Are Hard Times Really Coming?

How often do you see posts for “living in hard times” or the “coming hard times” or something like that? I might see a new post like that once a week or so. But, are these folks right? Are hard times REALLY coming?

After all, one might suggest that things are great for most of us here in America. Sure there are exceptions but, for the vast majority of Americans, maybe you shouldn’t complain…

Water and Food

Think about how easy it is to get water. You just turn on the tap and, voila, out it comes! Despite the occasional problems such as with Flint’s water crisis or the the Ohio algae bloom a year or two back, you probably never think twice about your water. Water is simply at our fingertips 24/7.

Food is about the same. We’re living in an unprecedented age of food production, one never before seen in history. How much longer can we keep this up? I don’t know but for the time being…

We can buy a boat-load of food at our local grocery stores, purchase a variety of foods out of season, buy meals at dozens of different restaurants and fast food joints… vending machines are stocked full of it. Heck, even the Ferry rides to get to Seattle will feed me should I desire; Heaven-forbid I can’t take a 30 minute boat ride without eating. Yes, food is abundant here in America.

Shelter and Travel

Most of us have our pick of where we want to live (within reasonable driving distance, of course), what type of home to own (single family, duplex, condo, apartment, etc.), and if we’re not happy we’re just a zillow.com search away from finding our dream home. Moreover, there’s little worry about structural stability for most homes as it’s not like they’re going to collapse tomorrow, even in an earthquake. Utilities are expected to be provided and if the power goes out for more than two hours people are grouchy.

Travel is a piece of cake too. Most of us have reliable vehicles, a fairly good network of roads to get anywhere we like across the nation, gas stations are seemingly everywhere, and if we don’t want to drive we can take the bus, train, subway, airplane, motorcycle, or even the lowly bicycle. It couldn’t be easier most of the time to get around.

Medical Care

Got a stuffy nose? See the nearby Urgent Care.

Not sure what that bump is on your shoulder? There’s a Dermatologist for that.

Need your teeth cleaned? Throw a rock and you’ll hit at least a dozen dentists.

How about an appendectomy? Yup, got you covered.

And with me being forced to buy Obamacare… I’m covered too… well, maybe not quite like I was hoping for. 😉

The point is that we have an abundance of healthcare options around. Babies rarely die and it’s shocking to us when modern medicine can’t fix a problem. There was a time when people routinely died young, folks had big families because of expected infant deaths, and medicine was dispensed by your local Barber.

Security

According to this post (and the accompanying book) we’re actually living in a age of declining violence. Sure, it doesn’t feel like that at times but, let me ask you: when’s the last time you were actually afraid to go out of your home, to travel around town, or mingle in public places because you genuinely feared for your life?

I’d be surprised if you ever did. Granted, I know bad things can and do happen to good people but, unless you live in the slums, odds are you’re fairly safe to leave your home. Heck, I still know people who don’t lock their car doors and some who don’t even lock their homes at night.

Compared to days of yesteryear we’re apparently quite safe as a whole, as a society.

Money

Now, I’ll be the first to tell you that I truly don’t have enough money, ever. But it seems to me that whatever your financial situation is, you probably have enough to keep a roof overhead, food in your belly, and to generally live a decent lifestyle. Maybe your retirement account isn’t the best but the stock markets surely suggest otherwise.

I even recently watched a video that stated universal income quantitative easing (read: giving away free money to the masses) is coming to America. Think about that one for a moment: government will literally hand money to people just for being a citizen, oh, wait… I think we already do that… but now it will be blatantly obviously and the masses will love it.

Conclusions and Warnings

What’s to complain about? On the list of Maslow’s hierarchy of basic needs, they’re all covered quite well and then some! Compared to our ancestors we’re living an easy life and it shows.

Therein, however, lies the problem.

It’s precisely this easy lifestyle that breeds complacency. Most people think that bad things can’t or won’t happen to them, their town, or their nation. Just take a look around you the next time you’re out and about. The biggest “problem” most folks seem to have these days is that their smartphone isn’t loading YouTube videos fast enough or that the line at McDonald’s is long. That’s crazy!

I’m guessing the “powers that be” prefer it this way. They prefer to give the masses everything the want, distract them with media, fatten them up with unhealthy foods, and soon they’re easier to manipulate.

But what happens if/when hard times do come? What happens to the complacent masses then? Nothing good, that’s for sure.

Ultimately, the question is: Are Hard Times Really Coming?

Personally, I don’t see how they’re not. While I feel that economic collapse is the most likely–and most guaranteed to happen–scenario there’s also the distinct possibility of WW3 starting because of Russia and/or China… and then, of course, there’s always ISIS and North Korea stirring up trouble, to name a few more possibilities.

Although I’m surely talking to the converted, one simply cannot assume that “because times have been good that they will continue to be so,” particularly when so many signs point to trouble ahead.

What say you? Do you feel troubled times are ahead or is it business as usual?