My turn on the soapbox

OK my friend, YOU were the one up on the soap box; now it's my turn:

I agree that Obama inherited a HUGE mess, one that dates back many decades. I'm just an engineer and not a historian or economist, but I can see its roots in the New Deal, which started the shift from "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" to entitlements that we couldn't afford. Then we had Nixon taking us off the gold standard and we started borrowing money instead of living within our means. From there we went to Jimmy Carter and his "fair housing" and "energy independence" for which we're just receiving the bill. We can fast forward through Reagan's deficit spending and Clinton's gutting of the military and semi-"privatization" of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Then we had Bush Jr. running two simultaneous wars on credit cards and leaving office "giving us the bird" with a trillion dollar TARP.

So yes, Obama inherited a HUMONGOUS mess, and one that he is apparently intent on worsening. He spent more money in his first quarter in office than his predecessor managed to burn through in two terms. Now he wants to socialize our banking system, industry, and energy sectors?! Oh sure, because that's worked so well in the other communist countries who have already tried that formula. Our dollar is so battered that we bought our own bonds this week (if you or I did that we'd be arrested for check kiting) and China has just called for getting off the dollar for international trade (and can you blame them?). So now that we've had our credit cards cut up because we've been so irresponsible for the past three decades, we're printing money with no backing. That can only mean we're in for hyper-inflation and total financial collapse, probably before the end of this calendar year. And all I see Obama doing is throwing gasoline on this fire stoked by his predecessors (there being NO substantive difference between presidents and congresses of either party in my lifetime.) So, I'm in the process of divesting my stocks and bonds and hoarding food, garden seeds, fuel, firearms, and ammunition; and I recommend you do the same my friend.

OK - I'll get off my soap box now and desperately hope you can tell me why I'm wrong and why Obama is going to fix a problem that has only mushroomed after being planted and fertilized for at least 80 years. I would really prefer to going back to "life as usual" and I'd like you tell me that's going to happen and how.