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We create our own problems

Through our choices, the words we use, decisions we make and actions we take, we are all responsible for whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.  Our economy is a mess - we chose that through our greed, our race for quick returns and our complete disregard for our fellow man.  We forgot that quick wins are seldom sustainable wins - have we learned that lesson again?  If you've seen the movie, "The Secret," you'll know what this is about.  "Existence is but an extension of yourself" as the channeled entity known as "The Wonders" puts it.  We create our own reality as I've said.  For many of us it has been "all about me", "look out for number one" and as the theory has it, if everyone did that, then we'd all be fine.  But everyone doesn't believe and / or follow that line of thinking.  It doesn't work for them.  And what about those who need help but can't get it - who looks after them?  Do we just let them fall by the wayside.  Some would say sure, why not?  And then complain about the homelessness around us.

Sure - take care of yourself.  We are ultimately responsible for ourselves after all.  But that doesn't mean "to the exclusion of everyone else".  By taking care of ourselves exclusively we have created the circumstances we find ourselves in.  It hasn't worked.  It's time to try something different. 

Perhaps it's time to recognize and appreciate that we as individuals are but a part of a much greater collective whole.  We are part of our families, our departments at work, our companies, our cities, our states or provinces, our country and the world.  If we make our choices with full consideration of all that we are a part of, don't you think the entire world would be a better place?  Every choice does not need to be selfish - in fact it will hurt us, as it has, if we continue down that path.  It's time to realize that we've been on the wrong path and it's time to choose another path before we stumble into some other catastrophic event like the recent global financial crisis.

The financial genius's have managed to lead us into this mess.  Do they really have the sense to lead us out of it?  I for one doubt it.  What has changed their thinking?  What new ideas have they suggested?  Or is it all just more of the "same old, same old"?  Are we really just recreating the same old house of cards after picking up the cards and reshuffling the deck? 

I like the suggestion of Ford - use tax incentives to encourage people to simply replace older cars.  It will certainly help the auto industry, but it will also help our planet (and that includes us).  A lot of air pollution is caused by older, inefficient cars.  Newer cars burn less gas and do so with fewer emissions.  And why not extend this idea to other eco-friendly alternatives: low flow toilets, high efficiency furnaces, AC and heat pumps, solar panels and wind energy at the level of the individual.  Stop handing money over to the financial industry where it is paid out in bonuses to the idiots who architected this mess we are all in.  Hand money to the small businesses that are struggling to stay afloat, sustain and grow employment while creating wealth rather than destroy it. 

We've created our own problems.  We can create our own solutions.  It doesn't take a genius to figure some of these ideas out.  Even I can see value in them.  They are simple enough to be understood and implemented by those of us who don't have degrees in financial engineering!  Why not give simple, home grown ideas a chance?