Archive for October, 2008

Divided We Fall


My ballot is cast. The little oval marks beside the candidate’s names couldn’t be filled more properly with a machine. It’s done.
Change may come, but I’m not necessarily convinced in the proportions. The candidates have analyzed the likelihood of winning based on populist rhetoric and have proclaimed “healthcare like we enjoy (senators)” “no new taxes” and the typically divisive topic of “pro-life/pro-choice.” This all comes to us in Joe-The-Plumber simplified freakenomics even though our jobs are dwindling, the economy is in shambles and our environment is degraded to the point of global change. When will candidates be willing to honestly say, “Listen folks, we need to change ourselves.” In a country as religious as this one, one would think people would be more willing to consider the effects of their daily lives.
I attended a Joe Biden rally recently and saw change. I noticed the Red and Blue divide actually fading. There were people from the countryside, who are proclaimed to be conservatively Republican, cheering for an african american candidate who leans far to the left. Not only that, but there were people of all colors and economic backgrounds getting excited about the possibility of being a part of something that could possibly move the country forward.
In a recent issue of The New York Times Magazine they confront Obama’s seeking of the “white man’s vote.” Obama talks about the divisiveness of politics in the recent past and the whole Red State/Blue State phenomenon.

…Got A Bargain"


Sure the economic crisis is affecting the globe, but in the SOHO neighborhood of New York City over the weekend you wouldn’t know it. These woman were amongst a herd of consumers from all parts of the world buying designer wear from the high-end shops that lined the streets. I’ve been to NYC over 20 times in my life and have never seen this many foreign shoppers taking advantage of the failing dollar. It’s strange to think that this goes on all over the developing world where wealthy foreigners travel mainly for the sake of spending their inflated currency on clothes and souvenirs.
The gap between the shoppers in this neighborhood and those who are truly facing poverty in the world is absolutely shocking. I heard a quote recently in the news from some foreign official who said, “Maybe now people will realize that money and material goods do not lead to happiness.” Yeah, we’ve heard the old adage that “Money can’t buy happiness…love…” but does it take a Great Depression to make us all realize this?
A crashing market may hurt a tremendous many on the planet, but there will surely be money to go around.
If you have any thoughts about money, happiness, or stories you’ve heard about your grandmother’s life during the Great Depression, please post here and start a dialogue.