[jeremy1375]

I think the issues all come down to a matter of perception. I won't deny that any of the points you're making could possibly be true. The U.S. could be going to shit in a hurry. Things like universal healthcare, fiat currencies, and welfare certainly could destroy our economy. The only certainty that exists in life is uncertainty. There are no road maps on how to make a perfect government.

Could Obamacare fail? Sure it could. But, the whole point is to figure out what works. It's an overstatement to say universal healthcare is bankrupting all other countries as some countries are doing fine with it. Nothing is perfect so Of course there are problems that need to be dealt with, but that is the same with anything. Before Obamacare, insurance companies sold insurance that could be revoked if you all of a sudden find yourself with a serious illness. If you paid for health insurance, shouldn't you have health insurance if you need it? That problem doesn't have a market based solution. If Obamacare fails in it's goals that's fine, we go back to the drawing board.

Income is stagnant. So what? Nothing goes up forever. Things ebb and flow, sometimes for longer than we'd like. Could it mean we are on the verge of collapse? Sure it could. More likely it means that we are not in a period of explosive growth. It doesn't happen all the time. We are well passed the beginning of the industrial revolution and dot com isn't as exciting anymore. Eventually someone will come up with the next big thing, but it takes time. We are very fortunate to have existed thru such expansive boom times.

Fiat currency. I would argue that gold is also a fiat currency. If the economy collapes, you can't eat, drink, or wipe your ass with gold, so it's no better than paper from that angle. But, let's look at it from the side of it being a deflationary currency. The only way to grow wealth with a deflationary currency is for it to grow in value. This is the best example I can think of at this moment. If your work pays you with a deflationary currency such as gold, as it's value goes up, you will receive smaller and smaller pieces of gold for the same work. Lets say you buy a house for 100 ounces of gold. 100 Ounces of gold in 2020 could conceivably have the same value as 50 ounces in 2050. If you have to pay back the 100 ounces of gold in 2050, you will be paying a shitload more than the value of the loan plus interest. If you only paid back actual value to the lender, they would have been better of just keeping their money. Could fiat currencies be the death of our economy? Maybe, but not necessarily. Everything comes with it's own set of problems.

I could go on but you probably get my point by now.