wayne on June 25, 2008
Ok, you might say this is a little one sided and doesn't help the world because it's focused on just America. I'd say you are wrong. This is an idea whose time has come if not over due. Read on to see what I mean.
Self-sufficiency is crucial
I have a strong belief in self-sufficiency. I try not to burden anyone with my own problems and seek to stem any potential problems in anything I do by giving things a little thought before acting. Perhaps this is something I got from my mother or grandparents when I was being raised. Regardless of how I began doing this, it has served me well so far.
I firmly believe that one can provide the best support to others by taking care of themselves first. By ensuring you are taken care of first, you can then provide help at a level that is greater than someone that is distracted by their own ambitions or money-driven thoughts.
I don't mean to say that everyone should be 'in it' for themselves. What I mean to say is that you should take care of yourself to be able to take care of others better.
The same goes for us living here in America as far as I'm concerned.
Thoughts on America
I have been rather upset with what I see happening in the world. I don't have to look to far to see America sliding down the tubes of implosion either. I have a few points to make on that:
- America is ruled by corporate greed - I see no need to quantify this one. I think it's obvious.
- America is run by hypocrites - Our leaders have shown time and again that they will accept money and presents from those that need the influence the hypocrite provides.
- America is amusing itself to death - Celebrity fanaticism fueled by the media. The media itself is provoking its viewers at every commercial and every news hook. Police chases on video, suicidal jumpers, natural disasters, and on and on. People love to watch or find out more about others suffering, torments and rage for their own amusement. To some degree, I feel this is a method of distraction by the government and corporations, for the populous to be induced into a state of delusion. 'If I drink Pepsi over Coke, I'll have more fun'. Crap like that.
- America appears to help other countries more than it helps itself - It seems that we spend more to help other countries with no obvious return on our investment other than a 'stabilized foreign country' or for import and/or export of goods. I don't have any quantifiable evidence to support this...it just appears this way.
- America doesn't put enough focus on education - Our educational system and schools are suffering right under our noses. Our children are not getting the education we hope they would. Are we upset? Perhaps, but it doesn't show enough. Things are still going downhill.
Why do we continue to fuel the fire by watching or showing interest in meaningless television fodder? Why do we allow people to continue politicking that have shown they are in it for themselves and not for the people? When are we going to say enough is enough and take our country back from these people?
I, for one, have had enough. So much so that I would rather eat coconuts on a deserted island than continue to live in a country and support it via taxes where there doesn't appear to be any good people running the country anymore. I'm getting tired.
I want to throw away my television and turn off the radio. I'll sit in a corner and hum to myself until it's all over.
Or, I will build a web site to promote my ideas, and help to get this country back on its feet again.
Enter SaveAmericans.com
I purchased the domain name SaveAmericans.com for that sole purpose. Don't bother looking at the domain, there isn't anything there. The idea was to create a web site that helped to promote our own welfare and safety here in America. Another community site perhaps, or maybe a brochure-ware site for information.
The site would raise awareness as to where we are spending money on foreign aid, and who is the primary responsible individual for promoting the spending, how much we are spending and why it's necessary.
On the flip side, the site would also compare numbers on how we are spending money internally to benefit fellow American's. The comparison could then be used to show, with facts and figures that we do more for other countries than we do for ourselves (if in fact that is the case, remember, I don't have numbers, so I'm guessing based on what I see and hear).
Another aspect of the site would be to facilitate help between the federal, state and local authorities and the people that actually need the help here in America. Remember Katrina? People are still not back to 'life as usual' in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana. Home foreclosures are rampant now and only getting worse. Prices for gasoline and food are going to get higher presumably.
The current flooding in the Mid-West is going to reap havoc across the States, and the pinch is just starting to be felt. All the farmers whose homes are flooded and whose land has been damaged might not get things 'back to normal'. Imposed change is sometimes good, but in this case, it certainly isn't.
Back to the site. If the people that are displaced due to natural disasters had a way to get to SaveAmericans.com, they could find help and resources for to help them get back on their feet, or find some way to get help.
The site could also be a place for donating (yeah, if you haven't noticed by now and from last weeks web site idea post, I'm big on giving).
I think the core of the web site though would be to point out the differences between what we give our own countrymen versus what we give to other countries.
The big idea
The big idea here is that if we are able to help ourselves and get things straight here in America, THEN we can go and be philanthropic in other lands. As it stands today, there are people here in America that could use the help, and in my opinion, they should come first.
I've left this idea somewhat incomplete on purpose. I'm allowing the collective that is the Internet to provide comments as to their thoughts and ideas around this web site.
Please fill in the blanks and hopefully someone out there will have the time, abilities and financial wherewithal to actually do America some good with this idea.
Update - I need to add that if you are not living in America, wouldn't you feel better served if everyone in your country focused on making things better there before anyone else's country? Also, this is by no means to say that one should not ask for help either. Self-sufficiency needs to be balanced with the knowledge to know when to ask for help.
