Tweet

Downgrade Should Shock Nobody

Guest post by: Michael Hume

Article Overview: By now you know that Standard & Poor's downgraded America's federal debt, attaching a negative outlook to the rating that promises more such downgrades in the future (barring stark changes in the current government's economic direction). For the first time in the history of such ratings, America is no longer considered a safe bet....

Downgrade Should Shock Nobody

It's Only The Long-Predicted Beginning By now you know that Standard & Poor's downgraded America's federal debt, attaching a negative outlook to the rating that promises more such downgrades in the future (barring stark changes in the current government's economic direction). For the first time in the history of such ratings, America is no longer considered a safe bet.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner won't be fired, and he won't step down. He says the Obama administration had absolutely nothing to do with the downgrade. Meanwhile, the president continues to make speeches (between vacations) that make clear his administration's intention to double-down on the tax-and-spend "radical transformation" toward socialism (and American decline) he set in motion when he was inaugurated. So no one should be surprised by the downgrade, especially since S&P warned weeks ago in great detail that, absent a significant reduction in government spending (far beyond what came from the recent Washington "debt deal"), this downgrade would be inevitable.

Yesterday, the stock market was tanking, and the president decided to give a mid-session speech to "help." The speech helped, all right, if you're a "bear" - the market doubled-down its sell-off in response to the president's speech about doubling-down on collective statism.

Bad news: this is not going to get better until all the collectivists are voted out of office. By then, they will have done enough damage to take at least another generation to fix. Standard & Poor's already says it will take nine to eighteen years for America to regain its top credit rating, if it ever does. And that's amazing, given all that the nation's AAA rating endured in the 94 years since ratings began. Two world wars. Natural disasters from the Dust Bowl to Hurricane Katrina. The Great Depression, and every other recession since 1917. Korea. Vietnam. The Gulf War. Afghanistan and Iraq. Nixon's scandal and Clinton's impeachment. FDR's "New Deal" and Johnson's "Great Society." Every one of those events shook confidence in America, but each pales in comparison to Obama's reign of statist terror. Though it's only the beginning of the economic collapse that's been in play for more than two years, it's already being interchangeaby called "Obamageddon" and "Barackalypse Now."

Liberals, Keynesians, and Democrats of every ilk: if this historic calamity doesn't convince you of Obama's hidden agenda of socialist destruction, what would? Hillary Clinton would've pushed us closer to statism, but would have been an exponentially better president overall, if for no other reason than that if she were president, this downgrade would never have happened. And may I remind you of this: you would disagree with me that such big-government programs as FDR's and Johnson's were bad for the country, or for the economy... you'd say Reagan's "trickle down" approach and Cold-War victory through defense spending were the real economic culprits of our lifetimes... but America's triple-A rating "survived" those, too.

If you aren't ready for the coming all-out collapse, and for hard times that will make the "Great Depression" of the 1930s seem like a stroll down Easy Street, do what you can to get ready now. Start a business. Get a real financial education, and learn how the global conspiracy against wealth is ruining the world economy. And strengthen your health, your relationships, and your values.

You can lament the ruination of America's greatest strength - her free-market, liberty-driven economy. You can be disappointed that your children will not have what they might have had. You can cry about the fact that you, if you're old enough to read this, will not live to see the stock market hit a new all-time high.

But you can't claim to be surprised by any of this. Not anymore.

Related Articles
  How to make a viral video to market your business
  Inquiries to Grow Your Abundance Muscles
  Sacramento Financial Advisor Keith Springer Quoted In Bloomberg Businessweek
  How big is the 2011 oil price shock?
  Dealing With Change
  How To Field Others’ Pitches
  The Curse of A Lottery Mindset
  Life can be good after getting laid off
  ATrue Business Story: Excuses by Robin J Elliott
  This Week’s True Business Story: Excuses
  New Managers - How Coaching Can Help
  The best way to reduce your chances of facing a personal grievance when you dismiss an employee
  17 Tips For Email Subject Lines That Grab Attention
  Job Loss: If You’re Fired What’s Next?
  Overcome Mental Blocks
  Lesson #5: “Get yourself a comfortable living, then do a little something to change the world”
  Franchisee/Franchisor Relationship Requires Mutual Trust, Respect
  Impossible Achievements
  Developers Make Moves to Round Out Their Business Models
  There are so many opportunities how can one choose?

Article Tags: entrepreneurship, inspirational leadership, personal responsibility, wealth building



Related Forum Posts
And A Slicker Response Ability - Small companies, especially entrepreneurs, can be much more flexible than large ones. Though personally I tended to rewrite rules when I was corporate, it was often frowned on (I still did it!). In fact large organizations with their 'jobsworth' mentality, cannot beat a smaller business who can, sometimes, drop everything to respond. So you must be alert to every opportunity you get; recognize in the moment when you can do it much differently. Shock and surprise them positively and you will deeply build your relationship. And don't forget that in your blue-chip organization people move on, so an investment with whoever you meet with may provide more opportunities in the future - the investment can pay even bigger dividends down the track. HTH
Erica Ehm profile, Ladies Who Launch - Meet Erica Ehm Interview Meet Erica Ehm in Toronto at Ladies Who Launch LIVE on September 29. Erica Ehm rocks. And she does it with the lights on. At least, she used to. One of Canada's most recognized media personalities, Erica was barely in her 20s when she became the first female video jockey on Canada's MuchMusic cable TV station. Erica went on to launch a multi-media career that has included television, radio, film, theater, journalism, songwriting, and music publishing. The birth of her son, Joshua, however, changed her pace and direction on a dime. As a new mother, she found herself confused, afraid, isolated and depressed, and she wasn't alone. Yummy Mummy Club was launched to create an online community for women with "kids, guilt and no time for themselves." Cheeky and playful, it speaks to "finding the impossible balance between the single sexpot she used to be, the woman she's become, the professional she works hard to be, the wife she aspires to be and the mother she has to be." What I learned from Erica: the key to success is to dream. "To make your dream come true, you first have to have a dream." And,"You have to be very specific as to what you're trying to achieve. Go at it, day in and day out. Meet people. Network. Use others' expertise to your mutual benefit. Find the 'frenemies' around you. And, be prepared for more work than you ever thought possible." Birth of a Video Jockey "I always wanted to be in music and acting. They were my passion, and, as a VJ, I could combine the two. "When I was 16, I worked at a local radio station. My next jobs were at larger radio and TV stations. They saw that I was passionate and driven. I was able to make a demo tape and I basically thrust my talent on MuchMusic. "I also ran the school yearbook, wrote a student newspaper column and did my college yearbook. A pattern emerged that I didn't notice. It was that I've always been a spokesperson for my generation." School of Hard Knocks "I went to the school of hard knocks. I learned on the job. I had no formal training, script or director and I was on the air live for four hours every day. I survived and flourished." Fearless Good Girl "I learned to be fearless in front of an audience and camera. "I was creating my own persona and messaging from the time I was in my early 20s on live national TV. This forced me to examine my priorities and what kind of message I wanted to send. "I positioned myself as a good girl, an inspiration and a role model, as opposed to the party animal rock and roller. I used the platform to spread inspiration to young people and women. No one ever wrote a script for me. It all came from my heart." Ups and Downs of Celebrity "I was somewhat of an introvert and initially not comfortable with people. I just wanted to interview rock stars and understand their creative abilities. I didn't think about and wasn't prepared for celebrity. "It did allow me the opportunity to get my message out. I learned how to use the media for my own ways and how to navigate an interview." Shock of Motherhood "I was totally unprepared for the psychological, emotional and physical changes when I had my son, Josh. I did all the research, but it hit me over the head like a hammer. I was in a fog and totally depressed and terrified." Dirty Little Secrets "I wondered if anyone else was having such a terrible time. Out at parks and places, I started to talk to other mothers and tell them my experiences. "They'd say, 'Me, too.' I realized it was a dirty little secret that no one is sharing because they're too ashamed that they're not the perfect mother. "I thought, there has to be some way to talk to moms and tell them they're not alone, that we're all going through same thing and it's OK." Yummy Mummy Club "I wanted to create a place on the internet to share and celebrate our lives as mothers. The idea was to stop talking to moms like they're just moms. "We are women first. Part of the discussion will be about motherhood, but we are also lovers, girlfriends, athletes and so much more. A mother is not just a caretaker of children. So many of us forget that when we have a child and start to lose our identity. Definition of a Yummy Mummy "It means different things to different people. She's an inspired multi-tasking mom who feels good about herself and takes good care of herself. She's a great role model for her friends, kids and family." Hooked up With a Delicious Daddy "A Delicious Daddy is a father who is connected to his family on a domestic level. He doesn't just go to work, come home and say, 'Honey, where's supper?' He's connected on an emotional and physical level. Imperfect: The New Perfect "Moms need to lose the guilt and fear. It's all a state of mind. It's important to keep the idea of 'happy mummy, happy family' in perspective. Sometimes a mom has to take care of herself and put her needs first. Refreshed and inspired, she'll be able to be there for her kids in a better way." Prepare For Chaos "For all the talk about balance, really there is no balance. As soon as you have it, something goes out of whack. Be prepared for chaos." Turning Point "My business model has been based on my own intuition. I built my website by hand myself on intuition. Its message and feel reflected my strong vision. I was a one-woman operation until recently. "Now I've hit a plateau. I'm still doing most of the hands-on, but now someone does the site for me. I hired a mom-preneur of Craigslist. I've hired a firm to handle the invoicing and I have virtual assistants. My sister in law is the 'prize queen' and she contacts our contest winners. "I love the transition. I'm very careful about who I'm asking to join my team. Everyone has exceeded my expectations. The secret is, hire moms. They know how to multi-task, they take great pride in their work and they know about self-employment. Moms are the best untapped market." Yummy Future "YummyFriends is my new social networking site for women and moms to meet and support each other. It's a place to share sexy secrets, fave books and cool questions. "My biggest initiative to date is a user-generated contest to find Canada's Yummiest Mummy. It's a 12-week contest beginning over Labor Day. Thousands of videos will be uploaded and there will be prizes for winners, voters, and people who forward news of the contest. It's a huge undertaking with a cheeky, playful vibe." Yummy Last Words 'The only way you'll succeed is to put work and time in. It can't be all about money because then you'll start compromising left, right and center. You have to be consistent about your dream. Have the attitude, 'If you build it, they will come.' "Starting out in the spotlight so young, I learned that the key to success is to be fearless. Don't be afraid to ask, to take chances and to risk being turned down. Roll with the punches and get back up."


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Rumor Has It

Emotional Intelligence in Business

Getting The Media Attention You Deserve

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.