We've seen slowdowns unadorned by rhetoric begin of their own accord when it becomes plain to all that they've been working too hard. And secretly, we're all glad. When I was in high school I worked in a furniture factory in Miami for a few weeks. My buddies and I were young and strong and at first the sheer physical challenge of lifting and carrying heavy sofas and cabinets was a pleasure. But one summer afternoon when we were carrying 100-pound armloads of fluorescent light ballasts out of a warehouse loft, the three of us looked at each other and in silent agreement we all sat down and rested.
Wonderful things happen during recessions.
Many of us lose our jobs of course and that is sometimes unimaginably painful. But also things slow down. My wife and I are making more money than we've ever made before. That's not so bad. Now we spend more money on our poodle than we do helping the poor.