We are told that banks aren't lending and businesses aren't hiring. Everyone knows at least one or two people who have been deeply affected by the recent economic recession. If you've lost your own job it probably feels more like a depression. And the media continue to report that the recent downturn has been the worst economic environment since the Great Depression.
Many Democrats have blamed President Bush and the Republicans for most of our problems while many Republicans are blaming President Obama and the Democrats now. It doesn't even matter what one side says, the other side will always oppose it. It's like watching children fight. Our fat cat representatives in Washington are too busy arguing with each other and conspiring with special moneyed interests so they can get re-elected. The bills they do pass are 2,000 + page mammoths that far too many of our representatives haven't even read! Not to mention the fact that these bills have also been greatly watered down thanks to large bank and corporation money and lobbyists.
One of our politicans actually said, "We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it." Is this the kind of representation we want in our coutry? Should we really wait to find out what is in a new law until after that law is passed? Are these constantly bickering political parties really doing us any good? Do they really do anything other than sing us siren songs and then stab us in the back because of their allegence to their own special interests?
It seems like everyone already knows what the problems are, but nobody can agree on the right solutions. Certainly we can all agree that the economic conditions aren't good. But can we even agree on what the actual problems are? So far it seems the answer is no. It seems we are too busy drawing idealogical battle lines and telling everyone to choose a side.
Is the problem that the government isn't spending enough money? Or are they simply spending too much? Can the economy really recover if the government doesn't spend all this money? Should the government be the one responsible to "save" the economy during a recession? Can the government really even save the economy from a recession? Is the answer more government spending and regulation, or could the answer actually be less?
Should we continue to allow wealthy individuals and businesses to lobby our representatives with hundreds of millions of dollars? Do we really want to keep a system that values money over sound ideas? Do we believe the system we have now is best, or could we come up with a better one? We see the damage lobbyists and specials interests do and yet we feel we don't have any power to change the system. Is there anything we can do other than raise millions of dollars and get in on the game?
Should we allow people to lose their homes and let the foreclosures continue? Or should we bail them out too just like Congress did with the banks? Certainly we wouldn't want to bail out the irresponsible people who blew all their money on big screen TVs, drugs, and other expensive things. But what about those people who are losing their home through no fault of there own? Is the real problem that people bought homes they couldn't afford, or is not bailing them out the real problem? Is helping them out the right thing to do?
I believe that our nation's biggest problems all spring from the same general problem - a lack of understanding correct fundamental principles. There are fundamental principles of economics, finance, and life. Once we have a clear understanding of these correct fundamental principles we can use that knowledge to identify the root causes of the problems we face. Then, once we understand what the real problems are, we can identify solutions that will actually fix the problems we face.
I am currently writing a book that will help each individual explore for themselves what I believe are the correct fundamental principles we should know and understand. This isn't an "I'm right, you're wrong" kind of book. There is too much bickering and fighting in the world today, especially about the social, political, and economic issues we face. My book doesn't focus on tearing down the people I disagree with. Instead, I focus on discussing the fundamental principles we need to understand and then analyzing our situation today using those principles. I then offer some simple solutions that can help each of us better our own lives that will also help us save our nation.
I think I'll call it: The Fundamental Principles We Need To Save A
Nation