Would Someone Ask Me to Buy Hope Bonds?
Submitted by Pastor Frank on Wed, 02/18/2009 - 09:54.
In my last blog, I pointed out that American capitalism is flawed. I made the comment that we had equated freedom with a particular economic order – capitalism. We have not been able to separate our values, freedom, democracy, and equality from a particular economic system. Our nomenclature reveals our intentions: we have even labeled it “free market economy.” My emphasis is that the focus of capitalism is on the individual. The individual can prosper, and the center, what I have called the “common good” can suffer. For example, I heard Zbigniew Brzezinski ask the question, “Why is the government the only one trying to bail out the economy?” He raised the specter of the “moneyed class” participating in redeeming the nation from the economic crisis. He brought statistics of the amount of wealth that had been transferred into the hands of individuals in the last fifteen years – some 350 billion dollars. He suggested that some of the moneyed class kick in and try to help. But, of course, we are so individualistic that many of us view the money as our private property and separate and distinct from the economic problems of the society that we are living in. We are in the worse economic crisis since the Great Depression. Our entire economic wellbeing is being threatened, but we are so conditioned to our individualistic mindset that we cannot be asked to offer anything, nor does it occur to our political leaders to ask us for anything. I do not know how anyone else is feeling, but I have the distinct impression that we are not meeting the economic challenge and, as a result, we will be in this malaise a long time. Our individuality limits our creativity to solve this crisis.
This led me to question that while, I am certainly not one of the moneyed class, I have not been asked to sacrifice or participate. I heard someone float the idea of “Hope Bond,” which would function much like war bonds during World War II. People bought bonds to help support the government and finance the war. I believe one of the fatal flaws of the Bush Administration was that I was not asked to sacrifice or do anything in response to the events of 9-11-01. The way that I could help was to go shopping. I do not want to go shopping. I do not want to buy needless trinkets. What I would do is buy Hope Bonds. I want to participate and get involved. I am doing the individual thing – like saving more, spending less, etc. But I long for a resolve of national purpose – something of national unity where the call goes out for everyone to sacrifice and we respond because we realize that the common good is at least as important as our individualism.
But, we have not gotten it yet as a society. Maybe more banks will have to fold or GM or Chrysler to file for bankruptcy for us to get it. I appreciate President Obama doing what can be done through the apparatus of government, but this is a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people. Would someone please ask me to buy Hope Bonds?
Submitted by Pastor Frank on Wed, 02/18/2009 - 09:54.
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As long as the federal government can finance its debts with 2-3% Treasury bonds sold to foreign and domestic institutions and run unimaginable fiscal deficits, you are unlikely to get asked to buy HOPE Bonds. But we will be asked to sacrifice in other ways. You will be asked to pay more taxes, deal with higher long-term interest rates and probably most disappointing may be the forgone priorities. The initiatives and programs that you care about that will not be funded or funded adequately. From education to health care, campaign promises forgotten or that are not politically doable. Maybe our sacrifice will be to continue to support the government's agenda despite our displeasure with parts of it. With a very pragmatic president, these may be the real sacrifices.
Thanks for the insightful comments. I wish that the government would communicate with us and inform us of some of the things that you suggest. If we all were asked to sacrifice the things that you suggest then we could create some kind of unity. I would also have the feeling that I am contributing something rather than sitting every day and hoping that things will get better. I am curbing spending, saving etc. but it does not feel like I have been asked to participate.Pay more taxes -- willing! Higher long term interest rates -- painful! The programs that I care about not being funded or funded adequately -- painful! From education to health care campaign promises not politically doable -- painful. I will support the government despite my displeasure. I wish that we were being communicated with to understand the things that you suggest.Serve Is What I DO!
You are correct, we have to fall first, before we can get back up. Only this time, maybe we can get up together; maybe we can get up as an equal society. Maybe the privileged society will assist the underprivileged in rebuilding a new world order. One that isn't generated, constructed and determined by shades or hue. well I did say maybe... I don't guess this will happen before Jesus comes back, unless certain sectors of our society are able to become as desperate as they have made others feel. It is undeniable that, European-Americans have accumulated over many generations a family legacy of education, property, assertive self-confidence, and political power : In a word, privilege.
People like this have built a political, economic, and legal structure that is strongly tilted in favor of them retaining that privilege. As for us, we have been the beneficiaries of affirmative action for almost 400 years. We are the other people, the were stolen from, enslaved, the one who have had our family structures and cultural traditions destroyed, and forced to create wealth for their masters. Ironically, the laws that Congress made--and continues to make--that benefit people of privilege are debated and passed in a building constructed by slaves. I believe that a hopeful response to you quandary is to view capitalism as something that is held in trust.
If you have greater wealth than others,then you have an obligation to use it for the benefit of everyone--even if that means acting against my own financial advantage. You have an obligation to use your relatively greater social and political power in a conscious fashion to benefit the relatively powerless.
Pastor Frank, Do you want to buy a hope bond?
The “Hope Bond” is a new concept that can take hold if managed properly with a solid expectation to the holders of the bonds. However, before that bond system can be initialized, the attitude of America has to change drastically. Americans as a whole are in a wishful thinking mode and with little or no confidence in the economic system or the government as a whole. Americans seem to lack true hope of things getting better anytime soon. The economic crisis makes it difficult to see a turn around in the coming years. To be successfully implemented, Hope Bonds have to be positioned as a confident expectation of the economic system turning around instead of wishful thinking in abstract terms. The Hope Bond is a way for everyone to help, but do we as a nation have the unified concept or belief in a new bond system? It’s so awful that biblical principles have been forsaken and taken out of our normal activities, even when it comes to finances. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that the Lord has plans for our welfare and wants to give us a future and hope. God will take care of us as we help others through a Hope Bond system. If the righteous believes according to God’s plan, we need to take action and place our trust in God. This economic downturn will pass but we have ensure that we are standing strong and trusting God to bring us through while we continue to hope…have confident expectations. I would try the Hope Bond. I'm sure it wouldn't be that different from the current savings bonds I purchase through payroll every two weeks.
Pastor: The reason I believe that no one has asked us to purchase hope bonds, or anything resembling hope bonds, is because we, all Americans, no longer have the sense of community that we once did. Families no longer teach community at home, schools no longer teach community in school, communities themselves no longer teach community. And that community education translates to "pride". I remember being told not to "shame" my family in public; when I was a kid I couldn't wait to attend MELROSE where everybody else in my family went (even my grand-parents)...I also remember the disappointment my family felt when I went to Central instead; I remember as a kid feeling proud that I was born and raised in the OM and how lost I felt when my mother moved us to Whitehaven (a "better" neighborhood); I can remember when the OM was proud to be the OM. I remember knowing that if we had chicken for dinner we didn't have money in the house...but I never went hungry. We did not have a lot (not the Jordan's not the Xbox not the BABY PHAT jeans and didn't even know what FUBU was) what we did have was "pride". Not the boastful kind but the kind where-you-knew-you-could-if-you-wanted-to-because-you-had-it-like-that pride. We no longer have that type of pride...sure we pretend we do...we put on the African clothes in February but truth be told we have forgotten why we put on the clothes or for that matter why we even have the clothes to put on. To have hope, to understand the concept of hope, we must first remind ourselves the concept of "pride" and what it really means. (instead we tend to think) "The government should be responsible for the bail out because we are entitled to it"...."the government, this country, owes it to us to fix itself"...nevermind I have not meaningfully contributed lately "someone else contributed for me" back when. After all we should consider this "reparation". Hope is a wonderful word, Pastor, a great concept but the real meaning behind hope bonds can only be sold to us when we remember what pride is.
I think this is an interesting concept. I just don't think as a nation we are in the same place where we were during WWII. It is always about what's in it for me. The problem is the loss of a since of community. I hear people complaining about the stimulus bill not helping them personally. But the people who are complaining are t he people who really don't need the help. So if you are living well, making over $150,000 a year, you haven't lost a job, you are not loosing your house, why are you so opposed to others recieving help. So I think if someone can be so angry about this I don't think they would be willing to help personally.
I too don't have a lot of money but I would be willing to help my country. Who can I send this idea to, maybe it might start somrthing. All great ideas start with just a thought.
Hope Bonds is a nice concept and would probably help. It goes in line with the famous quote made by President Kennedy, " Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." Hope Bonds like war bonds before requires money. There are so many people right now that simple do not have the money to invest. However, here is something we all can do. GET INVOLVE! Write elected officials. Ask guestions just like Warren Buffet did. He is the second riches man in the world. He wanted to know why his assistant who earns $70,000 a year pays more in taxes than he does. I would like to know how the extremely rich get away with hiding money in Swiss banks or how American companies can set up offices in foreign countries and not have to pay taxes. Where is the accountibility? The Bible says that the people perished because they lack knowledge. Our economy has perished because we the people have not done our part. We have not participated. Pastor Thomas it would be a great time to revisit your sermons on the privilege of participation.