As a self-described contrarian, I tend to go against the present wisdom, so what, people ask me, are my thoughts these days?
To be sure, there is no end of bad news…
- Huge corporate bankruptcies
- The stock market in free fall
- Accounting fraud
- Congress playing politics with national security
- Absurd legislation being introduced to make it easy for deported felons to get “one more chance”
- Horrific crimes
The conventional wisdom, of course, is that we are going to Hell in a hand basket. Even some nominal conservatives are quietly calling on the Government to “do something.” My take is that we are rapidly approaching a new era of objectivity and reality. It will first take hold in economic matters, but then, it will move into politics and culture, as well.
The pundits who prattled on about the “new economy” a few years ago have all disappeared, as the public searches for traditional economic values. Perhaps, a stock market run-up based on absolutely nothing but hype will be a bit harder to pull off anytime soon. Perhaps, bankers who are loathe to cut any kind of deal with small business, will not be so willing to loan tens of billions to dubious firms like WorldCom and Global Crossing. And maybe, people will start to ask some pointed questions, and demand some clear answers.
As the climate of objectivity and scrutiny develops, it will be high time to examine our failed political system, that only exists to elect D or R, as an end in itself, while those who pay the piper just get screwed worse by the day. The courts would be next. We know that based on the way things are, John Walker Lindh got the worst he could, but we’re left with a sick feeling that true justice was not done. We are sickened that anyone could even debate that kidnapping, torturing, and killing a five-year-old girl would be anything but a capital case.
I think it will ALL be under the microscope, now.
After that, the focus may be on our dubious popular culture, with its political correctness so ingrained that San Diego State University is afraid to pick a mascot, and every TV series has a gay character. Who knows, we may even take a second look at diversity, which has deteriorated into nothing more than a back door quota system, expressly designed to weaken all institutions. By all means, hire the person, regardless of background, if he’s qualified!
In short, the bad news is the good news, since it is shock treatment for a change.
It has been said that had the British soldiers who landed on the Normandy beaches on D-Day seen what their country would become 50 years later, they would not have stepped out of the boats. We’ll never know if that’s true, but we do have a chance, in our own time, to fix some of what is broken.
History will surely judge us. What will we do with this opportunity?