It’s July 4th and all’s well—I guess. I don’t want to give a hearty amen to this statement because I have been reading Business Week. So many questions, yet so many incomplete or less-than-hearty answers.
Have you noticed the lack of commitment by all the business experts? Here’s an example, “All this austerity will pay off—eventually.” Or Jack and Suzy Welch’s answer to the question “When will this *@&^ recession end?” They answered, “How about sometime in 2010? The problem with being more precise, you see, is the mixed picture out there.”
I would agree with that. But just give me a straight answer. I want to know whether the stimulus plan is working—plenty of hemmin’ and hawin’ when it comes to an answer to this question. How many more banks will fail? It depends on how you define “fail.” Is there any hope for the automobile industry? Maybe if they can come up with new and exciting products. When will unemployment stop rising? We may be near the bottom of readjustment, so we should see this trend slowing.
There is one question from this issue of Business Week that reveals where the American public seeks an answer. They are seeking their answer from the White House, which may indicate that we are drifting toward increasing reliance on our federal government to solve everything. The question: “What one issue would matter most in your presidential vote?” Over 50% of the respondents to the Pew Research Center poll answered, “Economy/Jobs.” Moral values rated, but only at 10%. Compare these figures to the same poll in 2004. Terrorism/Iraq/Afghanistan garnered 36%, the economy 21%, and moral values 27%.
Of course the economy would rank higher in this year’s poll. And it would seem reasonable for Terrorism/Iraq/Afghanistan shrinking to 8% as we move further away from 9/11/01. My concern is the shrinking emphasis on moral values. Just take a look at some of the moral issues we see around us, in particular among political leaders. If we can’t have politicians who know how to act responsibly on a personal level, then we likely will not have politicians who can address major issues with the economy in a responsible manner.
We need men and women who will serve this country with dignity, that will set a proper example for the next generation. Yes, the economy is perhaps the most significant issue of the day. But let’s not throw out our morals. This might just be the time when we consider that the really important things in life are the intangibles. Our lives will be the richer for it. Oh, and happy July 4th!
