It’s hard to guess what people actually thought about President Obama’s State of the Union address earlier this week. The Republicans, the morning shows, and late night comedy all told the American public this address was a “rerun” of last year’s speech and that nothing had changed. Most would agree that all the things he said needed to improve last year still need to be improved this year. Despite his anecdotes of success he encountered over the past year, based on the reactions of the media Americans were left wanting more concrete plans to improve than a handful of stories he collected.
As I sat in my living room listening to this state of the union it hit me that this was not a state of the union but a state of humanity. Obama shared how a few people conquered their hardships through hard work and called for Americans to work together so that people could earn their way to the lives they deserved (or something similar). He said success should come from hard work and not the name you were born with.
Talk to anyone who has studied poverty and inequality and they can tell you that this problem is not one unique to the United States. Yes, it is true it places second on the list of the largest gap between the rich and the poor but for centuries the world had been in a state of inequality not based on “the sweat of a brow and the strength of our backs” (Cap’n Barbossa). King Solomon had the grandest temples built made of gold and unimaginable jewels while his servants slaved away building a monument made of materials that could fund their entire lives. The Chateau de Versailles was built by King Louis and if you have ever been there know all the poverty of France could have been eradicated with the price to construct those gardens. Castles and palaces remain around the world and their monarchs enjoy a lifestyle they have not earned.
Before you argue that this is America and that is why we have democracy consider the wealth you have left your children. It’s very easy to criticize the trust fund babies of media moguls and brilliant businesses women and say they have risen to their position in life and have “success” because they were born into money royalty. But let us look at the average American who has “worked hard” to give their children “opportunities” and a “better life”. Let us say you worked for everything you have, you grew up with little, you worked your way through college, you got a nice career with a decent paycheck and now you have kids who are “working hard” to do the same. Did you pay for them to take part in extracurricular activities? Did you buy them a car so they could get to their after-school job? Did you ask your long-time friend if they needed an intern for the summer? Did you buy them a computer to type their schoolwork? Did you provide Internet access? Did you cook dinner for them most nights?
None of this is working hard. If you examine each advantage you have given your child you find they have worked very little for all they have. You say they “worked hard” to get into a top-tier college but in reality their hard work was only worth anything because of the work YOU as a parent did to put them there. Picture it this way-Your kid has a bunch of money (aka talent, brains, sports ability, etc.). What good does it do them when they aren’t in the vicinity of a store?
You’ve provided that store for them and it’s time we acknowledge that we are ALL participants in this passing down of our success to the younger generation. It’s sad, but we must accept this is the reality.
So that’s it? We just raise our hands and give up? Not exactly.
Instead of Obama talking to use about our progress, our problems, and our To-Do list, he should have spent the time talking about the only thing that is guaranteed to allow the repeat of these problems-greed.
If we didn’t have greed, we wouldn’t have any of these problems. Each problem traces back to a small group of people who profit at the expense of others. When we think about big food, gaps in our education system, and weapons contracts, we see exorbitant salaries and yet the C-level officers with the star talent want more, more, more. When is enough, enough? When do we realize we are blessed and have comfortable lifestyles and stop being “in it” for the money?
What we need is a shift in values to address the heart of the problem. Our leaders need to demonstrate that this life is about more than how much we can make and take out or even leave our children and grandchildren. It’s time we stop talking about and using the word “success” to mean money. We need “success” to mean happiness, to mean caring for others, to mean looking at life not for ourselves but for humanity as a whole.
So what can you do?
You can help change the individualist mentality of America. Not the individualism that makes us unique and democratic but the individualism that makes us selfish and greedy. You can look at life not as a giant clock running out and a bank account running up. Live within your means. Be compassionate towards the poor. Praise progress, not money. Aim to be happy, not rich. Understand what causes you support or what people you enable, when you buy or use products or services. Show your kids you are proud of them because of what good they do, not because they are “doing well”.
If we all made this change, we could shape the next generation, perhaps changing the trajectory of our most influential leaders.
“It’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you, it’s what you leave behind you when you go.”- Randy Travis
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