Quote Originally Posted by Schmedlap View Post
Or, perhaps they live within their means. My father is truck driver and my mother works on a GE assembly line. That's what they've done all their lives. They never altered their lifestyle in any recession OR bull market. They lived within their means. They buy the same food, wear the same clothes, drive the same cars, and go about the same daily routines today as when the market was booming in 2000 and 2006 and when the economy was thriving in the 80's, mid-90's, and early this decade and when the market was down in the early 80s, early 90's, and now.

As for many other Americans... I blame their self-destructive behavior

How does controlling the money supply (competently or otherwise) "maintain the economic viability of the whole country"? I would think it just ensures a strong and stable currency from which the country can succeed or fail, according to the choices of the people. From what I've seen, the people chose very, very poorly, repeatedly, for a very, very long time.

Where did all of these chickens come from? I hope that they're not here to roost! Oh crap, I think they are.
Agreed. Far too many people in this country are unable to tell the difference between what they want and what they are entitled to.