Archive for edgewatertalkingstick.myfreeforum.org The talking stick has been used in many cultures to promote discussion and community. It is our hope that citizens will join in and gain a greater sense of community involvement. Note: This is not a government sanctioned forum.
|
Done
|
The Blame GameThey, who ever They are, say we are in trouble. Big trouble. Way more credit than is healthy. Greed. What is that? Is it exploting people with rediculous loans to buy cars and homes they can't afford? Is it buying fancy cell phones for our children that distract them from their studies at school? Is it a 42" 1080PPI flat screen display that we can't afford the service for? Is it a hybred automobile that makes us feel good to drive but costs us upfront way more than it's gas guzzeling cousin over a five year period? Greed? What exactly is it? Could it be Nancy Pelosi's speech just before the vote or John McCains appearance in Washington last week?
I don't know about you but, I'm tired of all this crap. I think somehow the vote today expressed how most of us feel. You are not without influence. It is after all, our Nation. Not Obamas and not McCains. Somebody had better begin talking to me in terms I can understand and soon or I will bring down the house.
|
Guest
|
I’m hoping you mean the House of Representatives when you say you will bring down the house. At this point I’m ready to vote for anyone who is not an incumbent or running on a ‘major’ ticket. As someone said on another blog, “Flush ‘em all!”
|
Guest
|
What a horrible time for our country. Who would ever have believed, in an age of such enlightenment, such deception would prevail? There is plenty of blame to go around. Media, too has had a huge effect in our down-turn. We began to believe, somehow we could have everything we wanted--for ourselves, for our children without eventually having to pay the piper. Well--we do have to pay. Even those of us who never intended to let ourselves be led down this path were swept along, innocently at least at first. There were many, of course, who knew full well what they were doing but just did not care. Greed does that. In the end we are all to blame. Some more than others but all of us got dragged in to some degree, reaching for what we thought was the American dream.
We will recover. Most of us will learn from this crisis what is important and what is not. I will hope those most guilty of leading us down this path of greed will learn, but they probably will not. The rest of us will have to be stronger knowing the horrendous price those few made us paywhen they encouraged us to think it was ok to set aside our ideals so we could have it all. In the end most of us will be better for this lesson in humility.
There will be new leaders, they will rise out of this mess and give us hope, bring us back on track. My choice is made, I will choose the man I believe has that ability-- as will most of us.
|
JamieMac.
|
A good recession?'Done' has a good point. We have become a nation of fast track, one upping, gotta have it or I'll just die, overconsumers.
We, as consumers, have lost the ability to distinguish between basic necessities and luxuries. We HAVE to have the latest dishwashing machine because - God forbid - we should get dishpan hands from washing dishes ourselves.
We have to have a cordless phone for every room in the house AND a cell phone surgically attached to us when we leave the house.
We have to have that oversized SUV and an equally oversized house to store it (and all our other shit) in.
Our children and young adults today have no clue what a basic necessity is. We talk about protecting the environment for their future, yet we poison it with our over consumption. We are teaching them that this is acceptable and expected.
I am as guilty as the next person.
I am not so sure that a recession isn't just what this country needs to save itself. Have you ever heard the term "tough love"?
|
Blame Me
|
Working class foolI suppose I could make more money if I got a job giving advice rather than getting my hands dirty. But at the end of the day I like being able to touch and see my contribution to society. I live in Edgewater because I chose not to chase a big house in a ‘sustainable development’ with an HOA to insure that my neighbor doesn’t use an ugly colored paint. My car may be old, but it has no lease and no loan payment. I don’t have an air conditioner or a sprinkler system. I shop at Wal Mart and CostCo because I can’t afford Whole Foods and Target. My TV doesn’t hang on the wall and my furniture doesn’t match.
Is this good? Something to be proud of? It’s a catch-22. While I may be ‘living within my means’ I am not doing much to support our economy. We are a nation of consumers. Our consumption is what puts food on our neighbor’s table. I’m not frequenting Edgewater’s local businesses, who in turn remit taxes to the city, taxes which are needed to plow our streets. I contribute very little, but I expect a lot.
My frugal approach is as responsible for this economic mess as the ‘got to have it all’ approach. Capitalism is a hard act to balance. That’s why we always seem to be caught in a perpetual pendulum effect. Individual freedom and choice is what allows us to swing as far to one side as we do before being forced to move in the other direction. The only way to reduce the swing is to shorten the pendulum. That would require massive and strict government regulation on just about everything.
“Nanny State” - the concept has its appeal, but I prefer greater individual freedoms, even it means that some of us will fall, and fall hard, once and a while. The ability to distinguish between basic necessities and luxuries should be an individual choice, not that of the government’s. That said, I think we have swung too far right now to not have the government step in. We all need to help each other out of this one.
If I had the solution to the ‘problem’ I’d run for President, but I don’t. And I don’t think Obama or McCain do either. That’s okay, I really not looking for a Nanny. But I wish I believed the decisions being made were more about us than the politics of the upcoming elections.
|
Guest
|
We all seem to be getting along in this thread and we seem to be uncovering some real issues here. Funny how it all works out without the rah-rah nastiness of politics. I've heard it said that the World loves Americans, they just don't like America. I wonder what that means?
|
JamieMac.
|
then again....Blame Me - my point with the possible good of a recession was that it may make people step back and look at how their over consumption is affecting everyone and everything.
In reality, I think that we have come too far to ever go back to the recession type mentality of the early to mid 20th century. Unless you are in your 70's and older, you probably do not know a lot about what it takes to live like that. But I do think that it would not hurt us to have to cut back severely in our consumption of luxury items. Then again, that term is relative. To you, an air conditoner is not necessary. I agree. But to someone else (probably not from Edgewater) an air conditioner is essential. Then again, I doubt that I would ever shop at WalMart because of my own personal convictions. If I were in such poor financial shape that I had to choose between WalMart shoes or no shoes, would I go there?
So we have one hand and the other.
And as usual, I am rambling. I should probably word all my thoughts first before I post them here, but I don't have the patience for that - at least not today. I expect most of you are used to that from me here and on council. Mea culpa.
|
Blame Me
|
It’s all relative - I like it that wayHi JamieMac,
Actually your point was well taken. The necessity/luxury decision needs to be defined by all. My point is simply that I feel it is a personal decision. Which is basically what you just said. There is great risk in allowing people to think for them selves. (its what got us where we are today) But it is a risk I’m willing to tolerate most of the time.
AC in my house = luxury
AC in my car = necessity
Fundamentally, I think we agree more than I may have come across. I’m okay with a recession, of sorts. It’ll be like camping. Great fun and sport if you approach it right.
Mea culpa = NOT necessary
|
|
|
|