"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:43:04 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

The country's mood and culture has changed. The principles of self
accountability and responsibility have faded, replaced with a "what's in
it
for me" attitude. It's hard for me to accept, but it's here

Good points all, but this is the nexis point. People have become very
self-centered and all it's associationed complications.

Personally, I think it's a lack of vision - we've become a society
that looks inward and not outward. We've lost that unique sense of
individualism.

On the other hand, it also proves a point that I've been making for
years - as America goes, so does the world. What affects us, affects
every human being on the face of the planet.

And here's another thought along the same lines - the generation that
is following us has never had a serious economic downturn - they don't
understand the historical imperative that normal economic fluctuations
happen. They've had it too good for too long and now that economic
realities have overrun their expectations, panic rules the day. They
are now realising that not everybody can own a 40 foot boat, a Lexus
and a 10,000 sq. ft house.

Now they are leaning that TANSTAAFL is a very real concept and they
don't like it.

Me? Hey, I'm fine - we will be fine - my kids were taught early to
take responsibility for their own economic futures, they will be fine.
I took responsibility to make it that way and followed through.

Those of us who understand the TANSTAAFL concept will be fine -
everybody else will experience pain and economic dislocation.

It's the way the system works.

And with that, I will now submit to the demands of Percocet and take a
nap. :)



Good point regarding the lack of a significant economic slowdown in the past
30 years or so. We've had a couple of shallow, short lived recessions, but
the last significant one was back in the 70's. There's a whole generation
of young adults who have never experienced the effects of a serious economic
slowdown.

I remember as a youth listening to my dad preaching, "You don't get
something for nothing", a variation of "TANSTAAFL".

Eisboch