The Blame Game

When I was young, my friends and I used to play the Blame Game. It's mom's fault that I can't go out. It's the teacher's fault because I have too much homework. It's because I didn't get enough sleep last night. etc. etc. If you look around today, you can still see the Blame Game being played. Republicans are walking down the rode of blaming big government and trying to thread the needle. They are trying to ride the populist anti-Wall street sentiment while seeking campaign donations from the very Banks being blamed for financial unrest. And We the People are playing the game too. It's because my taxes are too high that I can't get ahead. It's because my stock broker gave bad advice. It's because Government is too big. It's because my bank won't give me a loan. We play this game, by the way while we collect our Social Security checks, unemployment insurance, use Medicare, finance our homes with Government tax breaks and pay for college with Federal loan money. We're not blaming Government for that. What about not blaming anyone but ourselves? If you took out a mortgage for a house you couldn't afford, whose fault is that? If you didn't save money because your real estate agent told you your house would go up in value forever, whose fault is that? If you bought stock in a company because your stock broker told you to and now it is worth half, whose fault is that? Now I am not suggesting for a minute that we should let reckless politicians and financial executives off the hook for their role in the crises of the day. However, it is our responsibility to learn, to become informed, to research before making important decisions, to read and to get more than sound bytes of information before deciding. It is our responsibility not to take the easy way out, but to really do in depth investigation on the important issues of our times. If we don't and then make bad decisions for ourselves, there is no one to blame but ourselves. While Republicans blame the President and Democrats blame the Republicans. While BP oil blames the rig operators and your stock broker blames Greece, our job is to grow up and stop playing games. We are smarter than that. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?