The other day, a young lady responded to one of my political articles by complaining about President Bush and blaming him and his friends on Wall Street for the current plight of many everyday Americans, especially the middle class. She found fault with him for everything from Katrina to the sub-prime mortgage debacle to the current financial meltdown. However, the fact of the matter is that the lack of personal responsibility on the part many Americans – not anything President Bush has or hasn't done -- has brought on most of our recent woes.
Don't try to tell me it has been impossible for a middle class person to thrive during the Bush administration. For the last eight years, my taxable savings have increased at least 15% a year, and that's not even counting my 401(k) and Roth IRA contributions. I pay off my credit cards completely every month and I have absolutely no debt other than my mortgage. I'm not rich either. I'm not a doctor, lawyer, or some kind of high-paid executive. I'm just a middle class person with a modest salary.
If I can do it, other people can do it too. It just takes discipline and the will power to not try to keep up with the Joneses, buy everything that tickles your fancy, or get your kids the best this and the best that. I bought a house that cost less than half of what I could afford. I did this because I wanted some wiggle room in case of a setback -- while many others choose to throw caution to the wind because they thought times would always be good. I never put anything on my credit cards that I can't pay off at the end of the month. It doesn't matter how badly I might want it. I don't waste my money on expensive vacations that are here today and gone tomorrow. I save up to pay cash for a car, furniture, and other big-ticket items instead of going in debt to get them.
And why do liberals blame President Bush for the Katrina damage? He is not God. He is not in control of nature. I know there were many victims of that disaster who still have yet to completely recover, but those people lost so much because they lived in a known flood-prone area and many were not responsible enough to buy insurance. And don't give me the renter's excuse. There is such a thing as renters insurance. They should have considered that option. Contrary to popular belief, the government does not owe anyone a new home, a new car, new clothes, or even food in the aftermath of a natural disaster. We are responsible for getting back on our feet and acquiring what we need.
We must learn to take charge of our own lives in this country, familiarize ourselves with the concept of personal responsibility, and quit blaming the government for every bad thing that happens to us. What has happened to our pioneer spirit? Are we becoming a nation of whiners? When we lose our homes because we signed up for a mortgage we ultimately couldn't afford, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We need to stop the crying and complaining that we were beguiled by a predatory lender. We are not children. We are adults and it's high time we started acting like it. We need to lose the spoiled, got-to-have-it-now attitude and step up to the plate. We have to acknowledge the fact that financial security is no one's birthright – it must be earned. The buck stops with each of us – not the government or anything or anyone else.
Terry Mitchell is a software engineer, freelance writer, amateur political analyst, and blogger from Virginia, USA. He posts a least one article a day to his blog - http://commenterry.blogs.com - on subjects such as current events, politics, technology, society and culture, religion, health and well-being, self improvement, personal finance, trivia, and sports. His commentaries offer a unique point of view that is not often found in mainstream media. His articles here on SearchWarp represent only a small portion of his work. All of it can be found on his blog. If you like his articles, you'll love his blog.
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