Here we go again: DC taking us back to the 1970s
I don’t know about you, but the 1970s is a decade I’d like to forget. For those of you too young to remember, Google these terms: gas lines, Iran hostage crisis, Watergate, inflation, price controls, DISCO.
Our national standing was at a low point. Iranian radicals had overrun our embassy, and were holding our people hostage. Gasoline for private automobiles was being rationed. (If you were low on gas, and it wasn’t your day to fill up, you were SOL.)
Republican Richard Nixon — apart from the whole Watergate fiasco, grew the size of the federal government and instituted wage and price controls. Democrats built up staggering majorities in the Congress, and we got Jimmy Carter — the worst president ever until BarryO strutted onto the scene.
We all know things are rough economically. But I came across some data suggesting that our national economic performance has regressed back to where it was during the Carter presidency. Our current employment-to-population ratio is right where it was in March 1978. The current unemployment rate is not far off of that 1978 mark.
Our current participation rate — the measure of the active portion of our economy’s labor force — is at 63 percent. Right where it was in April 1978.
The average duration of unemployment currently is about TWICE what it was in 1978.
We’ve got other similarities to the 1970s. Gas prices are so high we’re having to self-ration to keep from going broke.
Our diplomatic compound in Benghazi got overrun by Muslim radicals. Instead of our people being taken hostage, they got murdered. Russia is back flexing its muscles — often in opposition to our interests — on the world stage. We’re in the midst of an international conflict, with a lot of military members in harm’s way. Just as in the 70s with Vietnam and Cambodia, Washington politicos are working overtime to tie our heroes’ hands and pull the rug out from underneath them.
All of you people who voted for BarryO in 2008 and 2012 were lusting for Hope and Change. You got your change all right. We’ve gone full circle back to one of the most unpleasant decades in our nation’s history.
We pulled ourselves out of that mess by taking a stand in the election of 1980. We can do it again in 2014.
I remember the 70’s and waiting in line for gas on the odd (or even) day.
However, I think it’s wishful thinking that we can restore a Constitutional republic in this election. The power of the ballot box is lost. Those we elect to represent us fail over and over. It would be insanity to keep doing the same thing expecting different results.
We now effectively have no representation. Instead of representing approximately 30,000 as our Founders first intended, each representative translates into about 700,000 citizens! Political representation is a joke. Does anyone think they even care about those who elect them?
But there is help is we can find those with the courage: nullification and article V amendment conventions. The states are our last refuge to save the republic, but we are too distracted by politics to see the rightful remedies.
Nancy, you are absolutely correct. It is refreshing to see some positive action by the conservatives in Craven County…There are bright spots across NC, but the vast majority of our citizens are so self absorbed that they have no desire to even investigate the politicians. I live in Wake County and our local GOP is so involved with the RINOS Burr and Tillis, I offer no hope up here. WE DO have a Republican majority (NC Senate, House and Gov) and they are breaking their backs to satisy the DEMS. I am very disappointed in our state. Few good things have actually been implemented. To busy being the party og “nice”> Thank you for telling the truth in your post. Very refreshing.
I will most SURELY do my part down here in the Cape Fear by sending Greg Brannon to the US Senate and making sure that the TACO KING aka Pro-Amnesty King of Johnston County David Rouzer loses the primary to the solid Conservative Woody White.
The only thing I take issue with in this post is disco, disco was king baby. The rest of the piece however unfortunate is accurate. Those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it and this is where we are now.