So another Christmas in America... thankfully this year somehow I've been immunized against the onslaught of corporate America's focused aim on my pocketbook. With our economy in its current state, it seems to fly against the grain of our national interest to continue spending every last cent and for some of us, actually going into debt, to feed the nasty monster of consumerism. In spite of everything we hear that it is good for our country to "have another drink the morning after a big night to relieve the hangover," don't believe it. Prolonging the binge only intensifies the pain once we decide to sober up and stop this insanity. With 43 million fellow Americans without health insurance; record unemployment outpacing new job growth, not to mention the great income disparity between lost jobs and the new replacement ones; a pension and retirement crisis of unimaginable proportions in over 1000 of our major corporate employers, as well as countless, publicly-funded and taxpayer supported government pensions, including social security; an all-time record national, state and local government budget deficits; and a runaway import trade imbalance; just to mention a few of our current social and economic woes; do you think maybe, just maybe it's time for us to start changing our ways?
It's easy for Americans to blame our elected leaders, but are they not selected from a consensus of like-minded constituents? Everyone is familiar with the definition of insanity, right? Continuing to do the same thing every day but expecting a different result. It is now time for each individual to start the slow process of change in our lives. Everyone and everything on this planet is inter-connected. As the recipients of the benefits of technology, we also must accept the accompanying responsibilities to manage our consumption of earth's limited resources. Our nation and its woes are like an enormous ship on the ocean. The sheer momentum prohibits turning it on a dime like a jet ski. We must slowly start making a turn (change) in our lives one day at a time. Each of us must consciously make decisions to avoid the wastefulness of our natural and economic resources. Examples of minor, almost painless changes include curbing our personal spending, carpooling and combining trips, repairing household items, mending clothing, saving leftovers instead of dumping them down the disposal, keeping thermostats lower, turning off unnecessary lights, insulating our homes, etc. Landfills are overflowing; our oceans and rivers and their delightfully, diverse inhabitants are becoming poisoned by our refuse; our precious air is being negatively affected by deforestation, commercial pollutants, and vehicle emissions. Our global weather patterns are entering an era unknown in modern times.
The human presence on this planet of life is quickly resembling rats in a cellar. With no regard for each other, we continue to overconsume and ruin the very habitat necessary for our survival as a species. At what point will we begin to justify the catastrophic, mass extinction of animal and human species? Have we already begun to do so in Africa? Are we not supposedly, intelligent? Is it true, as individuals we are, but as a group we sink to the lowest common denominator, the mob mentality? The country and planet we leave to our children will not be desirable, nor even life-sustainable, if we don't individually begin action to alter the current path of destruction. Shame on all of us, but moreso the parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles of tomorrow's future, if we fail to open our eyes and see what is happening to our world. America should be leading this crusade to change the world for a better place, instead of leading the rest of the world in pollutants, consumerism, and self-centered consciousness. All humans on this planet are our brothers and sisters. When will we begin to treat them as such? Yet, if each individual American doesn't care enough to make a small sacrifice in their life today for the future of our own children, nation, planet, and ultimately, our species, it will be our children whom are left to make a great sacrifice, perhaps the ultimate one. Is that the legacy we want to leave?
It all begins with simple changes, but today... not tomorrow. Recycle, combine trips to the store or to town to eliminate extra trips. Make lists of things needing to be accomplished while we're out. Avoid the Christmas hype and the great deals on shopping for the latest, newest, best, most advanced, of everything we own, unless we truly need to replace our old ones. Most everything is imported today, anyway. Let's begin a crusade to build American value again. But this starts with balanced trade, a balanced federal budget, and the elimination of our national debt. It will require Americans to save instead of spend. For over 70 years, we have dug ourselves into a deep hole. Every generation since Roosevelt has contributed to our dilemma. There are no fingers pointing, but there are no exemptions, either. Collectively, we have participated in our nation's downward direction; collectively, we all share the burden. This next Christmas can be a Christmas to remember. It can be the day YOU decide to change your lifestyle for the future of humanity. Once we have commited to these small changes, we can then without hypocrisy, demand our elected officials follow suit with their leadership. Otherwise, replace them with like-minded leaders whom regard their fellow citizens above themselves. Isn't that where the term, "public servant" originated? Currently, our leaders mirror our nation's attitudes and values. We must change those first, then our leaders will naturally come from the source we have created.
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