The Wall Street stock market crash of 1929 is generally blamed for kicking off the global depression that followed it. However, the crash was the direct result of inflated stock values not just in the US but everywhere. That balloon was so overinflated that it took very little for it to pop.
Holland went through a depression starting in 1637 resulting from over-speculation in the tulip market. Tulip bulbs were selling as high as $60,000 a bulb before reality settled in, and people all over Europe lost fortunes they’d invested.

Without going into detail, here’s a list of our nations worst times over “recent” history:

1819, 1832, 1836, Six Year Depression 1837-1843, the Panic of 1857, depression of 1869-1871, panic of 1873, the Depression of 1893, which was one of the worst in American history with the unemployment rate exceeding ten percent for half a decade, the panic of 1901 and the stock market crash of 1929.

Then we have minor and major recessions that fell short, some just barely, of being called depressions in every single decade since 1945, with the one under George Bush Sr. being the worst, in the early ’90’s, until this latest one under his son, George W. Bush. Economies NEVER remain static, they always cycle like seasons or phases of the Moon.

Wars are the same way. Because economies rise, standards of living rise too, and populations boom. Everyone’s heard the expression “Babyboomers”, the surplus of children born during boom times. Then along come the bust times, the economic fires die back down and many of those “Boomers” find themselves standing in bread lines.

Governments intent on dominating their neighbors seize on these bust times to draft all those unemployed men into military service and then go to war. A prime example of this is the “Axis” that formed between Germany, Italy and Japan in 1938 at the height of the Great Depression and the great World War that followed as these nations set out to conquer the world.

Once again, unemployment worldwide is growing rapidly after a long period of prosperity during which world populations have massively increased. Today we have Boomers who are the parents of Boomers who are parents themselves, and the world’s economy is tanking at the same time that violent Islamist movements are proliferating, backed by Islamist nations such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran.

Islamism is a worse form of Fascism than Hitlers Naziism or the Fascism practiced by Mussolini and the Japanese, and is possibly even more fanatical. There seems to be no way of stopping it from spreading and the violence increasing, and they’re aggressively pursuing nuclear weapons. War with these Islamist nations is inevitable as their goal is the same old goal as the Axis, to conquer the world.

The stage is getting well set and most of the props are in place. Wars have always been used to use up excess population and gain territory at the same time. Wars can bring some nations out of poverty while making paupers of rich ones. It all depends on who wins and how much damage is incurred.

We’ve entered into another down cycle that will eventually upcycle again. We’ve entered into another war cycle also. Both are just beginning. Prudent people will do well to make appropriate preparations.

After searching for some time through the various news media for something humorous or just plain interesting and having no luck at all, I finally found this little gem, which is about the UN finally taking on the issue of Chinas’ Human Rights record.

Now, before I give you the details of their findings, bear in mind that the rulers of China have committed forced abortions on hundreds of thousands of women, literally cutting them open, Ceasarian Section, removing the baby and killing it, to enforce the 2-child only law. It was them who had protesters run over by tanks in Tianamen Square for wanting democracy. They are the ones who have prisons filled with political prisoners who endure forced labor, slavery, for voicing discontent with the system.

The list goes on, but that should suffice. Now for the findings of the UN:

“Opinion was definitely in China’s favor as country after country took the floor to praise China’s achievements.”

“During the course of the three-hour debate, China was praised for its astounding economic feats and promotion of human rights. A long list of speakers supported China’s use of the death penalty and Internet censorship.”

Most of those in support of China are Middle Eastern nations, which is no surprise. Birds of a feather. A few Western diplomats spoke up about Chinas’ abuses, but not much fuss was made. “The Canadian representative, Louis-Martin Aumais questioned China about its alleged use of evidence obtained under torture and its treatment of political prisoners.

“Canada is deeply concerned about reports of arbitrary detention of ethnic minority members, including Tibetans, Uighurs, and Mongols, as well as religious believers including Falun Gong practitioners without information about their charges, their location and well being,” he said.

This is our wonderful United Nations in action. At the end of the session, a parade of Chinese experts answered questions regarding its treatment of ethnic minorities, Tibetans, and human rights defenders. They assured the delegates at the Council that their rights, as well as the right to religious freedom and assembly were well protected.

Why, hey, good enough then. I mean, if you say so, then it must be true. (Ha ha ha, snicker.)

In another humorous display of Chinese good naturedness, as a huge new and incredibly expensive building in downtown Beijing burned from bottom to top during Chinese New Years celebrations, area residents continued to shoot off fireworks nearby, ignoring the towering, flaming catastrophe that was probably caused by the stuff they were igniting.

Now, that’s what I call partying.

Since everyone else is second-guessing the Israeli plan of action in Gaza, I’d be remiss in not joining in.

It seems to me to be simple logic that Israel will reoccupy Gaza on a pretty much permanent basis. The fact is, the only way to defeat Hamas and ensure no more rocket attacks is to be right in the middle of them. The leaders of Hamas are proven cowards, as they use women and children, non-combatants, as human shields, and their cowardice is the weak point that will enable the Israelis to eventually win out.

The Muslim way of controlling the people has always been through fear and Hamas is no different. The majority of Gazans are afraid of them regardless of how much they may hate the Jews, and they’re all tired of the years of hardship and deprivation because of Hamas’ impossible goal. Hamas can never defeat Israel and the people know it.

People follow leaders best when their leaders are in the forefront of battle. At least, standing on some hypothetical promontory overlooking the battle and directing it. The Hamas leaders are nowhere to be found right now. They’re all issuing orders from hiding and letting their recruits do their fighting for them. This tells me that if the leaders are disposed of, there will be no more Hamas, so the obvious thing for Israel to do is establish a strong occupation of the Gaza Strip and then seek out and kill those Hamas leaders as rapidly as possible.

I know exactly what will happen, too. They’ll run to Jordan and Syria and hide, which won’t do them any good at all if they continue to instigate, as the Israelis will find them and take them out no matter where they run.

Meanwhile, with Israel back in control of Gaza, and with the Hamas leadership either dead or on the run, the rocket attacks will cease and eventually some sort of accord can be reached for peaceful coexistence, as the general population would welcome peace with Israel whether they’d ever admit that or not.

The key to solving this problem is the occupation of Gaza. When Israel controlled the Gaza Strip, things were relatively peaceful. It was international pressure that convinced Israel to withdraw, and the results of listening to those who have only Israels worst interests at heart has perhaps finally show Israel the light.

So my guess is that this will end with a long-term occupation by Israel of Gaza. Sure hope I’m right.