I was taught when I was a youngster that Americans were the most generous and courageous people in the world. We sacrificed for our freedom from England, and we sacrificed a generation of our youth to keep the union, and freed the slaves in the bargain. Americans sacrificed to save Europe in two world wars, rebuilding the war-ravaged continent through the Marshall Plan. General Douglas MacArthur laid the foundation for present day Japan. America has a great deal to be proud of.
The perspicacity and drive to not only win wars, but to rebuild ravaged societies seems to have deserted our leaders. Negative trade balances and huge deficits only mean that our children inherit a lower standard of living. Not only are we leaving them with a lower standard of living, but we are leaving them with a damaged earth.
Poisoned water and soil, acid rain, and melting polar ice caps are our bequests to our progeny. We should be ashamed and should strive to repair all these shameful things. Actions speak louder than words, and our actions should have been more positive and compassionate than our recent and out of character acts. Americans have always valued their children and education as paramount for the future. Somehow, we have lost our values, putting a foreign war of choice, before infrastructure, education, and financial common sense.
One of the major financial time bombs in our country is the lack of savings, caused by tax cuts for the rich, and thus increasing the taxes on the middle class. Common sense says that the poor and middle class must spend to survive. If they had more money, they could actually save some of it, freeing up that money for capital investment. Americans seem to be schizophrenic, partly fatalistically pragmatic and partly traditionally compassionate. Our greatness is illustrated, not just by our great wealth, but the values and freedoms we preserved while accruing it. If we paradoxically sacrifice our values and freedoms, what does that say about us?
Dave Gebhard
Lakeport
