It was amusing and saddening to read the interview blaming President Bush for the sour economy. Sort of a play on the old "Let George do it" slogan, except this one read "Blame George for it."
And he had his part, pushing a now dubious war that is draining the coffers and ending the lives of some of our finest young men and women. But no one man could get us into our current condition. This takes a collective effort, with good ole’ greed being the standard we follow, greed from oil and gas conglomerates who decide to charge whatever the market will bear to amass billions in profits while spending only a miniscule part of them on developing alternative energy sources or protecting our planet; greed on the part of auto makers for pushing larger, fuel-guzzling vehicles while doing little to produce lower priced, fuel-efficient transportation; greed from the mortgage and building companies who decide to sell anything to anybody, without truly qualifying buyers and doing what is right and prudent; greed of companies who outsource or move to reduce cost but do nothing to improve quality or ensure the safety of products until caught; greed from pharmaceutical companies who pushed "Part D" through Congress for larger profits without a single thought to the elderly, the sick and disabled who need the medications, and from Congress who allowed it and other moves like it to pass in exchange for re-election promises, parties, gifts and jobs after serving; greed from commissioners who are more than willing to sacrifice quality of life for a broader tax base or larger airport.
And greed from us, the consumers, who must have our wants met now; who think bigger is better and more is best, no matter the cost to the future; who have forgotten "all that glitters is not gold" and that with ability and right comes great responsibility.
Yes, George played his part, but Pogo was right. "I have met the enemy and he is us."
Danny Stafford
Statesville
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