Is Consumerism Our Last Frontier?

I have been unemployed for more than a year now. Fortunately, I saw this recession coming and saved as much money as I could. I did not buy an overpriced house with the expectation that "real estate prices will always rise." I do not have excessive credit card debt. Yet, I am as much a victim of this recession as the other 20 million or so unemployed Americans. There are many people like me who did everything right, but find themselves in financial straits through no fault of their own. I also know that living in a complex society and in a state of advance capitalism that blaming the President for our current woes is not only unproductive, but also wrongheaded.

In the history of the world the only thing that always rises is the sun. Real estate prices, and the stock market have not, do not, and will not always rise. If anyone tells you otherwise you should immediately distrust that person. Many Americans were lulled into the fantasy that their home was a piggy bank and built in a land of untold riches. Further, potential homeowners would pay endless amounts of money to buy their home. This fantasy was so alluring that many people threw common sense out the window. This coupled with self-indulgent financial incentives for the financial sector were the building blocks for economic disaster.

This Great Recession is not a Democratic problem; it is not a Republican problem; it is an American problem. Avarice, hubris, ignorance, and profligate spending of the few have dire consequences for many - financial gains are privatized while the losses are socialized. This is not President Obama's fault; this is our fault. We allowed consumerism to consume us, with conspicuous consumption, and keeping up with the Joneses. Is consumerism our last frontier? Is this how we want to be remembered in the annals of human history?

The only way to effect change is from the citizenry. There is no Messiah. We have to save ourselves. What happened to that pioneering spirit, that can do attitude, and American entrepreneurial genius? Do the banks own these too?

The unrealistic expectation that Obama can save the world, or at least save the United States from itself, is another alluring fantasy we need to avoid. Obama is president, not king. He cannot decree law with a wave of his hand. He cannot solve all the problems of this country in 12 months that were 30 years in the making. Instant gratification cannot and will not work to solve the problems of this nation. There is no magic elixir. Obama is not the blame for all of the ills that have befallen this country, nor can he solve them in an instant.

If the citizenry want change, then we need to make change happen. One man in Washington, D.C. cannot do it by himself. We the people have to gain control of our country and not allow the financial sector to make Stepford People of us. The citizens who want to give up on America dishearten me. We suffer now to make a better tomorrow. When did we lose our notion of sacrifice?

Don't get me wrong I hate being unemployed, but I endure because I know there will be a better tomorrow. The economic system of this country is a reflection of our values. If we don't like what we see then it is our duty as citizens to ensure our values are congruent with our economic system.