The few remaining hours of a shitty year grip the calendar with bloody claws. It's almost like watching justice being processed; yet, you don't know what the face waiting for you in the hall has in store. That face being 2009.
I think this year has been marked, at least for me, as one of horrible financial decisions. I made a few intelligent ones, but none are really helping me out of the hole. They just seem to slow my digging. If I can keep my nose at the surface of the water, I'll only breathe in the waves I splash at myself from frantically trying to keep afloat.
Such is the way, I suspect, of typical Americans. It happens when you live in a hub. Take time to consider that we are just that - a hub, an import-export gateway. Leaning much more toward importation. It's easy to be in this type environment and think that money is easily attainable. So we spend, and we spend in credit. (I'm guilty as hell of that, so don't think I'm on my soapbox.) When we buy, we go for whatever is cheapest - typically foreign products. How many true American brands exist and profit anymore? They're few and far between. We rely on the outsiders. We sacrifice ourselves and our economy to save money. Seems ironic... But because of greed - or because wage increases have not equalled cost of living increases - we send our products and our services elsewhere. And we stand slack-jawed in fear and bewilderment as a recession blankets the country.
On a national level, 2008 was a kick to the American crotch. With pointy toes. It's my belief that the government fell under the spotlight during extensive opportunities to prove itself; and was found wanting. I'm sure I can speak for hundreds or even thousands of others when I say that I've been left with precarious faith in Uncle Sam and the minds that move his limbs. Be it bailouts, economic policies, or the ridiculous election race, I could do nothing but shake my head. Amazing that I'm not in a neck brace.
What floors me just as much, if not more, than the insanity happening within the country is our complacency. We see these things happening, we do not agree with it, and it hurts. But we let it continue. Unless I'm mistaken, I was under the impression that America existed for its people. Not to be dominated by tyranny. To have a voice. To organize and function to balance for the good of the nation. The very first step in that process is to have a passionate response to a condition. Which we all know we have. The next step - and possibily the easiest - is to get pissed off and talk about it. I'm hooked on talk radio, so I'm happy to say that I do hear people on a daily basis making their thoughts heard. However, I suspect that many of us stay tight-lipped for fear of consequence. Understandable; but it is more of a responsibility to speak up, in my opinion, than it is to vote in a shitty presidential election.
So, please, I urge you....get pissed off at something and talk about it. There are plenty of things wrong with the "American Way." Find one and rip it apart. Maybe someday soon, after purging the animosity, we'll have a presentable solution. A way to fix the broken spine of America.
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Cheers to a better 09 eh?
ReplyDeleteHopefully, yes. We'll see...
ReplyDeleteI like blogger because it's alot better than myspace blogs. I did start one here for my dad, but since his passing I have yet to figure out what i'm gonna do next.
ReplyDeletehope 2009 is better for all of us in every sense. especially financially.
You hit the nail right on the frickin head man. This country is so backwards right now and nobody wants to actually do anything about it. I keep thinking about that stupid John Mayer song, everyone is waiting on the world to change. This song explains the problem that we are having now in our useless country. People are quick to bitch about the car payment, mortgage, cellphone bill, or whatever else they feel is wronging them. But they do not realize that they are the masters of their demise. If these people would actually get off their fat asses and do something, life may get better. Get rid of the expensive car that you only got to impress the choad down the street, turn off your cable, get a smaller house. These people that are bitching about everything are complaining about things they have done and don't want to admit it. Thats enough of my soap box. G'night!
ReplyDeleteOh, another thing....
Our government has been talking about the big businesses getting money and homeowners getting help(not talking about you Buzz). But they have forgotten about one very big thing, the little broke, poor guys that don't have a house. The ones that are renting a shitty apartment in the ghetto because they can't afford to move to a better area. These are the people that really need help. These are the blood of America, the people that this country was built by. And the communist assholes that run our country are doing nothing to help these people(I am one of them). If the "leaders" of our country actually cared, they would help these needy people. Until these people stop feeling sorry for themselves, stand up, and say, "No More!" things will never change. I am not calling for a violent revolution or state of anarchy. I am simply calling on my fellow Americans to stand up for themselves and let their voices be heard. Don't let someone intimidate you into staying silent.
They can't silence all of us!