Warren Buffet says, “the nation’s economy will be in shambles throughout 2009 and probably well beyond” and George Soros says, “We’re in a crisis, I think, that’s really the most serious since the 1930s and is different from all the other crises we have experienced in our lifetime.”

And yet we continue to have a high level of complacency everywhere as CNBC hosts shows with the likes of Sheila Brown telling us that everything is fine with the banking system right when Citigroup and Bank of America fall towards total insolvency.   We have PF bloggers that keep telling everyone to keep contributing to their 401k’s like nothings happening to the world.  I just don’t get it, do most people simply not have any survival tactics anymore?

Has America truly reached the point of “cradle to grave” government nannying that most members of society just don’t care anymore?   On a positive note, I have noted the dramatic reduction of blogger posts stating, “don’t buy a new car” or “skip the latte” as the current economic crisis erodes everyone’s investment portfolio, employment status and the quality of life as things deteriorate.

What happens when people don’t buy a new car?  Companies like Toyota, GM, Ford, et al face dramatic layoffs, profit and operating losses and ultimately bankruptcy.

What happens when people skip the latte?  Starbucks lays off employees, closes stores, and pays less city, state, and federal taxes.

Think going to the library is a “free” way of getting books?   It’s “free” as long as people and businesses are paying taxes, when the money runs out, the “free” library shuts down.  Just ask any Californian about government services like libraries, DMV’s, and other agencies as they shut down.

I just don’t get it.