The great depression has been documented by many as being the downturn economic activity which initiated close to 1929 with the signals of industrial production falling, consumer panic, black Tuesday stock market crash, agriculture output being severely hit and also the primary industries being hit badly.
There was chaos all around and the picture of an overall collapse of the economic system which resulted in a very traumatic period of life during the great depression. The average American had to resort to a standard of life during the great depression which only a few years of age would have been ridiculed as being for the losers of the century and beggars. However as it happened and it was dismissed initially even by the political machinery as being only a small incident; it sank deeper and deeper and it became to be known as the great depression. None of the economic instruments could save it from happening as people got laid off from work daily by the big company executives who had no tool left in their hands except this to save the already failing companies.
The common people in America were subjected to conditions of life during the great depression which involved moving out to the shanty towns outside the town as it was not possible to stay any longer in the mortgage intensive city houses. These were nicknamed as Hooverlies as being a taunt on President Hoover and the failure of his economic policy. It was a condition of complete poverty and psychological depression for men who were affected more than women in this. The general population reported aggravated symptoms of psychiatric disorders, emotional problems, medical issues escalated and the country was sitting on the brink of a complete chaos and disorder. Some sorrowful episodes of suicides were also reported. The grim picture of life during the great depression began to emerge in newspaper photo shots which showed people lining up for limited sleeping slots of the night outside churches and any social support system they could find. Some churches were even forced to put up huge signs which indicated that there was no room for more for a night and people were turned away.
The desperation of people got so much heightened that one could regularly see college educated fine gentlemen who were not shaven properly but wearing best suits trying to get any and all jobs that they could land in order to eke out a meager existence and make by for life during the great depression had become an example of unbelonging to any system which could provide safety, security and food for the people. Life during the great depression was little tougher for the African Americans as their jobs of hard labor were taken from them and given over to the whites which led to further resentment citing racial prejudice as well as pushing them back by many years of progress. Many of the authors of that period have written books on this subject which try to explain the life during the great depression and it is the subject of many an economic discussion till date but the it is only the people who lived during those years and endured the darkest hour in America’s economic history who truly know what was life during the great depression.
It is clear that the world has taken on new meaning for almost everyone living in it. I remember that there was a time that we would wake up and look forward to going to work. It was exciting to watch ourselves going out there to make new business contacts and customers. In today's twenty first century world, the times have changed. Most people that I know wake up depressed and feel like their life sucks. There is no worse feeling than to wake up feeling like your boss is treating you like crap and that you have not landed a sale in weeks. The sad news is that the economy will be shot for many years to come and there is not much that we can do about it.
Despite the poor economy, people are realizing what matters most to them. I believe that society might get a little bit better since we will have to share more of our resources with family members simply because we have to. The price of food is going up and there is not much that we can do to fight it. When inflation goes up, our cost of living rises. I just say that I enjoy working each day. I at least have my life and sometimes I don't know how I will make it. However, the Lord always comes through and shows me that he can provide for me. Thank goodness we have a loving God that cares about our soul enough to not need money.
You may have to adjust the way that you are living right now if you are used to living in surplus. Mainly just say to yourself that you can make it if you truly want to. Life does not have to mean abundance at all times. You may have to begin working longer hours because the money is not coming in fast enough. Just thank God that you were not an Egyptian slave. The Jewish people were enslaved for 400 years by the Egyptians and had to work some 14 hours a day. At least you have your liberty in the United States and other parts of the world. God has more in store for you. All that you have to do is work hard and ask God to provide for you. If you do this, then you can open doors for yourself that God will bless.
It is important to not loose your faith or trust in God. The Lord is constantly testing us to see if we are going to be obedient to him regardless of our circumstances. The Lord wants us to be faithful to him because we love him. The Lord will always provide for us because he cares. Hard work and discipline will always ensure your survival. Just pray and let God know what your needs are and he will always provide for you.
Stop throwing those old clothes away from the garage. The times have changed and more Americans are becoming poor. The best part about old items is that someone out there in the world needs what you have. Giving your old items to the Salvation Army or to Goodwill is an important first step in conquering the old habit of just throwing something out in the trash.
If you are the kind of person that doesn't know what to do with old things, then its time to think about someone that is waiting for your shirt, pair of paints or cold jacket on a winters day. No matter what you have to offer someone, I always say to offer it with your whole heart and watch your life turn around and get better. You will receive a blessing from God even if you don't realize it. The Bible says that God loves the cheerful giver. I have had situations in my own life when I would give something away to someone and then out of nowhere I would receive some sort of a blessing that I was not expecting. Sometimes it was getting a utility bill paid on time or a rent payment getting extended for my own benefit. I realize that when we give, it opens doors for us. It actually gives us back in return a lot more than we put out.
The holidays are right around the corner. The unemployment rate is high right now and people are going to begin hitting up the homeless shelters and food banks for clothes and food. You should always think about the other person that may need something before you toss your items away. In this way, you will be benefiting them.
Some people are beginning to loose their homes and are literally going to have to live out of a tent or homeless shelter. It is important to understand what has happened to you and where you want to be tomorrow. Children are in need all over the world. If you donate to them, it will change the life of just one more person that has nothing.
I remember as a child, I used to sent greeting cards to kids in other countries. I used to do a pen pal exchange. It made me feel good to know that I was helping a stranger. When you do that, you gain the trust of people and the spirit world comes to aid you as well.
I remember taking a trip to the Statue of Liberty a few years ago. It was one of the best trips that I had ever been on. I loved riding the Staten Island Ferry and seeing the large statue that was before me. It was a lot different than when I saw it back in 1980. When I was a kid, I could not appreciate the statue. I just remember it being hard to climb all of the stairs. At this time of my life, I enjoy learning about the country and its monuments. There is meaning behind every statue and place that is in our country.
When I was a kid, I used to love taking trips with my parents. We would often go to Lake George, Upstate New York, Pennsylvania and just about everywhere else that you could think of. I love the fact that I could take a trip anywhere and have a good time. I think that the statue of Liberty is fun because there is a lot of information that you can get while you are on the island. You can even sit out and have lunch. I went inside and watched a film as well as took pictures. It brings back good memories to me now when I think about it.
Hurricane Irene and the recent earth quake in New York is definitely a sign of the ending times. The Holy Bible says that in the last days, there will be earthquakes in various places. There are also wars and rumors of wars. Shockingly it is all happening at a time when the earth is full of so much sin. New York just legalized gay marriage and there is no say to when the wickedness of the world will end. According to the Bible, the wickedness is not going to end. As a matter of fact, it is only going to get worse. The Bible predicts of a war known as Armageddon in the ending times. The world have the capabilities right now of having a war that will cause catastrophic damage.
Never in the history of the world have we had nuclear capabilities like we have had over the past 100 years. Remember that 100 years ago, we were still getting around by horse and buggy. All of a sudden within the past 100 years, the: telephone, automobile, airplane, computers were all invented. We even sent men to the moon. It is clear that knowledge is going at a very fast and accelerated rate. The Bible predicted that to. The Holy Bible says that in the last days, knowledge will be increased. These are all signs of the ending times. The Bible also says that this generation shall not pass until all that is predicted comes to pass and then the end shall come.
It is clear that the American economy is at stake right now. If we keep on loosing trust in the government, then we may see another stock market collapse. It is sad to say how many people will be affected by this. History has always shown that when economies collapse, world wars begin. It is a shame to see how much we are loosing our battle with money. The United States is relatively a young country. In just 200 years, it has fought many wars in order to have its freedom. Millions of people have died in the name of freedom from all walks of life. It is a shame to see that greed has destroyed our great nation and the greed does not stop. The devil has gotten a hole of people's hearts and the majority of the world doesn't seem to care. I just read an article on CNN that people in New York are having a hurricane party with alcohol and movies to celebrate. This is the same kind of attitude that the people from the days of Noah had. It was that all was fine and dandy and that nothing will ever happen to us. The shame of it all is that I can see the end of the world coming. The Holy Bible says that the nobody knows when the exact time of the end will happen. Some people believe that it will be soon and others believe that we are a long ways away from the end. It is clear that all of the signs are here. Even the legendary sleeping prophet Edgar Cayce predicted world war III and also a financial collapse of the stock market in the summer of 2011. We have to wonder if its all going to come true. All that I know is that the earth is changing in such a way that everyday can be the last and that is what is so scary. However, I place my trust and hope in Jesus Christ that he will save us from our sins. The Bible says that all those that believe in Jesus Christ will be saved. If you have never asked Jesus into your life, please do now. Nobody knows when the hour might be and we must be open to what God has in store for us. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega (the beginning and the last). He said that nobody can come to the father except by him.
I grew up in the 1980's and I have to tell you that times have sure changed. When I first heard of Atari, I was in the sixth grade. The kids in my class were saying that a new system has just come out. Everyone was excited because they were used to playing video games at the corner candy store. Nobody ever heard of being able to play video games in the comfort of your own home.
I went home and asked my mother if she could buy me this for Christmas. At that time, it was considered to be expensive and an investment. The system cost around $150.00 and everyone in my class seemed to have that at the top of their list. I can remember walking into Toys R Us and asking the sales clerk to see the game system. The excitement that went through my mind was unbelievable. It was a huge rush.
Before Atari came out, the kids in my neighborhood would run around and play baseball, kickball and tag. Most of the kids were running around outside and playing. As soon as the video game came out, there seemed to be less and less people playing on the block. I would have to say that this was the first time that I ever remember seeing nobody outside.
After Atari, came Nintendo and Collect Vision. This were considered to be more top notch than Atari. I can honestly say that I would spend hours a day playing Atari at home. It was an amazing time for me and my friends. If I knew then what I know now, I would have wished that video games never would have come out. Since the invention of video games, kids seem to be socializing less. I even see adults hooked on the internet now and also Playstation and other games. I can see how video games have changed the world from years ago. Now it seems as though people would rather spend time on the computer talking to someone in a chat room, then on the porch talking to their next door neighbor.
The other day, I was walking down the street and I noticed that nobody was outside. I said to myself, "If this had been 1985, everyone would have been outside hanging out and having a good time". Unfortunately, we are living in a day in age where our leisure time is being spent on leisure and less on building friendships and relationships. I think that its amazing that we can have technology as advanced as we do. However, I must also say that it has helped destroy America in many regards. When you put "things" before people, you end up with chaos, loneliness, stress and anger.
Since 1985, we have become a pill popping society. There is a name for every single ailment out there. When I was a kid, if they shook their leg, we would just say that they are nervous. Now they call it shaky leg syndrome and actually give someone an anxiety pill for it. I just see that technology has helped lead to greed, loneliness and people keeping more to themselves. I see the older generation suffering because of it. Lot's of older people find it hard to function in our society because everything is so computer literate. Technology moved so fast that we now have a lot of confused people running around looking for answers. Time will only tell how this computer generation grows.
We are living in a period of time in which people are beginning to realize that you have to work harder for your money in order to make ends meat these days. I can remember there being a time where a sales person can take an hour long lunch break and still get sales each day. In today's world, lunch breaks are fast and work days are long. It doesn't matter if you have a bachelor's degree or no degree at all. It is a fact that in order to survive today, you have to work lots of hours and often two jobs. Whether it is fair or not, it is what you must do in order to survive. The Holy Bible says that in the last days, it would be very hard for people to survive. I believe that we are living in these days now. The earth is beginning to show its years of getting beat up by a world that does not want to take care of it any longer.
I find it amazing that most modern day economists are saying that the currency is about to collapse and that we should be prepared for this meltdown that could happen at any moment. I hate to be the doom and gloom prophet, but the facts are starting to appear more and more each day. The signs of the end times are here and the Lord knows that we must be faithful to him in order to survive.
I usually listen to the Bible on my computer everyday so that I will have hope of Christ's return. You have to listen to God's word because it is the only way that you will be able to work through this difficult time. Keep in mind that God loves you and wants you to obey him. I turn to Jesus when I am feeling sad because he comforts me so much. Many times I find myself meditating throughout the day on the promises that the Lord has given to us.
I always say that life is not unfair and if we have to work harder now than before, it is okay. We still have our lives to be thankful for and one another. It is not easy for older men and women to have to go back to working minimum wage jobs after they have been making six figures for so long. I had a friend that was making $120,000 a year and lost his job a few years ago. He then had to take on a job making him only $50,000 a year. What a shame! He was disappointed and thought that the American dream was only a lie. He said that he did everything right. He went to college and got his bachelors degree and worked his way up the corporate ladder. Then all of a sudden in one day, he got fired. He was a Vice President of a major company and had saved nearly $500,000 for retirement. Unfortunately, he was unemployed for nearly three years and blew through all of his savings. He is now having to live paycheck to paycheck. He will never be able to retire. His life is stuck working in a lower paying job and his wife is sick with diabetes. All that I can say is, wow! Sometimes you just can't believe that you were earning thousands of dollars last year and then this year, you are almost broke. That happened to me several times and I can tell you that it was not easy.
I remember that when I was 27 years old, I had to work for $8.00 an hour. I was sad and troubled because I had been living in poverty for nearly three years at that time. I needed a break and no break was around me at that time. I eventually took on a full time job with the army, but it was hard to go backwards in my life. Before that time I had been making some $24,000 a year as a supply clerk. As you can see, life can take you up and down. The trick here is to work hard and overtime if you have to. Allow yourself to move forward with what you want and don't be sad by the fact that you might go backwards in time.
One cannot help but to stay glued to their television set. The news was informative today with a war happening in Libya and an earthquake happening in Virginia. You could not help to be fixated on the news all day. The news can be addictive. Sometimes CNN has so many good stories that you just stay on the website all day and night. I find that watching the news gets me more stressed out. However, the stories are so compelling to watch, that it keeps you up to date on current information.
I was watching a YouTube video today that stated Edgar Cayce predicted that WWIII would start in the summer of 2011. The reason why I am bringing this up is because in my own prophesies, I have been predicting a major stock market crash that will affect the United States in a bad way. It could put us into another great depression. There is just no where to turn and sometimes you have to be willing to overcome the negative obstacles in your life in order to see the positive.
It is hard to think of the world as being closer to the end. However, the end can happen at any moment. I am happy that I do not live in New York, Washington or Virginia. I think that the earthquake would have scared me to death. I am wondering how hurricane Irene is going to pan out now. They are saying that it may not hit Florida after all and that make me very happy. There is nothing worse than feeling like your life can be in jeopardy. I already went through that when I had to fight in the war Operation Iraqi Freedom. I was so scared that I was going to die because at that time, nobody knew if Saddam Hussein was going to use weapons of mass destruction or poison on the troops. Nobody simply knew anything.
People all over the world are fearing Armageddon and the end of the world. It is sad to say that the world is coming to an end soon. The Bible is clear that in the last days there will be earthquakes in various places. There will be wars and famines. This is exactly what is happening right now. More still has to happen such as the rise of the anti Christ and the mark of the beast. However, it does seem like we are moving fast into something. Nothing makes sense anymore and you can't trust anyone or anybody anymore. You have to wonder what is going to happen in the days to come. Is the world really going to come to an end in our lifetime? Only God knows when the very last day will be. However, it sure does seem like life is about to change as we know it. Everything negative is starting to happen all at once.
You don't have to be psychic to see that the United States economy is going down hill. Personally I believe that we are headed for a collapse in the stock market and it will lead to many job losses. Countries like India and China are clearly becoming more powerful. Has America now become the worst place for jobs and economic growth? Apparently the answer to this is yes.
Each day, millions of Americans all over the world are searching for new jobs. With unemployment over 9%, it is not wonder why American's are shaking their heads. The question is, should you stay or should you go? Many experts estimate that the unemployment rate is a lot higher than 9%. Some say that it is already at a 20% high. What do you believe? The United States Government seems to have lied to its citizens as well as other countries from around the world. The President has told the American people that the economy is growing and getting better for the past two years. However, we were recently downgraded from our AAA rating to a AA+. The stock market is extremely jumpy and one cannot forget about the stock market crash of 1929. Similar occurrences happened before the stock market crash and it is very similar to what is happening today in America.
Millions of Americans are now out of work and do not know how they are going to pay their bills or find employment. The thought of leaving the United States is actually becoming tempting for most people. Now we can understand how our ancestors felt when they first came to the "land of opportunity." People came into the United States in record numbers. They simply wanted to have a better life for themselves. They no longer wanted to live in communism, poverty and fear. Today's economy seems to be tempting many young and old Americans alike to leave the United States for a better opportunity. Both China and India have been called "Chindia" by financial experts. The two world countries are experiencing growth and opportunity like never before. American's have to wonder why they are not receiving the same type of growth. What is causing the United States to fail and why has the economy failed.
Simply put, the downfall of America right now is greed. The Holy Bible says that "money is the root of all evil." The devil enjoys twisting the minds of greedy business men and women. He has convinced Americans that they simply need more money, houses, cars, cell phones and the list goes on. Financial experts like Gerald Celente said that America cannot recover and we are doomed to fail. He stated in a recent interview that there is no way out. Americas economy and currency cannot be faked anymore. This man has accurately predicted trends in the financial market place for years and has been right nearly every single time. Senator Rom Paul also said that America cannot print any more money. We already owe trillions as is.
Americans keep on hearing about printed money and bailouts. However, citizens are not seeing any bailout for their own personal finances. Rich and greedy billionaires are still hanging on to their wealth in hopes that someday the economy will come back again. They are taking advantage of the poor by buying their foreclosed homes for pennies on the dollar and taking advantage of hard working Americans by paying them cheap wages. Wow, no wonder why America is failing!
When America was first founded, the people came here looking for an opportunity. Workers were actually paid fairly and unions were a part of everyday American life. People would often get a fair check each week to pay their salary and most American businesses would give medical benefits to their workers. In today's society, people often jump up in down in mis-belief that a company is actually willing to give them employee benefits. Shockingly, the world is in a different place then we were 150 year ago. The times have now changed. Most American businesses care more about its profits instead of its people. The greedy CEOs and executives are caring less about their workers and more about their yachts, cars and houses. What has American business owners turned into? With all of this greed, it is no wonder why America is loosing its trust with the outside world.
Selfishness, greed and a lack of spiritual faith seem to be the downfall of America. It is not going to stop here. It is going to continue to decline. What makes India and China so appealing to many Americans is the fact that you can actually live there and earn enough money to live in a home. The poor and the rich in China do have a place to live and a job. There are many pros and cons to living in India and China. However, how much better is it to live in the United States? Many American's are experiencing a time in which they are living paycheck to paycheck. They cannot afford to pay their mortgages or even put healthy food on their kitchen tables. American's are beginning to realize that the American dream has been lost. There is simply no way out. No matter if you are working for a large or small company, the wages seem to be the same. After taxes, social security and medical benefits have been paid, there is not much left to live on . That is the sad part about being an American these days. We have limited freedom. Many American's agree that our freedoms and liberty's are being lost a little bit more each day.
People are beginning to feel like we have lost America already. Unless you are already rich, it is becoming nearly impossible to climb up the financial ladder. There is simply not enough opportunity here in America anymore. American's are no longer looking forward to job hunting. Job hunting in the 1980's was more about finding the best job for yourself and then working at a company that actually gave you health and employment benefits along with good pay. Now you are lucky if you even get a decent days pay.
I must say that America is simply more corrupt then it was in the past. If you believe that moving to another country is your best bet or an alternative, then you may want to look into opportunities that can help you overseas.
Europe also seems to be a good opportunity for people these days as well. Although the media is trying to make Europe look bad, it is clear that the citizens of France have free health insurance and their citizens often make a decent salary. Even Canadians have free health care. If I had free health care, it would save me almost $500.00 a month. That would be a blessing in disguise. That would be a wow moment for me. Unfortunately, 50,000,000 Americans are living without health insurance. If they fall down a flight of stairs and break their leg, the surgery can cost $10,000 or more. The other day I took my mother in law to the emergency room and she got a bill in the mail for $1,100.00 for one x-ray. It was a shock to both her and me. She was literally in the waiting room for 3 hours and she saw the doctor for only 3 minutes. The rest of the 15 minute visit was us waiting for the x-ray to develop. I was shocked to find out that a visit to the emergency room can take back an average American worker, a few months to pay off a bill of this size. If we are the richest country in the world, then why are so many American's so poor. I never hear American's talk about how much money they are making anymore. In fact, I hear people talking about how much money they do not have and everyone is panicking each day that they will have enough money to go back and forth to work everyday. Gas is high and so are the price of clothes. You can either call this tough times for Americans or simply the down fall of the American way of life. Either way, you are going to see America declining financially in the days to come. It seems as though the dooms day predictors got it right. They have been saying for years that the economy was headed for a downhill turn and right now it seems like they are correct.
