Worry for us?

So the past few posts have had more of a political agenda I suppose...but this one is aimed at the media...specifically...the Northeast Media(New York, Philly, DC, etc...). So yesterday...there were a few earthquakes in the country. 2(I believe, but possibly 3) in Trinidad, CO, and Golden, CO, and 1 in Virginia. Now, before the one in Virginia happened, the two in Colorado were big news seeing as, any earthquakes NOT on the San Andreas are typically newsworthy. But the second the Northeast earthquake hit, Colorado became not only unimportant, but it was almost as if no one even knew they occurred. I mean hello? Yeah, it's crazy that there was a sizable earthquake in Virginia...but what about the fact that there were at least 3 sizable earthquakes in different parts of the country within an 8 hour period??? I think  THAT is the newsworthy story to follow. What does this say to us? Anything that happens in the NE is more important because that is where the main media hub is?

Lets take another example. There is currently a Category 3, possibly soon to be 4, hurricane headed up the east coast. So for the next week at least, 80% of the national news coverage is going to be, "Look at as evacuate" and "Worry for us, what are we going to do?" Now granted, I am from Pennsylvania, and so I will have some degree of worry for my family and friends...but do I think it is a bigger story and warranting more attention than any number of storms that hit the gulf coast EVERY year? No. When Katrina hit the coast, I had just started dating my wife. She told me she was from Mississippi and that a storm was headed that way. There was no big hoopla before the storm, why? Because it is something that people down here deal with on an annual basis. When the storm hit, there was about 3 days of coverage because of the size, but after that, you just about never heard anything about the devastation caused on the Mississippi coast. All you heard about was, poor New Orleans...I have my own thoughts about people who build a city below sea level, next to a large body of water...but I digress...What I'm saying is, when a storm hits down here...it's run of the mill and thus not deserving national coverage. But when a storm hits the East coast...every media outlet from South Beach to Quinnipiac is up in arms like it's the end of the world...It's a storm. It's not the first, and most certainly will NOT be the last. Board up, stock up, and get through it. But don't make me watch 2 weeks of wall to wall about every tree that gets uprooted and every dog that gets lost...because while you're all worried about the storm...don't look now, Obama is gonna talk and the market will drop another 2k points...I think that sums it up.

All I'm saying is, the media, however biased and consumer driven they may be...still has a responsibility to inform the public. That means that every earthquake and hurricane that hits, no matter where, deserves an equally quality coverage. That means that every hate crime, white on black, black on white, white/black on asian, etc...deserves equal footing. It's all news...but just because it doesn't fit into a specific demographic or a specific region, it doesn' get nearly as much coverage...and THAT is a travesty.

It Doesn't Pay to be Uninformed...

We are living in an historic time. Something most people thought they would never live to see, is probably going to end soon. Three years ago, the people spoke loud and clear..."We want change!" They said. And with that change, came the first African-American President. I wish I could say that is the only thing Barack Obama will be known for, but unfortunately, this is not the case. So then it got me to thinking, how does a man, a junior congressman, who hasn't even really cut his teeth in the political arena yet, become the leader of the free world? Well it's a simple answer. The majority of Americans who vote, are simply uninformed voters.

This is pretty much how it went. You had no clear front runner in the Presidential race, so it really was going to come down to voter turnout. Unfortunately, because of the circumstances of the election, we had more people voting for the mere purpose of making history and less for the purpose of electing the best man for the job. Add to that, many of the people who are now complaining about our President, are the same ones who blindly cast a ballot just to see him win.

So here is the problem. How do we inform people who don't care to be informed, but want to complain when their elected officials fail to accomplish anything? People who will vote for someone because they like the "Idea" of change, but have no idea the sacrifices it takes to make change happen? 

There is no real easy solution to this problem. We live in a time where everyone has some feeling of entitlement. And though certain things are defined by our constitution as inalienable rights, that does not mean that we get to coast. It is most definitely our right to vote. But it is our responsibility to gather every bit of information available, which living in the "information age" means there is a lot to learn. And only after gathering all of that information, studying it, analyzing it, and coming to an informed decision, should we be allowed to cast our vote for the best possible candidate. But even then, the job of the American citizen is not done. Because after we vote, it is then our job to hold our representatives accountable for the decisions they make in our names. This is the only way America works. If you let the politicians run wild, they will make decisions that benefit them and their contributors. When that happens, even the informed voters become null.

This is my country. I will be informed. I will be vigilant in my journey for knowledge. And I will most definitely, be watching. And when my leaders make mistakes. I will be there, to hold them accountable. There are tough times ahead. Times when hard choices will have to be made. And I want to be sure that the people I elect, are the people who are willing to make those choices, even if it means their political careers suffer for them. We all want change...but that change comes with a price. If we are not willing to pay that price, then we will simply continue on this same downward spiral. And THAT, I am not willing to do.

It Doesn't Take an Expert...

I like to believe I am a fairly well educated man. Some college, but mostly educated through immersion. I read, and watch, and listen...and absorb everything I can. But when it comes to the economy...I can't say that I am well versed in that beast. But even I know(mostly from studying our past), that when the market is flooded, it eventually must drain. A quick history lesson will show that in the early 1920's, a new kind of home built by the Levitt brothers became the quickest and easiest way to own your own home. They made entire towns out of these pre-fabricated houses, aptly naming these places "Levittown(s)." These towns still exist in name, mostly in the Northeast. Now the great thing about these towns was that it made it easily within many peoples' means to buy their own home. This in turn, flooded the housing market for several years. But what should have been plain to see, apparently wasn't...What happens when everyone then owns a home? The housing market dies almost instantly. The same thing occurred with cars. There really wasn't a need for multi car homes in the 20's. So once everyone owned a car, the auto industry also died. The simple rule we learned from the great depression, just because everyone can afford something, does NOT mean that everyone should go get it.

Bring us back to present day. It seems that the current economic experts failed American History, because a few years ago, they again found a way to let everyone own a home...this time though, they were much more careless. Adjustable rate mortgages that are affordable at first, then outrageous 6 months into the loan made it so people could buy a home, move in, then when they realized they couldn't afford it, just stop paying. Now this didn't bother the mortgage companies, because every time someone defaulted on their loans, there was always another sucker waiting in the wings to buy the same home on the same kind of ridiculous terms. This worked out well until the day came, when all of the people who did not have the means to buy a home had been foreclosed on, and the people who already had homes, were forced to pick up the slack. This meant that their rates would rise in order to pay for those who shouldn't have ever been approved for a loan in the first place.

I don't know how the economy works. I don't understand the stock markets. But I know enough to know that I sure as hell can't buy a house. Not now, and probably no time soon. I am also smart enough, not to try to live outside my current means. My bills are getting paid, which is more than I could say a few months ago. But that is because my wife and I recognized a problem, and found a solution. And now we get to start over, trying to save and work our way, once again, to that dream of owning a home.

Our leaders have failed us. They have recklessly borrowed money for years, knowing full well that they had no way to repay it. And every time the bill came in, they would simply borrow more to pay it. Well, just like in "The Real World" eventually, there is just no more money left to borrow, and no one left to borrow it from. So now we are in our current situation. With  a group of leaders that would tell you that we are not that bad off. That our financial woes are nothing to fear. They would tell you this because in the end, not a one of them actually understands what they have done to this country. They have seemingly turned us into a second-rate America. You know it is bad when illegal Mexican immigrants, are returning home to find work! This is no longer the land of opportunity. This has become a land of liars, thieves and conmen, only looking out for themselves and leaving a trail of destruction in their paths. On top of that, you've got the credit bureaus with their fingers in everything controlling the job market, the housing market, the auto industry, and pretty much just pulling their marionette strings in Washington.

They thought it would be a good idea to bail out the banks...to make sure that everyone's money was still safe. I cringed when that happened. You know what would have worked? Take just a percentage of that money, turn it around and instead of bailing out the banks, and the auto industries...bail out THE AMERICAN PEOPLE! It would have cost less, to pay off most or all of the outstanding debts of the people than it did to bail out a banking industry that continues to flounder. Because by paying off the debts, the banks are getting the money anyway, but people would be able to start spending again, thus stimulating the economy, thus continuing our tradition as a strong and prospering nation. Last time I checked, the money the government used to bail out the banks, was money they got from the American people in the first place. So why didn't we get a say in how it was spent?

Repeating history is not a new concept...but apparently it is also one that won't be going anywhere any time soon. As long as we have leaders who can't learn from the mistakes of their predecessors...we will continue to decline as a people. This blog has subsequently made me furious, so now I must got drink copious amounts of coffee and try to figure out how to save the world!

Who are our leaders???

There was a time when a military leader, or political leader, was known simply by recognition. They were cheered and praised. They were looked up to and followed. This is why they were leaders. How many Generals were known throughout the military and could carry a fight simply by their mere presence on the battlefield? Washington, Lee, Grant, Custer, Hood, Stuart, Patton, and more... What about Presidents who, while typically only portraits were available to know their face, would be known and praised by all who would see them? We live in a time in which everyone has access to just about any photo/video ever published. We can watch our leaders live, taped, in the same room, or halfway around the world. We can see and read EVERYTHING they say. And yet, they do not evoke the pride that those leaders of old did.

I was in the Army, met plenty of commanders who at best, were decent war fighters...but none of them ever made me feel that higher level of enthusiasm that I was looking for. I stood in the presence of 3 and 4 star generals, shook their hands, listened to them speak, and felt slightly hollow. I've listened to Presidents speak, really listened to their words, and heard nothing but the same ole crap that I've heard my whole life.

I've been touching on this a lot lately, but I felt it deserved an entry all it's own, because in the end, our leaders are what define us as a people. If they can't be trusted to inspire us, what good are they. The problem is, how do we find that one person who can rally a nation? Is it really trial and error? Must we be beaten down and broken before that person will come and rescue us? Or is it up to us as a people, to take control and rebuild our country from the ground up? This country was founded on the principle that the people can, given the opportunity, govern themselves and succeed. We have world class economists, who live here, yet we have more debt than every before in history. There is really something to be said about having too many hands in the cookie jar. I have never questioned the checks and balances put in place in our government. But lets look at this realistically.There are 100 members in the Senate, which is a good number. 435 members in the USHoR...which in my opinion is ridiculous...when could that many people ever really agree on anything that actually matters? Then, to top it off...even if these 500+ people can ever agree on anything...The President, 1 man, has the power to decide he doesn't agree and strike it down...Now add into this, all of the sub-committees that are created to make initial decisions before votes are even taken, do we even know who is running this country anymore? There is a mass of faceless, nameless, people who are telling us what to do and how to do it...

This is NOT the America that I want to live in. I long for a leader to come along, and take control. Tell congress what he wants, and not stop until it is finished. Tell our military leaders to get the job done, then, have the military leaders who have the wherewithal to accomplish their mission in a timely and efficient manner. You want to cut military spending? Stop fighting wars that can't be won against a faceless enemy who will never go away. Stop sending our troops to a barren wasteland, only to find out when they get there, that they aren't really needed. THE MIDDLE EAST HAS BEEN FIGHTING WARS WITH EACH OTHER FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS! Why do we think we are going to suddenly make them see the light? I am ashamed of what this country is becoming, and I am afraid of where it might end up if something doesn't change soon.

The American Dream

Go to school, get a job, raise a family, buy a house, live happy in the land of the free...It is something that people grew up with for years. This was the land of opportunity. Now I've heard people in the past few years spewing some Apocalyptical BS about how the American dream is dead. How we are no longer the greatest country in the world. Now of course calling anything the greatest something or other is mere speculation. But to live in a world where women are still stoned to death for adultery and millions of people die from starvation and disease, I'd say that living in a country that grants you the freedoms to pretty much do whatever you want, within reason...still qualifies THIS as the greatest country in the world.

Don't get me wrong. We have our problems. This much is clear. But don't mistake problems for pitfalls. So we live in a place where our leaders have no true sense of leadership; a place where our money has been pretty much rendered worthless; a place where people would rather pass the blame for their short comings in life, rather than accept the fact that they made choices that put them in whatever shitty position they may be in.

No the American Dream is not dead. It is VERY MUCH alive. But it won't just be handed to you on a silver platter. It is something that must be worked towards. It takes many attempts, failures, lessons learned and many more attempts. Sometimes it is achieved, and sometimes it is not. But not achieving the dream does not equate to failure. The American dream is not exactly as tangible as once thought. It has become more of a theoretical destination. Although, maybe it always was.

To live the American dream, one must simply pick a destination, learn the means to reach the end, attempt, fail, retry, probably fail again, attempt yet again...and if you have properly learned from your mistakes, it is quite possible, that you might reach your destination. But that isn't the end of the dream. The American dream can take you as far as you want to go. Once you reach your destination, you can choose to stay there, or pick a new destination, and start the journey again. In the end, it is all on you.

I think the American Dream is not only alive, it is exactly what this country needs to believe in again. We have no sense of ourselves. We have no capable leaders. No attainable goals. We strive to stay afloat when we should be aiming for higher ground. No one said America would be easy. No one said it would all fall into place. We pick the people who will run the country, then we criticise them when they fail HORRIBLY. Sometimes they deserve it, but most times, it is our own fault. We allow people to govern us, who outside of an expensive education and a law/business degree, have NO real qualifications. What this country needs right now is a good swift kick in the ass. The only way that will happen is if we realize that all of our politicians are pretty much the same. We NEED different. We crave different. We have to understand that the only way we can turn this ship around, is with a new kind of leader. One who isn't afraid to make the hard decisions. One who can lead by example and most importantly, lead from the front instead of simply stating a goal, then tasking it out to everyone else. I pray that this leader shows himself soon...because as long as we maintain the current course, we will continue to dream the unattainable dream.

A Fresh Start...

Here I am again. It's been a while, I've made some changes in my life, and yet, there is still so much that needs to be said. I started this blog because I had things to say. Things that I felt most people never take the time or the effort to acknowledge. The first time 'round, I think I got lost in my own ideas...it ended up being something I didn't want it to be. This time around, I hope to stay the course. So this is my fresh start...

There was a time when I truly believed that being honorable was the most important thing in life. Don't get me wrong, I still believe in honor, but I believe that there is more to it than just that. We all have our demons. Some big, some small. But everyone has a skeleton they must someday face. My demons have never been an easy thing for me to face. But I have learned that it's not necessarily the demons I have to be honest with, it's myself. It's the direction I allow my life to go. Knowing this, I have learned how to maintain a happy and productive life. The only thing that changes the direction of my life now, is my family. My wife and children, whom I would die for. They are the driving force in my life.

In the past month, we have left all we knew in Pennsylvania, and settled ourselves quite comfortably in Mississippi. We did this for many reasons. Amanda wanted to go home. She wanted our kids to grow up in a place that they could be proud of. As much as I love my home, Pennsylvania had become too...crowded...for lack of a better term. So we left for the coast... I have a job, we can pay our bills, we are finally in a place where we can feel like we aren't a burden. In fact, we are thriving.

There is so much happening in the world right now. Death, poverty, deception, and at the same time...it is really no different than any other time in history. All of the things that are happening right now, in our government, in our hometowns, and abroad...are all of the same things that have been going on forever. They may be different in design, but not in product. So this is where I will begin the fresh start of this blog...with my mission statement. I aim to shed some light in a time of darkness. To talk about the things that no one else wants to talk about, whether it be because they feel it is taboo, or just too scary. I see so much that needs to be said. Whether people listen is up to them. But I am so tired of everyone looking for someone to blame. This world is in crisis. But no one has anyone to blame for their misfortune in their own lives, but themselves. It is one of the things that I love about my wife... she has always admitted her mistakes and taken the heat for them. I truly admire her for that, and I wish that I saw more of that from others. This world needs a new kind of leadership. We don't need someone to take control of our lives, but to show us the path to take care of ourselves. We must become our own leaders. Learn from our past...so we do not once again, relive it. My family and I have our fresh start...now I aim to guide others in theirs.

''The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret to getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and then starting on the first one.''
-Mark Twain