Despite Recession, Things Aren't That Bad

I think that most people are tuning into the news these days and seeing too much negativity directed at the economy. Of course the news media tends to focus on stories that are stressful to consumers but people need to remember to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Everyone is hearing terms like "crisis" and "recession" and comparisons to The Great Depression everywhere in the news media. All this negativity is making its way into social circles at work and at home with people wondering "when is America going to crash?"

The economic problem looks so devastatingly terrible for Americans because that is what people are focused on at this moment. U.S. operations in Iraq are going swimmingly so there isn't much of a story there and it is only natural that we shift our attention to the next issue of concern. But I have to say, although it is an issue of concern, things really aren't that bad. Americans are still on the top, globally speaking and on the whole. While children are still starving in Africa fat Americans are still able to visit their favorite fast food restaurants and gorge their gullets...and at a cheaper price too! With this whole economic crisis going on consumers are more reluctant to spend money and many businesses are offering super deals from everything from food to airfare. I'm going on vacation to China in May and I purchased round trip tickets to fly there for under $800. That's a steal, and with the U.S. dollar still outmatching the ever growing Chinese yuan 6.82 - 1 I expect a great trip at a very reasonable price.

Still the unemployment rate is up and is higher than it has been since the 1980s. More people in the U.S. are seeking aid from the government and charities to keep themselves and their families afloat. Businesses are going bankrupt and many businesses are in the red leaving many entrepreneurs uncertain about their futures. People are losing their homes because they cannot afford them any longer, and the list goes on.

Though the unemployment rate is up in the U.S. it is still lower than that of some European countries. The very countries which maintain a comparable standard of living to the U.S.'s are also watching the U.S. dollar gain over their Euro. Big businesses like AIG, Circuit City, and the American auto industry are barely hanging on having to cut costs by laying off employees, closing businesses, limiting resources, issuing pay cuts, and borrowing from the federal government. Yet, most businesses are doing okay and many are actually doing quite well. Discount stores like Wal-Mart along with food industry companies are some of the companies doing well in this economy.

What's happened? People are wasting less because they are feeling pinched. Businesses are offering great deals to consumers still buying. And most people, MOST people in America, are doing fine. Though people have lost their jobs or their homes because of hard economic times and are barely eking out an existence people forget that even in times of great prosperity there will still be people who lose their homes or get laid off. So, whether it happens in a recession or not it still sucks for those affected. Americans still have it great. We can still drive our huge cars, eat out at restaurants - though "we've had to cut back to only once a month", and spend more time at home enjoying the simple pleasures in life like reading or spending more time with the family.

No one is starving in the U.S. No one is tossed out of house an office without some place to turn. The only problem is that our expectations are much higher than the rest of the world's population. We expect more. We are used to living such lavish lifestyles and when we have to give a bit of it up it breaks our corroded little hearts. Being born an American today is like hitting the lottery of existence in this world. Just be happy that you weren't born in Nigeria, The Democratic Rep. of The Congo, N. Korea, the slums of India, or any other struggling country or society.