In America the silence was more oppressive than the ignorance; but perhaps elsewhere the world might still hide some haunt of futilitarian silence where content reigned - although long search had not revealed it - and so the pilgramage began anew!
-- Henry Adams, The education of Henry Adams
The never-ending quest for money, power control, happiness, success... why do most never seem to be satisfied? I watched a documentary about the wealthiest people in our country. The filmmaker interviewed the man who invented Kinkos, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, who aggressively and adamantly stated that no amount of money would ever be enough and he would always strive to make more. I know that there are many generous wealthy individuals out there, but why is it that this has become the goal of American society? The American dream has gone from simply wanting to live free from tyranny and oppression to wanting to live under the tyranny and oppression of the major financial institutions in order to someday make a million dollars.
The cost to go to college is so huge that most families have no choice but to take out large student loans that will haunt them for a quarter of a century. This is extremely destructive, especially when a college degree is barely worth the paper it is printed on in this terrible job market. I honestly don't know if I would encourage a high school senior to go to college, unless they wanted to go into finance. I would feel better encouraging young people to learn a trade or skill they are interested in. Even though America is no longer a manufacturing nation, I am beginning to see more long term for success for people who know how to cut hair or fix a car than someone with a four year degree in History or Gender Studies.
I do not know what the answer is, but as someone with six years of post-secondary education and huge student loan debt, I am depressed and angry that I have now become practically unemployable after a year of being out of work. I could go get a job at Starbucks or Target and make nine dollars an hour.. but why? What goals would I be achieving other than feeding the debt monster that will always exist. What is the point of being alive, having a brain, if your only goal is to earn electronic credits that will soon become electronic debits?
I know that money is needed to buy food, provide shelter, pay for fun times, beer, clothes, and the basic necessities of life. I just wish the American dream wasn't so out of whack and deceptive. No matter what religion most claim to be, all worship the almighty dollar and will lay down their lives in its pursuit.
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