If you were a general sitting in the Pentagon it is doubtful you would be concerned about refugees from the largest economic destabilization in recent history, the substantial number of people who are homeless from a foreclosure “market”, and the budding tent cities outside of metropolitan areas. Even if this is happening in the United States. Recent reports in the media sensationalistic at least have illuminated the growing refugee crisis as joblessness and homelessness (scratch that) as people without jobs or homes continue to expand as a population.
A concerned tactictician might consider using the model of the “Great Depression” to coordinate a strategy of how to the swelling ranks of disenfranchised. The reluctance to do so though is fairly common. People who lived through the “Great Depression” don’t think of it as a titled event in history, but as a period of hardship that was endured rather then celebrated. Considering the currentness of events we are likely to close to the events in question to have a good grasp of the significance or historical nature. Perhaps today is nothing worse than a decade ago, or a few years ago, but as all this to shall past. Our strategy perhaps is simply to endure and let history find a place to shuffle our memories into a bin of description.
The fact remains that economic collapse if it is occurring is not likely to happen at some rapid pace that is even noticed by the main-stream-media. Collapse happens at a glacial pace and has many fits and starts. The “Great Depression” likely has roots in World War 1, and even in the politics and taxing strategies of the Spanish American War. Not to blame war for those issues, but they make good touchstones on the politics of the time.
Last night a news commentator off handed mentioned that June 2008 was the worst fall of the stock market since the great depression. The information was glibly reported with no connotation that it might be of import.
I’ve written previously about economic collapse that term has some descriptive power, but now with the dollar falling even further, trade imbalances growing, and with a few months of clear thinking between the now and the then. We can see that the hinges of the economy are being undone as a company previously trading in the $40 range was sold off on government credit for $2 a share to a competitor. Using a depression era law to facilitate the rapid sale, and in hopes of shoring up the economy. When the old tools get used, you can make assumptions you might be dealing with old problems. Economies are run on the common idea/concept of shared trust in the relative value of money and goods and the future prospects of the economy.
A strategic thinker might be considering how to handle a sudden migratory population, how to insure people will get fed, how to get all those suddenly idle hands to work, and what the erosion of a working class means during a sensationalist election cycle. Be prepared for the eventualities. A tactical thinker would be building tools sets, response plans, and preparing to implement and activate those plans. Hopefully, the strategic thinker is thinking beyond subjugation and considering facilitation.
My concern is that within the political arena nobody is paying attention to the raucous realities of a world that doesn’t care about who wins the presidential race, but definitely would like to reap the rewards of a failing American economy. Tactically the subjugation of an American economy makes sense, and regardless of the long term implications we should not expect others to decry such. Why should others worry about the long term effects on the world when we rarely do?
The economy is staggering, but there is little reporting in the 18 minutes of national news a night other than “tighten your belt”. There is a certain level of disbelief and disregard for the current situation mixed with a taint of panic and those who cry wolf. Strategically decisions will need to be made in the near future that may be harsh and would never have been considered before.