So far nothing has worked; not bailouts, or conversions to bank holding companies, not front page stories or investigative committees…nothing is helping the economic crisis it only continues to get worse.

What if we cannot stop the economic crisis from continuing to deteriorate, what if the economic levees break?

How is our government (Federal, State, Municipal) preparing for the worst case scenario?

How are we hoping they are preparing, what should we be expecting of them, what can we do?

cross-posted at Daily Kos

http://www.dailykos.com/story/…

An associate of mine still believes that his stocks portfolio is safe (it will come back) even as he witnesses his business failing due to the credit freeze…but that is so American “it can’t happen here, it can’t happen to me,”… even though it is and right in front of our eyes.

And that is perhaps the most amazing trick as well as the biggest crime: making people believe that something works to their advantage, while in reality it drives them into debt-riddled poverty. People have this remarkable talent to fool themselves, to see only what they wish to see, and it can be a gift from heaven. But that’s not always a given.

http://theautomaticearth.blogs…

The economic crisis can be summed up in three words TRUST, CREDIT and TERRORISM.  

Banks do not Trust each other so they are not willing to provide Credit to each other. During this economic panic, Paulson used terrorist tactics of threats and fear of economic collapse to coerce Congress to give him Czar like powers over our tax dollars.

Why don’t financial institutions trust each other?  Because for years they have been cooking the books, claiming they have more value than they really do.  So now that things have gotten tight no one is willing to issue Credit to anyone else because no believes what anyone claims they are worth (and rightly so).

The Economic Crisis defined by the neocons, isn’t the fact that folks are losing their homes/jobs/retirements, etc.  No, Economic Crisis for the neocons is the fact that folks are finally waking up to the fact that our country has been robbed blind and these sleepy folks may soon be seeking justice and/or blood.

The Political Crisis defined by the neocons isn’t the fact that our politicians and government have been bought by corporations and are corrupt to the core.  No, Political crisis for the neocons is the fact that folks are finally waking up to the fact that our politicians and government agencies have been bought by corporations and are corrupt to the core.

Its a pickle for the neocons…..how can they continue with business as usual when so many folks are on to them.

“Have those people who support this war ever been at the receiving end of a bomb? Do they know what war is?  War is: your house is gone, no water, no electricity, your roads are blown up and….your family is dead.”

The conversation started not about war, but about Peace.

We had just come from a planning meeting to discuss planning the plans for a “Peace Event.”

I am usually restless, squirming in my chair, at peace meetings.

This night was a particular challenge, as a decision needed to be made as to whether this event was going to be about ‘Creating peace within ourselves, as a way to greater peace’ or ‘peacefully demonstrating against our military culture’.  

It was a lively discussion, no decision was reached.

It was the conversation afterwards during dinner that resonated.

D.F., my 87y/o WWII veteran friend, knows struggle; WWII, the Labor Movement, Civil Rights, he has been around.  

Over dinner he puzzled, “Have those who support this war ever been at the receiving end of a bomb? Do they know what war is?  War is: your house is gone, no water, no electricity, your roads are blown up and….your family is dead.”

He wasn’t looking for an answer more stating reality for those of us who did not truly know war….which was everyone at the table besides him.    After a complicated meeting about Peace I think he didn’t want us to lose sight of why we were doing it.

“Sometimes people use the call to inner peace as a reason not to take action against injustice, let’s not do that,” he added.  

Later he suggested, “We don’t really know how to act together as a society. The Cold War scared people, taught them to shut up, not question or challenge government, and look where it has gotten us.”

Then he went on to ask/state, “How do you hold your candidate accountable when he falters in a way that improves his candidacy and does not give ammunition to his opponent?”

We did not come up with a concrete answer to this question over chopped steak (his) and a veggie reuben (mine).

As we left he smiled at me, wonderful lines of wisdom creasing his face.  “Call tomorrow and we’ll work on the unanswered question,” he said with a wink.

What is the point of this diary?  I am not sure, it is my first on this site.  I am just happy to share some insights from a wise old friend with anyone willing to listen.