How to Deal with the ‘Great Recession’

Posted on | July 27, 2009 | 1 Comment

The Great Recession They say the ‘Great Recession’ is over – I say not!

There’s plenty of healing that still needs to happen before the majority of us are going to start thinking we’re on the road to recovery.

(Consider this question: just how much pleasure should you take when after being in a horrific car crash the emergency room surgeon tells you your condition has been stabilized and you’re being moved to the recovery now the operation dealing with your immediate life threatening injuries is complete? Given all the pain and life altering trauma you’re in, not much right?)

Keep Calm and Carry On This ‘Great Recession’ has been like being caught up in the middle of a shooting war: there are lots of bullets flying around and too many good people are getting killed everywhere. It’s not fair; it’s fate. All we can do is make the best of a bad situation, try to pick up the pieces of our lives and economy, and move on as best as we all can!

But we should remember who was that ’someone’ that got us into this ‘war’ in the first place. In respect of this ‘Great Recession’, it was those ‘rabid Republicans’ in the US and their free market ideas of deregulation. Think of it like someone stupidly throwing open the hen house door, in ignorance or plunder-oriented deceit, and then doing nothing to prevent all the foxes coming in and gobbling up our egg-producing chickens while otherwise making a wreak of the place. Their right-wing ideology proved to be nothing more than an invitation for system-subverting shenanigans by a bunch of their rich and powerful cronies. (If you think this was a one-off failure, guess again; it was no different behaviour from how Karl Rove’s and Dick Cheney’s amoral, self-oriented, holier-than-all-the-rest-of-us behaviours lead to tremendous damage inflicted on the US, its election system, and the Presidency as well).

I’ve played enough sports to know that rules make the game fair for everyone involved – participant and spectator alike. No one likes cheaters and they don’t deserve to be allowed to stay in the game. We all need to recognize that there’s too much at stake to let the rules of politics or market regulation be like those in the UFC or WWE.

Market Cycles: Chin Up in the Down Swing The better example is golf. While it’s a game with its fair share of practical, workable rules which are the product of some 400 years of playing experience, in the end it all rests on the expectation of honourable personal behaviour. Players are expected conduct their play in accordance to the rules at all times, never improving their lie or otherwise cheating. In all circumstances and at all times, golfers are expected to never rely on a referee or umpire to enforce the rules of golf or ensure a called-for penalty or sanction is incurred – they are expected to be properly self imposed if there is no higher authority around to consult should there be some question. And it’s a time honoured tradition that anyone caught cheating or otherwise willfully breaking the rules suffers disqualification, dishonour and getting kicked out of the game effectively for ever if they do.

Our trouble is those ‘rabid republicans’ and others like them, cheating, stealing, defrauding executives and the others that have no respect, they would all like you not to make a fuss about them, what they do, and what they want. Beware them and shun them, however. Decent, rules-respecting citizens everywhere need to be on guard, speak out and act against abuse or bastardizing of society’s rules. We need to defend our institutions and our system of how we do things. They are the product of much painful experience. Remember, history will repeat itself and new lives will be destroyed if collectively we don’t know what truly keeps our society properly balanced and well functioning, for that is the fate of those societies that don’t learn and remember the ‘hows, whys, wherefores and consequences’ of what has gone on in times before now.

– by Tony Johnston
Compass North Inc.

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One Response to “How to Deal with the ‘Great Recession’”

bizsugar.com
July 27th, 2009 @ 1:38 pm

How to Deal with the ‘Great Recession’ | Biz Money Matters |…

Is the recovery here? Is recovery possible? What can be done to avoid this ever happening again? Read this post for some answers….

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Posts by:

Tony Johnston
President
Compass North Inc.

Tony provides executive management and advisory services that help companies get MORE !!

sales / profits / cashflow
financing / exit valuation

Tony delivers the leadership or leadership support needed that can make remarkably outstanding results happen operationally, economically, financially and in the eyes of customers, lenders & transaction counterparties.

If you are a decision maker in a company that wants MORE, give him a call at 416-342-5652 or check out the Compass North Inc website [click here].

Tony's ability to help companies achieve important/challenging goals is well demonstrated by his long record of success, which includes:
- 4 successful turnarounds lead
- $66 mil+ increase public
  company's value
- $34 mil value harvested
  from biotech cofounded & lead
  as CEO
- $12 mil/3x investment gain
  in 2 years delivered for
  VC partners
- $2.5+ bil in public & private
  market debt, equity and
  M&A deals done
- 1 successful company IPO
- 4 new businesses organized &
  grown: Biotech; Securitization /
  Mortgage Servicing; Third-Party
  Logistics (3PL); & Consulting