Not much has changed Reprint from 06 Lack of Virtue

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

United States Plagued by Lack of Virtue

The lack of virtue allows politicians and the media to accept and use information they otherwise would question. One of the major difficulties with employment opportunities for many prospective students (young or old) in the United States today is recognizing what to learn which will be regarded enough to provide ample economic opportunity. This is not a new problem but one which has existed for hundreds of years. In H.W. Brands book, “The First American” he quotes Ben Franklin from his book “The Art of Virtue”

Many people lead bad lives that would gladly lead good ones, but know not how to make the change. They frequently resolved and endeavored it; but in vain, because their endeavors have not been properly conducted. To exhort people to be good, to be just, to be temperate &c. without shewing them how they shall become so, seems like the ineffectual charity mentioned by the Apostle, which consisted in saying to the hungry, the cold, and the naked, be ye fed, be ye warmed, be ye clothed, without shewing them how they should get food, fire, or clothing.

Today, politicians including President Bush, economists and reporters have displayed their lack of virtue when understanding trends in the United States. They tend to view education as a means in itself to employment. The rhetoric about all the new jobs relies heavily on people actually understanding how to accomplish these new tasks put before them. It also ignores economic realities that exist for many people who work for much less money. Many of the jobs now provided to illegal immigrants or sent to Mexico require less knowledge, but are still being taken away from Americans who in turn have little to offer that provides adequate income. We raise interest rates when we could raise taxes on the rich which would promote more competition. The rich and powerful must give to promote the cycle of opportunity to others. Virtue must be a part of the repertoire of the powerful and the rich or we continue to take from the have nots to give to the haves. In the words of Franklin:

It is as properly an art as painting, navigation, or architecture. If a man would become a painter, navigator, or architect, it is not enough that he is advised to be one, that he is convinced by the arguments of his advisor that it would be for his advantage to be one, and that he resolves to be one; but he must also be taught the principles of the art, be shewn all the methods of working, and how to acquire the habits of using properly all the instruments. And thus regularly and gradually he arrives by practice at some perfection in the art.

This lack of sharing or virtue is not an intentional consequence of actions of the past administrations, but the result of a continual pattern of abuse of debt instruments, media conglomerates and corporate excesses through lobbyist in congress and greed at the expense of the masses in the United States. Currently the 8 trillion dollar deficit is the elusive creature that allows all this excess to go unnoticed. The new policies adopted for bankruptcy are just a precursor to bigger problems that are arising concerning individual rights. More power to fewer and larger banks who lend money with less risk to people with less freedom and ability to repay the higher interest loans. More drugs, more casinos, more mafia mean more prisons and jails are needed to maintain and protect this new found wealth of the elite bankers, drug lords, politicians and large corporate owners as they continue this ongoing policy of abuse which Franklin described as “LACK OF VIRTUE”

(Please note in 30 months the deficit has risen to close to 10 trillion dollars)