I have been thinking a bit about how to start this blog the right way. I mean, seriously...where do I begin? You look around you, watch the news, read articles on the web and all I see is sadness and anger. Simply put, our country is suffering greatly. It would be unfair to point the finger at an individual because one person cannot create the chaos that has swallowed this country over the last several years. Now, we can definitely blame a group(s) of people. Groups who claim they are out there fighting for the country, but are really fighting for their own personal agenda and status in society.
I grew up with such a great outlook on life. We have dreams about what we can do to make a difference in this world. As children we wanted to be doctors, police officers, fire fighters. The country was built on dreams and the ability for individuals to realize those dreams. I realize now that we live in an age where dreams are set aside so that we may settle for a modest alternative.
It wasn't so long ago that a middle class family of 4 could live very well on a single $40,000 per year income. With that income, a family could live in a home, own a vehicle or two and enjoy the occasional vacation without putting a great deal of strain on them. That is a far cry from what we are experiencing today. To achieve that same quality of living, both adults would have to work and make a combined total of at least $80,000 to $90,000 per year. Even then, that would have to be in a location where the cost of living is properly proportioned to the family's earnings. If you live in the northeast or on the west coast, forget about it. You'll still be living in an apartment with that kind of income.
There was a time when I believed that people didn't find jobs because they simply didn't try hard enough. Now, with upwards of 10 million people unemployed in our country, my theory is being thrown out the window. I was originally going to start this blog ranting about the government, but then I came across a link on Yahoo which highlighted a number of first hand experiences with unemployment. When I saw some of the things people said, it was extremely humbling. There are folks out there who have gone 2+ years without a job. I find myself to be quite fortunate because I lost my job two years ago and only waited 3 months to find my next position. The link to this article is: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/down-not-voices-long-term-unemployed-125453267.html
The first thing that comes to mind is how can we, as a people, allow for this to be the case? It is easy to point the finger at the government, but who is it that is responsible for appointing said officials into office? I'll tell you: We, The People are responsible. We elect these politicians in the hope that they will practice what they preach. You know where politicians would do great? In sales. I gotta tell you, these men and women have incredible sales pitches. They can probably convince a person to by a vehicle at $3,000 over the sticker price; that's how good they are. They have to be! Otherwise, we are beyond stupid for voting them into office! I agree, they put on a great show when they are on the campaign trail and how they mention their fabricated encounters with the 40-something man who lost his job and is struggling to feed his family of 7 or the 30-something mother of 3 who is barely hanging on with the government benefits. I'm not saying people like that don't exist, but the politicians know what resonates with most Americans today. The first rule of sales is to get acquainted with the customer: get to know them on a personal level, find common interests, learn about what they are looking for in a product. Politicians use a text book approach and it never fails!
They woo us with stories of military heroism and contributions to society. They grab us with their religious beliefs and their preference on gay marriage and abortion. Time and time again they speak of these things with so much detail and we all soak it in as though it came straight from the Bible or God Himself!!! In the back of everyone's minds we think: "So when is he/she going to talk about how the country is going to be fixed and how they plan to contribute to that effort?" People on either side will argue that politicians have addressed that. Some will even say that politicians have presented plans to correct the problems we have been facing. The most I have heard is health reform this, or immigration reform that, or we're going to take power from Wall Street and give it back to Main Street, and the list goes on, and on, and on. Politicians may give you a plan, but there is never any substance to it: there are no details. There are NEVER details.
Bills have been passed to provide money through stimulus; a healthcare reform bill was passed. My understanding was that pork and earmarks were to be removed from things like this. Yet, these bills consist of no less than several hundreds of pages that include so much mumbo jumbo that it may as well be considered heiroglyphics. It's made this way to hide the fact that organizations and companies affiliated with politicians are still receiving a piece of the pie. People who read this might say "no kidding, we already knew that!" And yet, you still continue to put these pompous idiots on a pedestal they don't even deserve to be on?!
I've been hearing a lot of people say lately that America has failed. A lot of people attribute the failure of America to the Government. It is the Government that destroyed America by spending money we didn't have. It is the Government's lack of responsibility that led to the economic collapse, resulting in millions of jobs lost and homes being foreclosed. Everything will be better if we just point the finger at the Government! I disagree. Yes, America is failing. Yes, the government couldn't figure anything out even if you pointed a gun to each politician's head and said "WORK TOGETHER, DAMMIT!!!" Here's the reality: We, The People, are America. We, The People, are charged with electing officials to run this country. The officials we have elected have managed to destroy so much that this country stands/stood for. They have failed for decades, and yet they still believe that party politics is the way to go. WE ARE AMERICA! We are failing ourselves...
America, we need to wake up.
No comments:
Post a Comment