Two stories paint a dismal picture of the good old USA. The first is a study that shows that while life expectancy around the world decreased in 2020 due to COVID-19, most countries were able to reverse the trend and increase life expectancy by 2021, while the US continued to drop precipitously, down to the level it was in the 1990s. Not stated was the reason for the decline in the richest nation in the world. Was it due to people refusing to mask or social distance? Injecting bleach into their bodies? Mass shootings? Suicide? Who can guess?
Second was a new poll, done by WSJ/NORC that compared results from a poll in 1998 to ones from today. The number of people who say that Patriotism, Religion, Having Children, and Community Involvement is “very important” to them is dropping rapidly. The only “value” that is increasing in importance is Money. What a sorry state of affairs.
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I’m all for money as a priority. The game has been laid out before us. The rules are if you have money you MIGHT be ok. So money it is.
No wonder this nation elected Donald Trump and may elect him again. He is epitome of seven deadly sins. He reflects everything in those graphs as well
This is what you get when “Greed is good” becomes the mantra of your nation.
I grew up in a 17 room mansion. My father married my mother for her money. She became a severe alcoholic when she realized he was cheating on her before, during and after. He begged her for money so he could have his small airplane, 40 foot sloop, Fancy cars that I wouldn’t get in while she always had simple cars, fancy clubs She finally divorced him and dried out.
I was the black sheep of the family as I didn’t go to boarding school, I refused to be a debutante (and became a nurse instead a year behind Biden at the University of Delaware, and got my name out of the social Register. My father gave the other siblings cars when they graduated from boarding school. Not me.
(If you read Kathleen Buhle’s book, you will read about the house I grew up in. Kathleen and Hunter lived in the house from 1993 to 1999 long after my mother sold it) I only found that out two months ago. Michael Spinks lives in the house behind.
As my parents went into debt with my father being a spendthrift, I saved, bought 40 acres, had a herd of 50 sheep, did various nursing jobs. became a tax preparer, did 7000 returns until i couldn’t see well enough.
At the start of pandemic, I sold my house so if I died my son wouldn’t have to deal with it. He got rich in the dot.com market and bought 32 acres, house, pond, barn, and dilapidated cabin. At age 70, I started building in the cabin. Two rooms, all I need in life next to the pond. I poured the money from my house sale into the cabin. Every window to see the pond was free to me.
Today the wood ducks came back, the wind blew on the pond, the pines around the pond were bending over, and then it snowed Went from green grass to white. (I have internet in the house and cabin so I can start listening to baseball tomorrow) Also found out two months ago by surfing the internet that the town has turned this into a protected property. no hunting, no building new buildings. Most is swamp and many many trees (one blocking my driveway yesterday) I have magats as neighbors, really good people, I just have to keep my mouth shut and display my Juneteenth flag. Born on Bernie’s third birthday. Ruby born on my tenth. I’ll still be out there planting, mowing, trimming, etc. Money isn’t everything. I live in heaven on earth.
Eva, You are an inspiration!
In my life, I’ve been relatively poor, and later relatively rich. I think I was happier when I had just enough money to be ok. And I was the least happy when I had a lot of money.
We have forgotten how to have a good, fulfilling life.