Recession consolidation

As soon as I got a copy of Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Report from Amazon, I put it away, for closure. We got similar “reports” such as the Pentagon Papers, the 9/11 Commission Report etc…just for record keeping

There have been many levels of coping with this financial tsunami: million-dollar homes selling for half-price, giant tech companies acquired each other and personal debt consolidation (the sub-prime mortgage market and the securitized market tailspin  the middle class into the abyss).

When US non-essential personnel were pulled out of Egypt a few months back, we realized there were so many.

Has anyone ever heard of the 80/20 rule? or “tip of the iceberg” theory (90% perspiration, 10% inspiration).

Recession forces a lot families to “double up”.

Houses in St Louis, Columbus and Houston suddenly got a second look.

Rural broadband arrives just in time to accommodate “the rise of the creative class”, who can afford to choose where they would like to live (where there is a wi-fi connection and a latte).

Social researchers can easily take the nation’s pulse by seeing data from U-Haul and Penske. I venture to guess, the numbers will spotlight emerging clusters  where living is more affordable and jobs can be found (cloud computing and most energy-efficient data centers .)

Even companies are now relocated (incidentally, China rolled out this policy a few years back, allowing provinces to incentivize and attract capital and companies to settle inland), not just offshoring, but to secondary cities.

Newly relocated companies are perfect candidates to try private and public cloud. Another infrastructure accommodation due to the Recession (and while at it, get rid all the encyclopedia set and book shelves.) A school district in N Carolina bought lap tops for all school children from grade 4 and up. Less heavy text books.

Humanities shed some pounds. Thanks to the like of Countrywide CEO’s, Fannie this, Fannie that, who brought on unintended consequences : in trying to meet housing quota and feeding insatiable Wall Street sharks, they inadvertently reduced the size of America’s emerging middle class, the chunk of tax base which funded Fannie this, Fannie that in the first place.

The Commission Report purportedly sheds some lights on what happened, not to make arrests. So, like me, everyone can order a copy of hundreds of incriminating documents for pleasure reading.

But on many levels, things are still unraveled. Lives shattered and scattered. Unlike previous commission reports, such as the Pentagon Papers or 9/11, this Financial Crisis lingers on, taking its toll on everyone, everywhere. Just ask your day laborer . He hasn’t sent much cash to his family back home (I made a note that the financial services section at Wal-Mart hardly got any customer).

I am an optimist. My parents migrated to South Vietnam and I, Southern California. I got survival instincts. I know I will rise again, stronger and leaner. I wish for my coworkers, resellers and customers a better tomorrow.

If it’s too good to be true, maybe it is. How can people buy houses and swap spouses as if they were music albums and CD‘s. Those times still baffled me,

even after I got the Inquiry Report. It must not be the push, but pull factors that narcotized the late 2000’s era. Maybe there weren’t any specific culprit to nail.

Maybe we have taken a look at the enemy, and the enemy is us.