It has already collapsed. They just haven't said it on teevee.

People have been living beyond their means, let them sink. Find someone that lived through the Great Depression and see how they live. They live in modest houses and have nice things. What they own is within their budget. Most of the time the furniture and cars are well kept older stuff.

I am a small business owner and my friends are too. Modest best describes how we live. The people that work for us often have nicer appliances in their house, than we do. A big Saracen TV, refrigerator with ice in the door, newer car and live in a rented house. All these things bought on credit. The car bought at a "Buy Here, Pay Here", everything in the house is from a "rent to own place". To settle for items bought at a yard sale and update is what the rest of us did. My mom and dad's house looks like a museum, one new piece of furniture bought at a time. They worked at carefully taking care of everything they bought.

The youth of today never plan to keep anything for any length of time. They just live for today, like there is no tomorrow. I am 43 and still have the used my parents helped me purchase. The car was twelve years old when I got it. Today that car is 38 years old and driven only on the weekends.

Recycle, conserve, and live within one's means, a collapse should do it.

We are close to a collapse when you have the media cheer and tell us that the recession is over because only 530,000 jobs where lost last month instead of the 560,000 that was projected. We have unemployment hitting and going over 10% with no real job recovery which has to start in the Private Sector. No real incentives for companies to hire right now because we don't know the game plan with the new Obama admin with all of the new tax hikes and unpredicted health care bill. It's scary times right now.