A Grande Latte in a Venti Cup

A View of the Economy Through the Lens of a Coffee Cup

It's truly amazing we couldn't see what was coming. How long can you continue to fuel an economy on money that isn't there, funding governments on real estate values that existed simply because credit was artificially easy to get and not because there was any real intrinsic increase in the value of the property, and funding our own personal finances by paying for needless expenses with promises of future payments?

The final death blow - $150 a barrel oil strangled the life out of an already weak economy and soaked up the remaining credit many people had. In retrospect we see the money that had been funding real estate credit saw the problems, and headed to speculate on oil. The golden geese of the economy apparently used their wonder twin powers to take on the form of the rat leaving the ship and the iceberg that eventually did it in. Zan and Jayna would be proud - if only in a Bizzaro Superman sort of way.

Back to the coffee. Interestingly enough, in a month where the unemployment has nationally moved beyond 8% and is expected to top out at over 10% some time next year, we still don't get it. And that worries me. I'm just as much to blame - there I was standing in line, at that purveyor of luxury coffee to witness this woman's order.

As true luxury goods now actually start to feel the pinch, we seem to grasp at the smallest of things that might indicate we're doing well - that conspicuous consumption thing. We still want the appearance that we've got something - carrying that white cup around. Even if it's only half full. Makes one wonder, though, would we bother carrying on that charade if you could see through that coffee cup?