Hillbilly wisdom: Nothing gets done if it is not a crisis. A crisis is determined in large part by your level of preparation and control. A crisis is the car’s motor blowing up, or in some cases something as small as new tires or an unexpected price increase in gas. Thing which have to be taken care of. Even if, they result in tightening the belt.

These things are beyond your immediate control. On a personal level, your choices are largely limited to the cash available plus a level of debt that has to be figured into your budget. Not a lot of empathy from those unaffected.

The national scene has different rules. The situation in Iran is a prime example. There was a crisis- an imminent danger that had to be addressed. And now the crisis is a 200 billion shortfall. Unlike the personal level this shortfall will be paid by others. While the energy sector profits from this unfortunate turn of events, it is not their fault. Someone is to blame and for me, I fail to have a lot of empathy for those profiting from a situation that the majority of people in the United States were against.