On the 10th of January they moved the doomsday clock ahead another minute. The doomsday clock is a symbolic clock face representing global disaster that will occur when the hands get to midnight. There are many factors that come into this. Nuclear war, climate changes, economic conditions, to name a few. Most of them, the rest of the world and our country, have largely chosen to ignore. It’s been as close as two minutes to 12 and as far back as 12 minutes since its inception in 1947.
I believe it was the Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier who once wrote “Of all the words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, it might have been.” Sometime in the future historians will wonder, when talking of the demise of our great society, what went so terribly wrong? How could a country that was founded on such great principles, abandon them in this apparent act of self destruction? We only needed to look back at what had worked so well and what hadn’t worked, to have found the answers to our problems, but hindsight was not on our list of options and hasn’t been for some time.
I submit that greed has played the largest role for our nation’s pending failure. I remember a country where love and honesty were much more prevalent in our daily lives. Not only our love for our country, but love for each other. Love for the earth. When I sing “America the Beautiful” today, the words no longer seem to fit the images I used to have in my mind. Pictures I formed as a young man when this country was prospering, and was seen as one of the good guys. Verse four says in part, “Who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life.”
While a great share of the world, and many people right here in our own country go to bed hungry, half of our population in the good old U.S.A. has a weight problem. We chastise the countries that are responsible for bringing drugs into our country, but it is our people who buy them and use them. We ask for government handouts because things are so tough and then we buy a half a billion dollars worth of Grand Theft Auto video games. We use gambling money to fund new stadiums for rich men’s sports. We spend enough money on one election to run a lot of countries for a year, because in this country you no longer deserve the office you run for — you buy it.
In the mid-70s we had an oil embargo, and we found out then and there how dependent we were on foreign oil. But our response, when the embargo was over, was to make bigger gas guzzling vehicles than we ever had before.
We buy oil from the same people we are at war against, and they use the money to buy guns and bullets to kill us.
It has been the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of our nation. Had we started in 1975 to find other ways to propel our vehicles we would have solved the problems by now. We’re not stupid, we’re just greedy. Had this happened our dollar would still be strong, and so would our country. Yes, with a little less greed and a little more caring it might have been.
Comments (3)
Add commentMike Holst , When the oceans coral reefs are dead ,we are too!
Were only half way there right now... too bad so many are ignorant and greedy.
I would submit that Mr Holst is a very intelligent man
and I always appreciate his writings. I wish that the intelligent people were driven to run for office, instead of the usual talking heads we see and listen to at the debates. Our political system is driven by greed instead of ethics, regardless of party.
America is at the tipping point, and the doomsday clock is only one indicator, and to be honest, its one of the lesser visible ones. People paying $250 for a dessert in a fancy restaurant while several blocks away men and women are living homeless in the alleys of the same city. The sound of a cork popping on multiple bottles of $300 wine, a $75k car driving past, and the owner just ordered $5k of rims to adorn it. $250 jeans, $500 watch, $400 phone, $150 tennis shoes, and thats just on the kid walking past the restaurant...
America is headed south, fast...and when I say south, I mean ethically, morally, politically, humanitarianly, respectfully, corrupt. We are wallowing in greed, and its massively driven by our own politicians that are in office to further their own income, not fix our damaged and bleeding country.
If you want to fix America, stand up for ethics. If you think the other political party is wrong, step to the middle and force the issue, it's time America looks at getting rid of the party system and FIXING America instead of destroying it just so you can stand on principle.
Wrong is wrong and if it were an arrow shot at the target it would never hit the target much less pierce the bullseye. If you agree with me, stop and think, how can you stop the ever speeding greed train and slow it down. Do you NEED that clam shell plastic packaged item? Do you need that pair of $250 sneakers? Do you really need that new North Face jacket, or will that down jacket you have in the closet work fine?
In fact...do you have an extra jacket you can give to Good Will, Red Cross, or the homeless people you walk past daily for those of you in the metro areas? Helping others isnt about feeling good inside, its the only real way to fix our issues, including disease, crime, homelessness, equality, racism, and on and on and on!!!
Why is America so possessed with greed and owning a brand name? because we no longer care about other people, only ourselves. And because we fear the end is near and that we might as well end up looking good and be well dressed as we enter the morgue from the back door in a body bag...
My challenge to you and every American is to reduce greed, reduce waste, reduce ego, and reduce foolish spending and increase helping others that need help. On every level.
Amen Captron, Perpetuity and
Amen Captron, Perpetuity and Mr. Holst.
You have all put into words what is so very wrong with the America we are now living in. I wish your words could be broadcast into the ears of every living American because it's a reality that needs to be heard, understood, and addressed.
We are a polarized 2 party monopoly. Both sides assume they are right and the other side is wrong. They are out to prove how right they are even if it is at the American people's expense. With the tunnel vision directing them at "my way or no way" philosophy, they have forgotten that they are all there to represent US, the people.
It's time to get rid of the 2 party system. Many people see a vote for a candidate who is not Democrat or Republican as a wasted vote. It is valid in principle only...to make a point that you will not choose to vote for the "lesser of 2 evils". But someday soon we need to send a message loud and clear that the MAJORITY is not buying into 2 party politics any more. We want GREAT men and women to lead us, independent thinkers, people with vision for how great this country can be if we take care of it. And we haven't been taking care of it, at all. When are we going to wise up?