While mainstream pundits and economists are now realizing the precipitous cliff of sand the United States teeters on, few will mention bad trade policy being one of the causes.

Newsweek's cover story, The Road to Recession we are starting to see mainstream economic pundits realize the U.S. is in much more serious trouble as implied by this foreboding Newsweek article title U.S. Economy at the Guillotine

The Great Global Market Freak-Out of 2008 has everyone asking whether the United States—already on the road to recession—is entering into a protracted period of economic trouble where jobs will be slashed, prices will continue to rise and the dollar will keep falling; and if so, whether the declining U.S. economy will pull the rest of the world down with it

^{This article is one in a series from the Manufacturing & Technology News Articles}

In just the past seven years, U.S. household debt almost doubled and federal debt soared by near two-thirds, rocketing by a combined $10.5 trillion. The total combined debt of households ($14.4 trillion) and the federal government ($9.2 trillion) is now 168 percent of GDP, far higher even than in the brief spike during World War II. All other levels and ratios of debt also have soared far beyond any past precedent.

Yet, this record-shattering explosion of debt stimulus created the weakest seven-year job growth (4.4 percent) and one of the weakest periods of real GDP growth (18.1 percent) since the Depression: less than 6 million new jobs ($1.8 million of debt per job) and a mere $4 trillion increase in GDP.

Today we have a new economic stimulus plan revealed.

The $150 Billion dollar package consists of:

• $300 to $1200 dollar one time June tax rebate - for anyone who earned at least $3000.00 in W2 type wages. Nothing mentioned about temporary 1099-misc. workers or small business owners who are hit the hardest often in a recession and cannot collect unemployment insurance
• Allows Fannie Mae/Fannie Mac to buy out up to $626,000 dollar mortgages temporarily up for $416,000
• Large businesses can take a 50% additional tax exemption on new capital expenditures

Martin Luther King, Jr delivered this speech in Atlanta, Georgia at the Southern Christian Leadership Council. I heard an excerpt of it yesterday on the new Sirius Left radio show of Dave Marsh called The Land of Hope and Dreams. I then went on line and got a copy of it. Well, it's another eye opener and it's another reminder of the paucity of ideas and the lack of eloquence in our politics today.

King talked in terms of philosophy not ideology. He spoke of Engels, Marx and Trotsky and how they got it wrong and then explains it by using the philosopher Hegel and Jesus. Communism forgets the individual and Capitalism forgets the social. God, I love that. I've often used a bit of Hegel on my weekly radio showin Bozeman, Montana; Uncle Thesis, and Auntie Thesis begetting little Syni Thesis. This is for what I hunger and thirst; real discourse and uplifting rhetoric. Not more weasel words and management speak.
This particular passage hit me between the eyes:

Have you ever noticed that the only attention Americans get from this administration is when they stop shopping?

Bush announced a $145B Economic Stimulus plan that is in the form of tax rebates. He wants to put a whopping $800 dollars into the pocket of every single tax paying American.

Even Bruce Barltett, a former Bush administration member, said: