Things are tough right now. You don’t need an expert to tell you that.

National unemployment is up to 8 percent, the wealth disparity gap is ever-widening and utility and housing interest rates are not expected to get any better.

What’s even better is that Congress is not doing a damn thing about it.

In his third State of the Union address, President Obama talked about everyone playing by the same rules, about everyone getting a fair shot. You know what that means?

Reformed tax codes, social safety nets and reformed education. Sounds pretty nice if you ask me, like something everybody can benefit from. But, as Obama’s anger translator would tell you, Republicans will say no before the bill’s are even on the table. Obama’s speech was one of optimism, that America is “getting stronger.”

Because of this tone, Mitch Daniels’ Republican response was forced to be one of the serious adult in the room.

Two things: I say forced because I fully believe that if Obama’s speech had been pessimistic, Daniels would said something to the effect of “our president doesn’t have faith in this country.”

And I say “serious adult in the room” in a sarcastic tone. But, for once, Daniels said a few things I actually agree with. There is a dark cloud looming over the horizon.

The dogs of societal and economic collapse are lapping their tongues at America, awaiting our final blow. The economic crisis circling above Europe will directly injure America.

Daniels was right when he said our currency, because it is an international currency, will grant us leeway before feeling the actual effects. But time is running short.

If precautions aren’t taken now, the European banks will crash, and America’s economy will crash harder than in 2008. When that happens, our currency will be worthless and will lose it’s spot as an international currency.

The most likely candidate to replace our currency will be the ever-stronger Chinese Yen.

And when the smoke clears from that economic atom bomb, China will come knocking on our door asking “So where’s the billions of dollars you owe us?” At that point, we will be screwed. I’m not going to sit here and tell you to vote Democrat (although it would be nice).

I am a radical liberal, a hard leftist, but I leave room for compromise. We need compromise, we need debate (serious debate), and we need moderates.

The political spectrum has split. The Republican party has been taken over by radical rightists and the Democratic party has been filled with corporate money junkies who won’t take a stand on anything short of Union rights. What can we do? Get involved. Get educated. Get serious about our future.

This is not the time for apathy or ignorance. This is not the time to vote (or not vote) the way your parents do, just because that’s what they taught you. This is the time to form your own opinion, pursue your political and ideological beliefs and wake the hell up! I wish I could share in the same optimism as our president. I admire it.

Call me a pessimist, but I don’t think America’s future is so bright. I’m ready to move to Canada… or break out the Chinese Rosetta Stone. But the fight isn’t over yet, we can still come out of this.

The state of the union is getting stronger, but it will be knocked right back down if we don’t do something about it now. Vote. No one is going to do this for us. It’s our future at stake here.