August 2014. What's America's number one enemy? If you are or want to be self
employed, work from home, become a freelance copywriter, get hired, get a
job, any job, get fatter paycheck, have you noticed that the economy is
thrashing about like a fish out of water?
Look at today's people landscape. How can a regular person live their
American Dreams today? What can you do to protect yourself from living
under the bridge?
How can anyone survive without money in at least one pocket next year, the year after or in 10 or 20 years?
In the last few months, the pushing and tugging shoppers typically do on
Black Friday seems to come regularly to the streets of America.
Something has turned nice people into desperate crowds fighting over
that one discounted flat screen TV at Walmart with their claws out and
desperate faces on.
People have a right to fight, disagree, scramble about for bread, some crumbs. That's a right given to us by the United States Constitution. But deliberately protesting in a way that interrupts the rights and freedoms of other individuals seems to have run amuck, hasn't it? Doesn't it feel that way to you?
Just a decade or two ago, parents raised their children to be polite, respect their neighbor, be kind. Is it my imagination? Have people become rude, messy?
A brief glance back at the 2012 presidential election campaign is a sign that nasty and negative wins over courtesy and fair play. I don't think it started then. Maybe it was sooner than that that fair play, name calling and disagreements turned into loud, fighting brawls.
It seems that political campaigns have always been cut-throat, but that last one escalated far beyond beyond, didn't it? I remember that little girl crying over the nasty TV ads too plentiful. Do you remember that sweet child with tears? Maybe she knew.
Some of America's "gloves off" landscape is our fault. Yes, we have to take responsibility for it all. Not one side or the other. We forgot what makes America great is not the left or right views. It's our American views. United. Together. It's up to us. We must "Stop the madness." Stop the cut-throat tactics, the talking points and talking heads.
We rolled over and tolerated whatever politicians fed us, and we believed them. Maybe we the voters are stupid. Maybe we can't think for ourselves. Maybe politicians follow some formula that we don't see. Maybe cash does change hands, the sellers and buyers of minds and matters. Maybe we do exactly what they want us to do. Maybe they count on that. The politicians. I don't know.
I'd like to think that elected officials have the wrong idea about we the American people. Maybe they've read us wrong. Maybe we're tired of the spin and "following their formula." Maybe we don't want "business as usual" when it comes to electing our government leaders. Whether any one of those maybes is true or not, I'd like to know exactly what is the spin government politicians promote to design a new America behind our backs.
The truth is brutal. We have to face it. The truth is, it's not them — and it's not that times have changed, either. It's us. People changed. Why?
If you look behind the curtain, you can see that it all stems from money. Not big business, corporations, even the rich celebrities or the few moguls who have achieved their American Dream.
It's us, you and me. We've changed. Desperation changes people. It's human nature, isn't it? Desperate people tend to live in survival mode. They look for any avenue that may draw attention to them, and how they feel. You know it's true. It makes sense.
Desperation turns polite people into someone no one likes. Not just the desperate men who murder people in theaters, on San Francisco boardwalks, in schools and during marathons. Desperate people can be influenced. Turn violent like in Ferguson. Yes, there's terrorism, criminal behavior, and there are many causes, and one is desperation. People are desperate when they feel life is futile.
It's clear that the American people's future is going forward in a way that isn't the same as it once was, living life in America. Yes, we want a better America.
Can you name the most important issue in America? It's not any of the social issues we disagree over, not pipelines, not the weather, not even criminals and terrorists. None of that matters when our belly screams for food, when the mail stacks up eviction notices, when we have to live in the car. Does it? Desperation is America's number one enemy.
A decent paying job diminishes desperation and creates peace, love and charity. That has to be our number one priority. A job for everyone.
We the people need to get our priorities straight. It's a good job, a good paying job. It's our first responsibility to put a good job "in reach" of every American. That has to be first. A good job offers people hope. Self worth. A feeling of security. A good job for everyone is the real American Dream.
Many of today's graduates have to live with their parents, have to work at Walmart for a paycheck much lower than the professional salary they expected when they attended school — when their parents dreamed the American Dream for them.
If you're over 50, and you're lucky enough to have a job, don't think for one minute that it will be there next year. You know what I'm talking about. You must feel some fear. If you're in or near retirement, your nest egg is diminishing as you read this, isn't it?
If you're one of the ones who doesn't have to worry, the CEOs, political leaders, mega-millionaire sports figures, Hollywood stars who have long made their American Dream come true — don't point, don't throw stones, don't leave it to someone else. Reach out right now and pull someone up with a job so they can feel the freedom you feel.
A good life, an American life, is all about money. Those green bills that you and I need to live life. Not get-by money. Not get-rich money. A good job that lets good people lift up their head from desperation. Desperation fogs good judgement.
You and I have witnessed what desperate men and women do. Let's get our priorities straight. Lack of good jobs is America's number one enemy.