"... how in the hell did this happen to us?" The answer, a simple one.
Its "We allowed it to happen."
The only difference between you and i is that i was aware of what was happening, so I was able to position myself for the present and near and long future so that I would not carry the burden of it.
Amazing how when things are going good in a localized zone for a person, then life is good and errors of life are elsewhere.
Nope, all that has happened is that you have joined into a pact with the devil saying that just so long that i am ok that you may do what you wish elsewhere without me trying to stop you.
Now when your area is affected you blame that devil for not keeping to the promise that he would keep the nasty stuff away from your zone, so now you cry foul.
Sorry, the devil lied and you knew it but hoped that the time duration would be long enough for your life span and those of your children and their grandchildren.
Something like the debt of the federal government, just keep on borrowing and put the payments due in full onto the far away future after the generation after the next generation.
Guess what, your great grandparents may have initiated this approach, and the current young generation has a bill coming in the form that this mature generation of 50s something has allowed the Fed to print too too much fiat paper money.
Most likely all those 50 and younger will get hit hard and have their dollars be worth a fraction. But that will not be the hardest blow, but that job security and standard of living will lessen in a way that reflects inflation, in that you are worth less and are not able to keep the same life style as in pay more get less.
The simple fact that you keep on asking how this happened, or how did it happen, or how can it be stopped is just you saying that you are not part of the problem, and especially that you were not part of the cause.
Sorry, only a few of the whole part will be ok both financially and in spirit. They will be the bad guys who knew of their evil and prepared for when hell breaks out, along with those who knew evil was given a green light of an ok to do what you want as in the majority rules.
ak |