The Crash Course – Chapter 16 – National Failure to Save & Invest

Jon Alternative Media, Economy, Market Commentary

The following video was published by ChrisMartensondotcom on Oct 3, 2014
As detailed in earlier chapters, the US’ debts and unfunded liabilities far exceed its assets. But making matters worse, the country is suffering from a prolonged failure to save and invest — both at the personal and national level.
Being over-indebted and under-capitalized is a recipe for hardship as we move into the future, especially if economic growth is going to be harder to come by (which we forecast in the upcoming chapters on net energy). Each year we continue this deficit makes us less able to withstand systemic shocks (a 2008-style financial crisis, an energy shock, the outbreak of war), some number of which lie undoubtedly ahead at some point.
How did we get to this point? Do we really want to pass these problems along to future generations? Questions like these should be front and center in the national debate, but sadly, are not. We need to work to change that — and in the interim, lead by example at the individual level.