Oh America (the Beautiful): Get Well Soon!
The US of A
Reflecting on my recent short Fall trip back home, I can’t get over how beaten and battered she appears.
As I was flying back over a beautiful stretch of the southeastern United States, I couldn’t help but wonder at the natural beauty and pristine, aesthetically pleasing urban landscapes below. Yet, on a more close-up view, what I see most vividly is that the country is suffering.
The list of woes is long…it’s as if the past fifteen years have taken a huge toll on the country. What am I saying? Of course, they have!
Even as the world suffers, it’s superpower appears to suffer the most.
What with…
The Worst Economic Downturn in Most People’s Lifetime
A Debt Crisis
Jobs, or the lack thereof
The dearth of consumer confidence
Politics much worse than usual, given the coming election year
Congress and its inaction (see Politics above)
Wars
Bailouts
Trade Imbalance
Occupy Wall Street
Worry about Europe
Worry about China
Worry about Iran
Etc…
A list that is long and hardly uplifting….
Ultimately, however, I think most will agree that it all comes down to one unquestionable, fundamental problem –
It’s the Economy, Stupid.
But.
If any country can pull itself out of this dip, steep as it might be, it’s the US of A.
So, from missing the country and being away for so long, while seeing it suffer like never before, this is simply a journal entry in my diary. It’s for myself, for reading later during the (inevitable!) good times.
And it also serves as a personal “Get Well Soon” card for America the Beautiful. Sigh.
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Fall Scene: By Joel יוֹאֵל from Tullahoma, Tennessee, United States (Flaming Orange Red Autumn Tree) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
American Landscape: By Luciof (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
Posted on December 8, 2011, in Back in US, United States, US, US President and tagged America the beautiful, depression, economic troubles in the US, lack of jobs, recession, United States of America, USA, worst economic downturn. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
The Yin and Yang of Life Anywhere 
For the first time in my lifetime, global examples are being heeded in the US to illicit change, Egyptian Spring, Greece riots, Italians against Berlonsconi etc… We have fpr so long been coasting on this false prosperity happily turning a blind eye while the religious right and special big-business interests have essentially high-jacked the country and the world economy.
Now that we’ve tanked and the world along with us, the people are looking around sort of dazed saying, “How did we get here?” The Occupy Wall Street Movement is a key factor in why Americans all over the country are demanding change and accountability.
What remains to be seen is if the influences of business-as-usual politicians and right wing dinosaurs will be as influential in policy as they have been in the last 25 years….
It’s a scary and hopeful time, but I’m still not sure that the do-nothings on BOTH parties are getting the people’s message. I think they’re waiting for things to calm down so they can continue to conduct business-as-usual.
My hope is that they people won’t let them.
Lorie –
Too many of us are resting on HOPE. But for good reason. Although the issues that the US is facing today seem larger than any in our lifetimes, this country has had a great record of pulling through from the toughest of challenges. I keep thinking, this HAS to be a cycle, even if the down cycle is going to be a long one.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!