In this economy …
In case you haven’t noticed, the economy is bad. In recession. Like what happens to men when they jump into cold water. Or so I’m told. It is especially bad in places like Michigan. Michigan is having trouble because it produces only two things, cars, and mosquitoes. And only the mosquitoes are impressive. (In fact, President Obama was able to sell Michigan to Canada for $37 at the White House garage sale last Saturday. Suckers. They totally paid too much.*) Just kidding, Michigan.
So like I was saying, the economy is in really bad shape. For example, the price of a six pack of my favorite beer has gone from $7 to $9. I want to know what Obama is going to do about that, dammit! When this terrible, terrible thing occurred, I began to pay attention and started learning about economics and stuff. I even read some stuff in Wikipedia. I would like to share what I have learned with you.
First, the main reason the economy is really bad, and not just a little bad, is you! Yes, that’s right, you: the average American. Our economy isn’t doing well unless it is growing, and it doesn’t grow unless the vast majority of you spend an ever-increasing amount of money. But what did you do, when you heard a little bit of bad news about real estate, and the credit market, and the stock market? You stopped spending and started putting your money in savings accounts. Selfish jerks. We’re not going to get out of this mess until you go out there and beg your credit card companies to let you have some more money and then buy eight or nine big screen TVs and a couple Cadillacs. Got it? Also, it would help if the population grew faster, so either have some more kids or quit bitching about illegal immigrants.
The second thing I learned is that economic hard times aren’t always bad. When money gets tight and times get tough, people go back to basics. They spend more time with family. They play board games. They drink more cheap beer. Most importantly, they draw upon strengths and abilities they had forgotten they had, in order to make it through. Many people are growing vegetables in their gardens. Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian are both working on new sex tapes.
I’m finding ways to get through, too. I tried making my own beer last month, ’cause I’m not paying no $9 for a six pack. Unfortunately, it tastes bad enough that college frat boys won’t drink it. And they’ll drink Old English out of a mossy toilet bowl. So now I’m working on a sex tape …
* Ha ha, I can say that cause I was born there.
May 14th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
As far as I’m concerned, the last twenty years or so have been economically bad, it’s just that because our toys have gotten cheaper nobody noticed (or, it was easier to be lied to about it). Everything that matters except food (until lately), went way up; housing, education, health care, utilities, all the stuff we couldnt live without. But because the cost of a VCR dropped and because McDonald’s got a dollar menu, the “inflation” rate stayed “low”. Combine that with a fabulous stock market (like that does most people any good), and they’ve managed to convince us that things have been great up until this last year. I’d disagree.
May 18th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Good point.
May 19th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Actually, the craft beer industry has done well so far. When people want to splurge, it’s one way of doing so without breaking the bank. Hence the reason I will NOT stop purchasing Stone’s Ruination IPA. *drool*
May 19th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Yummy point.