It's one of those rare times when I actually decide to share the thoughts that go through my mind on a daily basis. I usually don't think that what I have to say is all that important, but I think this is something that affects us all.
"Do we care anymore?"
What do I mean by this? I'll explain:
The United States is not the same country it used to be. Maybe this is a good thing in many ways, but I think it's a bad thing in most ways. We are borrowing more money from the rest of the world than we ever have before. We are in more personal debt than we've ever been in before (there was recently an article on MSN about the alarming amount of credit card debt racked up by Americans these days). We are destroying the countryside with suburban sprawl that is needless and wasteful. We are commuting miles and miles to work everyday, burning more gas, congesting already stressed roadways, creating more air pollution, losing quality time that we could spend with our families or doing other things we enjoy. We are eating more and more fast food, we are exercising less and less. We are shopping at Wal-Mart and Home Depot.... the very chains that have forced locally owned business to close down all across the country. We are spending less money on education. We don't buy products that say, "Made in the U.S.A." anymore. We are outsourcing more and more jobs to other countries. We have created an unsustainable monster of an economy that is going to eventually be our demise. We are losing our grasp on the very idea that we all grow up hoping to achieve: "The American Dream".
How did this happen? What are we going to do about it? We could all refuse to shop at chain stores, we buy a smaller home that is practical instead of the largest one we can find, we can create a larger market demand for housing that is closer to town and doesn't require hour-long commutes, we can drive more fuel-efficient vehicles (or walk, bike or take the bus), we could stop eating at fast food restaurants..... there are many things we can do. The ironic part is that we already *know* these things. We are just too distracted to really have time to think about them. The reality of it is that the average American is too busy trying to keep up with life. We have families to feed, bills to pay. If we can save money shopping at Walmart, then you can damn well bet that's where we're going to shop. If we can get a 2000 square foot home for the same price as a 1500 square foot home, regardless of distance from work or what farm was paved over to create it, you can bet we'll buy the larger home. We want the biggest, the best, the fastest, and.... the cheapest. We hate all of these negative things that are happening to our country and we recognize them, but we find it easier to look the other direction than actually do something about it. Do we just wait until it all blows up in our faces?
I don't know the answers. I can offer my biased and opinionated solutions, but I can't expect the rest of the country to ever realize that I know what's best for them (haha). I'll tell you what I think, but I also want to know what all of YOU think.
What I think is wrong:
1. Most people are stupid and/or apathetic.
2. People haven't been exposed to the finer things (i.e. good development, nice architecture, meaningful conversation etc.) to know any better.
3. Many, many Americans lead shallow lives concerned with the latest news regarding __________ (fill in your celebrity) rather than the big issues (war, oil dependence, loving each other, attuning to one's environment and neighborhood).
4. Americans don't want to face hard issues because we are L-A-Z-Y. Acknowledging a problem might actually mean doing something to address it.
5. Our government does not have our best interests in mind (duh).
My solutions:
1. We all need to read Walden.
2. We all need to watch Fight Club.
3. We need a reform of our public sectors.
4. We all need to freakin' slow down.
Thanks for reading and please respond (unless you don't care either).
"Do we care anymore?"
What do I mean by this? I'll explain:
The United States is not the same country it used to be. Maybe this is a good thing in many ways, but I think it's a bad thing in most ways. We are borrowing more money from the rest of the world than we ever have before. We are in more personal debt than we've ever been in before (there was recently an article on MSN about the alarming amount of credit card debt racked up by Americans these days). We are destroying the countryside with suburban sprawl that is needless and wasteful. We are commuting miles and miles to work everyday, burning more gas, congesting already stressed roadways, creating more air pollution, losing quality time that we could spend with our families or doing other things we enjoy. We are eating more and more fast food, we are exercising less and less. We are shopping at Wal-Mart and Home Depot.... the very chains that have forced locally owned business to close down all across the country. We are spending less money on education. We don't buy products that say, "Made in the U.S.A." anymore. We are outsourcing more and more jobs to other countries. We have created an unsustainable monster of an economy that is going to eventually be our demise. We are losing our grasp on the very idea that we all grow up hoping to achieve: "The American Dream".
How did this happen? What are we going to do about it? We could all refuse to shop at chain stores, we buy a smaller home that is practical instead of the largest one we can find, we can create a larger market demand for housing that is closer to town and doesn't require hour-long commutes, we can drive more fuel-efficient vehicles (or walk, bike or take the bus), we could stop eating at fast food restaurants..... there are many things we can do. The ironic part is that we already *know* these things. We are just too distracted to really have time to think about them. The reality of it is that the average American is too busy trying to keep up with life. We have families to feed, bills to pay. If we can save money shopping at Walmart, then you can damn well bet that's where we're going to shop. If we can get a 2000 square foot home for the same price as a 1500 square foot home, regardless of distance from work or what farm was paved over to create it, you can bet we'll buy the larger home. We want the biggest, the best, the fastest, and.... the cheapest. We hate all of these negative things that are happening to our country and we recognize them, but we find it easier to look the other direction than actually do something about it. Do we just wait until it all blows up in our faces?
I don't know the answers. I can offer my biased and opinionated solutions, but I can't expect the rest of the country to ever realize that I know what's best for them (haha). I'll tell you what I think, but I also want to know what all of YOU think.
What I think is wrong:
1. Most people are stupid and/or apathetic.
2. People haven't been exposed to the finer things (i.e. good development, nice architecture, meaningful conversation etc.) to know any better.
3. Many, many Americans lead shallow lives concerned with the latest news regarding __________ (fill in your celebrity) rather than the big issues (war, oil dependence, loving each other, attuning to one's environment and neighborhood).
4. Americans don't want to face hard issues because we are L-A-Z-Y. Acknowledging a problem might actually mean doing something to address it.
5. Our government does not have our best interests in mind (duh).
My solutions:
1. We all need to read Walden.
2. We all need to watch Fight Club.
3. We need a reform of our public sectors.
4. We all need to freakin' slow down.
Thanks for reading and please respond (unless you don't care either).