From My Perspective - - -
What should one do when surrounded by the consequences of one’s own actions? Is there ever a time for reality to set and responsibility to be accepted? When trying to avoid responsibility, what is the response in terms of the calamity at hand? In the area of politics, one resorts to “Shrub-Drubbing” (or “Bush-Bashing”)! For the next four or eight years, every negative experience imaginable is not the fault of the current office holders – it is because of the ineptness and incompetence of the previous administration. This becomes an interesting rallying cry even though there is diminishing evidence to that effect – factualness matters little in the “blame-game”!
Mortimer Zuckerman, chairman and editor in chief of U.S. News & World Report has an article in the Wall Street Journal today. In it, he allows: “The recent unemployment numbers have undermined confidence that we might be nearing the bottom of the recession. What we can see on the surface is disconcerting enough, but the inside numbers are just as bad. The Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary estimate for job losses for June is 467,000, which means 7.2 million people have lost their jobs since the start of the recession. The cumulative job losses over the last six months have been greater than for any other half year period since World War II, including the military demobilization after the war… Here are 10 reasons we are in even more trouble than the 9.5% unemployment rate indicates: (1) June's total assumed 185,000 people at work who probably were not. The government could not identify them; it made an assumption about trends…(2) More companies are asking employees to take unpaid leave. These people don't count on the unemployment roll. (3) No fewer than 1.4 million people wanted or were available for work in the last 12 months but were not counted. Why? Because they hadn't searched for work in the four weeks preceding the survey. (4) The number of workers taking part-time jobs due to the slack economy, a kind of stealth underemployment, has doubled in this recession to about nine million…Add those whose hours have been cut to those who cannot find a full-time job and the total unemployed rises to 16.5%, putting the number of involuntarily idle in the range of 25 million. (5) The average work week for rank-and-file employees in the private sector, roughly 80% of the work force, slipped to 33 hours…and factories are operating at only 65% of capacity. (6) The average length of official unemployment increased to 24.5 weeks…(7) The average worker saw no wage gains in June, with average compensation running flat at $18.53 an hour. (8) The goods producing sector is losing the most jobs…(9) The prospects for job creation are equally distressing. The likelihood is that when economic activity picks up, employers will first choose to increase hours for existing workers and bring part-time workers back to full time. Many unemployed workers looking for jobs once the recovery begins will discover that jobs as good as the ones they lost are almost impossible to find because many layoffs have been permanent. (10) Job losses may last well into 2010 to hit an unemployment peak close to 11%. That unemployment rate may be sustained for an extended period. No wonder poll after poll shows a steady erosion of confidence in the stimulus. So what kind of second-act stimulus should we look for? Something that might have a real multiplier effect, not a congressional wish list of pet programs. It is critical that the Obama administration not play politics with the issue. The time to get ready for a serious infrastructure program is now. It's a shame Washington didn't get it right the first time…”
In Matthew 7:24-29, Jesus addresses the subject of “Foundations” – the difference it makes if one wisely builds on rock versus the one who persists and foolishly chooses to build on sand. Regrettably, as our nation’s infra-structure continues to erode and crumble, we have those who choosing sand foundations rather than rock. In Psalm 11:3, a question is posed: “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" In the political arena, it is blame, bash and spend some more! In the spiritual arena, it is to pray, encourage and to be as charitable as possible. Some can choose to ignore and disbelieve that in the midst of our inadequacy, we can seek the Lord and bask in His all-sufficiency! Consider these things with me!
What should one do when surrounded by the consequences of one’s own actions? Is there ever a time for reality to set and responsibility to be accepted? When trying to avoid responsibility, what is the response in terms of the calamity at hand? In the area of politics, one resorts to “Shrub-Drubbing” (or “Bush-Bashing”)! For the next four or eight years, every negative experience imaginable is not the fault of the current office holders – it is because of the ineptness and incompetence of the previous administration. This becomes an interesting rallying cry even though there is diminishing evidence to that effect – factualness matters little in the “blame-game”!
Mortimer Zuckerman, chairman and editor in chief of U.S. News & World Report has an article in the Wall Street Journal today. In it, he allows: “The recent unemployment numbers have undermined confidence that we might be nearing the bottom of the recession. What we can see on the surface is disconcerting enough, but the inside numbers are just as bad. The Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary estimate for job losses for June is 467,000, which means 7.2 million people have lost their jobs since the start of the recession. The cumulative job losses over the last six months have been greater than for any other half year period since World War II, including the military demobilization after the war… Here are 10 reasons we are in even more trouble than the 9.5% unemployment rate indicates: (1) June's total assumed 185,000 people at work who probably were not. The government could not identify them; it made an assumption about trends…(2) More companies are asking employees to take unpaid leave. These people don't count on the unemployment roll. (3) No fewer than 1.4 million people wanted or were available for work in the last 12 months but were not counted. Why? Because they hadn't searched for work in the four weeks preceding the survey. (4) The number of workers taking part-time jobs due to the slack economy, a kind of stealth underemployment, has doubled in this recession to about nine million…Add those whose hours have been cut to those who cannot find a full-time job and the total unemployed rises to 16.5%, putting the number of involuntarily idle in the range of 25 million. (5) The average work week for rank-and-file employees in the private sector, roughly 80% of the work force, slipped to 33 hours…and factories are operating at only 65% of capacity. (6) The average length of official unemployment increased to 24.5 weeks…(7) The average worker saw no wage gains in June, with average compensation running flat at $18.53 an hour. (8) The goods producing sector is losing the most jobs…(9) The prospects for job creation are equally distressing. The likelihood is that when economic activity picks up, employers will first choose to increase hours for existing workers and bring part-time workers back to full time. Many unemployed workers looking for jobs once the recovery begins will discover that jobs as good as the ones they lost are almost impossible to find because many layoffs have been permanent. (10) Job losses may last well into 2010 to hit an unemployment peak close to 11%. That unemployment rate may be sustained for an extended period. No wonder poll after poll shows a steady erosion of confidence in the stimulus. So what kind of second-act stimulus should we look for? Something that might have a real multiplier effect, not a congressional wish list of pet programs. It is critical that the Obama administration not play politics with the issue. The time to get ready for a serious infrastructure program is now. It's a shame Washington didn't get it right the first time…”
In Matthew 7:24-29, Jesus addresses the subject of “Foundations” – the difference it makes if one wisely builds on rock versus the one who persists and foolishly chooses to build on sand. Regrettably, as our nation’s infra-structure continues to erode and crumble, we have those who choosing sand foundations rather than rock. In Psalm 11:3, a question is posed: “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" In the political arena, it is blame, bash and spend some more! In the spiritual arena, it is to pray, encourage and to be as charitable as possible. Some can choose to ignore and disbelieve that in the midst of our inadequacy, we can seek the Lord and bask in His all-sufficiency! Consider these things with me!
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