National Renewal

     The budget deal that came out of Congress was hugely disappointing and last week's downgrade by the S&P made things even worse.  America finds it's self in a decline.  Although a slow decline, it's just slow enough that we seem to think only a few fundamental changes are needed to turn our ship around.   We seem to have put our feet up thinking there is no way the American dream could ever sink out of sight.  Well,  Ship America is taking on water faster that we can keep the American dream alive..  For a lot of Americans that dream faded long ago. Only massive amounts of credit steroids kept the dream alive for some but as we all know, steroids are bad.  Now Americans are spending less, saving more, paying off debts and giving their house keys back to the mortgage lenders.  All that sounds like a good plan but it's really a recipe that only continues the Nation's decline.
     The status of the economy is more than a really bad cold   Without the resumption of growth and the return of some normalcy, the patient will get continuously  worse.  America needs to cut spending, raise revenues and invest in it's growth.  But Congress seems to be in such disarray that I am beginning to think a national strategy for renewal is only a dream.  America has long been a nation of dreamers but the so called American dream is slowly but surely turning into a nightmare.  I am glad I don't have the All-American 2.5 kids, the white picket fence and all the rest that goes along with the American dream.  A carefree life with no worries is the dream I live every day.  Whether the Nation's health is good or bad I will survive and be very happy however it is dished up.