Monday, January 15, 2007
I have a nightmare
Rereading the last couple of blogs on this specific day got me thinking about a recurring nightmare. I like many non-bankers, non-students are consigned to work on this "national holiday." It is a day where we are supposed to ponder the debt of gratitude to the man who freed our nation, blacks and whites, from the bonds of injustice.
The nightmare I have is that our nation spends time being sedated by Nascar, beer, reality television and professional sports (including college athletics here). Instead of worrying about global climate change, we debate whether Dale Earnhard or Kyle Petty was the greatest race car driver of all time. Rather than consider the merits of cap and trade programs versus command and control programs, we argue whether we'd rather push a Chevy than drive a Ford. Too many people biggest concerns with college athletics is the BCS playoff system; their gripping concern that a Bowl +1 format would jeopardize the exam period for the "Student Athletes."
Come on.... are they serious? ¶ 8:51 AM
Rereading the last couple of blogs on this specific day got me thinking about a recurring nightmare. I like many non-bankers, non-students are consigned to work on this "national holiday." It is a day where we are supposed to ponder the debt of gratitude to the man who freed our nation, blacks and whites, from the bonds of injustice.
The nightmare I have is that our nation spends time being sedated by Nascar, beer, reality television and professional sports (including college athletics here). Instead of worrying about global climate change, we debate whether Dale Earnhard or Kyle Petty was the greatest race car driver of all time. Rather than consider the merits of cap and trade programs versus command and control programs, we argue whether we'd rather push a Chevy than drive a Ford. Too many people biggest concerns with college athletics is the BCS playoff system; their gripping concern that a Bowl +1 format would jeopardize the exam period for the "Student Athletes."
Come on.... are they serious? ¶ 8:51 AM
Comments:
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I think you are on to something. Let's face it, we live in a frivolous society. Our #1 concern this time of year is always the same: how to lose some weight. This, to me, is symbolic of the American ethos in general. We're too fat - we gorge ourselves on everything because it's there and we can... no, because we're SUPPOSED to - it's the American way. Be a good consumer! Stimulate the economy like a productive citizen should! If that means revolving credit debt, then so be it! (This is coming from a guy who just bought a $50.00 Krups waffle maker yesterday)
And, like you said, we should always avoid thinking about difficult or serious problems (such as global warming, war and killing, or the sickening lack of racial progress we've made since MLK was assassinated) - one great way of doing that is by numbing our minds with cheap alcohol and a constant barrage of entertainment (cable TV, DVDs, IPod, sports, etc.)
The question is, how do you change a national culture? And how do you avoid falling into those same traps yourself (I watched an hour of playoff football yesterday)?
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And, like you said, we should always avoid thinking about difficult or serious problems (such as global warming, war and killing, or the sickening lack of racial progress we've made since MLK was assassinated) - one great way of doing that is by numbing our minds with cheap alcohol and a constant barrage of entertainment (cable TV, DVDs, IPod, sports, etc.)
The question is, how do you change a national culture? And how do you avoid falling into those same traps yourself (I watched an hour of playoff football yesterday)?
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