What happened to all those “green shoots” we heard about? Joblessness continues to drag down the economy and the government is doing its damnedest to make things worse:

Shadow Stats founder John Williams has just announced that he sees no way for America to avoid a hyper-inflationary depression.

Demand for new workers in America continues to collapse.

Moody’s is predicting banks will remain unprofitable for the 2010 fiscal year.

The Obama administration is actually implementing a program to encourage the short selling of homes by troubled borrowers.

Unemployment has risen in 30 states.

Sales tax rates hit are at record highs as states and municipalities struggle to make ends meet.

The proposed Illinois state budget is based on borrowing billions of dollars from the government.

Detroit is looking at a plan to de-populate parts of the city and de-industrialize, turning other parts into farmland.

Needless to say, this looks less like green shoots and more like a slow slide into second world status. Are you prepared?