[Tublecane]

“severe depressions make us peons harder to control”

This was the one part of your post with which I cannot agree. The depression brought about the single stupidest move by our government in the last century (aside from the creation of the Fed): taking us off the gold standard. The depression also led to the most precipitous growth of the federal government in the history of the United States. The depression only made it easier to control the peons.

[ThePythonicCow]

The depression only made it easier to control the peons.

You have a good point. I sense (hope?) that the big cats are trying to avoid The Great Depression II, but I may well be wrong in my effort to explain why they would avoid that.

Or maybe they aren't avoiding The Great Depression II, and it is just taking some pretty severe economic poison to bring the American economy to its knees a second time.

In that case, best stock up on ammo, whiskey and survival rations.