Economic Downturn - Good?

Yes, Tom. Fencing. ;-)
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I can't help but wonder is this recession isn't such a bad thing. Think about it....

During The Great Depression, granted things were a lot worse, but people had to ration and scrimp and make sacrifices to make ends meet. Enter WWII. Again, more rationing and living within their means, making sacrifices. After the war our country saw a HUGE explosion of businesses, inventions, and ideas.

The country was in unity.

And things got done. Progress was made.

But it didn't come easy. Nearly everyone had to give up something in order to contribute to the overall success of our country. We quickly became the most prosperous country in the world thanks to a lot of hard work.

Are we that bad now? Not even close. But with so many huge corporations folding because of lousy planning and infrastructure, this could very well pave the way for "the little guy" to step up and fill in the gaps and rebuild the economy from the ground up.

And look at where we are now. Gasoline sales are down, first because of gas being $4/gallon, then because of slower economic times. People are walking more, driving less, saving a little extra money. People had to buy cheaper, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Holiday sales were down everywhere. People were unsure about their next paycheck. People found other ways to celebrates the holidays that didn't involve searching for the perfect gift.

We, as a nation, are capable of solving this and coming out for the better. That's just who we are. That is what this country was founded on; ideas, visions, and dreams.

Maybe I'm just the eternal optomist.