Why is it that people make such a big deal out of the New Year? As we approach, later on today to be specific, the year 2010, we also see another milestone that people get excited about, the end of decade, but not just any decade, the one that began the 21st century.

I can tell you with absolute certainty that if there are people that put weight on this event and see it as the foundation laying for the next millennium; we are in for one hell of a thousand years.

The superstitions and notions that many have are quite ridiculous, as when tomorrow rolls around, January 1, 2010, nothing will be different except the date.

The future that was set for us and our grandchildren is bleak based on the stimulus packages that “saved” the world from the brink of another depression, which will in fact drive the world into worse.

These are my beliefs, thoughts from someone who was a student of history and political science; thoughts that prompt me to recall the fiasco of the 1930’s New Deal in the US.

President Roosevelt, the champion of the fight against the Great Depression, took a page from Rahm Emanuel’s book 80 years into the future by declaring “you never waste a crisis to effect social change.”

That is what he did, Roosevelt that is, took the crash and the ensuing recession that featured high unemployment rates and bank failures and created a horde of social programs aimed at helping the poor manage day-to-day.

However, the bad times kept rolling on throughout the thirties, and the depression did not end until 10 years later when the war machine was grinding.

You see, this game has been played over and again, and as humans who have catapulted our species to levels of understanding and knowledge not fathomed a mere few hundred years ago, we seem to be ignorant of our past.

The depression ended in the 1940’s not as a result of welfare or social security or Medicaid, it ended when the country put millions to work building the equipment needed to defeat imperialist Japan and Nazi Germany.

Where I come from, the thought on charity is simple and clear; you can give someone food so that they can eat, you can give someone clothes so that they can be warm, you can give someone shelter so that may be dry, but give someone a job and you have enabled them to give themselves all that they need.

The echoes of the Depression era are being heard today, as the US Congress, the British Parliament and to a lesser extent, Japan are working hard to solve the financial meltdown by treating the wounded, not by strengthening their own forces.

How much money will it take to feed or clothe or medically insure a country? And if everyone in that country is receiving these services, as mandated by the government, who is paying the taxes that are needed to support these programs? Carl Marx had the idea, let the masses work as a collective – where everyone is equal – and everyone receives the fair share of their labor. But this experiment failed. Why doesn’t anyone remember?

As the last holdout of true capitalism, the US was a force amongst the nations. After World Wars one and two, the US became a pillar of strength in the world, an entity to which many countries owed their gratitude.

Now it is the US that is indebted to the world – literally, as they spend Trillions of Dollars padding the coffers of political contributors and expanding social benefits.

Had the money they borrowed to ease the nation through the crisis to truly create jobs, by giving small businesses subsidies and incentives to hire – by freeing up funds to prevent large corporations from implementing mass layoffs, by keeping the public working, the future would not be as dark.

And so, as we look toward 2010 we see a US Dollar that is rapidly losing value; we see a United States losing credibility just as quickly; and we see a world that is on the brink of returning to the dark days of the Bunny-Hop and the Charleston.

So as you prepare for the New Year, enjoy the celebrations and fireworks and crystal balls dropping in Times Square. Enjoy the hope that life will ease as the hands of time continue to tick – and forget how good it has been before the woes of the past year and a half.

One of my life mentors, a man by the name of Robert Zimmerman used to say “The times, they are a changin’” – Bobby boy , oh what a prophet you have turned out to be.

Happy New Year everyone.