Disgruntled Investor

The U.S. Economy After the Bailout

My father, who is not an economist an investor or anything of the sort, has been predicting this crisis for many years. As a foolish youth I would often laugh to myself, believing that the people in Washington had it all figured out. Now that I'm older and much wiser, (not to mention an economist and equities trader) I now see the wisdom that my dad was speaking. He only needed to grasp one simple truth to see this coming: You cannot sustain a lifestyle you weren't able to afford in the first place. America is long overdue for a massive downgrade. Everyone I know is over-leveraged in every aspect of their lives. They believe they deserve these things. I realized my father's wisdom in time luckily. I decided to go completely in cash. I own everything I have from my home to my car. Sure I don't have a mansion or drive an '08 Mercedes, but what I do have is mine. I had to downgrade my life to accomplish this, but I don't mind. Now, I'm not saying this is the only way to maintain a lifestyle, but it's how I want mine to be. I sleep better at night this way. America's downgrade is at hand.