Making Choices In The Face Of Change 2/19/2011
By Michael A Rawl
Pie Town New Mexico
www.strawhouse.com
We the people of the United States of America have faced many daunting challenges in our history. Revolution, civil war, world wars against fascist maniacal dictators and the constant struggle for civil rights, these are just some of the most well know challenges we have faced.
As a new colony, we stood against the odds and defeated the most powerful, dominant nation on earth at the time, not once but twice, in the American Revolution and the War of 1812. We said no to a government of over taxation and a repressive system that paid the already rich from the toil of enterprising individuals.
Civil War nearly tore the nation apart, but strength, honor and the courage to fight for the rights of all Americans won out over the desire of an upper class to keep some not equal, but subservient to their needs.
As the technology of the Industrial Revolution came on the scene, America met the challenge with freethinking, inventive, optimists. We led the world in the face of change and became the prevalent force and economy. The people of this nation had faith, stood strong, worked hard and believed in our destiny. We could do anything and did over and over again. In the last century the selfless heroism of free men defeated at great sacrifice, tyrannical leaders who imposed their fascist ideals in a bid to rule all free people. We met the enemy with a grit and determination that has been called “The Greatest Generation”. I have had the privilege of personally knowing some of the quiet heroes of that struggle; we are lucky to still have some of the great people of that time among us. They should be appreciated, as mentors for the challenges we face today.
Reading the news and listening to the chatter that is so prevalent in our society would lead one to believe that we are defeated and face certain decline in the face of burgeoning emerging markets and a rising national debt. If we believe this it will manifest itself and the nation will realize the doom and gloom these pessimistic “naysayers” project on the screen of the future. I see a choice; let this come to fruition or stand like we always have and fight.
How can this be done?
First of all quantum physics suggests that one can create their own destiny.
“I will fail, we are lost, there is no hope” repeated enough times will beget that result. However “We can win, we can do anything we put our minds and backs to, even with our problems we are the strongest, freest nation on earth”, and an optimistic hard working attitude will take us all in that direction.
Here is what I see facing America, we stand on the brink of a new industrial revolution, one that will be fueled by many changes in the way we communicate, power our homes cars and factories, and the way we choose to use our natural resources. Green technology, something we must implement to simply survive and leave a decent planet for our children to live on, will provide more jobs than one could imagine if we simply take our heads out of the sand and face the truth. We need to take the lead using the workforce that has pulled us out of the weeds so many times before. Education is key, creating engineers, technical workers, teachers or tradesmen that will build the new power and transportation infrastructure. These are the things we need to compete in the coming economic boom, that has already begun in some of the emerging markets of the world. It has already begun while we were feeling sorry for ourselves, fighting treasure draining, profit driven wars and bickering over partisan politics. This economic, environmental restructuring, will not even reach its peak over the next several decades, it is now at critical mass. Our gross domestic product or GDP will then begin exponential growth, the amount of debt compared to the GDP will decrease in percentage, changing the dynamic of the whole equation. (It will work like this. Say one has $50K in debt and a $50K salary and suddenly gets a $200K salary, that $50K in debt wouldn’t be the burden it was at that original salary, the debt would be easier to service.) This is what will happen when this boom hits our economy. This doesn’t mean we should ignore responsible spending, just put the money to work in the ways to bring this about.
We have the opportunity to once again lead the world with an optimistic hard working, freethinking people. If left unbridled by the restraints of negative leadership, self-serving politicians and invasive business inhibiting government, we will leave the dooms day predictors standing in our dust cloud, trying to figure out what happened.
We face a battle not with insurmountable problems but with our own perception of the future.
Here is the challenge, get up off the couch and work hard at something, improve oneself with the things needed to take part in this fight. Stop expecting government to be your caretaker and the solution to your problems. If you are able to work and contribute to society, take a deep breath, pull up your pants and simply try. Make self-improvement not self-medication your mantra and have faith. Vote and replace the self-serving political “professionals’ with average working citizens.
I for one will not stand by idly and watch this great republic go down without a good clean fight and I challenge you all to spread the good word and take this brave American stand as we always have. We will prevail.
