I’ve often thought that people who are surprised by national events are generally just people who are ignorant of our nation’s history. It’s all happened before, really, hasn’t it?
This is a presidential election year so, of course, both major political parties are jockeying to make THEIR party look like the “good guys” on the economy and the other guys look like, well, the “bad guys” — and notice, also how the major issue right now is not the war in Iraq, not security against terrorism. It has turned into a battle over the economy and the horrendous crisis America is in economically.
Perhaps you think the economy is fundamentally sound? After all, no one has officially declared this a “Recession,” have they? If you believe that, you have my sympathy. As one of cable TV “economic experts” put it the other day, the government engineered $700 billion + “bailout” is not good — but it is necessary to avert “Great Depression II.”
What has happened in America? Or what IS happening? Are we undergoing some fundamental sort of change in our governmental agencies, our social institutions, our economy, our very way of life?
Nope. I don’t think so. I think we’re merely experiencing what we have always experienced throughout the history of our country — only on a larger, more public scale. There have always been greedy people, stupid people, incompetent people in America. I will admit I personally don’t recall such a time when so many greedy, stupid, incompetent people have been in positions of power all at the same time, but perhaps I just wasn’t paying attention in the past.
This nation has always, I repeat, ALWAYS been run by a coalition of big business and lawyers. Sure, we’ve had a wide range of politicians and “celebrities” in visible leadership. But just take a look at the events that have gone on to shape our country. You’ll find that, for the most part, that old adage attributed (I think) to President Coolidge (maybe Harding, but I think Coolidge) has always been true: “The business of America has always been business.”
We live in the only nation in history that has a whole subculture of specialized lawyers making a handsome living on everything from Mesothelioma lawyer, to “slip-and-fall” lawsuits, to good old fashioned “ambulance chasers” who advertise on television that they can get you top dollar for anything that MIGHT ail you. Got a problem? Got even a potential problem? Wake up feeling miffed or upset at someone this morning? File a lawsuit. It’s pretty much your “God given” right in America, right along with the nearly sacred “right” we have to own assault rifles, both to be used liberally should our neighbors fail to love us as they should.
Sorry, I didn’t intend to rant along expressing myself with bad sarcasm. So I’ll get right to the point remaining: If anything has “changed” in America it would be the increased apathy with which the average American citizen/voter regards the government. Our present economic crisis has come about because of massive failure on the part of all the agencies and individuals who are supposed to be policing private industry, i.e., government regulators you and I are paying nice salaries to so they will oversee the credit industry, the stock markets, etc. But I guess in the George Bush Administration (FOR MOST OF THE LAST EIGHT YEARS!!), nobody’s been minding the store.
Get out and vote in November. Do your part to take out the trash.