No doom and gloom here...
I think that anyone who watches the news or keeps up with current events can clearly see that America is in a funk. We're just not happy. I blame a large portion of our funk on the media...they know what we want to hear and they run with it. However, it IS what we want to hear...and I'm not sure why.People are in mass hysteria because of gas prices. Why? It's affected our budget by $15 a month..and we have a HUMMER! Nobody's gonna go bankrupt because gas has risen by 10 cents a gallon. Not only that, but lately the prices have fallen back to where they were last summer, but the hysteria continues.
Don't get me wrong; I'm very interested in preserving the environment and in finding alternative fuel sources; that's not the issue. The issue for me is the doom and gloom predictions about our current state of affairs. I'm well aware that America is not perfect; we definitely have flaws that need to be addressed and fixed. However, it's as if the end of the world is near, everything that could possibly go wrong has, etc, etc, etc.
I'm really not a fan of negative thinking (I'm sure nobody is really a fan of it, but some people sure have fun thinking of "worst case scenarios," and lately people have really bought into them). I think in a lot of ways, negative thinking and too much criticism becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. (If we think and act as if we're in recession for long enough, we will be. If everyone thinks America is so wrong, soon enough, we will be).
I was reading the Economist online - which, by the way, is THE BEST news source in my opinion...I think everyone should read it every day for an educated, unbiased view of international news. Anyway, as I was reading it, I came across two refreshingly positive and clear minded articles on this exact topic. Enjoy, and happy August!
"Still on the Right Road"
http://www.economist.com/finance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=11850301&source=features_box_main
"Unhappy America"
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?source=most_commented&story_id=11791539
p.s. I tried really hard to do the cool embedded article thing, and I could not figure out how to do it. It was gonna be so cool, but alas, it was not to be. Dang.
posted by Erin @ 10:49 AM
2 Comments:
I didn't know you blogged! I'll be following you now. Good points about the doom & gloom.
Yep...well I just started :) I added you as a blog that I read without telling you, poor form on my part I'm sure. I'm new to the blogging world, so you'll have to excuse me..hehe
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