I believe much of this is a cup half empty/full manifestation. The media and many politicians certainly want us to believe we're in a dire crisis, and that is largely agenda driven. Those of us - businesses and individuals - who refuse to believe that and thus won't cave in to the "inevitable" are the real "hope for change" here. As long as we are capable we will continue to work, invest, and spend, and that will be the only meaningful "stimulus" that will turn this thing around...

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"Everybody has an agenda. Except me!"
(M. Crichton - R.I.P. 11/04/08)