Few items intended to undo any sense of complacency:

* Roughly 75% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, with essentially zero savings, according to a recent study by Bankrate.

* The "labor force participation rate" (basically the percentage of able-bodied people who are actually working) has fallen every year since 2007 and is at its lowest level since the 1970s. (Source: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

* How can things really be "normal" in America, when the number of people on food stamps has basically doubled since Barack Obama took office... and when HALF of all children born today will be on food stamps at some point in their life?

* 49% of Americans are receiving benefits from at least one government program EVERY SINGLE month?

* Or when 52% of all American workers make less than $30,000 a year?

* The Federal Reserve is purchasing up to 70% of the bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury - simply by creating money out of thin air? (That is, our wars and government are paid for through a Ponzi scheme.)

* Or when the "too-big-to-fail-banks" that got bailed out in 2007 are actually37% larger than they were back then?

* And how can things be normal when our country's money supply has increased by 400% since 2006 - all just printed out of thin air. Look at this chart below... it should scare the hell out of you...

The smart thing to do is expect a collapse of the dollar. The TV tells us the stock market is great and the US dollar is great. So, do consider the opposite.  There are companies that are doing fairly well, even under the pressure of socialism, but the real people, the small companies who employ the real people, are not involved in this happy talk.