Here in Illinois, the unemployment rate at 11 percent. Nationally, when you add those who have given up looking for work onto those unemployed six months or more, the unemployment rate soars to about 18 percent (Jan 2010).
During the Great Depression in the 1930's, the USA unemployment rate peaked at about 25 percent.
So you see, we are ONLY seven points AWAY here in the USA of our Terrible Recession becoming a Great Depression.
And to hear this about GERMANY, truly shocking ! We are indeed in hard times, here in Chicagoland in the DEAD of WINTER, snow, ice, going down to -1F tonight, heating bills ESCALATING (my heating bill exceeds $320/mo for a six room house, keeping my temp inside here at 71 F).