By KELLEY CURRAN
Local Columnist
August 05, 2008 12:22 pm
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Much static has been raised recently about John McCain economic adviser and former senator Phil Gramm claming we've all become a nation of whiners. Gramm was talking about the economy and expressing his view that things aren't really that bad. Maybe we're all soft.
Gramm has some point. Contemporary American poor folk are fat gluttons living in the lap of luxury compared the poor of other countries and generations. The newly required belt tightening is so uncomfortable because we're bloated and unused to it. I can buy that.
In general though, do we really whine too much or not enough? Maybe we're waiting too late to whine or spending our time whining instead of acting. We have a system in this country which, on paper, really gives we the people all the control over the economy, the trick is we have to actually exert that control.
There are key decisions we may have little control over that affect the economy. One of the most crippling is deficit spending, and a lot of that has went on over the last seven years. Decisions made today will affect the U.S. economy for decades to come, and there will be little future voters will be able to do about how bad we screwed up. We were just working our way out of debt before the recent spending administration. We aren't to blame for decisions made in the past.
Yet still, every time we vote for someone because of party, likeability, hair style, because we hate millionaires and liberals, instead of listening, learning and thinking, then voting for the candidate we truly believe will do the right thing, we're abdicating responsibility. Staying home instead of voting and otherwise participating in the election process sends the message that we just trust whoever gets the job. In fact, within politics, many believe that low voter turnout and political participation is actually a positive. They believe it signals our contentment and a general consensus on policy. Everything is going so great. Why would we want to change anything?
Besides electing our government, we are also blessed with economic control is this country. Capitalism, in its purest form, is the only economic system in which individuals cannot be forced to be consumers or laborers. Every single transaction has been approved by us; otherwise the money stays in our pocket.
This is one area there seems to be a lot of that whining and lack of responsibility. How many of those with the adjustable-rate mortgages that have figured so prominently in economic headlines read all the fine print before signing? How many went to multiple lenders and compared or negotiated? More likely, they went to a lender, did what they were told to do assuming the lender knew how this was done. Everything will be fine.
I know we've had signers remorse for every major purchase. The stack of papers is overwhelming. The explanations are so quick and matter-of-fact. It is awkward to air your doubts with your spouse or partner when the sales guy is sitting right there. We start the whining when we get home instead of while at the table when it may have done us some good. But no one made us buy.
One method of whining is gaining in popularity and getting results. Many fed-up consumers have turned to the Internet. There are videos of buyers beating up their lemony products. Videos portray consumers walking into car dealerships and confronting sales managers. Anger is vented on various message boards and sites set up just for the purpose of documenting consumer angst.
Whining to and about businesses is particularly effective. They want the whining to stop before it starts hurting the bottom line. Some businesses, such as Comcast, have even begun patrolling the Internet for mentions of their products so they can try to address complaints. In many cases, when at a business, unlike when dealing with government, as soon as you begin whining, someone will start working to make you happy. They want you to come back.
We can complain or refuse to spend our money in virtually every case we believe we're being treated unfairly, the price is too high, the service or product is lacking, the company is environmentally or socially irresponsible or for any other reason that suits us. When we communicate our reasons for not buying, companies who want to stay in business have no choice but to respond.
This control we have over our economic decisions gets less direct when capitalism is corrupted and we are, in fact, forced to be consumers and workers. This happens by various methods. A purchase can be required, a car seat for example. Sometimes, our choices of what to buy and who to buy from are limited by regulation. In these cases, government has decided there are only certain products we can buy to meet particular needs, and/or there are only privileged companies allowed to provide the products.
If we are dealing with an industry that is highly regulated, such as the housing and mortgage markets, then we are dealing more with government than dealing with businesses as individuals. That has certainly went well so far. The new housing fix just passed by Congress which forces us all to prop us two major lenders will put us more in the territory of a control economy.
It makes no sense to whine and consider ourselves victims because we've been forced to buy inefficient cars. Since we've actually stopped buying them, the cars are getting more efficient. It is always silly when someone claims they have no choice but to work a certain job. That was outlawed 150 years ago. Rarely are we actually forced to buy anything or work anywhere.
We have all the power over the economy and our own financial futures unless we fail to exert the power we have over our government. If we tell government it is ok for them to pick the economic winners by directing not only our tax dollars, but also our supposedly discretionary income to the purchases and business they dictate, then pay little attention to the people who make up our government, we will have plenty to whine about. But it will still be all our own fault.
Kelley Curran is a Jeffersonville resident. Write her at kelinawriterhat@aol.com.
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Kelly Curran