“What keeps you up at night?” said the newsman to the guest. The guest didn’t answer it. I suppose the guest was a politician. I answered it. “Wealth inequality,” I said aloud. After all, it is why the Roman Empire fell, right? And as I write this, I’ll add income inequality to it. Ultimately, that is supposed to be the way one acquires wealth, right? By earning income. And the wealth inequality horses are already out of the barn.
DH reminds me regularly of the Harvard Business school students who refused to sign the ethics pledge. I believe they were of my generation. The double-digit inflation of the 70s-80s taught my HS graduating class it was every man for themselves, and that’s how we’ve behaved economically throughout our lives. Remember yuppies? There was a reason for that. Just as we were coming of age to earn our way and pay the bills, we saw rents double and triple, and food and others essentials do the same.
I attribute the lack of ‘in touch’ ethical and knowledgeable public servants and leaders in my generation to those economics. We average Joes and Janes could not afford to serve; we knew we would have to scrap to just keep getting food and shelter. Especially with the elimination of regular minimum wage raises to honor the dignity of working. Those who were left to serve publicly were-are rich and-or ethically dubious and-or with an agenda (theocracy, anyone?)
Sigh. I feel like I’ve played by the rules my whole life and still not done enough - DH having to retire early with the reduced social security benefit and a finite retirement account, and now with what I perceive to be the kids’ financial jeopardy of buying a house with limited income - the retirement I’d hoped for may be out of reach. So I’ll go to the doctor and try to keep fit and well enough to keep working at my good job, with ‘invisible’ monies (retirement contributions, health care subsidies) dong their part to provide the best future and end of life scenarios I can manage.
Of course there are other reasons my generation lacks leaders. Even as I put this out there, I wonder if I have the fortitude for sustained discussion of it. I know I have the capacity to learn, grow, and change from other perspectives, so I welcome them. But I certainly don’t have the extroversion and energy needed to deal with the constant peopling of leadership! I am grateful for those who have those skills and are using them to benefit the most people possible. May their work bear good fruit for all.
