The Denver Post, in its report on the rise in Colorado's jobless rate, posted the following chart of the state's unemployment rate for the last 21 years:
Now look at the rise during the 2000-2001 recession. The curve just about mirrors this one. And yet, it topped out fairly shortly thereafter. I know these situations aren't identical, and that we now face some threats that we didn't before. But I remember the moment, I remember looking for work for several months in the summer of 2001, and I remember the sense that things were going south in a hurry.
Just remember, things can turn around just as quickly. No wonder they're in a hurry to "fundamentally transform" the country. In another few months, the crisis might not be there for them to waste.