Apparently Our Economy Is In The Crapper

As John Stewart put it, “For anybody out there who has been living in a cave let me say this, congratulations…” As we are all aware, the U.S. economy is in the crapper. Banks are failing, Wall Street is in full-on panic mode, and the Bush Administration is pushing a $700 billion bailout plan. I’m not really sure how I feel about the bailout plan, so I’ll leave that alone. In fact, I’m not touching any of it.

What is clear is this: The United States primarily functions on panic. Whether it be terrorism, a lack of moral standards, a high profile crime, the 2004 Presidential Election, or the current economic collapse, the primary response is panic. Take a look at Hurricane Ike. Ike was heading for Texas. Somewhere down South somebody freaked out that it would damage the oil infrastructure, so they raised their prices. Others noticed and changed their prices. Then, in what may have been a world record for largest game of “Telephone” ever played, people started calling everybody they knew to inform them of the gas price surge. Lines were almost immediately formed at gas stations all around the country. Somehow, everyone seemed surprised. But it was the same reaction this country had to every previous “disaster” going back to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. That one event changed the psychology of an entire country.

Panic is now a fixed mentality for U.S. citizens. It is essentially unavoidable. The run on gas prior to Hurricane Ike has helped start up a rather inconvenient gas shortage in the Southeast. Gas stations are closing down and pumps are dry. How should we respond? By panicking more, obviously. Take this winner of a quote for example, “No gas. What will we do? We won’t be able to do anything. We can’t go to work. We can’t do anything.” This came from a driver, or perhaps a sitter, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Similar sentiments were shared in Charlotte, North Carolina, “This is it; I’m stuck…I can’t go get my child, I can’t go get my husband, I can’t provide for my family.” Clearly, this is prelude to a disaster of epic proportions.

The most disturbing part of this, for me, is the utter dependence that our society has on automobiles. Now, as a Michigan resident, I am fully aware of the benefits of the auto industry, and, as a traveler, am also aware at the freedoms and conveniences that a car provides. But, that said, are we seriously that lazy? Are we really so dependent on our cars that a lack of gas means that we are stuck wherever we end up when the tank runs dry? I could be wrong here, but I, for one, am not entirely convinced that our legs and feet were created to alternately push a gas pedal and brake (and a clutch for those of you who are awesome enough to own a stick-shift). It’s times, and comments, like these that make me wonder if we really will end up like all of the humans did in the Pixar movie Wall-E (which was excellent by the way). Except, I don’t think the whites and blacks will really kill off all of the Asians, Latinos, Hispanics, Indians, etc. along the way (I’d include Native Americans, but I’m not betting against our history on that one). Anybody else notice that?

Somewhere along the way, it became an unwritten rule that you can no longer walk down the street to buy a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk. It became unacceptable to ride your bike into work, or just about anywhere else. I’m not sure if it was the helmet thing or not (suggestions for cool bike helmets welcome), but seeing someone on a bike somehow managed to give us a sense of superiority. “I’m in a car. I can go faster. Loser.” We would think these things to ourselves. Meanwhile, they were thinking, “Fatty.” In reality, if more of us biked into work, those people would be in better shape and it would help clear the roads for those who really do need to drive. Thin out traffic. Reduce pollution. Stay healthier. Simple, right? Probably not.

I’m not trying to say that cars are evil. Cars are great. But when did we become so utterly reliant on them? When did our legs become the things that got us from the house to the car, and back again? We need to re-think things a little bit. Not in the, scrap every car in the world sense, but in really thinking how much we really need to use them. Are you shopping for $300 in groceries, or do you just need milk? How about biking two or three miles into work? Little things.

Unfortunately, the question of how to alleviate the panic reaction in our society is a much more complicated question. The events of September 11, 2001 (there’s an overused phrase) have damaged our societal psychological make-up, and that doesn’t get fixed by one or two people. It doesn’t get fixed in one or two years. But it does start at the top with The Leadership, and it’s not just the President. It’s pastors, parents, principals and teachers as well as our elected officials and CEOs. We need people of strength and character in these positions, and it’s our responsibility to provide the checks necessary to make sure that is the case. We cannot live as a blind society as we have been. That’s a big part of the reason we are in the state we are in right now.

Like they say, “You sleep in the bed you make.” Maybe I should find a cave (don’t worry, I’ll hike there).

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