The current economic crisis is slowly bleeding what is left of our national wealth and morale. Unfortunately, no one wants to make the necessary changes that will bring real solutions; we only want a bailout, a quick fix to jump-start the economy and get the money flowing again.
The political campaign is doing little to bolster public confidence. Some are calling for Sarah Palin to withdraw because of inexperience. Others complain that John McCain is too old and too outdated. Barak Obama is vague and unpatriotic. Joe Biden can’t keep his foot out of his mouth. President Bush is a lame duck.
I disagree with much of the rhetoric in the media these days, but one thing troubles me deeply: After all the bailouts, speeches and promises, I am not sure that anyone in national leadership can really lead this country!
And I will tell you why.
As a nation, “we the people” have become ungovernable! We can’t govern our own private lives, so how do we expect a leader – be it a President, a Representative, or a Corporate CEO – to govern or guide us? We have become a nation of spoiled children expecting sugar daddy politicians and credit-ready bankers to take care of us and make our lives easy.
Well, life isn't easy anymore and we still don't get it.
Every time I read the newspaper I cringe. Wall Street is to blame, big banks are to blame, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae executives are to blame, the President is to blame, Congress is to blame. Some say we have too many regulations; others that we don’t have enough. We are united by only one thing: Everyone wants someone to fix the problem quickly, so we can all go back to the way things were. Then, there will be an investigation, and we will fix the blame. And you can be sure all the fingers will point at someone else.
Is anyone prepared to really make changes - at the grass roots, personal level - where change MUST happen?
Twenty years ago Jack Kemp said that “democracy without morality is impossible.” We can argue until the cows come home about the specific definition of morality – and I am sure, in our great American tradition, we will. The truth, however, is that moral prudence isn’t hard to know. Ninety percent of it is common sense and common decency. Sadly, too many people seem to have lost contact with both of those qualities.
We can also argue about who really is to blame for America's economic problems, and, again, I am sure the arguments and discussions will go on forever. In every case of financial insolvency, however, from high finance on Wall Street to home mortgages on Main Street, an individual made a decision about how to manage his or her responsibilities. No one put a gun to anyone’s head and forced them to invest in high risk portfolios, offer risky loans, or borrow money they could not afford to pay back.
Every mortgage holder can read and do simple math. It is not rocket science to calculate a monthly budget. It does not require a college degree to understand the importance of saving for the future. This is common sense. At least it is common in most prosperous nations.
Unfortunately, in our culture’s amazing ability to live irresponsibly and shift the blame, we have failed to manage our money and now find ourselves in debt over our heads, waiting breathlessly for another bailout.
Our current crisis is the result of decades of self-serving living. We have wanted our piece of the American pie so badly that we did whatever it took, however irresponsible or short-sighted, to get it. The American Dream, that wonderful, tranquil hope of a better life – that was originally born of hard work, responsible living, and delayed gratification – has steadily eroded into a nightmare of selfish, narcissistic, me-first, give-it-to-me-now hedonism.
No one – including the Democrats, the Republicans, the big banks, and the players on Wall Street – is to blame any more than the “man on the street.” We are all culpable! Whoever does not manage his own life, pay his bills, work his job, and stay out of unmanageable debt has contributed to this mess. If we are spending more than we are earning and indulging our baser instincts (for more power, more money, more stuff!) rather than acting like responsible adults, we are to blame too. When we fail to manage our own lives, and then in crisis turn that responsibility over to legislators, attorneys and bailout experts, we have forfeited our future.
It is time to stop shifting the blame, and expecting somebody in Washington or New York to fix our lives! John McCain cannot do it. Neither can Barak Obama. Let’s not kid ourselves. Our political leaders, conservative or liberal, cannot undo the collective mistakes of 300 million people, no matter how much money they pump into the system or what new laws they pass.
However the bailout unfolds and whoever you vote for on November 4, you would do well to cast a vote for common sense at home, and make a personal decision to do better these next four years!
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