Earlier today I read where CSAA forecasts that Americans traveling internationally will increase by 2.6 percent this summer over last. Really? In the face of an economic recession, sky high inflation, job losses, higher airfares, less airline seats, a miserable flying experience and a U.S. Dollar that is trading at all-time lows against foreign currencies.
I smell a PR spin!

This just in from CBS MarketWatch today 5/21/2008:  "Fed Says Inflation Soars!" Wow. Really? What brilliant insight. They have been using the  "R " word and basically putting a spin on all things economic for quite a while. Have these people bought a gallon of gas or a loaf of bread lately? Do they just have "their people" shop for them? I guess they just ran of room to manipulate the numbers any further.

But, I digress: Speaking of putting a spin on numbers. I have been reading in disbelief this travel hype in the trade journals for weeks. Yes, Americans need a break from their hectic pace, but timing is everything. We all seem to move in droves. I would always wonder why business was either feast of famine. Why did the phone calls stop and then suddenly go crazy? Seems they are pretty quiet lately. I have seem web traffic for travel keyword phrases decline quite a bit. Travel agencies are laying people off, Orbitz posted a multi-million dollar loss. Other online travel companies are considering moving toward more advertising to make up revenue losses from reduced bookings. So I ask :Who cooks up these numbers?

What planet are they on or is now just the time to travel?

It suddenly occurred to me, history has repeated itself once again. Who was it that said those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it?

Today, we are right back in 1973. We are toward the latter stages of an unpopular and costly war. Gas prices are at record levels. The cost of everything, especially food is skyrocketing. Heck a loaf of bread here in California is over $4! It seems like everything is now made in China. America now makes nothing. Housing prices are falling at the same unbelievable pace they went up. The Dollar is dropping like a rock against world currencies. And you can bet that soon the Fed will be forced to increase interest rates to record levels to combat inflation. I sure as heck wouldn’t sign up for an adjustable rate mortgage right now!

Yet, you just wonder how stupid the politicians think we are. They beat around the bush with their assessments. They use descriptions like "cost-push inflation" instead of the much more accurate term Stagflation. They say "the R word" in place of the politically un-correct term Recession. They want to give us $600 or so to get us back on track. Why? All we’re going to do is give the money to China to buy all their cheap-ass "just-good-enough" import goods. Sad but true. But the 80’s turned out ok. And the 90’s were even better. So maybe it will all be worth it.

Indeed, we are back to the future. History has repeated itself.