The recent debates over a bailout of the financial sector by the US government has brought lots of emotion to the table. Fear, anger (lots of anger), and betrayal. I understand them all. But the other feeling I continue to hear is even worse – apathy. Too many of us have just given up – deciding we are the victim.

Yes – I said victim – and I do not mean the massive number of Americans who USUALLY play victim to the system and live on entitlements. I mean those of us who work for our money and pay taxes. So many people are mad at Wall Street, Congress, CEOs, etc – anybody. Everyone says THEY have done this to us or THEY are doing this to us. But, what ever happened to a government OF the people, BY the people, and for the people? Have we just decided it is just FOR the people? Or have we just gotten comfortable and lazy? If we expect it to be FOR the PEOPLE (us) then we have to do our part – the OF and BY words mean something here. We cannot just show up and vote a few times – mostly making decisions on sound bites alone – and call ourselves part OF the government!

The “government” is not the problem – we are! We sit on the sidelines casting blame and not taking action. This LACK of action and giving up and letting the system run over me is not American – it is not the spirit that put a man on the moon or found victory in war. It is the spirit that all I care about is me and mine.

So we who go to work everyday and try to make something happen are no better than those living on entitlements. The government we have is in fact BETTER than we deserve.

I for one plan to change that! And, I expect I am not alone! This “crisis” may help us all to wake up and realize we need to put the OF THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE back into government. And if we do, this crisis will be a major blessing to us and our country.

In the United States, we often reflect on the slavery issue our country has struggled to get past. We have books, movies, and even days to remember the struggles. But, as I look around and meet with people I see new forms of slavery in the most prosperous country in the world.

1. Debt – The debt crisis has overtaken us – and many have become totally enslaved to serving their debt. Their solution to get out is often a more creative slavery relationship through refinancing or “debt-consolidation.” While I do not consider myself to be a financial counselor – I have had to dive into this area of slavery many times. Debt causes people to give up on their dreams since they can never break free from what is holding them back.
2. Corporate America – No… I am not bashing the corporate machine in this country. But lets face it – the Dilbert syndrome has crushed many of our desires and forced many of us into another slavery trap. We now worry about what changes are going to take place in our companies in the coming months – worrying what benefits we may loose, what jobs may go away. Like refinancing deals – we sometimes find a glimmer of hope by changing employers – at least until the reality of the new slave relationship we have just gotten into hits home.
3. Entitlements – Our government (which is “we the people”) in our goodness to take care of our own, have in fact created slaves. I meet with people every week who have the mindset that getting free money from the government – from food stamps to free housing or free tuition – is the way to live. Yet, they are stuck. Again – one law change crushes them – or gives them hope.

Of course you see the problem – neither debt, corporations, nor government programs are the real slave masters – we are. Something has happened in our country that has taken all the spirit away. People in NASA will often say they do not know if they can get back to the moon. Something in the spirit is gone. Could we ever prosper as a nation if we found times of struggle again? Have we become so soft? In all three cases of modern American slavery we have given up our freedom, hope, and future by taking the easy way out.