Everybody Gets a Ribbon

I thought Pres. Obama gave a shrewd State of the Union Address this week. Anyone who thinks our economic woes are his fault: nuts. I think Barack has done the best he could with what he got. It is going to take a generation for this country to recover from W. Barack got us out of Iraq, took down bin Laden. My only Obama criticism: He’s not tough enough. Clinton would’ve had these Republicans eating out of his hand.

Like I said, I liked it. But I have to question Obama’s belief that our upcoming generation has the toughness of our Post-WW2 generation, the generation that built America. He referenced a need for that commitment to get this economy going. Bad news, Barack, not gonna happen. There are a bunch of great 20-25year olds today, but there is a large percentage that would never dirty their 'artistic' hands with that kind of gritty work. Pay your dues? Build a retirement? Live within your means? Yeah right. This upcoming generation is anti-utilitarian. Many 20-25year olds I know 1) useless college degree and 60K in student loans, 2) job that doesn't match their degree, 3) new car, maybe a house, on a Starbuck’s salary and Master Card.

Everything is on the card, and everybody is upside down. College degrees are a step away from the Cracker Jack box at this point. Education inflation. I don’t need another Cheesecake Factory waitress with a poetry degree. I need elevator repairmen, plumbers, and mechanics. 1.2 trillion plus interest in the hole. When Clinton left office: zero.


Recently SNL put on a sketch about America’s upcoming generation. Click here to watch: http://www.hulu.com/watch/319318/saturday-night-live-you-can-do-anything

The gist was simple: Of course you don’t have to pay dues or have actual talent. You can do anything you want to do. “The world needs more singer/songwriters and less doctors and engineers.” Now get on You Tube and juggle bowling pins, read your poetry, because, of course, you’re a poet. “If you think you’re talented, you are.” A whole generation of guys saying their the next John Lennon, etc. But guess what? Lennon didn’t have college debt while working the Dunkin Donuts counter. Lennon was larger than life by 20, talent and work ethic off the charts, luck and timing, born for it. That's not meant for most everyone else. Like I said: Calling all elevator repairmen, plumbers, mechanics. Instead we get Twitter famous and You Tube superstars, and singing reality shows on TV, because everybody gets a ribbon.

Maybe I'm wrong. I hope I'm wrong.

Obama’s Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgfi7wnGZlE

Brian Huba
1/27/12