I came across this video on one of my favorite sites Everything is Terrible and it reminded me how uncertain the future always is. It’s very unfortunate that excessive greed, poor lending policies, and over-spending behaviors culminated in the current economic crisis, but I think we need to remember to be cautious but not constantly in fear over things that are beyond my control.
I had brunch yesterday with my good friends Ed Westfield and Carol Pitts, and we were laughing about a conversation Ed overheard between two brokers:
“Hey, how was your day?”
“Good, the market seems to be leveling out. Flat is the new up!”
It seems that everywhere we turn there are mentions of the current economic crisis. I for one think it’s probably the best thing that could have happened to America in the long term because it’s given everyone an opportunity to evaluate values and behaviors that are ultimately self-destructive.
The Ecomonist’s recent cover story on Business in America is a poignant reminder that bailout money may ultimately lead to a tension between big government and big business. On the flip side Wired Magazine’s recent cover story on the New New Economy points to the internet to be a platform for a new form of socialism. Building upon concepts he laid out in The Long Tail Editor in Chief Chris Anderson paints a picture of an open horizon very similar to 19th-century conceptions of Manifest Destiny and the American frontier.
Somewhere between these two lenses the future will come into focus, and hopefully we’ll all emerge somehow more grounded, aware, and appreciative of life and what we have. And hey, why don’t Americans stop worrying about the economy here for a minute and apologize for messing up the economy of the entire world.
