Dear America: We are about to enter the most vibrant period of American history. No, this is not the Apocalypse! The stock market is down, our houses are worth somewhat less than they were last year, some of us have lost our jobs, our retirement funds have lost value but let's keep things in perspective. Believe it or not a happy change is on the way. It will be here sooner than you think. No, I'm not talking about the "Rapture." What I am talking about is the biggest economic, social and moral "boom" in our history.
The media makes its money by keeping us interested and nothing gets a person's attention faster than being issued a death warrant -- again and again and again! We are being told that our economy is in a state of collapse. The truth is that we're in a worldwide recession that affects all of us but, no, the sky is not falling.
America is strong, rich, resilient, generous, creative and -- for all our moaning about our educational system -- educated. This is a time of soul searching about our consumer "values" that will leave us better, more sober people with a redirected sense of what really matters.
Sure we have problems but context is everything. In comparison to the rest of the world our problems are mere flea bites. Our standard of living is sky high. Every challenge confronting us has a ready solution. And we have the brightest and most creative president, surrounded by the brightest and most creative team of advisers and cabinet members in our history.
The world is looking to us to lead and -- thank God! -- we elected a bold steady leader for a time such as this. The rest of the world knows it can't function without the United States and will continue to loan us money and beg to trade with us. Our military is the strongest on Earth and strength invites investment in hard times from people seeking security for their money. Our universities are the best in the world and are incubators of the science of practical solutions. Our country is the place that other people clamor to live in. Our politics is free of the corruption (with some notable exceptions) that -- sadly -- most of the world has to live with. Jobs may be temporarily harder to find but they are here with more on the way.
Great times are coming in the form of one of the biggest sea changes in American history: we're about to shift to a vast trillion dollar entrepreneurial green economy. We're about to rebuild our infrastructure. And for the first time in decades the super rich are being asked to pay their fair share, which will make this country a fairer and therefore, richer and happier place.
The dishonor that was foisted on our military by President Bush, who turned some of our men and women in uniform into torturers, is being reversed. (I note this as the proud father of a United States Marine.) We have a president with remarkable courage who is tackling everything from environmental concerns, the economic bailout, military restructuring, the ending of one war and the intelligent prosecution of another war, the recalibration of our tax system, and health care reform all at once. This total reinvention of America will create a huge new pool of jobs and opportunity.
This is a great time to be living in America. And this is no time to allow self-interested entertainers (masquerading as newsmen and news women) or the commentators on the right and left to play politics (or ratings games) with our fears. Rather this is the time for all of us to pull together and get behind our president, whether we voted for him or not. (I say this as a life-long Republican and conservative on many issues.) This is the time to be grateful that we face this worldwide economic downturn as the most powerful nation on earth. This is the time for we, the supremely fortunate, three hundred million Americans to face the future with well founded confidence.
By the end of this year we will see the beginnings of a massive economic turnaround. By the end of next year the turnaround will be in full force. Before the end of the first Obama term the stock market will be well on its way to regaining its recent losses. The banking crisis will be under control. Home prices will be going up and job creation -- to fuel the shift from a fossil fuel economy to a green economy -- will be churning.
"The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated," as Mark Twin said (or is said to have said). America, wake up from our bad-news-is-entertaining-news media stupor! Look around you! Have our wonderful cities disappeared? Are our farms gone? Have our highways and airports closed? Has our military been destroyed? Is our government overthrown? Are we starving? No, no and NO! Get a grip! We are the fortunate few.
This country grows its own food in a hungry world! Our courts of law work in a lawless world! We elected a brilliant young black president in a racist world! Our political "unrest" and "hate" is all about yelling at each other on dumb TV and and dumber radio shows, not gunning each other down over politics, as is the norm in much of the globe! We're living in the freest, richest and most creative nation on earth. The world is looking to us for solutions! We have bold brave leadership that is confronting our problems head on, openly and with tremendous creativity and moral clarity.
Invest. Buy stock. Work. Strive. Study. Prepare to be very, very prosperous. Remember that our media is part of the entertainment industry, not a source of truth. Pinch yourself! Wake up! Turn off the talking heads and look at the reality of what America is!
The United States of America is poised for the greatest period of growth and accomplishment we've known in our history. We have the best president of the last century. We always ask, "God bless America." He has.
Frank Schaeffer is the author of Crazy For God: How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back. Now in paperback.
Follow Frank Schaeffer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/frank_schaeffer
"Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others stiffen." Billy Graham
"Change your thoughts and change your world." Norman Vincent Peale
I think you were great on the Hughley show on your new blog. I had to wonder where you were going in that blog post. A letter to Republican traitors? You can't get anywhere calling them names. Logic is the only thing that has a chance of getting through to anyone, but if it is overstated it starts losing effectiveness. Your blog was well received on Huffingtonpost, but I don't know if others will pay attention. Your points in your blog were what I would love to hear from Billy Graham. He might be the only one who could say those things with real impact and get through to people, but I doubt he will ever say anything like that. I guess I am sad because you don't speak for the religious right, and that seems to make it so hard to speak to them. I would love to see you get the audience and be listened to, but I am just afraid the position of ex-evangelical might be a little limiting when it comes to preaching. I hope I'm wrong.
The ending comparisons you made were priceless and sooooo true. i have often felt that way about the conservatives at this point in our American history, it was very nice to hear it stated so directly.
I hope you have a bodyguard or something....I don't trust them on any level anymore. I will listen...I will try...but the racism, from my perspective is seeping through their pores in most of their statements and actions. My step father is white and my siblings are therefore mixed and I was raised to not see or speak of color or racism. My mother has since grown in her denial of it's exsistance and observations, as I have also. They are still happily married and my step father has and will always be my dad. I am blessed to have 2.
Your interview brought tears to my eyes and uplifted my spirit. Thank you.
my regular huff name is mocha59. I see my sign in name flipped again...ugh...
I agree with you that there is a new sea change, to restructure American society away from the GM-Detroit automobile society towards a new sustainable renewable society of smart energy, smart information, and smart manufacturing.
My only disagreement with you is the optimism. By all indications, the new Golden Age may not be here for a while, at least 2010. I do agree with you however, that if this can be done at all, then America is the nation that will lead the world into a new era.