Life in Small Bites

In the late 1990’s Alan Greenspan cautioned us of the condition of ‘Irrational Exuberance”.  I suggest that we must now aggressively combat the disease of ‘Irrational Complacency’.  As a proud American I feel that too often our nation is  being inoculated into inactivity with continual doses of the refrains, “We are the greatest nation, We are the greatest innovators. We are the greatest  ____”.  These refrains may have had more truth for the ‘Greatest Generation.’ Today their effect is to lull too many persons into complacency which breeds resistance to change – to progress.

While many doddle in America the world has changed – has progressed through ‘globalization’, world-around ‘connectivity’, highly-skilled comparatively low-pay workers, people elsewhere willing to save, sacrifice, and work ever harder for a perceived better tomorrow.  At this same time, too many Americans have been cajoled into believing that we are in a temporary economic dip and that the former ‘good times’ will return so no change in regulations, policies, attitudes, or actions are required.

Isn’t this what the entrenched enriched benefactors of past practices are preaching?  “Don’t panic, don’t change, we like it as it is.” – for it has greatly benefitted us, the recipients of inordinate societal wealth.  Many have exchanged no social value.

I contend that change is absolutely necessary.  Change in the mindsets of the general public and especially our leaders.  We must recognize that there has been a ‘paradigm shift’ in where and how sustainable comprehensive social wealth will be created in North America and Western Europe.  We can’t expect this to be promoted by the current rich in Western societies.  When kings fell it was the royal court who suffered.

As the virtual ‘royals’ largely control public messaging it is important to pierce the veil of their pretended social conscientiousness, reveal the impact of narrow self-aggrandizing public and business policies, and let free markets instruct us as to what is wanted and needed for expanded economic opportunity for the general public.