I continue to contend that we the people are guilty of our own forthcoming catastrophes not only looming on the horizon, but beginning to occur today.
We keep electing the same “cheerleaders.”
I love to read Fabius Maximus’s web pages (linked on my blog page) because he retains a sense of balance while providing recommendations on how to fix them. Today, at no time in the history of mankind, does the data exist providing answers to how to fix many if not most of the world’s problems, particularly in relation to our nation. Yet, at the same time, mankind for all its declaration of being the most intelligent beings on this planet, appear to be the most stupid.
We know what is going to happen, it has already occurred in the 1973 oil embargo or as CNN titles it documentary on what happens if gasoline runs out “We were warned” we can imagine through well factual presentation.
Our country in which I love, but want to argue with, is facing major crisises not in the future, but now. At no other time in our history, not even during the Civil War, World War II or the Great Depression have we faced problems that will destroy our great nation.
The good part, is that they are fixable now with some sacrifices. The sad fact is, there is no leadership to lead us to and through fixing them. Instead we will continue to react after the fact to disasters, and then it will be too late. Adaptation of a culture must occur as an evolution over generations to be most effective. The U.S. has a history of reacting and fixing a problem after something disastrous has occurred. The problems are now becoming too large to react too and fix later.
We don’t have the agility or will to do that, and must make the choices now. One of my greatest fears is the fiscal catastrophes we are now facing going unsolved due to hurbris, greed, lack of leadership, and plain stupidity. We have been convinced by decades of politicians, starting with Ronald Reagan that we can be as the song says “Be happy, don’t worry” in regards about living today and not worrying about the future. But, Presidents afterward, and of course the people that voted for them, have ignored the problem. Maybe the problem will go away if I ignore it?
“I don’t think so baby!”
There is small hope.
I have linked a great paper, the best I have seen on the issue by Laurence J. kotlikoff called “Is the United States Bankrupt?” Dr. Kotlikoff details the problem well, but he also recommends workable solutions; which I have long believed are the best solutions and fairest to us all. The problem is, it is going to take strong leadership to point and lead the way. And right now, the majority of our fellow citizens are voting for either Republican candidate Senator John McCain or Democratic candidate Senator Barrack Obama, neither of which as addressed this issue at all.
“Maybe if I don’t talk about or address the people want mind?” I guess this strategy works if you want to get elected to political office.
Only Libertarian candidate Bob Barr has offered similiar solutions as presented below in the paper. Of course, it is projected he will only get 3% of the total vote in November.
People love living in a fantasy.
Please read Dr. Kotlikoff’s article, and if you believe, put pressure on your representative to start doing something.
http://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/review/06/07/Kotlikoff.pdf
News is only bad if one does not want to make the necessary changes to solve it.
Don
Leadership aside, perhaps there are steps that each – or any of us, as individuals – might take to respond to this projection.
Like Noah, we might consider how each of us might build an arc.
One place to start is Boethius’ Consolation of Philosphy. An educated, post-Imperial Roman, Boethius served in the court of Theodoric until he was falsely accused of a crime by his political rivals. So he was imprisoned and then bludgeoned to death.
He wrote his Consolation while in prison awaiting his fate.
In it, Dame Fortune appears to him and explains the caprice of random chance. The term, “wheel of fortune,” comes from the Consolation.
For a thousand years, the Consolation was part of the Western canon. All educated men knew it. It was, really, about the time of Westphalia that it fell in obscurity. As the post-Westphalian world decays – which is really the root cause of the crisis you describe – pre-Westphalian culture will reassert itself.
A Boethius revival would be part of this.
Duncan,
Outstanding recommendation. You are so right, we each, under the Constitution have an obligation as citizens to be engaged, more than just vote or put bumper stickers on our vehicles, but get invovled with the political process.
It would be amazing to find any of our senior leaders today having read the Consolation, and if they did, would be abide?
Don