hksche2000

Winter's Coming for the Boomers: Part 2

There was NO baby boom (BB) during WWII, especially not the final 2yrs of it when most young men were at war's front. But there was a GI-homecoming BB enhanced by a booming US (and world) economy that lasted into the mid 60's. I haven't read strauss&Howe and I don't want to be a quick judge. Yet, sharp authors typically don't stumble over simpletons' issues like the above?
The gloom&doom scenarios with all the aspects addressed in Quinn's original and many equally enlightened commentaries, are well taken. However, not all Americans share the sense of "inevitability" conveyed in the article. Don't count the American spirit out, ever! Americans have started saving even while their Congress is still spending. Who would've predicted that even 6mos ago? If we fix the salvageable part of the housing market by bringing mortgage rates temporarily down to 4-4.5%, probable the fastest and least expensive approach to unload the housing overhang, the economy could get well underway toward recovery. Global economies of scale (China's 7.9% GDP, Germany's pick-up in export orders yesterday et al) are showing verifiable "green shoots" and may become locomotives to us, for a change, instead of the other way around. Thermosolar energy, (not bioethanol, for Pete's sake!) is the best green technology currently available to solve our own (if not the world's) increasing energy needs. At Desertec Foundation's 7/13/09 meetg of Siemens, EON, Munich-Re et al. at Munich, predictions included that 50 % of Germany's energy requirements could be met that way as early as 2020 with thermosolar energy from Spain (AndaSol) and/or North Africa. The US itself is actually a leading protagonist in the field since the 80's (Mojave Desert Project). However, we do need a new grid to distribute the electricity to EVERYWHERE in the country including a nationwide electrical train system. Expensive, yes, but paying it's own way like FDR's Interstate Freeway System. What would we do without it?! Same is true for the grid: we've got to have it as much as our FWY's! And, compared to building the FWY system, not to mention Manhatten Project, Man-on-Moon and Space Station, this one's EZ because the technology's there. That's where stimulus money should go, to projects ready for take-off and instant exponential payback; not to banks and other black holes.
Education is the other big one that must be solved to keep/get us globally competitive, but that's a different ball of wax. The current system obviously is kaputt and money is not going to fix this one.

On Jul 13 04:07 PM James Quinn wrote:

> Again, if you read the book their definition of Boomers is those
> born between 1943 and 1960. It differs from Demographers definition.
>