Sunday, October 26, 2008

The times, they are a-changin'

Regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, or who you intend to vote for in the upcoming election, one thing is certain, this is not the America any of us have known during our time on this planet. It has been decades since our country was in this level of financial distress, and it has been 40 years since we were last in a war which proved to be as prolonged and costly as Iraq has become. Life and our national direction seem so uncertain. The future looks like a rather bleak affair, but there are reasons to be optimistic.

From great adversity rises the catalysts for a new generation of social movers. It is nearly impossible to motivate masses of people toward change without a calamity, or collective hardship, to properly focus their perspectives. We now have such a calamity and it is undeniable to anyone with any sense. The last time our country faced such stress was following the terrorist attacks of September 11th. The country stood up and took notice. No one could deny the power of what we had all seen, and there was no debating, something had to be done. Unfortunately, George W Bush systematically squandered that sense of communal unity by recklessly chasing a political agenda based on ideology and hubris, rather than humbly, intelligently, strategically moving forward toward a real solution. He failed, but I am fairly confident neither of the men running for President will ignore the lesson of Dubya and conduct themselves with such arrogance. Maybe I am giving these men too much credit, but I think there is reason to believe that both men would lead their cabinets in a way that would not take the country down a similar path of shamefully shortsighted action.

This time, the war will be financial, but it will also be spiritual. I am not talking about god or souls, I am talking about the country's collective spirit. There is a real chance, depending on how skillfully, honestly, and surely the country moves through this mess over the next several years, that America could fail. Greed could bring the once mighty giant down to the level of a fractured, expansive, banana republic. A strong argument can be made that we are already there, but it is not yet too late to take a turn in a new direction. What it will take is real leadership in government, but also real effort on the part of the constituency.

We are on the precipice of a very real recession. Given the borrow and spend mentality which has defined this country's government and its people, no one should be surprised that we have dug this massive hole together, but we do not have to acquiesce and resign ourselves to being buried. Each of us must take on a higher level of personal responsibility. Collectively, we have to understand that leadership matters, that people matter, that we matter. Our choices in the years to come will determine the course of history and could have repercussions that extend far beyond the next generation.

If we do not come together, if we do not put aside the innumerable, insignificant differences used to divide us, we will ultimately fail, and the next generation will suffer immensely for it. The economy is going to shrink and shrivel, we will all be forced to make sacrifices, but in many ways, we will be coming back to Earth after 3 decades of living in a fantasy land. But this is all common knowledge. Barack Obama and John McCain both agree on this, so the differences between them are rooted in the "how" we get there. This is good and as it should be, since those differences will lead to debate and compromise, which will keep both sides honest.

And honesty is paramount, if we are to make any real progress. Americans have to be honest with themselves, and they have to demand - not hope, or request, but demand - that the government is honest as well. Whoever wins the White House must be required to be honest, but they must also keep America honest. If they fail to meet those obligations, we will descend into an abyss from which we might not return as a functional nation. I believe that much is at stake over the next decade.

Posted by Erik @ 10/26/2008 11:15:00 PM