Interesting that you choose to rebut my arguments with nothing approximating facts or data. Perhaps sarcasm gives you some sense of comfort in a world where there is increasingly little comfort to be had.

You’ve heard the doomsayers before, but because the world as we know it is still spinning, and people are still buying jet skis and driving Escalades, economic disaster is neither realistic nor possible in your mind. Because you’ve never seen disaster, you refuse to accept that it is a possibility; that you’ve never lived through a depression somehow gives you comfort that you will never experience one.

I don’t know what you term “general economic disaster”. Perhaps you care to elaborate? Is it when manufacturing and capital goods expenditures slow to a standstill, or even reverse themselves? Is it when foreclosures hit record highs? Is it when a country’s currency depreciates 60% in 7 years? Is it when increasing number of former members of the middle class seek public assistance? Is it when its people rely on credit cards to keep the engine of growth churning? Why don’t you tell me what “disaster” means to you, because I’m quite sure I can find plenty of early signs now — or if not, in the VERY near future.

I think it is a uniquely American trait that permits us to ignore the span of thousands of years of history and monetary lessons taught to us by countries far greater, wealthier, stronger and wiser. In fact, there is really nothing special about the United States, nothing that makes us immune to the fate that has claimed every country through history that has chosen the monetary, military and political decisions we have made. To believe otherwise is simply foolish, ignorant and arrogant.

I don’t “fantasize” about the demise of the country I was born and raised in, and have invested 40 years of my life trying to grow and prosper in. But I will tell you this: if we escape disaster with the storm looming upon us, it will be the first time in recorded history that a country in our predicament has managed to do so.

Only time will tell, and I think this time next year it will be very apparent which one of us had the foggier crystal ball.

For your sake, Oak, I hope you are better prepared than you are letting on and have at least planned for some very heavy rain, if not a tsunami.