Learning To Live

All this talk of this huge stimulus bill this week got me excited.  Excited enough to listen to the plans they had to use it in order to create jobs.  I can understand how highway and street projects are supposed to create jobs.  But for how long?  I mean, its only going to be short-term solution to this long-term recession.  We’re going to be using our own resources to create these short-term jobs that’s not going to be around long enough to bring in more money.  Come on, now.  This is common sense stuff.  How are we going to be using those new and fixed up streets if we don’t have the money to go anywhere?  And who is going to buy a home even if loans are handed out if no one can afford the monthly payments simply because they don’t have a job?

Has anybody ever thought of trying to get this country to excel at something that will produce a worldwide need that jobs will just automatically be created?  As in how Japan became known for their advance technology and quality cars that the whole world wanted.  After they got bombed so many years ago, they had no choice but to rely on their own resources as much as possible.  Their plan to only export their products and not import, helped build their country from scratch.   It took many years, but nevertheless, they did it.

Can we get to root of the problem in this crisis instead of trying to come up with a quick fix?  I’m not saying that what they’re coming up with isn’t going to help, because something quick has to happen now to keep it from getting worst.  But let’s be realistic.  We’re a materialistic country that thrives on instant gratification minus all the hard work that comes with lasting satisfaction.  This country has been revolving around that very attitude that has now gotten it to where it is today.  And I’m not just talking about getting loans and credits to get what we want now without paying to for it now.

The very values upon which this country has been built is not what it is anymore.   Belief in hard work, honesty, integrity, respect for mankind and for God, used to be the among the values of the fore founders.  Now its the strong belief of instant gratification - attained at any cause or at any rate - that now rules the economy.  Any kind of job, career or gig that makes easy money with little or less effort are rewarded with such awe that many have try to follow.   Who didn’t envy Bill Gates at one time or another for making his millions the way he did, or anyone else out there that did the same?  These people have been viewed to be geniuses of our time.  I’m not saying that this isn’t great.  Its nice to know that these things are possible.   But the impression that has been embedded is that hard, honest work isn’t valued as much as it should be.  (Nor are they compensated properly.)  The value is found in how fast money can be generated. (To feed the greed from within?)

With the attention that this have generated, other professions had really lost its appeal and worth.  I mean, why would anyone really want to be a nurse when they can get paid for just sitting in front of the computer and using less than half of their motor skills?  And yet, there is obviously a huge need to fill the medical industry in most states that it would eliminate the huge number in unemployment.  Why can’t they try to do something to entice people to get a job in those industries instead of importing more nurses from other countries?   Oh, I remember, its not a money making business.  That says the same for teachers or anyone in the education industry.  They’re not that important to the economy; they don’t generate money.  Who cares if we keep raising kids that don’t master their common sense and problem solving skills to run this country or world someday?  George Bush was able to do it.

So part of the money is also going to developing new ways of creating power and energy so we would not have to be at the mercy of other country’s resources.  I think that’s a great step in the right direction.  But with how the education system has been, this might be long in rearing any usable results.   I mean they’re really gonna have to brainstorm.  Assuming, they know what brainstorm means…

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