Sir,

It has been reported in various American media that you intend to spend your way out of the global, or at least the USA, financial crisis. Apparently, the problems are nothing that $1.2 trillion deficit cannot take care of. Never mind your children and grand children being lumbered with an enormous liability. Never mind that spending unearned money to get out of a jam is exactly what got the United States (and the whole of the Wild West) into the jam to start with. That’s right. The USA is not alone. Western Europe and, to a lesser degree, Canada and Australia are likewise burning money. And we will all suffer from the second hand smoke.

Is it not the greatest folly, Sir, to try to maintain the standard of living in the West by riding on the efforts of countries that continue to subsidize our extravagances? Our life style is maintained by many earning less than a dollar a day, just to make us happy. The children in the Nike factories, others treading the cotton fields, still others working the mines, just so that you and I can afford to buy things we don’t really need. What if we were proud of have a TV smaller than our neighbor’s? A smaller fridge, smaller car, smaller house, smaller boat, smaller pouch… At least, you, Sir, do not suffer from the latter. Yet.

What would happen if we didn’t have children until we could afford them? Until we could afford to educate them? What if we saved, say, 20% down-payment for a house before buying it? What if we bought a car that is the most economical to run and then kept it for say… ten years––regardless of what our neighbors did? What if we all ate less, regardless of our income, if we drank less beer, Coca Cola, Pepsi and other fattening, deleterious drinks? For crying out loud, we are nations of obese people who cannot fit their fat asses into a theatre seat, let alone into a compact car. Think of the millions saved on medical expenses alone if we led a healthier life style? I beg you, Sir, stop subsidizing our food!

What If we learned to be proud of who we are not of what we own?

Please, Mr. Obama. Do not try to maintain our standard of living. We are ashamed of it. We know we haven’t really earned it. We know we are living on credit. On efforts of other people.

Please, Mr. President Elect. Teach us all, the whole Western World, to make do with less. And, perhaps to give more. To those less fortunate than we are. As you know, Mr. Obama, there are billions, yes billions of them around. Open our eyes. And our hearts. No one else seems able to do so. We are counting on you.

Respectfully,
Your neighbor,
Stan Law