The Recession: Vivin

When Saroj asked me to write a guest post about how the recession has affected me personally, I drew a blank. So I wrote a haiku instead:

A crisis
that is of the sub-prime kind.
401K’s, gone.

Just kidding. Financially I haven’t been affected as much. I still have a well-paying, stable job. However that is definitely offset by the shrinking value of my 401K and my mutual funds. Hey, I’m still buying cheap right? Right. I sometimes wonder how everything could have become this bad. The answer can be summed up in one word: Greed. While it is true that capitalism does reward a bit of greed, you can risk breaking things (like what’s happening now) should you become too greedy. Read up on any analysis of the current recession and you’ll find that those involved, were chasing large sums of money, often at the expense of others. Growing up, my parents always taught me that I should accept responsibility for my actions, and that I should face the consequences. It’s funny how that isn’t even remotely the case now, as can be seen by the irresponsible homeowners and irresponsible (read deregulated) financial institutions being propped up by the government. Some would argue that our various economic institutions (and other industries) have become so inextricably intertwined that letting one fail would set off a domino effect that would supposedly lead to the end of the world. However, I always thought that in a free market, the strong survive, and the weak die. If a business falls, I would think that another would rise to take it’s place. Don’t read this to mean that I am completely against government intervention. I have hopes for the stimulus plan and I think that people who are yelling and screaming “ZOMG OBAMA SI TEH SOCIALIST!!!” are just overreacting. They seem to forget that aggressive deregulation is what got us into this mess in the first place. I’ll admit that I am quite possibly taking an overly-simplified view of the situation; I don’t claim to be an economist or an economic expert. The sad truth is that things were allowed to get to the point where corporations and financial institutions have become so powerful that the very life of the economy depends on them.

When all is said and done I’m hoping that the people in charge are financially more experienced and financially smarter than myself, and that they know what they are doing. To think positively, I guess recession has forced certain companies to rethink their business models (automakers, SUVs and fuel-inefficient vehicles suck and they’ve always sucked. I’m glad you’ve finally realized this) and has prodded the government to keep a closer eye on financial institutions. I have heard that markets eventually correct themselves. So I’m hoping that in a few years we’ll come out to be a little wiser and a litter richer.

Vivin is a software engineer and serves in the Arizona Army National Guard. He returned in November 2006 from Iraq after serving a year there as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Check out his blog at http://vivin.net.

Welcome and Hello…Again!

Dear Readers,

I figure after 3500+ views in a little over a month, I should probably welcome all of you who read my blog. Welcome, bienvenidos, bienvenue, welkom, swaagat, swaagatham, and (insert welcome of choice here).

I’m so glad to see this blog has started to blossom and attract numerous viewers. I hope you are finding the posts informative and maybe even entertaining. I will try to keep the topics varied and interesting, so that everyone can find something to read and enjoy on this site.

Thank you so much for your support, kind words, and even criticisms. Here’s to hoping this blog continues to thrive!

Love,

Saroj

First post…a brief introduction

So I have been through blogs like I have been through clothes, but I think this one stands a chance of both being relevant and surviving through an extended period of time.  I’d like to first briefly introduce myself:

-My name is Saroj

-I am a graduate student.

-I am a lifelong New Yorker.

-I am Indian.

-I am an aspiring M.D.

-I am an aspiring writer.

-I am a Democrat.

-I am VERY opinionated, but I am open to hearing other opinions.

Anything beyond that would verge on dating profile territory, and is therefore irrelevant to the purpose of this blog.  You will learn more about me as this blog grows, and perhaps learn a little about my point of view on a host of issues…for what it’s worth.

For those of you who have read my posts on Facebook about the presidential campaign, you know what you’re in for.  I hope to expand to other topics ranging from economics to health and everything in between.  In posting about such issues, I hope to generate constructive debate among different people hailing from different schools of thought.  It is only through listening to and understanding the views of others that we can attempt to construct a better future that takes everyone’s needs into account, not just the needs of the few.

Obviously I am a student, and so I won’t be updating this blog on a daily basis, necessarily.  However, if an issue catches my fancy, I will do my best to post something about it as soon as possible. In addition, please comment! I love reading what you all have to say about various subjects, and it seems that most of the time, I end up learning something new.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

P.S. You can reach me through a few other outlets:

Twitter: sospokesaroj
Meebo: sospokesaroj
Digg, del.ici.ous, Technorati: sospokesaroj
Blog Catalog: sospokesaroj

You get the idea.