Macro- and Micro-

Economists, bless their ever-loving hearts, in moments of rare insight, have told us that there is a disconnect between micro- and macro-economics. Which means to say that if an individual prudently manages his/her economic affairs, it is bad for the community as a whole. In these days when stimulus is the byword, it is almost patriotic to go out and spend recklessly so as to rescue the national economy, nay, the world economy, from the dire straights which it has gotten itself into by reckless spending and risk-taking. Have I lost you here? Are we confusing illness and cure in our shuffling of the cards? We hear "isn't that what got us into this in the first place?" being cried out loudly across the land. Well, if our trained economist of a Prime Minister can't spread light on all this, neither can I.

Ah so, as the Japanese would say. What's good for the individual is bad for the country and vice versa. Sad conundrum indeed! So what should I do? Go out and patriotically stimulate the economy by spending on things I don't really need, or selfishly stay in my counting-house and gather my pennies for a rainy day? I've made up my mind.

Holding with Samuel Johnson and his famous dictum that patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel, I propose a me-first policy. Me and my family. As for the dire peril of the country and the world, I'll just have to depend on the trained economists and hang on for dear life.