Teachable Moments

Someone please tell the president that there are no teachable moments in this country. The class is recalcitrant. When self interest is the prime mover and motivator no one will be interested in listening to the truth. Blatant examples of the folly of greed and the eroding effects of corruption are lost on our confederacy of dunces. We could have stopped the oil spill by listening to Jimmy Carter in 1979 and most all of our history of depressions and recessions by following through on Teddy Roosevelt's example of trust busting and rigorous regulation of all financial markets.

George W. Bush bought off the country with lies about tax cuts and a $300 to $1,200 bribe sent to each and every taxpayer. Subsequently he turned the economy over to the deregulators and robber barons.

And that's the ticket. We prefer to respond to lies, moral chimeras and shiny entitlements. No lecturing from the pulpit. Our collective ignorance has always been the American banner, the flag we wave at our little tea parties. Now we are stuck with a pedantic lecturer of a leader when we need a kindly patriarch like FDR or a brash bully like cousin Teddy. We are a nation of spoiled children; unruly, demanding and loud. Father apparently is out of town.

I have faith in our national goodness but disparage our inability to learn lessons, think things through or even take the time to observe and listen.

"If I stand to make millions of dollars I will sell out the greater good every day of the week." Said a rare trader telling the truth.

The future is filed with wars, depression and disasters both man made and of nature. The fix is always at hand but unattainable because of our inability to understand the power of knowledge and the wisdom of cooperation.