...and ask a few fundamental questions about where we go from here. First, I don’t have answers. I want to spark debate, soul-searching, and most of all, change. I ask myself today, and every day, ‘What can I do differently to help?’

Recent weeks and months have been filled with news of economic problems, primarily the mortgage fiasco, but also the declining US dollar overseas and the price of energy, oil in particular. We know we have environmental problems, and those of us who have experienced hurricanes firsthand this year fear the worsening weather predicted due to global warming. But recycling doesn’t begin to address our future scarcity of resources, and there remains pathetic progress in developing alternative and renewable energy resources. In terms of human lifestyle and conditions, I see many faith-based organizations offering assistance to those in need, but those efforts are also paltry in comparison with what is required to bring all people to a decent standard of living. And is religion fulfilling it’s role as an ethical instructor?

The US economy is, more than any in the world, dependent upon we citizens feeling wealthy and spending. Each year, after the Christmas buying season, we hear assessments that gauge whether the season was a success or not, and success is determined by the increase in spending over the prior year. I am not pleased by this. As I have grown older, I have come to believe that success is helping others. Success is having good relationships, caring for and loving others. Success is giving someone else hope when they have none, love when they have none, sustenance when they have none.

The current crisis, the government loan to AIG, points out other fundamental flaws in our system, primarily greed and the governmental borrowing. I admit, I feel victim to greed during the Internet bubble of the late 1990’s. The idea of something gained without having to work for it has a certain appeal. But when the bubble burst, I paid the price, losing all I had invested. I didn’t cry out to the government for a bailout, for tax money to appease my poor judgment. Now don’t misunderstand, I realize the need for the government to prop up certain businesses if we want to maintain the status quo in our system. I am not callous and ignoring the effect of, in AIG’s case, 160,000 people out of work suddenly, without warning. Nor do I look forward with anticipation to the bankruptcy of multiple large banks due to foreclosed home loans, or the wiping out of retirement accounts invested in mortgage-backed securities. But I point out that when all those loans and investments were made, there was a risk v. reward calculation that should have been made to account for the expected return on investment. This is Investing 101, my friends. The higher the risk, the greater the reward. Or put another way, if you want to make lots of money quickly, you risk losing it all if things turn sour. I don’t remember my economics teacher mentioning any government guarantees when the risk rises above a certain level, nor am I advocating for that type of system. Instead, I am arguing that we are rewarding poor decision making when we bail these entities out today. And these bailouts, $500 billion for Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae, $85 billion for AIG, $200 billion a year for the Iraq occupation (and this just in from CNN: $1 trillion to ‘solve’ the bad mortgage issue once and for all), just where is that money coming from? Every expense I have just listed is falling outside the budget. Each requires the government to borrow, primarily from Japan and China (July 2008: Japan $593 billion, China $518 billion, UK $291 billion, treasury securities held). If you are a lender, and a borrower comes to you again and again for more money, at some point you realize what? You see that they are unable to manage money well, and therefore are a bad risk for lending purposes. You either increase the interest you charge (there’s risk v. reward again) or you stop lending to them altogether. Which would you rather see happen to the US?

We have many problems in front of us today. How we solve them will depend on one thing: What am I willing to change about my lifestyle? What will I do differently to affect the environment? What will I do differently to affect the economy? What will I do differently to grow spiritually, to demonstrate my values?

How have I answered the question? I can volunteer more, give more generously of my time and money to help others. I have returned to being a platelet donor at the local Red Cross. I am committing to giving away more of the money I have earned to causes that feed my spirit. I continue to ride my bicycle instead of drive a car. I am examining my possessions to determine what is needed and what is not, clearing out that which is not and making room in my life to attract what is truly important, what is deserving of my energy. I talk with people more about what’s important (hence this email) and less about superficial things. I try to connect with the emotion of the moment, to see how that informs my decision making process. I try to choose what helps everyone, not just myself.

 I am open to hearing the suggestions you have, to listen to your dreams and vision of our future together. We can’t continue our spendspendspend lifestyle; neither the planet nor humanity will abide this forever. We can choose how we change if we open our eyes and see what got us here. Please tell me what you see. Tell me what you will do differently tomorrow.