Instead of just complaining about the economy, politicians and foreign policies, we should try to reform global crises with our daily decisions.
It is time to adjust the way we view the world and change how we resolve dilemmas. The attitude that we have the right to use as much as we want of every resource on the planet is not helping the nation or the international community. Random tax cuts encouraging us to buy more and use more will not solve any problems, as wonderful as the cash seems to many.
This past year, working and middle class consumers had less money to spend flagrantly on gifts and were preparing for a potentially worse future. Still, the giant corporations made even more billions by using sweatshops and downsizing.
Throughout the year, eager consumers in their 15-miles-per-gallon SUVs swarm in the parking lots. By December, the parking lots have reached their limits. In the week after Christmas, the trees are on sidewalks and in garbage cans, and the cars again storm the stores as everyone tries to return their unwanted gifts while getting back to work the next day. The executives enjoy their vacation time and profits, and America keeps rushing on.
Meanwhile, American troops are practicing in the desert until war is officially declared on Iraq and it is no longer merely called "bombing." On demand, they are ready to kill, ruin millions of lives and set up another nation that acts when we tell it to act, sells us what we demand and gives us more petroleum for our cars. So we continue to make more and make them bigger and less fuel-efficient, with the world's second-largest oil supply almost in our hands.
We are used to getting what we want and taking it all for granted. But the gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider. And we are in the process of waging a war costing billions of dollars and an invaluable number of lives, so our oil use can remain higher per capita than any other nation's. And of course, to save the people of Iraq by bombing them even more, the same individuals we have been slowly annihilating for years with economic sanctions.
The ends do not justify the means, and breaching international law and waging war will not lead to peace in Iraq. The fact that the international community (minus Tony Blair and Ariel Sharon) does not support the war will not get in the way of our belligerence. America will secure its wealth and power at the expense of anyone, any treaty or any international law that we can override.
By being at Duke, our chances of becoming part of America's elite have already skyrocketed. Many of us will make enough money to support at least five families. Instead of just promising our children financial stability, we should promise them a nation that values peace, equal opportunity and environmental respect over exorbitant wealth.
Instead of continuing to live as we have been, treating everyone and everything as if we have the right to its use, we should step back and realize that our mind-frames need to be adjusted. If we are worried about gas and oil prices going up, we should stop using so much and not try to control the world's supply.
Americans work hard and earn their paychecks. Overtime pays for everything we own. And as long as we can buy it, we will. But now that small businesses are rapidly going bankrupt, war is in our future and security measures are increased every day, is our consuming tradition worth it? Do we really need to own bigger and less fuel-efficient cars for our four-person families and support the same conglomerate companies that are laying off our neighbors and family?
We recycle, we volunteer, we support our children's schools. Then we drive SUVs, forget about the budget crisis and segregation in poorer school districts and elect policy makers whom we know will not respect the environment and the lower and working class populations.
We work hard to buy more, to make our children's lives better and financially secure. But what will the future be like when our children are even more excessive prodigals than we are, the world economy turns on the United States, our oil reserves run dry and the international community will no longer accept American exceptionalism?
Emily LaDue is a Trinity freshman. Her column appears every third Thursday.
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