Pylimitics

Today is a Thursday, but in 1929 October 29th was a Tuesday. That came to be known as “black Tuesday,” and it pretty much marks the beginning of the Great Depression.

It’s still called the “great” depression, but it’s far from the only one. The US flavor of capitalism seems to be particularly vulnerable to economic disasters. There weren’t any comprehensive statistics gathered until relatively recently, but there have been as many as 48 recessions and depressions in the history of this country. On the average, that’s one every five years. And yet we continue to put up with this nonsense, and meekly believe the things we’re told. “It’s the business cycle, nothing can be done.”

Tell that to Australia, which has gone 28 years without a recession. Or Vietnam; 30 years. Cambodia, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan have resisted the bust cycle pretty successfully too.

Puts me in mind of “School shootings? Nothing can be done.” And so it goes.