Two stories caught my attention today. Both relate to my latest post, The Thud Heard Round the World.
1) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/08/london-riot-tottenham-arrests_n_920806.html?ncid=webmail1
Today is Day 3 of the riots spreading around London. What strikes me most, is that the US is following the same path that Britain took to lead to these riots. These will be our streets, our neighborhoods, if we don't do something drastic to intervene.
I grew up believing in my country, proud to be an American. I was taught that we had morals, we looked out for the other guy and we left our citizens alone to do their own thing.
Today, that is far from the truth. And, like crazed mice stuck in a revolving wheel, we keep printing money trying to stay afloat. Our debt payments exceed our income.
As a retired accountant, I can assure you that when you pay out more than you make every day, and there are no savings from which to borrow, it doesn't take long to be bankrupt. Britain is in its current pickle, because it spent money it didn't have to bail out their banking system. Sound familiar?
There are no jobs in Britain and prices are rising in time to presses that steadily print money to service their staggering debt. Eerily familiar? In London, conditions have become unbearable and unemployed workers, mostly youths under twenty, are rioting. The stretched police are having a heck of a time containing the violence, looting and destruction.
I sit at home in Georgia, in my thrift store chair typing this missive. In my tiny town, I eek out a living from day to day, having long ago lost, sold or given away all my worldly assets thanks to this mess of an economy we created. At least I AM making a living. Many, many more aren't. Soon those riots could be in OUR streets.
Whose fault is it? I really don't care. I DO care that we can turn this 'Titanic' around. There are even concrete steps to do so.
2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFf4P20cWmU&NR=1
Today I watched a taped CNN interview with the former two-term governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson. He has a solid and proven track record for turning his deeply-in-debt state around to a substantial surplus. He's for getting the government out of our personal business and giving us back the civil liberties our country was founded upon. And he has charisma.
Even though the reporter in this interview is combative, this candidate for the Republican nomination remains calm, unruffled, focused and on point. I truly believe he might be special. He has something unflappable and extraordinary about him, and with each youtube interview/video I watch, I like him more. Plus, he looks a lot like Liam Neeson.
Yeah. This man actually seems to have some good old-fashioned horse sense and integrity.
He gives me hope.
And now, for something a little more light-hearted, the opening scene from "A New Hope".
~ Olivia J. Herrell
3 comments:
Though I am proud to be British I am ashamed of the rioting here. it's just a minority that has to cause trouble and scare many innocent people. I once lived in N. Ireland and used to get vandalised nightly but NEVER on the scale as to what is happening in London.
Yvonne.
That rioting makes me nervous. I think looters should be shotin sight. A couple of these shootings and rioters would get the message.
The image of the London riots I will always remember is the rioter 'tweeting' being thefts and vandalism.
So, if rioters can afford tweeting devices, the problem is not economic. The problem is hate.
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