The world was presented with a tremendous opportunity in the thick of the financial crisis over a decade ago. There was a crucial juncture in the road we collectively needed to decide upon. In one direction was hardship, austerity, and a re-balancing that would have meant a few years of pain but, in the end, a path to true prosperity. In another direction was the easy way out with freshly-created trillions of dollars to paper over all our troubles and spare ourselves any more discomfort.

As a planet, we chose the easy route. Big surprise.

What has taken place over the past ten+ years has been so gradual, so steady, and so all-encompassing, that the madhouse we all occupy goes unnoticed by virtually everyone. I often ask myself why most people don’t puzzle over where the tens of trillions of dollars of debt came from, where it went, and how, if ever, it could be paid off. Most people, let’s face it, are dumb as posts, and have the attention span of a Kardashian, so virtually no one dare trouble themselves with considering any of this.