Apparently, however, I'm not the only one concerned. The stock market has fallen 2000 points since the November election. Our 401(k) accounts (extra cushion for retirement) are worth a fraction of their value just year ago. The accounts we set up to help with our grandchildren's college expenses have all but disappeared. With the massive spending going on in Washington, (most of which I think is wrong) inflation is next--making everything worse.
And I am distressed by the idea that so many people seem to feel like the United States owes them something. There is an enormous pool of victims who somehow believe that their problems are not of their making and somebody needs to fix things for them. That is a huge turnaround from the self-reliance and individual responsibility attitude of our past. When did entitlement take over? Not in my parents' time or any before that. My parents (and grandparents and so on) worked very hard, and expected nothing from their government except to allow them to make their own way. They bought things when they had the money to pay the bills. Us too. What has happened?
I've probably deleted as much as I've written today, but I'm worried about us. I think too many people are willing to give up their personal freedoms for short-term rewards that may not turn out to be what they are hoping for anyway. We are heading down a slippery slope and no one seems willing to look at what's at the bottom.
8 comments:
Ditto. It is hard to watch the news these days. Frightening, and sad to see so many who will never know the happiness and satisfaction "hard work" and "making it on your own" provides.
On another note, we need to lunch (like the way I made that noun into a verb?!), and soon!
I don't know what to say because I'm afraid I don't know enough. I feel like we're in trouble now because industry was not regulated enough by government and that too many special interests and individuals got their way with greed. As for those personal freedoms, it was sad with the last administration that we were willing to let the Constitution go in the name of terrorism.
As I said, I don't know enough but from what I've read here and there, I think we're trying to correct the slippery slope that we were sliding down.
Can you imagine what would have happened if we put all our savings in the stock market instead of having social security as Bush wanted us to do? Whoa... that's scary, too.
It's not a simple topic with so many different options involved. we can only pray that our current president knows what he is doing and will be able to pull off a change in direction but I doubt it with the momentum that is going with people not living within their means and buying everything in sight till money disappears. We are on a govt. pension and social security so that's a bit frightening...we all need to be concerned and involved. Putting away some food storage wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Things seem to be on a similar course here in the UK. Our investments too have plummeted, to the extent that my husband is having to put off his retirement for a long while yet. It's easy to blame our problems on the USA mortgage companies problems ('When America sneezes the whole world catches a cold') but it seems that our banks and building societies have become far too complacent over the last few years and loaned more than was sensible. Now our government is propping them up, along with the big companies and I wonder what effect this is going to have on our public services - the money for schools, hospitals, roads, social benefits is bound to be affected in due course. I agree with you Jo - people have handed far too much power over to the government.
Smittie: Thanks, I'll talk to you soon.
Kay: You and I will likely never agree on things political, but I enjoy you anyway. Did you know that President Clinton was the first to float the idea of putting part of Social Security in the Market?
Greed and "creative" bookkeeping were definite problems with some companies and I believe they should have been allowed to fail, not rescued with my children's money. But, the housing industry's collapse started with Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac which were forced--starting with Clinton's administration--to find ways to loan money for homes to people who couldn't manage regular financing.
Lin: You're right about people not living within their means. Now that people are taking better care of their money, businesses are suffering. Time will definitely tell.
Amanda: I was just reading about some of the problems of health care in the UK. I don't think government power is anyone's answer.
Jo..I respect your political views even thought they are very different from mine. But people from all political parties are suffering...
Geeze, I hate to even make a comment here, but I will say that single entities do not create or abate, well maybe Noah with his ark. But then he listened to that little voice that told him what to do. We need to do that too.
Well, the saying 'When you're up to your ass in alligators, it's difficult to remember that the objective was to drain the swamp!!'
I have been a registered independent for about 20 years because I think both Repub and Dem parties need help. The corruption and/or greed in Washington is not one side's fault or the other's, either. I'm all for everyone pulling together to turn things around. Political party and correctness and name calling and blaming doesn't solve problems. I hope that people give the current administration a chance. Change takes time. And 2 months is not very long to solve all of the problems that we are currently battling against.
And there you have it! [my personal opinion!]
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