In his new book published last November*, author Thom Hartmann lays out a certain history of America in which he says about every eighty years there is a major economic crash followed by a major war. For my purposes now I am not so concerned about the wars, but I am greatly concerned about the economic crashes.
We are, says Hartmann, headed for another major crash. And this certainly goes along with other experts such as the writers of Aftershock, already referenced here. The point Hartmann makes about the Great Forgetting following the Great Depression rings true, sadly. Those who remember the Great Depression now, though not few in number, are an increasingly smaller proportion of the population and many alive now who do remember the Great Depression were too young to understand its true meaning. Thus a book like Hartmann's is very important.
Yesterday, I obtained my own copy of this landmark new book and have begun reading it in earnest. I am very happy with the book so far, grateful for its attention to the economic plight of average citizens and grateful for its clear recounting of such things as the difference of opinion between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson as found in their exchange of letters.
The main test of the book and of our times will be how well we learn from history and whether we are able to stem the tide of the march to disaster which at this point seems so inevitable.
In coming days I hope to have more hopeful things to say on this subject.
The Crash of 2016. Twelve Publishing. 2013
We are, says Hartmann, headed for another major crash. And this certainly goes along with other experts such as the writers of Aftershock, already referenced here. The point Hartmann makes about the Great Forgetting following the Great Depression rings true, sadly. Those who remember the Great Depression now, though not few in number, are an increasingly smaller proportion of the population and many alive now who do remember the Great Depression were too young to understand its true meaning. Thus a book like Hartmann's is very important.
Yesterday, I obtained my own copy of this landmark new book and have begun reading it in earnest. I am very happy with the book so far, grateful for its attention to the economic plight of average citizens and grateful for its clear recounting of such things as the difference of opinion between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson as found in their exchange of letters.
The main test of the book and of our times will be how well we learn from history and whether we are able to stem the tide of the march to disaster which at this point seems so inevitable.
In coming days I hope to have more hopeful things to say on this subject.
The Crash of 2016. Twelve Publishing. 2013
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