I went to my book club meeting this past Saturday. Our book was "The Samaritan's Dilemma: Should government help your neighbor?" Our discussion was moderated by Dr. James Weatherby, who is a fantastic asset to the state of Idaho.
Here are my thoughts, post book club:
We are currently in the midst of the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression. Not to over simplify, but the financial crisis appears to be a result of the anti-government attitude we adopted during the 1980s. Government was made the enemy, and was told to get out of the way of the free market. We seemed to give a 'green light' to greed and corner-cutting and deregulation. During this anti-government era, we Americans relinquished our sense of community: the notion that our government and our problems are a shared task.
If we are to move forward, we must realize that, as Americans, we are not just a collection of individuals who are only interested in getting ahead of the pack. But we are a community, working together... where we are only as strong as the least among us. Our taxes, our work, our efforts are the price we pay for our community, our civilization.
The problem-solving of the future will involve government, NGOs, community organizers, private businesses, scientists, engineers, healthcare workers, and volunteers. All of us will need to participate if we are to find the solutions.
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