Have You Achieved Your Full Potential?
Have you achieved your full potential?
I think we all ask that question of ourselves at different points in our lives. It is not uncommon for us to look back on our personal histories, our achievements and mistakes while wondering if we are en route to fulfill our divine purpose. Each and every one of us wants to achieve our full potential - to do something meaningful and good in life. Many of us are also fortunate to be surrounded by friends and family members who have helped us along life's path and share great aspirations for us.
I think that our country is no different. I believe that many Americans contemplate the history of our nation and ponder whether it will achieve its full potential. When the founding fathers of our country convened to draft the constitution, they had high hopes for our nation. They took incredible pains to study natural rights philosophy, Greek and Roman history, religion and the rule of law - all in an effort to craft a just society that would be a moral beacon to the world. Thomas Jefferson and others hoped that under the guidance of our constitution, our nation would "Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity..." I wonder what the founders would think about how their child, our young nation, has fared in defending its values and ideals?
Since the founders of our country laid the ambitious corner-stone for our society, there have been many moments in our nation's young history when we have strayed from greatness, like a troubled teenager rebelling against authority. Our government's authorization of Japanese-American Internment Camps, the era of McCarthyism, the Bay of Pigs, the Tuskegee Experiment and the Vietnam War are just a few examples of periods when our country fell short of its potential. These were times in history where a lapse of judgment by our government (often by Congress and the Commander and Chief) led to the moral decline of our society. In each case, raw emotion and ideological extremes eclipsed rationality and led to the injury of America's reputation in the world, and an assault on American ideals.
The last eight years have witnessed similar challenges in American history that may have kept the founders up at night as our nation grappled with its moral bearings; Abu Ghraib prison, "enhanced interrogation techniques" (also known as torture), declining international opinion, erosion of public trust, no bid war contracts that have cost Americans billions in tax payer money, a failed response to Hurricane Katrina and other infractions too numerous to mention. Like most parents, I suspect our founders were deeply troubled by the errant behavior of their offspring. They probably would have called America to the carpet or taken him to the wood shed, reminding him of his potential in life, and his responsibility to his citizens - and the world.
Tonight, as I listened to President Obama address both houses of Congress, I felt strongly that the nation had returned to a righteous path, towards its full potential. If the founders had been in the gallery, sitting next to Michelle Obama, staring down into the well of the House, listening intently to our 44th President, they would have felt that their efforts to seed a great nation were not in vain.
I think we all ask that question of ourselves at different points in our lives. It is not uncommon for us to look back on our personal histories, our achievements and mistakes while wondering if we are en route to fulfill our divine purpose. Each and every one of us wants to achieve our full potential - to do something meaningful and good in life. Many of us are also fortunate to be surrounded by friends and family members who have helped us along life's path and share great aspirations for us.
I think that our country is no different. I believe that many Americans contemplate the history of our nation and ponder whether it will achieve its full potential. When the founding fathers of our country convened to draft the constitution, they had high hopes for our nation. They took incredible pains to study natural rights philosophy, Greek and Roman history, religion and the rule of law - all in an effort to craft a just society that would be a moral beacon to the world. Thomas Jefferson and others hoped that under the guidance of our constitution, our nation would "Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity..." I wonder what the founders would think about how their child, our young nation, has fared in defending its values and ideals?
Since the founders of our country laid the ambitious corner-stone for our society, there have been many moments in our nation's young history when we have strayed from greatness, like a troubled teenager rebelling against authority. Our government's authorization of Japanese-American Internment Camps, the era of McCarthyism, the Bay of Pigs, the Tuskegee Experiment and the Vietnam War are just a few examples of periods when our country fell short of its potential. These were times in history where a lapse of judgment by our government (often by Congress and the Commander and Chief) led to the moral decline of our society. In each case, raw emotion and ideological extremes eclipsed rationality and led to the injury of America's reputation in the world, and an assault on American ideals.
The last eight years have witnessed similar challenges in American history that may have kept the founders up at night as our nation grappled with its moral bearings; Abu Ghraib prison, "enhanced interrogation techniques" (also known as torture), declining international opinion, erosion of public trust, no bid war contracts that have cost Americans billions in tax payer money, a failed response to Hurricane Katrina and other infractions too numerous to mention. Like most parents, I suspect our founders were deeply troubled by the errant behavior of their offspring. They probably would have called America to the carpet or taken him to the wood shed, reminding him of his potential in life, and his responsibility to his citizens - and the world.
Tonight, as I listened to President Obama address both houses of Congress, I felt strongly that the nation had returned to a righteous path, towards its full potential. If the founders had been in the gallery, sitting next to Michelle Obama, staring down into the well of the House, listening intently to our 44th President, they would have felt that their efforts to seed a great nation were not in vain.
I just stumbled across your blog. Your write very well, but I have to disagree. The most recent stimulus package under the current administration has rolled back the welfare reforms that took place under the Clinton administration (that did so much good) and has spent a large amount of the people's money on a laundry list of liberal special interest group projects. A fairly large portion of the package will have very little impact on the economy, and the part that is touted as doing so, has a very long absorption rate that will do little to help the current economy.
The other thing that I wonder about is what you (or your readers) think about the comparison between the Californian economy and where the current administration promises to take the national economy with increased entitlement spending, more anti-business policies, increased government, harsher environmental standards and higher taxes on the wealthy. These have made California a place that most business want to leave and most people can't afford. We watch as California pays the price for these policies and yet most people cheer as Obama promises the same for the nation as a whole?
I make no defense of the previous administrations prodigal fiscal policy, but the current administration seems to be continuing that trend. The things it is spending the money on have changed, but loose fiscal policy hasn't.
Additionally, with regards to your pejorative reference to Vietnam ... liberals railed against it and eventually we withdrew, but none of the people who called for the withdrawal ever seemed to care about the one out of ever four Cambodians (!!) who were slaughtered after we left under the rule of Pol Pot. People cheer as Obama promises withdrawal from Iraq, but who is talking about the risk we are taking with the lives of the Iraqi population. Will they take the blame if another Pol Pot comes to power? I'm not defending the war, I'm only asking for an honest discussion about the risks that Obama does not seem to consider as he rushes to please his Moveon.org base.
Thanks for the post. Your writing sounds good, but don't seem to discuss the other side of the issues you raise. I will check back for any replies. Thank you.
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Thank you very much for your post. I value a healthy exchange and diverse opinions. And in fact, I agree with your assessment of Vietnam. I think that it was a tragic loss of both American and Cambodian life - especially with the merciless napalm bombings that were not necessary by many historic accounts. Similarly in Iraq, there has been a high cost to pay in American and Iraqi lives and amputees. Neither war result is acceptable. In both conflicts, American men and women in uniform served bravely and did what their country called them to do - with honor. The reason I listed the Vietnam and Iraq wars as undesirable moments in American History, is because we did not think though the implications of our entry into the conflicts, nor did we have clear exit strategies. I believe this demonstrates a lapse of judgment by the Presidents at the time, and it had a demoralizing effect on our nation. In both cases, our government did not act in a manner that was representative of the desires of the people, and that is contrary to the efforts of our country's founders to establish a representative democracy. There are also questions as to whether or not we had a legitimate cause to enter in to the wars, i.e. in the case of Iraq, no WMDs were ever discovered.
Please continue to participate in this conversation, I enjoyed your comments. I am sure others will also contribute to this string about your observations on the economy. Thanks again.
Anthony
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