Some Concerns About Americans

Americans:

1) We don’t pay enough attention to what’s happening elsewhere in the world.

I travel to Europe every year. I’ve had many conversations with people there, about world affairs and their views on America. Without a doubt, they pay far more attention to events in the States than we do to anything happening “over there”. They know that decisions made in the USA, technology developed here, and other American events can, and do, affect them.

2) When we do take note of something elsewhere, we seldom stop to consider its ramifications to us.

We tend to dismiss the idea that there is anything that can happen overseas that we can’t overcome. So, we tend to ignore the news from those places.

3) Most of us understand so little about the demographics, geopolitics and the logistics of the world that we are incapable of grasping what events could mean to us.

Native-born populations are declining, in some cases quite rapidly, in industrialized nations throughout the world. Places like China are particularly impacted, while population levels surge in places like India and Nigeria. What will this mean for America? Few Americans take the time to think about it.

4) We like the world the way its been for the past 80 years and the very thoought of any significant change unnerves us.

The post World War II international dynamics are changing. In a world where we have been the dominant economic and military power, we have “Bought” our friends with guns and money. The smug American elitism that has infected our society since World War II is fading, as we must reckon with the dysfunctional, debt-laden world we have created. Things are going to be very different. Can we adapt?

5) Most Americans are cognitively disconnected from the causes and effects of actions, including their own.

Many Americans complain about “The Billionaires” and the big corporations. They lament the loss of local stores on their main streets. Yet, many of these same people have pension plans that are invested in these very corporations. These same Americans value their own convenience over the survival of “Main Street”. They prove this every week as the Amazon delivery truck stops at their front doors.

6) We have a very low tolerance for discomfort. Anything that causes us physical, economic or emotional discomfort, and even actual suffering, can not be tolerated. We scream for the government to fix it ASAP!

If the stock market goes down, “Oh my God! Somebody fix this!”. If a child is injured on a playground, or anywhere, we demand legislation to “Prevent this from ever happening again”. We demand safety, SAfety, SAFEty, SAFETY! (PRO TIP: If you’re living on this planet, you’re not safe).

7) We rely far too much on the government.

We push responsibility as far away from ourselves as possible. We try to deposit it at the Federal Level. Then, our only personal responsibility is to vote, oh, then complain when anything goes wrong, demand an investigation, then demand new legislation to “Prevent this from ever happening again”, then go back to “Living our best lives”.

What a joke we are. The only way to improve our world is to take action, ourselves, at the local level. Their is seldom progress without pain. Long term change involves disruption of the accepted norms. Devolve as much power back to yourself as possible. Leave the feds to deal with defense, international relations and trade, mediating disputes between states…and not much else.