The Pat Answer

This article from Yahoo explains how, in the writer's opinion, the U.S. is losing its influence in the world. It is a reasonable explanation of how a country with everything going for it has become too fat and lazy to keep up in the world. Other, once third world nations, have worked hard to overcome their deficiencies and are making their own way in the world. In areas where the U.S. once controlled and exploited the natural resources of these countries, they are now taking control of their own destinies. Their children have taken advantage of the educational opportunities the U.S. offers to gain the vital knowledge required to take their countries to the next level, while, Americans have sat on their laurels and allowed science and math in secondary education to take a back seat to sports and leisurely studies.

Yet, looking at the responses to this article by readers, there are several instances of the pat answer from those who look no farther than the end of their noses for the answer. It is the movement away from God. Lack of prayer in the schools is another reason given. Is it, really? Look around you. Churches abound in this country. New ones crop up every day. Some churches claim thousands of members. Entire radio and TV networks are devoted to religion. The majority of my Facebook friends almost daily make some reference to religion in their posts. Some of them incessantly, almost fanatically.

God is the general reason given for most negative happenings by so many. They rarely look for the real reason. Carelessness in the case of accidental deaths. Poor investment or management of money for fiscal losses. Do not blame God. Blame the real reason. In the case of this country's fall from international power, blame the American people. We are lazy. We want high wages for minimum effort. We condone the waste of our natural resources. We elect officials that start preemptive wars that break the country's coffers and force the borrowing of money from our direct competitors in world power. Finally, there is the fact that the last 100 years of bad foreign policy have made enemies of the third world, which now races to put us in our place. There is plenty of blame to be shared. God did not do it. We have done it to ourselves. As Pogo said, "we have met the enemy and he is us."