Are we not now in a giant race to sustain the unsustainable?

[drexel dave]

looks like James Howard Kunstler is proving to be right. I heard him talking a year or two ago about how the housing bubble would cause a huge problem with the economy, and how we would react to it by attempting to sustain the unsustainable - our insatiable growth economy.

Discuss.

[ixion]

1. in my opinion, yes.

but the race has been going on since the 80's, or perhaps even before. The decay has accelerated lately, and so the path we're going to walk down has finally become clear to enough people that there's 'buzz' about it.

Of course, it's far too late to do anything but walk that path, as it were. That's where it will get interesting.

[drexel dave]

2. Yep...seems like all of of stimulus projects locally

are for pavement projects to make it easier for us to drive to the mall, further perpetuating the entire living arrangement that has gotten us to this place to begin with.

I don't think America is broke. America has just found itself without enough money to sustain a lifestyle that is essentially brain-dead.

[opihimoimoi]

3. Exponential Growth will lead to disaster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-QA2rkpBSY

Dr Bartlett explains

[Warpy]

4. It's human nature to try to preserve a system we know

rather than leaping forward into the unknown. However, the latter will come to pass because our system, built on debt, is totally unsustainable. There is no way to keep putting bandaids on a gushing artery, in other words, and all the fixes they're trying to preserve what they know will fail.

Don't forget that even FDR spent two whole years trying to support prices instead of trying to support jobs and wages.

[pscot]

5. They're trying to put Humpty Dumpty

back together again. Good luck with that. Whatever we end up with, it won't look anything like the recent past. Growth is killing us. It's killing the planet. Unfortunately, the Pres' economic team is composed of the guys who ruined us in the first place, and it doesn't appear that they've learned a damned thing.

[leftofthedial]

6. the Hindenburg is burning

and Geithner is busy trying to pump more hydrogen into it. If he can just pump more in faster, maybe it will stay afloat!

[Danascot]

7. Wow, great metaphor!

If it's original to you, you deserve accolades.

:yourock:

[leftofthedial]

9. thank you.

[truedelphi]

10. Like DanaScott says,

You deserve applause and a small
:toast:

[Po_d Mainiac]

8. Take a real close look at the housing numbers

The median price for homes in California rose? Did prices rise, or are the foreclosures simply moving up the class ladder? This will sort itself out very quickly if total sales numbers continue to fall and average sale prices rise. :nuke:

http://www.fdic.gov/llp/index.html

[truedelphi]

11. People are saying that those with the money are swooping down on the housing market

People who are buying already own their home. They are swooping in and getting things at auction. The houses where the original home owner is hoping to get somewhere near what the house is worth to them - that part of the market is stagnant.