Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Yes, like many of us, I have been watching my 401(k) take a big hit the last few months. Fortunately, I'm young enough where I can take such a hit now and watch it grow again as retirement nears ever so quickly, if it ever comes at all.

I think the economic problems our country is in right now are partly due to our own fault, and partly due to a self-fulfilling prophecy. Ever since George W. Bush became President in 2000, the media has wanted him to fail. This is where the self-fulfilling prophecy comes in. They want him to fail so a media-darling, liberal Democrat such as Hillary Clinton or Barak Obama is elected to office, so they can inflict real damage on the United States and let the terrorists attack us and make sure that I take home less money that I earn. We won't have to worry about any economic problems or health care issues if this country is attacked or destroyed by terrorists, or by ourselves. So anyway, the media (television, radio, print, internet) has shoved down our throats that Bush is an awful man and an awful President and has brainwashed the majority of people in the US and around the world to believe that Bush is bad and Republicans are bad, and that is why the country is in the state it's in right now. Well, I'm not so entirely sure. Bush's tax cuts and policies have helped me, a middle-class man with a modest income, rather well. I can afford to live and be married and put food on the table, as long as I live within my means. And thank G-D that since 9/11 there is not been another terrorist attack on US soil. You can thank George W. Bush for that. The Junior Senator from NY has hardly been in NY to care for the people of NY during her reign. You think she actually cares about the people of the United States and protecting them? The people of NY are only there for Clinton when it's good for her, and I'm convinced she feels the same way about the people of the United States.

Which brings us to the other part of the problem. People in this country think that they are entitled to get something for nothing. They should get a mortgage even though they can't afford to pay it back. They should get more credit cards even though they can never pay the balance in full. Executives should get big bonuses for failing to protect their companies and employees from outsourcing and layoffs. It's funny how people have the money to buy video games and cell phones and other electronics, but no money to invest in finding or keeping a job, or for education, clothes, or food. Whatever happened to sacrifice and living within our means and trying to take care of ourselves and not have the government do it for us? There is no sense of pride or purpose in the US anymore like there was after World War II and the declining state of our economy is symbolic of that.

It's time to stop blaming George W. Bush. It's time to stop blaming the bank. It's time to stop blaming the credit card company. It's time to start blaming ourselves. Sadly, people will not realize any of this until 12:01PM on January 20, 2009 when, sadly, a Democrat will be elected President and suddenly everything will be OK and we'll be bailed out again by a flawed Democratic government.