May 07 2008
Nation-building, begins at home
When the young Bush ran for the office the first time, said during one of debates or interviews that “.. we should leave the nation building to that country ..” I couldn’t agree more.
Now eight years later, we should borrow that believe, and begin this nation-building at home here, in the America. Friedman is right to say that we are not as powerful as we used to be because over the past three decades, the Asian values of our parents’ generation — work hard, study, save, invest, live within your means — have given way to subprime values: “You can have the American dream — a house — with no money down and no payments for two years.”
He continues on - A few weeks ago, my wife and I flew from New York’s Kennedy Airport to Singapore. In J.F.K.’s waiting lounge we could barely find a place to sit. Eighteen hours later, we landed at Singapore’s ultramodern airport, with free Internet portals and children’s play zones throughout. We felt, as we have before, like we had just flown from the Flintstones to the Jetsons. If all Americans could compare Berlin’s luxurious central train station today with the grimy, decrepit Penn Station in New York City, they would swear we were the ones who lost World War II. :)) ..
This country has become so shallow, superficial to a point it fooling itself. The politicians would do/say anything just to be elected, and the voters believe them. Do they treat us as kindergartners? Summer holiday gas relief? What about the price after that? I don’t need that couple of bucks for a summer relief, I want to see a solid long term plan, a policy, so the next president won’t have to go to Middle East beg again - GS has warned that oil would reach $200 a barrel in the next two years. I could forgo this summer but have a brighter future.
Let’s get back to work on this country, make it great again. And forget about the media!