Will Obama save us all?
Barack Obama is going to save us all, that is the impression I get when I see the reaction to his victory.
People in Kenia hope it will result in some positive but unidentified spin-off for them, black (all) people in South Africa hope it will ignite a new awareness of their own worth and their potential, peace-loving people all over the world hope it will bring world peace and that America will refrain from interfering in sensitive places on the globe, and Americans hope (believe?) it will solve their wars and their economic problems.
I hope all that happens.
But, if we are objective and sober about the election result, we should ask some questions and see if the answers are the same as what we hope for.
What created the economic difficulties in America? Too much credit.
How does Obama intend solving the difficulties? Bail-out programs, assistance to people in trouble, increased welfare assistance.
How will spending more money, save you from your excessive spending of the past? It can’t.
How do you solve problems arising from overspending? You spend less.
How do you do that? You lower your living standard. That is how private citizens do it. That is presumably how countries should also do it.
But countries and citizens have the same problem: they do not want to give away status and comfort.
The result? Bankruptcy.
But this does not only apply to money. It also applies to life.
If you take out more than what you put in, you will deplete your reservoir and end up with nothing. Be it in interpersonal relations, your participation in on-line discussions, in the sports you participate in, the way you use the road, the way you deal with subordinates, all of these instances require that you put in more than what you take out.
It is only when we all put in more than what we take out, that we build a reservoir from which we can draw in difficult times.
If we do not build a reservoir, no bank manager or political party or election promise or president or money printing machine, can save us from our own extravagant living.
We all hope for political and economic stability and for peace and prosperity. But what we wish for and what we get may be two different things if we are not prepared to sacrifice for the result we wish for.
I see no preparedness to sacrifice.