The Death of ‘American Exceptionalism’
“Occupy” movements around the globe emphasize a frustration with the wide chasm between the wealthy and those who struggle with survival issues.
Anyone who is paying attention to the circus in Congress sees a wide chasm between differing philosophies … either this or that, but no compromise…
Friends and acquaintances have expressed a struggle in their daily lives… from confusion with all that is going on… to less or no income… to not knowing what to do, where to go, and how to relate.
There is the eternal conflict between individual ‘rights’ and the ‘social contract’ that would guide us to take care of one another. This does not have to be a conflict… or chasm… but so many set it up as one or the other.
In general, Republicans seem to support ‘free capitalism’ without restrictions or regulations… and support the ‘right of the wealthy to accumulate more wealth while also wanting to reduce taxes and the role of government.
On the other hand, Democrats tend to support helping the poor and middle class… and want to put in place government programs that help provide assistance to individuals as well as regulate corporate entities to protect the citizens from unbridled greed and scams that simply extract the citizens money and filter it to the wealthy… the is an emphasis on protecting and defending people and our environment.
I think it fair to say that most people see the sense in having laws that provide for some social order and security. Why do some think that we do not need laws and regulations for corporate entities? Laws in society are meant for individuals. Why should they not be meant for corporations? Corporations do not have the right to poison the land, air, and water simply to make a profit. Like a dependent child, the environment does not have the ability to defend itself, except perhaps in the long run when the resultant changes may bring about the end of humans on earth…
In my way of thinking, everyone has the right to make money and invest and enhance his or her bank account. Some know how to play the monopoly game better than others. We do live in a society that is now intertwined as a global neighborhood due to business and trade as well as expanding global communication networks… Some have lost savings and investments due to failed start-ups and other high-risk investments gone bad… also due to volatility in the stock market and the loss of jobs and income due to economic downturns, aging, health, and any number of other reasons…
We are a giving people in many ways… and often those who have the least give the most. Organizations such as churches and other non-profits provide services and funds to help those with no or little income. The government not only provides jobs for many citizens, it also provides healthcare and pensions and a safety net in the form of social security checks, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment checks, and benefits for veterans and others who need assistance.
It seems that the some of the members of Congress simply see it as a win-lose game and will not actually do any serious negotiating since they do not want it seem as if the current administration is helping and doing a good job of governing. Unfortunately, many are so closed in their views that they would rather see the economy stay in a downturn and unemployment rise so it makes the current administration look inept. Many politicians and business conspire in order to try to produce a win in the next election.
Unfortunately, at times it seems to be working… It is a shame that our experiment is failing in this way, where politicians see their job as getting re-elected, raising money, and lose sight of the citizens back home who elected them. We are now a country of global corporations and individuals and the corporations seem to have a controlling hand. Perhaps the largest corporation is the banking industry headed by the interplay of the Federal Reserve Corporation, the International Monetary Fund Corporation, and the World Bank Corporation.
While we are One World is a spiritual sense that is interconnected energetically at various levels, we have become one world at a political-economic level. Unfortunately, we have no choice but to have this form of one-world-ness controlled by humans who always have a choice to be self-centered, group-centered, and/or altruistic. When banks and baking systems are set-up to control the flow of money and are also self-regulated, there is cause for concern. Any industry that is self-regulating, creating the guidelines and laws that govern its activities, will most likely have its own interests at the top of the priority list. Of course the other way to do this is through money to politicians [lobbying] that influences legislation.
Influence and corruption are in all forms of government and business… it is seen as a way of doing business… there is no internal guidebook of ‘good’ rules for humans that are automatically set in motion. Ethics and morality is learned …and even then it can be and is violated.
Many who ‘serve’ in government and head businesses use religion and especially the Christian religion as a tool to get elected. This is not to say all politicians do this or that all politicians are hypocrites in some way. But if we look at the tenets of the Christian religion, it is based on Love. How many politicians would express their love for people and the earth? They would fear the ‘fundamentalists’ among us who have a closed system of thinking. They would fear being called a ‘socialist’ or ‘liberal’…
Of course the problem in using religion of any sort is that there are many interpretations of what being a “good Christian” means… It would be a bit different for each of us… unless you have a list you go by…
We have seen the ‘silent majority’ in years past be associated with forms of ‘evangelical’ and ‘fundamentalist’ Christianity… While there are many loving people in these belief systems, the belief system itself promotes a rather black or white, either/or, way of thinking… I know there are some in these groups that are socially active and care about social concerns… and there are many more that really care mostly that others think the same way they do… the same would be true of extremists of any religion…
Policy takes a second place to being ‘right’ … believing as ‘they’ do…
In reality we are all in this dance called Life together. Many hear that rhythm and the melody of dancing together… and others prefer the sounds of their own thinking bouncing back to them… it provides a sense of security in a fear-based system.
It seems we are in times of changing energies and re-structuring. The old ways are no longer working… some want to inject more paper money into the system to provide activity and growth … “spending stimulates the economy” is one theory of economics…
Another perspective is to stop spending… make government smaller… deregulate business …. and lower taxes…
I’m not sure that either approach works on its own… but unless we let go of old answers and begin to think outside the categories of political philosophies, the chasm and the stalemate will continue…
Less is more… If we all ate only healthy foods and bought only what we needed, the world economy would have to change in a hurry… perhaps this is the revolution that is needed… not spending more as a good consumer would, but rather living within our means… We have all lived for some time in a world of instant gratification and self-centered wants… imagine what it would be like if we accepted what we have and are satisfied…
Why do we need the biggest army? Why do we need to police the world? Why does the dollar have to be the world currency?
I wish ‘American Exceptionalism’ was tied to the way we live within our means and the real values and ethics we live by each day…
