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The Best Superhero Show is Not Marvel… Not DC… it’s “Poker Face.”
“Poker Face” could only exist in 1973 or on a streaming service so desperate for original content that it was willing to take a risk on something that feels more like a passion project than a blockbuster.
Poker Face is Columbo meets The Fugitive (The TV series from the 60s, not the 90s movie). Unassuming main character “Charlie” flees across the country from the mob boss she angered. If she touches her bank account, they’ll find her. If she uses technology, they’ll find her. If she gets a legit job, they’ll find her. Law enforcement can not be trusted. Without money, home, job, or technology, she finds herself caught up in murder mysteries and compelled by her character to right wrongs as best she can.
This series absolutely gushes with Network TV Era vibes. Even the title sequence is going to have you flashing back in time to shows like M*A*S*H, Magnum P.I., and Murder She Wrote. The sets and environments are modern, of course, but carefully designed to be mostly free of anachronistic giveaways like smartphones and teslas, opting instead for radio broadcasts, artificial film grain, and decidedly 70s-era style choices for many character’s costumes.
Each episode features recognizable A-list Hollywood luminaries taking on the role of the scenery-chewing murderer or the lovable victim – just like the old Columbo specials. And like Columbo, Charlie doesn’t usually arrive on scene until the second (or even third) act – often chomping a cigar, wearing rumpled clothing, driving a worthless car, and acting like the overly open, slouchy best friend of the killer just to find out what really happened.
If there’s a weakness to the show it’s that it’s not what you think it is. It’s almost too easy for Charlie. Clues are handed over constantly and it’s rarely a question of “does Charlie know who did it,” but, “how will she prove it?” or rather, “how will a civilian bring justice to a criminal without getting on law enforcement’s radar herself?” That means the mystery serves only as an ethereal McGuffin while the true fun of the show is the interactions between Charlie and the other characters. In other words, this mystery show is not a mystery show. Unlike Columbo, where the focus is on his plodding genius and making sense of the prideful mistakes and red herrings of the murderer, Poker Face focuses on well-realized characters (including the victims!) who often experience their own little development arcs in the presence of Charlie’s fashionless optimism and implacable do-goodery. Combine that with her inexplicable power to detect lies and what you have is… wait… Is Poker Face a super hero show? *checks notes quizzically*
Let me try something…
Poker Face is a story of a girl with a super power – she can tell when somebody is lying. Given the choice to use her power for the benefit of evil people, she chooses to run. On her journey she manages to lay low and create something of a life for herself, but inevitably there is a crime committed and our hero applies her super power and righteous character to bring justice to those involved, even at the expense of her new secret identity.
Yes, even as critics try and fail to claim that the latest Disney/Marvel streaming series is “the cure to superhero fatigue” it turns out Rian Johnson had done it and put it on Peacock of all places. A superhero show so grounded it actually traveled back in time to the same era when Superboy fought oil spills, Batman stopped the Joker from patenting laughing fish, and Superman got into the boxing ring with Muhammad Ali. A superhero show so focused on character that there’s not a blip of special effects other than those used to add film grain, wobble the text on the screen a bit, or otherwise increase the sense that this series was shot on film 50 years ago.
Of course, nobody is watching Poker Face because it’s a superhero show. They are watching it as the character drama it really is. Unfortunately “Peacock” is possibly the worst place for it to stream to get the exposure it deserves. It’s also probably the only place such a show could ever exist. After all, superhero shows are supposed to be CGI punch-fests, and mysteries are supposed to be solved by handsome and morally flawless law enforcement characters, right? What streaming service would dare take a risk on a show that breaks both of those money making rules?
Poker Face is well worth a watch if you want to use your Peacock TV free trial and if you think back to the old network TV mystery shows with fondness. I was smiling through every episode and hope desperately to see another season. Be warned that the language is well beyond the rated R line, with f-bombs a plenty throughout. If that doesn’t bother you then put it on your to-watch list right away.
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The Three-Body Problem – A Review (with special thanks to the Libby App)
Particle scientists begin committing suicide. World governments meet in secret, preparing for war – but not with each other. Telescopes and satellites see the cosmic background radiation – light from over 10 billion years ago – pulsing with simple morse code, sending a message: a countdown. A strange virtual reality game called “Three Body” appears online with bizarre rules and world building.
And a woman forever traumatized by the murder of her physicist father during China’s “Cultural Revolution” realizes she can pluck the sun itself like a guitar string and thus speak to the universe.
It’s been probably over 10 years since I read a book for enjoyment.
I don’t know why I stopped. Depression? The feeling that as the world fell apart around me I had to prioritize productivity over everything so any time spent “having fun” was time not fixing problems? Maybe.
My last book review on this site was from a guy who was just out of his 20s, and the review before that was from 3 years earlier.
Basically what I’m saying is 2008 sucked hard and I’m only just now getting over it.
But a few weeks ago I discovered the Libby App – an app that lets me check out digital copies of books from my local libraries. I began browsing the digital shelves, finding books I have heard about or always wanted to read. I caught up on the Dresden Files and remembered how fun those books are.
Then I remembered a book I’ve been hearing a lot about over the past few years: The Three-Body Problem.
In the sci-fi social media world this book is brought up alongside titles like Dune, Foundation, and Hyperion as one of the Must-Read pantheon. It is described as terrifying and ground breaking, insightful and masterful. I had to give it a try.
The Three Body Problem is a generation spanning sci-fi story that really belongs in the same world as other sci-fi books that consider the place of humanity in the universe. It touches on the deeply personal, intimate issues such as how individuals are affected by political forces and how those traumas can taint our view of others forever. It asks questions about how much we can trust our science and what are we capable of.
Most importantly, The Three Body Problem asks how our self-focused worldviews could affect our entire civilization in a universe where, for some reason, no other beings are trying to make contact.
The Three Body Problem meshes perfectly into the the following two books, The Dark Forest and Death’s End, making it difficult to review just one of them alone. Together they tell the story of humanity through centuries by following a few key players in the galactic drama.
It is a pessimistic trilogy where every aspect of humanity turns out to be a weakness. Selfishness and lack of faith in humanity? Leads to disaster. Curiosity and openness? Disaster. Open heartedness and desire for peace? Disaster. It is a series about a species in a universe that just doesn’t care about us. We aren’t special and we don’t get happy endings, we just get the consequences of our thoughtless actions. By the end of the trilogy you can’t help but think, “yeah, that’s probably about right. That’s what we would do.” And that’s why so many people describe it as a horror book. But it’s not scary, it’s too just realistic.
The Three Body Problem deserves to stand amongst the best sci-fi has to offer. It scores a 5 on a scale of -5 to 5.
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Samurai Flamenco – The best worst anime I’ve ever seen.
Gotou looks on as Flamenco responds to the call to action! From “Anime is Dead” blog. http://animeisdead.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/samurai-flamenco-love-and-empathy-are-beyond-justice/ I didn’t know where else to write this.
I’m just so mad right now.
I’m so mad I’m taking time out of work to write this. That’s how mad I am. Don’t tell my boss.
Last night I indulged again in my recent guilty pleasure, Samurai Flamenco, an anime created in 2013 which focuses on the life of a male model named Masayoshi.
Masayoshi works as a model, but dreams of becoming a real life superhero akin to those in shows like “Power Rangers” (in this series called the “credit card rangers”). To that end, he creates the hero Samurai Flamenco – his costumed alter ego – who will fight evil on the streets in Japan.
We first meet Masayoshi sitting naked and defeated in a back alley, where the show’s other main character, Gotou, finds him. Gotou is a young police officer, and he struggles with the challenge of knowing that Masayoshi is a masked vigilante whom he should probably report, while also knowing that he’s a complete weakling with good intentions who actually gets beat up more often than he manages to do any good.
So that’s the basic set up. The young man who wants to “fight for justice.” The cop who doesn’t share the same idealism, but who does “fight for justice” in his day job.
What I can’t express is the wonderful charm of this show. Masayoshi’s naivete and repeatedly crushed optimism is wonderfully heartening somehow. Seeing him fail to convince a stranger to put a can into a recycle bin instead of tossing it on the street makes the viewer shake his head with a smile. Gotou struggling with trying to be supportive of this truly good-natured kid, while trying to help him recognize the realities of a nuanced world is equally humorous. Their relationship is emotionally rewarding, and develops very well. As the hyper-cheerful end-credits play on each episode I notice I have a huge smile on my face.
The plot progresses at a perfect pace. A news website owner puts up a reward for the identity of Flamenco, A washed-up action hero claims to be the real Samurai Flamenco live on television where Masayoshi is a guest. Masayoshi’s agent suspects the truth and must be kept in the dark. A pop-star female arrives in costume to fight evil and can actually beat up muggers, unlike Flamenco. When Flamenco puts forth a superhuman effort just to retrieve an umbrella for Gotou, he becomes a viral video sensation.
And so on.
The whole thing just feels like a wonderfully comedic soap-opera, just barely pushing the boundaries of the absurd on occasion (super-powered school supplies, anyone?) for the sake of a good laugh.
Then episode 7 comes along. Prepare for spoilers.
The first half of episode 7 is basically normal. Gotou informs Masayoshi that the police chief wants to make Samurai Flamenco “Police Chief for a Day” and have him ride along as the police clean out a drug operation. It’s meant to be a photo op for the police department, to improve their reputation.
After the bad guys are subdued, Flamenco is allowed into the building where the drug operation is taking place. One of the criminals breaks loose and runs into another room. The police and Flamenco give chase, but the criminal throws off 4 police officers simultaneously. Samurai Flamenco and Gotou watch in shock as, screaming and grunting, the criminal transforms into a giant ape with huge metal screws in its head and a guillotine for a torso, which it then uses to chop off the heads of several police officers while yelling “I am Guillotine Gorilla!” Necks are snapped. Heads fly. Blood spurts. Gotou and Flamenco manage to shove the gorilla out of a high window, thus killing it. Then “King Torture” appears in the sky and announces that the monster is his and he’s going to take over the world. End of episode.
This sudden and dramatic change in tone, style, violence level, and theme was completely unexpected and utterly derailed everything that went before.
“It must be a fantasy, or a dream or something,” I thought. “It must be a hallucination brought on by the drugs.” I skimmed through the next episode. Another ridiculous monster, and no discussion of how it’s not “real.”
In fact, for the remainder of the show (another 14 episodes or so) it’s nothing but send up after send up of the old Japanese action shows. First cartoony monsters led by a bad guy who wants to “take over the world.” But then it’s a team of fighters led by Flamenco. Suddenly the washed-up action hero character is actually the 1970s Japanese equivalent of Nick Fury, commanding teams of fighters. Flamenco becomes more and more powerful, transforming his costume from flimsy home-sewn fabric to a high tech suit of awesome. The team pilots special ships and fights the Japanese Government which has become evil. Then an alien menace appears and sends monsters which transform into giant versions of themselves.
Of course, it doesn’t take long to realize that Flamenco is experiencing everything he ever thought he wanted. All the bad guys from all the shows he loves are appearing – and he’s the hero! He has his tragic back-story! He has his super powers! He has his recognition! At last!
A few hints in the show, skillfully dropped, show that there’s a message in there for the viewer.
- The man who owns the internet news site appears occasionally while things are peaceful between planet-threatening attacks and says with his half-closed eyes something along the lines of “this is so boring.”
- The never-on-screen girlfriend of Gotou sends him text messages while Flamenco is seen battling evil, asking “Does Masayoshi look happy?”
- The girl who saw herself as hero is humiliated when she realizes her motives are impure, and she’s nothing more than an expendible sidekick.
- King Torture releases his prisoner, swearing to never do her harm, when she demonstrates she is a true hero, exhibiting self-sacrifice in the face of current and imminent agony.
- Masayoshi can’t figure out how to help Gotou when there is no super-villain to fight.
You know what, writers? I get it. I’m seeing the commentary on heroism, desires, and happiness. I get it. But you know what?
That’s not what we signed up for.
For six and a half episodes Samurai Flamenco treats us to one of the most charming and well-written anime series in recent memory. Yeah, the artwork was pretty pathetic, but so what? Viewers were ready to stick with Masayoshi and Gotou for years, watching them deal with the challenges of regular human life and the conflict between the ideal and the real. It was good. It was sweet. It was everything it needed to be.
And yes, maybe that’s the point. You live the life you can, and do the good you can, because it’s perfect just how it is. You dream of amazing adventures and being something you’re not, but will it really make you happy? Is the purpose of life to avoid being bored? Is it a costume and adventure that makes a hero? No. So why not embrace all that is good in the sometimes boring, but ultimately beautiful life you have?
In that sense, Samurai Flamenco is massively impressive in that they sacrificed the entire show to proving that point. It makes it, in my opinion, one of the most powerful and beautiful pieces of art able to express that idea. From an artistic standpoint, this was a huge win.
But you know what? I didn’t sign up for that. I wanted my guilty pleasure about a male model who fumbles through life, but manages to do a lot of good with his meager efforts.
Good job, team, in making your point in an epic way. Now give me back the life I wanted.
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Tom Clancy’s Debt of Honor and Executive Orders.
I finished two books by Tom Clancy recently: “Debt of Honor” and “Executive Orders.”
Debt of Honor was, I thought, one of Clancy’s best. As usual, it begins with multiple threads combining into an interesting tapestry of international conflict. Jack Ryan figures large yet again as a member of the cabinet of the presidency of the USA.
The funny thing, though, is that I can’t really say much more about it except that it’s good in the same way that all the other Clancy novels are good, and bad in the same ways, too. What should I say? Did you like “Hunt for Red October?” You’ll like this. “Sum of All Fears” on your list? Put this on too.
I personally liked it better than any other Clancy novel I’ve read, but I can’t say why. Maybe it’s just me. I guess the only way to find out is for you to read it yourself.
Executive Orders was more like a combination of the boring parts of “Rainbow Six,” and the good parts of “Sum of All Fears” along with a huge pile of Ayn Rand. There was a lot of fun plots, twists, and turns and conflicts, but the whole thing was dunked in Clancy’s personal political views throughout and it was actually difficult to continue reading despite the compelling story.
Executive Orders was a book that should have been phenomenal and ends up being both pandering and condescending.
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Damn, I good.
I came to the site today looking for something specific. I think it was an old post from like 4 or 5 years ago that had a list of links to some fun guitar music… I think. But what ended up happening was that I saw some of my old writing. I started reading it, then I read some more.
I recognize that most of what I put on this site was in ‘rough draft’ form having only minor edits done, if any. Despite that, I have to say that I am a fine and entertaining writer. You should read more of what I write, cause it’s enjoyable.
In fact, so is Benski. So were a lot of us back in the day.
I noticed that about the same time Ben and I gave up on the ol’ village the blogs of other friends slowed considerably as well. Gandhi doesn’t write much any more… Mickelle writes quarterly at best. Even Ryan has let us down.
So…. what am I saying? Well, I would like to say that I’m going to put more effort into writing on this site on a regular basis and seduce back some of the ol’ friends. The reality is that I don’t know that any of us will ever have “blogging” as a priority, much less this bizarre community blogging thing that we tried. But despite that… I’m going to give up on my giving up on Sixmile and blogging / online journaling.
I can’t promise I’ll write much, or often, but when I do I’ll do my best. It will be good to keep the writing skills up-to-date, and, with luck, it will be good fun to read.
Based on the astonishing quality of my previous works, I’d say you’re going to freakin’ love it.
Your part? Leave a comment. Let me know you’re still RSSing the site or something. Heck, contribute if you dare.
Your funny pal,
Greg
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A stream of consciousness rant on Health Care Reform, Mormonism, And United States Politics.
Health care costs inflate 7 to 10% every year under the current system.
Our incomes inflate at 3% per year.
If the system is not changed health care will bankrupt us, or be out of reach for everybody.I think what’s got me riled up more than anything during this whole health care, uh, “debate” is the reaction of the Utah Mormon populace. If ever there was a group that should happily embrace the idea of caring for others, or having “all things equal” it ought to be the group that tried living the “law of consecration” more than once in the past.
But no.
And I can’t help but wonder why. Why has this, the reddest of the red states decided that when the time came to choose between politics and religion that it was time to confuse the two?
There was a time, not so long ago, when the majority of Mormons were moderate in their political views, going about 50/50 democrat and republican. The church was happy to see this behavior. And even when we drifted to the conservative side, I don’t think it was a bad thing.
No, the bad part is our bizzare embracing of the extremists within our political parties, and our absolute devotion to a party rather than analysis by topic. The Rush Limbaughs and the Glen Becks have gained media time and our consciousness has drifted so far to the right that the moderates within our society seem by comparison to be vastly liberal.
Here’s how it works: If you have an extreme point of view, you get air time. It’s true of both republican and democrat talking heads. The more extreme and shocking your subjects and content, the more viewers you get, the more advertising money you recieve, the more extreme you want to be.
Money is what has prompted people to develop this extremism on both sides. There’s no hint of morality in the motivations of these people. From Rush to Al Franken, there’s only the positive reinforcement of bad behavior.
It’s come out most obviously in the recent health care debate. Instead of debating the facts of the different options available to overhaul health care all we did was snipe and yell at each other. The conservative extremists were certainly the most shown in the liberal leaning media, but I’m sure there was a liberal counterpart. People getting up and shouting – not debating, but simply shouting. People repeating the outright lies they heard on the radio or read in an email as absolute truth. And the more shocking the “truth” delivered to your inbox, the more likely you are to pass it on.
(It’s no wonder then, that lies like death panels and obama’s forged birth certificate are passed off as truth. If you listen to Rush long enough, he’ll start making sense to you. Then everything you hear is sent through your “Rush prism” and if it doesn’t mesh with what you’ve heard, you ignore it.)
Here’s my thoughts on health care:
I believe God has given us everything.
If everything comes from God, then everybody deserves what they need.That’s it.
Everything else is just organizing how to do it.Of course the proposed health care system isn’t perfect. But I demand that if you have a complaint you also present a better idea. If all you do is tell people what they’re doing wrong then I consider you to be a drain on society and worthless to any discussion.
Finally, my hope is for a return to civility. Let’s not ostracize those whose views are opposed to ours, but instead try to understand. If anything let us fight against those who hold views in the extreme! When representative Wilson shouted “You Lie!” in the middle of a speech by President Obama, he attacked not only the man whose values he disagreed with, but also the office of the President, the dignity of the congress, and our system of government itself. Didn’t he realize he was insulting not only the man, but the millions who actively voted for him, as well as all those who died to protect our right to even have the office of the president?
Of course not. All he could think about was fighting.
We, as a people, need to regain our grip on civility. We must remember that when our soldiers fight and die it is for the system of government for which they perish. We say it till it becomes almost trite: “they fight for our freedoms.” Why can’t we seem to recognize that freedom comes with a price to be paid by every citizen? It’s not just the blood of soldiers that allows us to cast our ballots, to speak our minds, and to change our lives at will; but it’s the suffering of each of us in turn as we all find at some time or another that the election didn’t go our way, or that the bank foreclosed on us, or that our business failed, and so on.
A life of freedom means a life of obligation and sacrifice as well; and never a life of complete entitlement.
Yet as we think about these truths we must remember how much higher we fly, how much brighter we shine, as a nation united in seeking mutual benefit over partisan politics. Our sacrifices lift us higher, and our mistakes don’t bind us when we remember to embrace the ideals of unity and harmony that were laid down as the foundation of this, the greatest country on the earth today.
So when the vote doesn’t go your way, stop griping. Don’t say such hateful things as “so-and-so is going to destroy the country.” Instead consider saying “I’m glad the system still lets even those I disagree with have a voice.” Then go to work with them and improve the world.
I thank God for a system that allows us to change and grow, even when some of us don’t want to. I’m grateful that I can choose to help and be helped; that I can be so much more because I am a one of many. Let’s not divide ourselves, but look for ways to unify.
-Greg
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A profound question!
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WatchMen Opening Credits/Alternate History
I wonder if I am the only one on this site who found himself in a late night screening of Watchmen on Thursday or Friday of last week…
Anyway, I really enjoyed the montage in the beginning of the film that sets up the alternate history. It was a very creative touch to bring the audience up to speed, set to “Times They are a-Changing” by Bob Dylan. The Watchmen opening credits clip can be seen here for the time being. If that link doesn’t work, you may find a new clip of it on YouTube that has not yet been removed because of its copyrighted status. The few I found were taken down in a matter of hours.
I just wanted to comment on some of the things in that montage. You see, the trouble with doing an alternate history is that it may be lost on those who are not familiar with actual history. I found that many of the people waiting in line with me were barely old enough to get a ticket. Many were clearly not versed in historical Americana. For example, I started laughing as soon as I saw Silhoutte walking up to the nurse after you see the “Japan Surrenders” headline on V-J day. The scene is an alternate history/parody of the sailor kissing the nurse in the famous WWII picture below (notice that the sailor was in the background of the montage scene). But I awkwardly found that I was the only one laughing until she planted a smooch on the nurses lips. I think they were laughing only because they saw two girls kiss. Haha. Lesbians.
Image taken the day victory was declared over Japan, ending the war. I also read a comment on Youtube to effect that the writer was disturbed by the image of the girl putting a flower in the barrel of a gun, then getting shot. That’s understandable, but he seemed oblivious of the actual historical significance of that image. It is from another famous war picture, shown below. Because of the similarity between the image below and the film shot in watchmen, I think I had better make clear that in reality the soldiers did not open fire. That too is alternate history.
Picture taken at 1967 war protest outside the Pentagon. It became a symbol of the innocence of the peace movement on one hand, and the disproportionate use of force by the government on the other. On a finer point, The JFK assassination has some noticeable differences with actual history (like the Comedian being the second gunman on the grassy knoll–a nice touch). If you watch the original footage, JFK’s head whips forward and the blood mist is to his front. The reenactment makes his head whip backward, and I think I can see blood spraying out behind him along the back of the car. This of course makes it appear that the shot came from the grassy knoll to JFK’s front, instead of coming from the book depository to his rear. I also like how the Comedian puffs his cigar right before he leaves, a possible reference to witnesses claiming to see smoke coming from the grassy knoll.
If you’re interested, here’s an ABC special that debunks the second gunman theory:
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Things could get better. But they could get much, much worse: An economic preview and personal convicitons.
The Great Wave Are you sick of this yet? Even if you’re unaffected by the recession of late, it’s likely you’re sick of the news, commentary, posturing, and problems. I know I am.
Yet I can’t seem to let it go. As a culture, I think, we all tend to look for some as-of-yet undefined, great, “The End,” somewhere ahead – a cataclysmic final page to the story of the individual, nation, or world. It’s built into our upbringing as Americans. And, just as I did during the first few days after September 11, 2001; I find myself wondering, “Is this it? This time?” And though I find myself feeling more worried over time instead of less, I still feel confident in answering, “Nope.”
Similarly, I’ve been asking myself over the past few months “Is it over yet? Is this it? Is now the time when things start turning around?” Agian, I feel some level of confidence in answering, “Nope.” What I want to do is tell you why I think that way.
The problems we face today, I feel, are caused by two problems with the great American economy. They are specifically that we embrace debt, and that certain parts of the American Lifestyle grow in expense faster than the average earnings of the average American. This second problem simply feeds the first, as we buy on credit so we can have the things we can’t truly afford. We do this again and again for things as basic as insurance coverage to cars, homes, groceries, and any number of other things. Eventually our flow of income is completely diverted to other sources and bills start going unpaid. The once profitable flow of cash and income turns back upon itself in a crushing wave of debt.
Because Debt and payment plans in general are such a basic part of the American Lifestyle it’s become an investable and insurable asset in the economy. But when this debt wave began to crest and break, those companies who invested heavily in debt instruments found themselves suddenly worthless. (An example, I recently read that insurance giant The Hartford has a stock value now less than the actual value of it’s vast cash reserves. Wild.)
It’s been a rough ride so far. I’ve worked with several young families who one week had plans to begin their retirement investment program, or insurance program; and the next week they call to say they’ve lost their jobs and will be moving home with mom and dad. (Mom and dad are usually in pretty dire situations, too.)
The big problem is that there are certain parts of the average American’s budget which grow bigger and bigger each year or each generation. These monsters eventually consume the rest of the budget and force the individual into insolvency. These are especially: The cost of Health Care, which inflates at about 7% per year (or doubles in cost every 10 years if you want to think of it that way) and which increases as a person ages; the cost of housing, which, on average, inflates at about 5% per year; and the cost of an advanced education, which costs, on average, 7% more each year.
Most people only gain about 3% per year on their income. Do you see the problem here?
With the help of the recent government plans and bailouts, etc, there could be an end to the current financial crisis very soon. Things could get better. But it could get much much worse. Here’s how:
The U.S. Government is just like an individual in some ways. The Government also has a budget, has ongoing financial obligations, and carries a huge amount of debt. In recent times, that ebb and flow of income and payments has remained essentially in balance – though there are always those who disagree.
However, by the end of the next decade, a massive swell is moving down the pipe. For most of us, we’re hoping that if we ignore it it will go away. It wont. It’s the cost of social security, medicaid and medicare. In about ten more years the monster of health care doubling yet again plus the huge amount of retirees combine to completely devour the federal budget as it is today.
There are only two outcomes: the federal aid programs continue, thus necessitating a vast tax increase; or the federal aid programs are diminished, thus requiring each individual to care for his or her own families’ needs.
It is most likely, in my opinion, that the government will write itself a credit line, trying to swallow up this problem in a long stream of gulps rather than all at once. More credit means a much larger debt payment in the budget. More payments means more taxes and cut programs.
Now imagine for yourself – your health care costs have more than doubled as you are now 10 years more unhealthy and health care costs have inflated at 7%. Your children’s education now costs twice as much as it does today. And your tax bill has just increased.
Add to those the car payment, house payment, utilities, and other living expenses. Will you have enough to even get by?
Now imagine if this begins to happen today. More debts go unpaid. More banks become insolvent and start to call in the debts they’re owed by the average cardholder. The cycle continues and industry after industry fails.
In reality, these things have been going on bit by bit for a long time and will continue long after we’re through the current crisis. It is unlikely that the ’08-’09 recession will suddenly be driven into a second great depression. If things get worse it will probably be gradual and will take place after the recovery from our current recession. Putting off problems is our national pastime today just as it has been for the past century or so.
(It’s no wonder, then, that the youth of today have to take on more and more debt to get through college. Nor, then, should it be a surprise that people are choosing to live with their parents for decades longer than they did a generation ago, or that the last thing a person does before leaving this world is to devour all their estate on paying for the high cost of long term care and other medical needs. But I get off subject.)
The answer to this impending crisis, both individually and in a worldwide sense, is to avoid debt. If, as a society, we weren’t clamoring for bigger and better homes than our parents and their parents had, and if banks hadn’t been willing to give it to us, treating debt like an unfailing and perfect resource, it would not have come to this.
Avoid debt as much as you can. Save up for yourself. Only those who aren’t already stretched to their budgetary limits will survive if this next wave comes crashing down.
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Here’s a nice blog by a nice guy.
While at work and spending time researching companies and industries in the area, I found a link from a local recording studio to No Sweat Apparel, and the blog of the owner, Adam Neiman. In his most recent post he discusses how being a Jew and the election of Barak Obama have inter-played in unexpected ways. It’s worth a read.
Other entries on his blog were also very insightful and well written. I recommend you check it out.
-Greg
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Six Mile Village 