We Are Deep In the Heart of Texas

Nomadic seasons of farming adventures with nature thrown in to include; a pinch of family, snippets of friends, counting our blessings, paying IT forward, home school, and the spicy things I decide to rant about.















Wednesday, September 21, 2011

So What Will Be the Next Bubble?

Our economy has seen the credit (banking) market basically dry up and the housing market is barely limping along.  Lately, I have been wondering what will be the next market to take a direct hit and in my opinion there are three for profit markets that are next to be hit:  Education, Food, and Fuel.  

In our family, we have felt the affects of going to college (trade school) and upon graduation with honors two of two have not been able to find jobs in their given fields for over 1 year.  In the mean time, both had to pay for their education by taking a job outside their ideal career path.  Given, eventually both found work to support their families. 

Yet, what each did not foresee was the need to keep educating themselves because in this day and age;

it is not only what you know today but, what you need to know tomorrow along with -- who you know right now to get a job. 

Today's college graduates are not really looking at the market to see which areas are really growing or need fresh graduates.  Nope, instead for profits schools are pimping pipe-dreams (gathering profits) say in Journalism, Business Administration, basket weaving instead of; equipping students with real knowledge about expanding markets for those with heavy backgrounds in: economics, financial, and engineering. 

Secondly, as America's manufacturing jobs moved overseas because of the high cost of US wage earners.  Big Corps did not foresee foreign markets not only killing the American work force but, concurrently losing their employees' innovation to improve their processes and technology.  Meaning, Big Corps shot themselves in the foot now that wages are rising 20 to 40% per year for a foreign work force. Big Corps did not count on the volatility of the foreign market place. (I guess they did not pay attention to what happened to American economy growth in the 50 and 60s?) 

So Big Corps are left with moving back to the US to keep themselves flush and their hold on innovation because the wages in America hold pretty darn steady.  The sad but true fact is Americans earn less now than say in the 90s.  Here is the final straw, as Big Corps move back manufacturing on American soil; will they find a work force that will be willing to kow tow and build widget even though the worker has a degree in say: Journalism, Business Admin, or basket weaving?  Just think of how much training those workers will need; who no longer have a background in assembly line work. It will be a sharp learning curve for both Big Corps and the American work force. 

Food prices are going to continue to soar as the effects of Mother Nature come into play with floods, droughts, fires, and other over the top events.  So what should we do?  We have agumented with small garden beds and stock piling non-perisishables (only when on sale and with coupon) to build up our larder. I am so against Monsanto and its GMO grains which requires the pesticide Round Up to grow.  Any time for pro-fit starts messing with DNA and Bio-Diversity to wage war on small farmers; those who will be buying the end product so take heed.  Because not only are products on the market today; the consumer may be eating food that is not truly a food as nature intended.  Just saying.........

Fuel, If you have been following the news around the world then you should be noticing a pattern.  This is one of the last areas the "Haves" (big oil companies) are digging in deep.  Yes there is a lot of growth in Texas right now for building pipelines and fracking for natural gas, oil, and coal seam gas. What surprises me is folks who have gotten paid by these companies have no compunction for their neighbors or even their property's future --- folks are just so desparate to get paid they are basically signing away their birth rights.  What chaps my hide is:  we have only 5 acres so if neurotic neighbor man next door decides to lease to an Oil Company near our property line?  Well he can and there is nothing we can do about ground water contamination, chemical accumulation, or the noise. 

So get this America ---

not only do you work for THE MAN for lower wages, you buy His Cars on loan, use and over spend on His credit cards & bank loans, eat His genectically engineered grain, accquire mercer or give birth in for-profit hospitals, burn His fuel to get to work/live but, you also live in the houses He owns.  Now given my cynicism -- just push my horrible outlook over to the side; what are we going to do as the serfs around this horrible kingdom of Oz?

PS.  I am also sick of the American Media. LOL go figure.

PPS.  You can lead a horse to water but, you can not make him think. 

8 comments:

Sharon said...

Believe somebody is bringing out 'the bubble' machine. Some days I don't think we stand a chance.

John Going Gently said...

my toe is better for your concern
xxx

Jennifer said...

Great post and these things worry me too. It just doesn't seem like things are getting any better at all, in fact they are getting worse. The price of food certainly is going up.

Tali said...

Great post! My oldest is about to graduate this year and I'm so worried about what she's going to do next.

Yonassan Gershom said...

It's a toss-up between gas & food, I think. Both are hitting us very hard -- not to mention heating our house this winter. Education is also a biggie. Seems like we are heading for a perfect storm...

Nekkid Chicken said...

Sharon, I think they are mixing up more than just a bubble bath. LOL Thanks for commenting!

Awe John, Hugs you chicken hugger!

Jen, I have been watching the market and political scene closely for about 10 years now. I just don't understand why the major media outlets are not informing the public better than it is. Oh, wait a tick --- that is because they are owned by big corporations. LOL

Nekkid Chicken said...

Tali, I know you are worried about her. Just tell her to never rest on her laurels and to keep climbing the educational ladder ---- don't settle on one thing.

Rooster, I concur a perfect storm is brewing.

Hugs to all who pass here,
Mal

Kids and Canning Jars said...

I also think it has hard to want to help people who do not want to help them selves. They just want a free hand out from our government or families. I think also that if you cannot prove you are a U.S citizen then you get NO government assistance. Not from our tax dollars. Get help from your own government. Oh , wait they do not do that!!! That is why they came here. Thus, affecting all the monies you have just complained about....Go figure. We help everyone more than ourselves. Again thank you for your service to our country. Melissa