Flattened Expectations

Charles Dickens wrote a literary classic entitled Great Expectations. The main character in the book, a youth named Pip, struggles through the challenges of life with the hope of becoming something. In the end, Pip realizes his expectations and even exceeds them. Pip becomes a gentlemen when the word really meant something. Though the work remains very English in context and language, the hope and determination resemble American heart and attitude. We Americans have traditionally been very positive about life, the future and our possibilities. The problem? Something has changed in our culture. I cringe as I write this contribution to my blog. Americans' expectations appear to have been violently flattened. Who smashed our dreams? What happened?   http://www.dickens-literature.com/Great_Expectations/index.html

In April of 2005, Tom Friedman published a book entitled The World is Flat that gained international attention. The concepts in the work detail how the information age along with the virtual explosion granted access to information to people all over the globe. The accessible information leveled the playing field and people in obscurity could raise to prominence simply through the click of a mouse. The convergence of technology and events allowed India, China, and so many other countries to become part of the global supply chain for services and manufacturing, creating an explosion of wealth in the middle classes of the world's two biggest nations, giving them a huge new stake in the success of globalization. This flattening of the globe requires Americans to run faster in order to stay in place. The world appears too small and much too fast for human beings and their political systems to adjust in a stable manner. http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/bookshelf/the-world-is-flat

Friedman did not predict, however, that Americans would lose all confidence in their congress. The poor approval ratings for congressional action recently hit new lows. http://www.pollingreport.com/CongJob.htm  We all seem so frustrated and shaken by the lack of leadership, action, civil dialogue and cooperation. We teach our children not to fight or bully others at school while our representatives rage at each other on the congressional floor. What has happened to our political system? The talking heads and commentators proclaim that "Washington is broken." Cliches like this seldom work. The city of Washington is not broken. The Beltway does not control your heart. American dreams have evaporated in the smoke of 9/11, the winds of Katrina and the fierce flames of the Texas wildfires. We need a hero but we just get more disappointment. Where's Batman? Someone fed Kryptonite to Superman. We're not waiting on Superman; we know he's not coming.

In January of 2008, the then newly inaugurated president Barak Obama enjoyed a strong approval rating when elected. Pundits predicted that he held strong political collateral and a high degree of popular power. Many Americans held their breath as he took office expecting a new age of cooperation, participation and change. Now his approval rating ranks at a new low. His message of hope and changes seems to have slipped into shadows of the cold rains of  hurricanes. Someone smashed the dreams. Instead of hope and change, we see unemployment and a broken economy. Who would have expected this?   http://www.9news.com/rss/story.aspx?storyid=217702 

Our economy, productivity and employment remain flat. We're suffering. We don't seem to dream anymore. The Grinch has stolen Christmas. We can't even call it that anymore. We have to call it a holiday or something like that. Frankly, I long for the day when neighbors loved their neighbors. I yearn for someone to enter the room whistling. I want to spend more time with my friends laughing and sharing. I don't want to think about the flat-lined stock market. So many around me have flat expectations. The time has come for all of us...you know...Americans...to stop feeling so dull and flat and take up the cause of our Liberty. http://www.enotes.com/topic/Positive_liberty

This emerges as our moment. We must cast off the doubt, fear, anguish and anger and take up once again the determined spirit of Americanism. http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/Americanism  We have nothing to fear but a flat spirit, bad attitude and broken expectations. I believe in the ingenuity, strength and potential of Americans. I believe in you. Together we can restore, rebuild and recover. We don't need a stimulus...we need each other. Let us vow to rekindle our loyalty, commitment and joy. Let us commit to be America.