The USA is in an Accountability Crisis
How do we teach our children to be accountable when the Leaders of this country are not accountable?
• Governor of Illinois caught redhanded and still won’t budge.
• Senator from Alaska, indicted and inexplicably stayed on the Nov 4 Ballot.
• President of the US backpedaling and placing blame elsewhere.
• Congress with the lowest rating in the history of the US carrying on as if they had nothing to do with the current malaise.
• Banks and Financial Institutions taking our hard-earned tax dollars to “save them” and then using it for CEO bonuses (!), jet trips, Holiday parties, and lobbyists, but refusing to make loans, while raising interest rates into double digits!
People – this is NOT caused by subprime mortgages. It is NOT caused by gas prices. It is caused by legislation decades ago that let banks run wild on their interest charges, when usury laws were overturned. It was caused by people speculating on paper that was a speculation of a speculation of a speculation. Wall street became a joke. No one was selling anything tangible. Everyone lost sight of reality in a world of made-up numbers. They were living in an ethical abyss and learned absolutely NOTHING from the Enron debacle.
The least of my worries right now are the Auto makers, who agreed to take $1 a year salaries if we could help bail them out. At least that shows a modicum of humility and a recognition that we are on the verge of total anarchy if the leaders in government and commerce don’t wake up and do something.
Where is America? That’s the question my friends from other countries are asking. Where is the independent, kick-butt, self-respecting, self-reliant population? You know, the ones who threw tea in the Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773.
We’ve lost ourselves. This economic debacle is only a symptom of the real problem: A lack of Accountability in the halls of Congress, and in the major Boardrooms of America. As we say in Hawaii, The fish rots from the head down. We cannot fix this until the people we entrusted with our governing, our tax dollars, and our finances set greed aside and start being accountable for their actions. Shortsighted greed has been the norm for several decades. This does not belong to one party or one president, although the recent spate of leaders has certainly sped up our trip to hell. That doesn’t let average citizens off the hook.
We Americans, small Business people, homeowners, employees, and front line workers… we are all Accountable, too. That may only mean we need to start paying better attention and demanding more responsible behavior from the top. We need to be calling, writing, and visiting our leaders. We need to tell our financial companies that it is NOT OK for them to raise interest rates to 38% after we have given them bailout money from our hard-earned tax dollars. If we are shareholders, we need to set aside the need for quick gains and tell our publicly traded companies to straighten out their houses. We need to tell the SEC to do their job and lean on these publicly traded companies.
The USA Titanic will not turn and miss the rest of the iceberg unless every single one of us starts to row. We all need to get involved in some way to turn this around. We all need to step up to the plate and be counted.
I know that we’re a Resilient Country. I know that the American People really have three basic desires: 1) To make it through our day; 2) To take care of those we love, and 3). To better ourselves in some small way. We need to Remember Who We Are. We need to pull together and be counted. And we need to get back to the things that work.
I wish all of you the best during these trying times. I wish for you the energy and time to at least make one call, or write one letter, or talk to one legislator. That’s the best Christmas / Hanukkah / Kwanzaa / Holiday gift you can give America, your loved ones, and your heirs.
Stand up and be counted. Let’s not wait for the folks at the top to figure it out. Make them figure it out. And we’ll all be better because you cared enough to do something.
Blessings,
Beth
© 2008 Beth Terry Seminars, Inc.
Hi Beth, You are the absolutely best contact I have. Thanks for helping me ( this “late youth” woman) stay centered and somewhat knowledgeable about our planet. When ever I receive anything from you my soul lights up, as I know it will be very, very special ! You are a special gift to all who know you.
Blessings of the Season,
Luana