It's ugly out there
March 18th 2009 03:15
People in the US are angry right now. The level of frustration and ire is palpable. Before he was recently confined to jail, Bernie Madoff was getting death threats. He had to wear a bulletproof vest whenever he left his apartment. Even Madoff's lawyer was getting death threats.
Now the AIG bonus fiasco is ratcheting up the level of angst even further. Death threats drove AIG executives to hire armed guards for use at their Connecticut offices. It has gotten so bad that a US Senator said that the AIG execs should commit harikari.
It's ugly out there.
I understand why people are angry. The greed of bankers and Wall Street has driven the world's economy to the edge of a cliff. Our elected officials ("hope and change" notwithstanding) continue to fail us. The media, a watchdog of the past, long ago sold its soul. Even professional sports heroes have lied to us and shredded their integrity in the relentless pursuit of money and fame.
What is the way out? How do we step back from the precipice? Well, as a nation, we need to take a deep breath and realize that we have been in tougher spots before. We will make it through this. We need justice, but "frontier" justice is not the answer. However, we do need to make sure the institutions that have failed us get back on track. We need to EXPECT and DEMAND accountability from our elected officials. They are supposed to oversee our financial markets and prevent the type of meltdown we've experienced. They have failed. It's easy to feel helpless and lash out -- often in unconstructive ways. But we must take an active role. When we have elections, vote. Write and call and fax and email your elected officials. Express your concerns and, when possible, offer solutions. Be an active and participatory citizen. We must watch the watchers. They have been asleep at the switch for too long and you can see where it got us. So, be angry -- but get involved. It is our government and it is time we took it back and made it work for the people once again.
Now the AIG bonus fiasco is ratcheting up the level of angst even further. Death threats drove AIG executives to hire armed guards for use at their Connecticut offices. It has gotten so bad that a US Senator said that the AIG execs should commit harikari.
It's ugly out there.
I understand why people are angry. The greed of bankers and Wall Street has driven the world's economy to the edge of a cliff. Our elected officials ("hope and change" notwithstanding) continue to fail us. The media, a watchdog of the past, long ago sold its soul. Even professional sports heroes have lied to us and shredded their integrity in the relentless pursuit of money and fame.
What is the way out? How do we step back from the precipice? Well, as a nation, we need to take a deep breath and realize that we have been in tougher spots before. We will make it through this. We need justice, but "frontier" justice is not the answer. However, we do need to make sure the institutions that have failed us get back on track. We need to EXPECT and DEMAND accountability from our elected officials. They are supposed to oversee our financial markets and prevent the type of meltdown we've experienced. They have failed. It's easy to feel helpless and lash out -- often in unconstructive ways. But we must take an active role. When we have elections, vote. Write and call and fax and email your elected officials. Express your concerns and, when possible, offer solutions. Be an active and participatory citizen. We must watch the watchers. They have been asleep at the switch for too long and you can see where it got us. So, be angry -- but get involved. It is our government and it is time we took it back and made it work for the people once again.
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by PopulistConservative
Angry Electorate