The Demand Restoration Project

David Bowman: 'You see something's going to happen. You must leave.'

Dr. Heywood Floyd: 'What? What's going to happen?'

David Bowman: 'Something wonderful.'

Dr. Heywood Floyd: 'What?'

David Bowman: 'I understand how you feel. You see ... it's all very clear to me now. The whole thing. It's wonderful.'

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Hal 9000: 'What's going to happen Dave?'

David Bowman: 'Something wonderful.'

Hal 9000: 'I'm afraid.'

David Bowman: 'Don't be.'


First a personal disclaimer, I am a deflationary force. No mortgage, no debt, all sovereign powder with a splash of yen. For years, I've felt a bit out of sync, standing in a store waiting in a mind-boggling line, fighting to get in the parking lot, fighting to get out ... watching the McMansions go up, watching the markets fly... it just seemed to be unreal. I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't believe it. I opted out.

Ms. Monetarist was a bit annoyed by it, dinner conversations had to be be tamped down.. I wanted to jump on the table and scream ' Don't all of you know what is going to happen?'

The recurring thesis of this blog is optimism/patriotism/outrage. Losing confidence and losing innocence will be the themes for 2009 and regaining naivety and chutzpah will be the tide that raises all boats.

Let's face it, as Americans we collectively think history does not apply to us or at least we have mastered it- we have grown up as the dominant power, we have basked in the fruits of that glory.

As such we, the citizenry, although troubled still ache to believe that this is temporary, a transient blip, happy days soon will be here again...policies flowing from on high will mimic that optimism and in doing so will underestimate (at least 'officially') the dilemma and prolong the process.

Simply put we went bust... but the banksters are too bankrupt to 'go broke.'

When change is afoot you have two choices, you can either grab the surfboard and ride the wave or you can let it crash over you.

Reduce your budgets now, if you can walk from debt do it... if you can't, negotiate from the threat of default. If there is not a personal lien, that is the creditor's problem. Do not count on government to save you, look in the mirror for your salvation. There is one blessing fostered upon Americans that can't be denied. We can reinvent ourselves. We are not beholden to anything other than our imagination, we can make out of clay what our minds and our hands desire. I assure you that the majority of citizens on this planet do not have such an advantage.

As horrible as this will feel, in hindsight something wonderful is about to happen.

Don't be afraid.