Gasoline price per barrel have come down to nearly $90/barrel yet the price of gasoline at the pump is still over $3 per gallon. Leading financial institutions are in dismay both in the United States and abroad. Unemployment rate has held steady for years below 5% until January 2008, when it began to increase. Unemployment rate is currently at 6.1% and by April 2009, it is forecast to be around 7%. The housing foreclosure rate is epidemic, the New York Stock Exchange Index is below 10,000 points, our dependence on foreign oil is out of control, and similar to the 1960's with air pollution, Chicken Little is again letting everyone know that "the sky is falling" with climate change exceeding at a greater rate than expected by greenhouse gases.
Along came our congress and realized what had to be done, and the Emergency Economic Stabilization Bill was added to HR 1424. HR 1424 was sponsored by Rep Patrick Kennedy (D-Rhode Island) in March 2008 for the expansion of mental health coverage to be equivalent to other medical coverage. On October 3, 2008 the bill was passed by congress and signed by President George Bush. In effect it amounted to about $800 billion to bail out the economy. Additionally tacked on the bill were provisions to increase the FDIC insurance from $100,000 to $250,000, various tax credits for alternative energy uses by the private individual, and incentives for domestic petroleum production.
The lesson that we should learn from all of this is can we blame only one person or a group of persons. Yes, we can blame some groups for being irresponsible, but it appears that there may be a number of players including ourselves. We all want to live "the American dream", and we enjoy America for its stability, the comforting lifestyle, its abundance, and the relative peace and security that we have over many nations in the world. But now we must look ahead at our future and the future for our loved ones. America still has numerous opportunities in the future yet we are slipping academically in the world. What we have to do is pull ourselves up by our "bootstrap" and be responsible with our own lives. That doesn't mean to preach to those around you once you realize what you have to do, it means that you have to focus on your own life to be where you want to be and hopefully others will energize themselves also by your example and leadership.
What will HR 1424 do for us? It is a band-aide and a confidence builder but it will take time. . It also provided blame for any economic predicament that we may be in; at least we can point fingers at someone else and therefore take the blame for ourselves. You (we) have to build America and ourselves from the inside out. You (we) have to keep America at the forefront as a nation to enjoy, if not for other countries, then at least for ourselves and future generations. We have to do this on an individual level. First of all we need to build and maintain confidence in ourselves. We need to realize, like Franklin Roosevelt did, that not everything we do needs to be for pay. There are many things in America that need to be done but there is not enough money to go around. We should not rely on the government to bail us out; we need to rely on ourselves to bail our own self out.
To continue enjoying our way of life we need to work together to keep ourselves and America healthy. One person can make a difference.
Steve Bynum is a graduate of the University of Illinois. He owns his environment and scientific business Scientific Principle, Inc. Not only working on endangered species, and wetlands, he is also concerned about cancer, feeding nations and economic prosperity. http://www.TheMillionaireToday.com
it all sounds so hopeless, only i know it's not, if as you say, we all pull together, and i say, for the good of all involved, we could turn things around, and hopefully, we will, for us and especially, future generations; our kids, grandkids, etc. thanks for sharing, and i hope you continue writing,
An excellent article Steve, and you nailed it down. John Kennedy said, "ask not what your contry can do for you but what you can do for your country." And that is the whole thing in a nutshell. Natiionwide greed and looking for handouts has put us where we now are.
Thanks for sharing Steve, we need to start from within - great point. The problem is most people don't want to look at themselves. Its far easier to point the finger. But I think the time has come that there is no one left to point it at except ourselves. Blessings.
I am afraid the bill, as big as it was, was too litle too late. World markets are imploding, and American capital sure no signs of stopping their free fall. Glen Hubbard, advisor to Bush1 had a great plan, but it maybe too late for it as well!
Thanks for your article, Steve. Let's hope that many readers will heed your common sense counsel. It will not be easy working together as Americans in lieu of the divisiveness that our politicians seem to thrive on. Hopefully, the nation will have another big reason to come together. ~mogama~
Steve, what alludes me is why people really belive we have not slipped enough that the American dream is totally gone for many if not all average Americans. Now those that have, the 20% who own it all, certainly not. Yet America is no longer a Consitutional Pepublic. It has all the outward appearences of such but it just isn't. The facts are everywhere and are evidently meaningless to people who have wealth. Yes, it is written all across the pages of searchwarp. It ios a sign and symbol of the age. Good job, interesting.
Steve, a good, thought provoking article which makes me think of the song, "Let It Begin With Me." I agree that America has lived extravagantly and many outside of their means but I pray that "the American Dream" can still be for the sake of our children. Thanks for a great article.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
