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Proyecto Visión 21

What can you do when the world you know is collapsing?

It should be clear that what is happening in the United States and in the rest of the world goes beyond a “simple crisis.” This situation could generate the collapse of the lifestyle many of us love to enjoy, or -perhaps even better- are spoiled to have.

This is not the end of the world. Jerusalem, Rome, and Cairo, to name just a few cities, were conquered and destroyed many times. However, they still exist.

Japan and Germany were defeated in a destructive war, but both countries later recovered. Spain, England, and France lost the empires they used to have a couple of centuries ago. But those countries still maintain their independence and offer a good standard of living for their citizens.

I have no doubts we will overcome the crisis. But that does not mean we will return to the happy, old, prosperous, and almost innocent times of the 90’s. Terrorism, two wars, and global challenges will not allow us to do it.

We will find the solution to this crisis only when people themselves react and become aware that it makes no sense to ask the same persons who created the crisis (regardless of they political or company affiliations) to solve the crisis they created.

Meanwhile, news reports say in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and in Las Vegas, Nevada, there are tent cities created by people who are unable to find where to live. And a recent report from Albuquerque, New Mexico, said there are many families now living in self-storage units, because they can’t afford to rent an apartment.

In other cities there are public schools that may be forced to close because, due to the high rate of foreclosures and empty homes, those cities receive less property taxes, and not enough to keep their schools open.

In addition, the fact that the economic rescue plan for America needs billions of dollars means only one thing: the value of the dollar is now a thousand times less than what it used to be.

An honest government will clearly say so and it will print new money with three less zeros, as Germany and Argentina had to do during hyper-inflation times.

But, unfortunately, we don’t have an honest government, regardless of who is in control of the White House or Congress. For example, food and energy are not included in the inflation index. And if a person is no longer receiving his or her unemployment benefits, he or she is no longer counted as unemployed, even if that person is not working.

In other words, inflation and unemployment in this country are higher than the official numbers. So we don’t even know the real magnitude of this crisis.

What is all this leading us to? According to a story by AP, the crisis is leading us to violence and desperation. (“As Economy Sinks, Officials Fear Violent Solutions,” Oct. 13, 200 .

Will that be our only answer? I hope not. Even when the world is collapsing, our principles should not.

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