Well, the markets are closed today as America celebrates Thanksgiving. So I thought I would take this opportunity to say thank you to all who read my blog and follow it. As today is a holiday I too will be taking a break from posting a blog on financial topics. Well for the most part that is.
Over the life of my blog the markets have been in an incredible bear market that has taken us to heights never before seen in the S&P 500 and DOW. Late last week there was even talk of the NASDAQ reaching levels not seen since the 2000 .com bubble burst. Those of us in finance really have had a lot to be thankful for when it has come to the markets this past year.
But what is next? I try to keep politics out of my blogs but here they do have a place as we are giving thanks. I am an independent by nature and do see ideas and qualities I admire in both parties but over the past several years I have become disillusioned with Congress and just about every politician in DC. I was not very old when President Regan was in office, but I do remember how bad things were at the end of the 1970’s and early 1980’s. I also do not remember the two parties not doing what was ultimately best for the entire country regardless of their political ideals. Deals were made; compromises were the reasonable standard, and ultimately legislation was passed that helped everyday citizens from all walks of life regardless of political ideas.
Today’s DC is one of digging in and not compromising on anything as I guess the politicians see this as a sign of weakness. Legislation that I see as straightforward and beneficial to the country is fought over inside the DC beltway by these two parties. There does not seem to be any common ground that they can agree on long enough to pass meaningful legislation that should and would be signed into law by the President.
In my 9 to 5 life I am a public servant who sees just how meaningful many of the government’s programs actually are to everyday citizens. I also have seen the repercussions of a Congress divided and unwilling to work for the greater good of the people they serve. I now fear that we may be headed towards a similar situation that we all faced and feared at the start of FY 2014 when the government ultimately shut down for almost two weeks. We now have a “lame duck” President who will be at odds with a Congress he must work with in order for things to work properly and ultimately achieve positive results.
Do I think politics will play a role in the near term in the markets? Yes I do as what the government does really does affect what happens outside of DC. Those who have been elected appear to think their personal values are exactly those of their constituent’s because they were elected by those people. I do not know of a single politician I vote for who thinks the exact same way I do and I know that there is not one that exists. And it seems to me that these very people who have been elected to represent us are not thinking of what is best for the entire country.
So today we are thankful for the year we have had thus far in regards to the markets as well as the events that have occurred in our personal lives. I know I have had a great year in just about every aspect of my life. Now, I only hope that with the recent elections and with a new Congress that will sit next year that DC can function in a way that is beneficial to everyone in America and not just those the politicians think they represent. Yes they do represent their districts and those who live and vote there, but they also represent the rest of the country as well. Something I really do think they have forgotten.
