do understand how deep this doo-doo heap is in which our collective feet are firmly and currently inextricably stuck.
This doo-doo heap has been developing since we turned power over to the bankers (1913, the creation of the Federal Reserve, unconstitutional and oxymoronic) and the military industrial complex (the post WWII military industrial complex), a real Frankenstein, that got up off the lab table a long time ago, and is imperialistically roaming all over the world.
Great Britain suffered from the same kind of imperialistic disease back in the 1800’s, and went bankrupt in the late 1800’s while attempting to maintain its military such that the sun might always shine on the Union Jack. In 1910 the English banking system, a disease which started in 1640, metastasized across the Atlantic Ocean to reformulate itself via creation of the US Federal Reserve System. You can read all about it.
Father Russell, the Elder, takes a day of rest, and hands the torch of wisdom to his youthful son, and young Ryan is carrying it well. The reader is invited to view the words of a Gen X’er who peers into a not so mysterious, but yet complex crystal ball, wording his insights convincingly, eloquently, and informatively, for all members of all generations. Let’s have a look:
“Many subscribers have written me, asking what someone my age (I’m 31) thinks about the whole financial picture and for perspective on where my generation thinks our country is going. I hope I can aptly communicate some thoughts and some worries I have about my generation and my country.
We generation Xers, as my father likes to say, ‘have never seen hard times.’ The baby boomers saw recessions, civil rights revolution, and Vietnam horrors, but all of us under 60 years of age were raised under the impression that America was the guiding light of the free world, that the American way is THE way and don’t even bother questioning that. We’ve preached it and have force-fed it to other countries. But many people my age here and around the world have questioned this growth-at-all-costs model, and a new consensus is starting to emerge. Our lives have been good, very good, but you know when something seems too good to be true? Many of us started to wonder why we have military bases all over the place, why we need factory farms full of medicated animals to feed ourselves? Either for economic or survivalist reasons, what was once a challenge has been overcome, and the way we do things has grown more important to us. Now, however, America’s survival will supersede America’s image of itself.
For instance, as little as a hundred years ago, nature was regarded as a hostile force that threatened our daily lives, it was wild and indomitable and infinite. It needed to be tamed. A forest was a dangerous place full of wild animals and fierce Indians that wanted your scalp and your woman. John Steinbeck wrote about fishing in the Sea of Cortez in 1940; the popular opinion at that time was that the ocean was so vast and abundant that nothing we could do could possibly diminish it. We now know that humans are changing the ocean and the atmosphere. This is a crucial turning point when we have to question whether what we do is sustainable for future generations. We cannot keep avoiding or deriding the question. The two most pressing issues right now are the economy and the environment.
Governments are very near-sighted. Governments want to stay in office, they pander for a living. However, people don’t change much, and my contemporaries are as divided as any other generation when it comes to bailouts, healthcare, or the environment– all for the usual selfish reasons. It’s obvious that our standard of living is going to change for the worse, but is how we are living sustainable? What is the real cost of something that is ‘cheap’?
The China dilemma is the most ironic outgrowth of the capitalistic system. The Chinese production of inexpensive goods, along with their tradition of saving money, has transferred our wealth into their banks. The US trade deficit is a China surplus, and the age of the dragon will soon be upon us. Ask any American to name three Chinese actors, or which city in China they want to live. I’m guessing you would draw blank stares. It is unfathomable to them that our culture will be challenged. American consumption has transferred our power and wealth to a foreign country with appalling environmental controls and very cheap labor. Tree-huggers are pissed-off at America’s environmental practices? Wait until they get a load of China. A friend of mine has been doing work on the Yellow River for the last four years, trying to do impact reports and evaluations of industrial pollutants. Let’s put it this way, consumption of cheap goods is well on its way to killing the planet.
The American government is trying frantically to save our skin, to sustain our influence, and what they obviously fear is our obsolescence. There is an ideological clash between letting the free markets and capitalism run their course, and maintaining American hegemony. The government and the Federal Reserve’s recent actions are a desperate attempt to ’save’ our financial system and to maintain American prosperity, but many of us suspect it will have the unintended consequence that may be sinking us further into chaos. You see, we’ve all had it so good that we are stupidly avoiding the pain, we’re taking a pill. We’re swerving to avoid hitting an animal on the road and driving the bus off a cliff.
The complacence of the public and of my generation is only fueling this financial inferno. I’m worried about our creative spirit. I’m worried about our work ethic. I’m worried about our souls. Not in a religious way but in a moral way; where is our concern for the common good of Americans? What is the state of our communities? I worry that most people my age are turned off when I start talking about anything “serious”. While Americans sit at home and watch gossip shows and rap videos, our way of life is being slowly eroded. Look at the lifestyle portrayed on TV– sex, money and consumption. Americans have ceased being productive as they fantasize about consuming more and more. This is not a recipe for success. The guys sitting in the bar in Chicago talking about how America “kicks ass” don’t realize yet that other countries are actually pimping us. ’Why is that bastard Obama apologizing to these countries?’ Well, because they own us. The world isn’t going to work for our leisure much longer. We (and the government) have long forgotten the Constitution, and have forsaken much of what our forefathers worked so hard to build. It’s not that we aren’t working hard, it’s that we’re not working smart.
Government policy and lawmakers in conjunction with big business have created a monstrosity, and it’ll work a bit longer. If the government can continue to convince the public to ‘go shopping’ and re-inflate the credit bubble our creditors will play along and play nice with their eyes on the horizon. If the facade of our prosperity can continue to encourage our massive consumption, the US government will think they’ve won — at least this administration. In spite of the government’s actions, many people my age have told me they’d rather ‘take the hit’ than see our future and savings printed away by the Fed. But the day of reckoning is coming when the dollar and the environment start to hemorrhage.”
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OK, there you have it- wisdom from an insightful Gen X’er-a look into a kaleidoscopic crystal ball which has many moving reflective facets for the reader to discern. One can only hope that Gen X rises to salvage our social structure from the ashes of future difficulty coming soon to a community near you. And may Gen Y and subsequent generations join in the resurrection. May the Baby Boomers find redemption in some kind of self accountability, and lend a hand to the recovery as well. One can only hope, and do.
I would like to extend my gratitude and apologies to Richard and Ryan Russell for taking liberties with their Dow Theory Letter material. If I am discovered and asked to take it down under litigious threat, I shall profusely apologize and inquire as to whether they felt in any way complimented by my editorial on their editorial, and might they permit the Journal posting to stand.
Coming up, I post a Mother’s Day Message, and then I offer an uninvited response to the quandary of another Gen X’er, as posted by Gwyneth Paltrow on her www.GOOP.com site, “Why does it feel so good to hear something bad about people you don’t like?” The cure to this common human malady, the evil tongue, is to be found in compassion, and loving kindness, the origins of which practice should be seeded in good mothering.
The evil tongue solution doesn’t really require a big philosophy. However, to evolve the solution into one’s working consciousness requires a lifetime of practicing non-judgment and forgiveness. How do we get to that? We have to Pull the Weeds in the Garden of Self Love. Mothers need to learn some good gardening for themselves, and then teach their sons and daughters how to pass this on to future generations.
Over here in the San Luis Valley, I have been blessed with a number of friends who are Gen X’ers. One of them is Calvin. He drives big trucks, can lift very heavy objects effortlessly, pulls a 70# compound bow with ease, has bow shot several “Robin Hoods” (arrow piercing shaft of previous arrow, a rare feat, and a desired trophy of any archer), has a large quiet heart quality, and sometimes appears to be immersed in deep thought and reflection.
From time to time, I bring up the subject of Self Love, just to check in with Calvin’s internal barometer. His reply is disarming, humorously deflecting my inquiry about how it feels in his inner world. He just says his mantra, ”Love, peace, and chicken grease!”
The “grease” word in the mantra refers to how one greases one’s psychic skids. More on that later.
Signing off from Crestone and Beyond.
Love