So in a few years, the decade will end (or is it next year?). 2009 has been a year plagued with a lot of strangeness. Indeed this past decade hasn’t been all that normal by any standard, but I guess because its fresh in our minds, we’re still wondering what the Hell happened. 2009 itself was probably the worst year of the past decade, with some of that owing to Obama’s ascension into media godhood, but much of that because of other things.
From my perspective, it’s been a very crappy year. I’m probably just saying that, but I have good reason. Anyone whose grandfather dies the same week your wife miscarries, and then miscarries again later that year, will probably have a slanted perspective on the past year. My wife certainly seems glad to see the year end. On the flip side, my father-in-law is finally standing up to his ball-busting wife, although that will probably not end well.
As for the rest of the country, we saw what could only amount to a slow-moving train crash all around. There were tons of celebrities who just got knocked off left and right, many unexpectedly, and since our culture is driven by celebrity worship, these were national tragedies. I couldn’t have cared less, but that’s just me. It’s not that I don’t care about people, just that I tend to not shed tears for complete strangers. I know many of these now deceased celebrities wouldn’t have cried for me if the situation was reversed. Selfish? Probably. But you can’t tell me you don’t think the same way.
On the economic front, there was no silver lining, no matter how many golden turds the Person of the Year could throw at us. Apparently we’re in recovery, but considering that much of that recovery is related to government spending, I fully expect the first quarter of 2010 to be a serious letdown (the fourth quarter will probably see some growth given the holiday season). But bad economic news or not, it really makes no huge difference to me because I’m more concerned with my own economic situation, which is good. Not great, just good.
Personally, I think this country needs some economic contraction, especially if the expansion was all credit-based. That’s not real economic growth when you spend other people’s money for profit. I would rather see long-term, slower growth that isn’t based on loans and credit than fast growth based on loans and credit. I’m doing my part to grow my own wealth without debt, but I doubt anyone else will follow suit.
In the political arena, there wasn’t anything all that surprising. I mean, the Democrat leaders shifted into full dickhole mode, pushing through their radical agenda that will only oppress the rest of us as they attempt to ascend into godhood themselves. Despite all the people protesting, all the e-mails, letters, phone calls, and everything else, Nancy Pelosi gave us all the finger and put out the exact health care bill that nobody wanted. Tell me, how can a law that is two thousand pages maintain liberty?
Between that and all the promises that Barack Obama has broken, you’d think there would be a lynch mob in DC right now hanging our glorious leaders by their legs and mercilessly beating them (it’s been done in the past in Europe). President Obama himself behaved exactly as any tyrant does once they obtain power: he went out partying all the time and didn’t do much of anything. I guess that’s because for a man like him, obtaining the Presidency was really the only goal. Nobody bothered to ask him why he wanted to be President (although if someone did, he probably spouted some load of generic horse crap that any idiot would say) and it’s beginning to show that he really didn’t have any ambitions for his office, other than just getting there. Although, the same could be said for many other leaders in the past.
Still, though, I live in a country that remains second-to-none in comparison to the rest of the world. Life is pretty good, even for the poor, and we have such a wonderfully high quality lifestyle, I can’t complain too much. When you don’t have to go outside into the cold to relieve yourself, that’s always a good thing. So while things aren’t perfect, they could be much worse. While I will continue to strive for something better, I will be ever mindful of how great things are right now, and give thanks to the Lord for his blessings.
I hope you all do the same. Have a good rest of the year and always strive for something more, something better than where you are right now.