So you think being an angry voter is cool? Well, you now have a voice in American politics. The newly founded Tea Party has with the help of the media become a symbol for those of us who “don’t want to take it anymore,” and “want our country back.” But is the anger appropriate? Are we directing that anger at the people, institutions, and circumstances that have created the turmoil we are experiencing as a nation? The answer is emphatically NO! So let’s take a quick look at where we are.
First, we are heavily in debt — both as individuals and as a nation. Who is at fault? We the people are. We mortgaged up our homes, charged up our credit cards and lived beyond our means. We allowed our political leaders to create enormous government debt as well.
We have watched the rich get richer and the poor get poorer in our country for many years. Our Wall Street investment houses and bankers got incredibly wealthy — and we allowed them to rip us off in ways that used to be illegal. Our political leaders did nothing to protect us, or protect our economy from financial collapse.
As far back as the 1970s, at the onset of the first Middle East oil embargo, we made energy supply decisions that leave us vulnerable to blackmail and threaten our prosperity as a nation.
We watched as our people have fallen behind in education. Why so many high school dropouts? Why do only 1 in 4 Americans hold a college degree? And why are we graduating so few mathematicians and engineers?
We’ve watched as our nation has for the last 50 years sent American soldiers to fight and die on foreign shores with questionable results — in large part to protect our energy supplies and economic security. Do we feel any safer or more secure as a nation?
My greatest fear for our nation is that as we are becoming concerned about our common welfare — we seem to be looking for someone to blame, rather than looking inward. The government is to blame, the immigrants are to blame, the President is to blame, the liberals are to blame, the conservatives are to blame.
No. We the people are to blame. We probably do need to vote a lot of our elected officials out of office. But let’s be clear, multinational corporations don’t have the people’s interests in mind and “free markets” are not free – they are manipulated by multinational corporations and foreign powers. Our national government is the only instrument we have to protect ourselves.
The history of the United States of America is replete with stories about individual success stories made possible by the economic freedom we have enjoyed. The greatness of America is less about individual achievement than it is about what we have accomplished when we work together toward common goals and the common good.
We have no one to blame but ourselves if we fail to change course and take responsibility for our nation’s destiny.
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Jon,
I completely agree with your post and share the emotion. Of worthy mention – The Tea Party isn’t any one party or entity. Rather, it is a completely incohesive venting blather with many contradictory ideologies and illogical rationale.
Said another way, cranky folks who long for good old days that never were, many in it refuse to accept the responsibilities at hand. They refuse to share entitlement yet demand theirs. Sadly, too many believe our President isn’t theirs. They begin with black and insist on white.
Nevertheless, they do share commonality with a Republican Party of “NO.” Why be bi-partisan and work at mutual cohesive solutions when IF you just scream, yell, obstruct, say-NO and balk loud enough you might steal back control? OK “bubba’s” when and IF you get control (back???) How are you going to fix it? THEY have no viable solutions now and little should be expected later.
This November’s Election results may be more interesting than Tea-sters and obstructionist Republican’s expect friends. A Tic can Toc until the wind of its spring is exhausted. Without new energy their time is both incorrect and insufficent.
In other words and in concert with your sound reasoning, substance and responsibility matter. I squarely believe we must vote as if our life depends upon it, because it does!
Keep up the good work!
Cheers, Jon Messer
Thanks, Jon. The life of our country does depend on us, and on our votes. Our freedom and prosperity as a nation is not guaranteed. Empires and entire civilizations have come to an end because poor choices were made by their leaders and people. I am less than two years away from retirement as a federal employee. I intend to be increasingly active as time permits until then – which is one of the reasons for this blog. Best regards.
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