A pitch to the board....

I'm going to set aside the partisan bickering, bed-wetting, pissing matches that miss the bed and whatever you want to call the non-productive shit that goes on here and first, reference you to the "We are Not Alone" thread on the journalism topics only page. A truly excellent link in that thread refers to a Harper's Magazine article that prophesied this economic collapse back in the spring of last year.

I'll also give this link to a WSJ article from 2005:

http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110007460

I've long thought that we were being sold a bill of goods; from a wealthy lady who got that way through corrupt business dealings telling me the economy would never crash and marveling that she couldn't spend the interest on her retirement money fast enough to a friend who went from a trailer house to a $400,000 home by partnering in the sub prime mortgage business. What comes up comes down eventually.

These brilliant people who just recently discovered that we've been in a recession for nearly a year are no better than Cavuto's coffee klatch on FoxSaturday, chirping about new stocks to invest like they were playing Monopoly over a Starbucks. It's nuts how we've been had and as the latter link says, the people we depend on to lead have not.

We're in trouble, beyond any political ideology. Many of you have kids or young adult kids. Some of you are young adults trying to get your foot in the door of a promising career that right now lacks it. I'm scared for you. I'm scared for me. I'm scared for those who depend on our love and support.

I know I irritate the shit out of some of you and I can attest that I feel likewise. But as I sit here, facing a case of insomnia, I really want to reach out for some hands in being pro-active in support for what's good, what's right and fight for what is common, our sense of survival. To confess: I've felt an overwhelming sense since 9/11 that the world had turned a page from which it won't return in our lifetimes and now know in the depths of my soul that the page is not limited to the fingers of one George W. Bush. It's more than just politics; maybe if you can't see that in my rambling, read these links.

And if you can do anything here as I seek to do the same, let's try to be beacons. Our world needs it. How we get there at this point is up for grabs, but if many of those here are master communicators (and some of us who would like to be), then who better to begin to portray this in both word and action? I want to start seeing the sun between the dark clouds that hover over us, and I hope you'll take this seriously enough to want the same rather than kill the messenger.

 

Scribe's a lot more right than wrong here.

 

Scribe,

This attitude started way before 9/11. I'll posit that it really started with the whole Reagan-era I got mine, greed is good thinking. It became all about what VCR, flat-screen TV, personal computer, new electronic gadget you could get before someone else you knew did. There wasn't much credit given for being honest, helping others, volunteering, etc. It was all about who has the biggest bank account. That's how people were measured. Maybe it was a reaction to all that free-wheeling, devil-may-care '60s-era stuff. I believe 9/11 could have changed things if our leadership had led us there or people had just decided on their own to be better. But one thing I'll say about the Obama era and dealing with financial hard times, is I see people changing to help their neighbors. I see it a lot here in Michigan, where we've basically been in a depression since 2000. One of my coworkers went to the inauguration last week and she said it was amazing the atmosphere of pure joy and love and everyone just talking and meeting each other. She said one guy was handing out those stickers that say Hi, My Name is and everyone was putting them on and introducing themselves. I think there's a lot of hope that America can become our best selves and care about each other more. I think we should at least resolve to try.

 

I blame Alex Keaton.

 

I'll admit, that I'm concerned that the U.S. has seen its peak years as a country (more or less from the end of WWII to 2001). Between the fear of terrorist attacks, to the country's finances going down the drain, to our jobs all being sent overseas because it's 'the global economy', I'm worried that my kids are going to be living in a country much worse off than the one that I've lived in.

 

I notice that in the overwhelming number of people who have posted on this thread are none of the usual pissers. Anything aimed at productivity and positive answers? That doesn't surprise me one bit.

 

If you insist on acting like a twit most of the time, don't bitch about not being taken seriously when you act normal.

 

If being defined as a twit is disagreeing with your liberal buddies, then call me whatever you want. But don't be self-righteous. No one around here is better than anybody else.

 

Scribe, I think some of why this didn't get many responses was because it's pretty nonspecific. Take a look at what you wrote:

I don't necessarily disagree with you. I know we're in trouble, I know the people who have talked about the financial mess over the last 1.5 years have been wrong, idiotic, shortsighted or dumb. It is quite clearly a scary time. But what is there particular to do for "what's good, what's right"? What does that mean, exactly? I mean, other than live within your means, be nice, think of others, and value strong personal relationships, because those are about as recession-proof as anything. Besides, my idea of what's good and what's right might be wholly different than anyone else's on this board.

And you say you want to fight for what is common, our sense of survival? I mean, how do you do that? What do you want to preserve? You can't go out there and sink a bayonet into a recession/depression/bad times. About all you can do is be sensible and badger the shit out of your elected officials when they're not being responsible or ineffective.

Again, this is all vague. Beacons? I'm reminded of the movie Sneakers, when Robert Redford's character is caught in an office posing as a PI. He stumbles over what he's saying as says in an incredibly corny moment, "Be a beacon." I really don't know what you're getting at. A little concrete explanation would help.

 

Are you trying to be ironic by asking everyone to put aside differences...and then attacking those with whom you have differences when your thread doesn't elicit the response you wanted?