history is cyclical with occasional downward spirals

except the cycle we're on is headed straight off a cliff



[enjoy THIS ride, not the other ones]

For all of you who still believe:

in better living through technology, and then chucking it in the trash

in lower oil prices brought to you by foreign invasions

in growth through the expansion of credit

happiness is a cheap Chinese-made product

paper money is real money

in allowing pollution as long as it doesn't affect you (as far as you know)

that all the bad guys are the non-English speakers (cuz life is like the movies)

our democracy is better than living in China
etc.

... should all be aware that the amazing growth in rights and median
income which has occurred over the last 150 years is quickly being
reversed, and then we've got a poor economic situation that doesn't
seem to have an end.

Since you're likely unemployed, you can take time to look
objectively at the times we live in as just another
period of history.
We assume that progress is normal, and progress is always
forward and upward.

Now, instead, look at the history of humankind. There have been periods of progress
and periods of WTF times, like WW1 and WW2.
There are Dark Ages, there are periods of mass starvation.
And , we'll see those again.
There were periods in ancient times with a form of democracy.
and Lots of periods without democracy, with lots of slavery
and misery. We will see those times again.

Now, how's that for a History lesson?

checkitout: a man who sees the BIGGER, BADDER picture
Guest Post: This Too Shall Pass. So Will This, This, This, This, And This Too
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 05/18/2011 12:32 -0400
From Simon Black of Sovereign Man
....
Take a moment and conduct a mini thought experiment. Imagine that you're from the future many hundreds of years from now, researching what life was like in the early 21st century. You pull up an archive of newspaper headlines from the year 2011 and read the following:
"US Congress To Vote On Declaration Of World War 3 -- An Endless War With No Borders, No Clear Enemies"
"Blackwater hired by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi to put together a secret force of foreign troops"
"10 killed in US drone attacks in northern Pakistan"
"US Officials Warn Terrorism Threat Remains Post-bin Laden"
"TSA Pat Down of Suspicious Baby Is No Big Deal"
"Treasury taps federal pensions as Uncle Sam hits debt ceiling"
"Fed chief Ben Bernanke says he's not worried about inflation"
"Global Food Prices Hit New All Time High After 8 Consecutive Months Of Gains"
"Over-50s suffer a lifestyle crash: Millions less comfortable than a year ago"
"UK And US Data Shows Stagflation Threat Deepening"
"Greek riot police, protesters clash over austerity " &&&
"IMF: Greece needs more austerity measures"
"IMF Chief no stranger to sexual assault allegations"
"Portugal on brink of bankruptcy"
"Contagion fears high as Italy drawn into crisis"
"Italian PM Berlusconi Faces Prostitution Trial in Italy"
To an observer who is not part of our time, it must all look like a really bad joke, like it just couldn't possibly be true. In the same way, we look back upon history and wonder with skepticism and incredulity how our long-lost ancestors have possibly allowed the Inquisition, the Dark Ages, genocide and slavery to occur.
We fancy ourselves so advanced and enlightened... but my guess is that history will view us in the same way that we see those unfortunate brutes of medieval times: misguided, misled, and totally self-deluded. ....