The Quirk that is Me. I have this little thing going on in my head that I tend to keep to myself for fear that those who know me would think that I am a total nutcase. My wife knows, and for the most part she agrees, just not obsessively like I am. My kids think I might be right, but for the most part I think that think that I an a nut job. My folks know, and they mostly agree. Very few other people know what goes on in here.

Why? Because when I started contemplating this “thing” 18 years ago it was so totally implausible that I even doubted myself from time to time. I would occasional put my toe in the water during a conversation to see if the other person might bite, and they usually didn’t. With the exception of possibly two friends I haven’t shared it at all.

So what is this thing? My belief in Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster? My theory as to who really shot JFK or the secret cult that Bush has joined? Nothing so conspiratorial (although Bush does belong to a secret cult that worships Bigfoot). My quirky thought is simple –our country is getting close to its last days.

I do not believe that the country is going to be invaded (although we are being invaded by over a million illegals every year), no do I believe that there is an internal plan at a coup (and that too is being done by Godless people who would pervert our traditions and history). I believe that the country is doomed because of greed and it will be our fall. I firmly believe that the United States is very close to experiencing The Great Depression II (or the Greater Depression). I had placed a date of October 2009, but I am now concerned that we don’t have that much time.

Let me share with you a few of the headlines from just today’s headlines:

• Employers Slash Jobs by Most in 5 Years (AP)
• US Payroll Sinks Dramatically (Wall Street Journal)
• Dollar Sinks to New Low Against Euro (AP)
• Fed Takes New Steps on Credit Crisis (AP)
• Home equity below 50% level (USA Today)
• Housing in deepest decline since the Great Depression (MarketWatch – Dow Jones)
• Foreclosures hit another record high (MarketWatch – Dow Jones)

Oil is at an all time high, credit is tight at all banks, gold (a key indicator to inflation) is near $1,000 an ounce. Jobs are down, housing is stalled, houses are foreclosing, gas prices are at an all time high.

So now maybe I am not such a nut job! In looking at the financial pages there is not one single piece of good news, unless you are a CEO. While we are paying more at the pump Exxon reported the largest profit gain in US history for the last quarter. While housing is sinking fast and banks are struggling to cover their losses Countrywide Financial (the country’s largest mortgage lender) gave their CEO a $116m bonus. That is a bonus, not his salary.

So those are the facts. Our government insists that the economy is strong and these are just regular economic rumbles that we will overcome. Easy for them to say when they all make huge salaries, but what about the population that elected them? It will difficult for most to survive this. Since the majority of the people can’t even name the Vice President of the United States is it any wonder that very few of them have taken the time to look at the economic indicators that are staring us in the face? It is so much easier to keep borrowing and heading for that cliff in joyful bliss. But then I remember what happened at the end of Thelma and Louise.