[BILLYBABES1]

I KNOW THAT THE TERM IS DISTRESS... BUT AS A VETERAN I SEE THE POLITICAL GOVERMENT USING ITS POWER TO INFLATE OUR ECONOMY... I CAN BEARLY MAKE FOOD LAST EVERY MONTH AND THEN TO SEE THAT THE PRICES IN THIS COUNTRY HAS GONE CRAZY...AS AN AMERICAN IS THIS NOT AS A TIME OF THAT AS QUOTED A NEED TO SHOW THAT WE ARE IN HARMS WAY, THAT OUR GOVERNMENT HAS MADE EVERYONE A THREAT AND THAT IF YOU ARE NOT RICH THE YOU MUST BE AN ENEMY OF THE UNITED STATES...I AM A DISABLED VET AND I AM AFRAID FOR THE PEOPLE HERE BECAUSE OF THE POWER WE GIVE OUR GOVERMENT...LETS TAKE OUR GOVERMENT BACK...

[W Kerrigan]

I concur with Billybabes1. I too am a vet with 24 years active service. After this election, if Obama's elected, I intend to fly my flag upside down. We will be a nation in distress.

[Paulhudds]

Well, Now Obama has been sworn in, I hope you are feeling a little more optimistic. I know the world has problems, along with the US, but the recession will end as people will just work themselves out of it. The housing markets (Which triggered all this) are beginning to look like the fall is evening out, and hopefully the banking system will slowly become "un-bunged" and we can all sigh a collective sigh of relief.

Times are tough. But I have just finished reading a book about the hardships befallen on the island of Malta during the 2nd World War. The island managed to survive through 2 and a half years of bombings, and blockade. The average diet dropped to about 800 calories a day. Britain was unable to ship enough food through as we where too busy defending ourselves and the Atlantic convoys, and barely had enough supplies to ship to Malta.

However, the islands people stuck it out until, finally, a huge convoy made it through to supply the island with Spitfires to help try to gain parity in the skies, fuel for submarines to protect the shipping, and plenty of food.

Whilst I have not been involved in war, and nor do I want to, after talking with my grandparents about their experiences (including my grandmothers forced relocation 4 times due to bombing), I remind myself that even though times are hard, people from free-thinking lands have toughed it out through much harsher times, and we can get through this!

[REDefiant]

Paulhudds makes a great point. However I disagree with Obama and miss the Bush administration, I cannot possibly bring myself to hoist my flag upside down. Instead of showing times of distress, it lets people in my community know that the homeowner is an atheist.

I also recall hearing about the island of Malta, and my Pastor informed me that God put proper nutrients into the brown rice that the people of Malta were eating so that they could survive. Did you know that the water that Great Britain eventually got to the inhabitants was blessed? I'm so thankful that because of God's grace they were able to stick it out and survive such a rough time.