The Choices and Consequences of Our Age: The Disintegrating Economic, Political, and Societal Institutions of the United States

by Gualco, Dean

• ISBN13: 9781469783154
• ISBN10: 1469783150
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-03-06
• Publisher: Author Solutions

Summary

There are winners and losers in a capitalistic society, but capitalism does not choose who is a winner and who is a loser. The winners are those who have the right idea, sacrifice their time and money, take risks, work hard, and have a little luck and help along the way. The losers are those who rarely dream of the impossible, waste their time, spend their money foolishly, lack the courage to take risks, and fail to dedicate themselves to achieving the rewards of their efforts. Winners should receive the greatest returns for their investments and the greatest of rewards for their endeavors. While wealth may be distributed unequally, it results more from an unequal dedication to acquire this wealth. That is not only right, but it is fair. At the heart of capitalism is choice, one of success or failure, saving or spending, and work or recreation. Capitalism is a system that allows a person to choose whether he or she wants to be a winner or a loser. Today, too many have chosen the latter and display the unbecoming traits of greed, jealously, and envy toward those who have chosen the former. While insecurity and instability may pervade this country's economic, political and societal institutions, success can still be achieved by those who look forward rather than backward, who avoid the disadvantages of the past to take advantage of the future. In The Choices and Consequences of Our Age, you'll learn that it's still possible to achieve success through hard work, sacrifice, and self-reliance.

Excerpts

The seminal economic event of the last century —the event that has destabilized the middle class and led to a widening disparity between the fortunate and unfortunate— is this country's inability to produce and manufacture goods and services that afford its citizens a good job at a good wage. Moreover, the grand experiment of liberal government – that a large and powerful government providing ever-expanding benefits and services would produce a utopian society – has been an abject failure. Government simply doesn't work, unwilling to balance its budgets and manage its programs, as the once noble profession of politics denigrates into decadence and incivility, where deflecting blame is more important than reflecting character. Today, few Americans believe in the common interest over their own self-interest, creating a selfish and self-absorbed society; few believe in personal responsibility and accountability, searching for someone to blame for the consequences of their own poor choices. The "rugged individual" that once defined America has abdicated their responsibility to control their own destiny, becoming utterly dependent on an employer for a job, the government for health care and retirement, and the wealthy to pay this nation's taxes. Whereas success once meant you had the opportunity to "pull up" on the ladder of success, today more want to "pull down" those above them on that ladder. Insecurity and instability pervade this country's economic, political and societal institutions as a nation once seen as the beacon of hope, graciousness, and civility degrades into the harbinger of despair, envy, and hostility. Yet success can still be achieved in this country, but only by those who look forward rather than backward, who avoid the disadvantages of the past to take advantage of the future, and who are willing to make it on their own through hard work, thrift, sacrifice, and self-reliance, the defining values that once made this country great.