|
It’s ironic that I’m writing this, since I’m regularly bashed (not here, thankfully) for being un-American, even a socialist, for my anti-consumerism views.
But here we are at the very moment when hordes of Americans are fleeing the market, making an already bad situation exponentially worse, raising in my mind a question: Am I the only guy out there willing to stay in the market for the common good?
Sure, I’m hoping that things turn around and that those of us who have the guts to stay in come out ahead. But honestly, most of all I’m staying in because I’m too proud (or perhaps too stupid) to play the role of a rat jumping off a sinking ship … no offense to anyone already out there in the water. I’m reminded, of course, of when the markets reopened after 9/11: I was one of those fools who, on that day, bought and bought big, not because I was that stupid (that’s already been verified by multiple sources over the years), but because I thought it was the right thing to do. No brag, just fact.
Of course I do admit that I’ve always had issues when it comes to self-professed patriotism and money. Even though I’m proudly “America’s Cheapest Man,” I’ve never minded paying taxes. In fact, IMO, I think I generally get good values for my tax dollars, the $400 hammers notwithstanding. For example, I pay a small fortune to get my short driveway blacktopped every few years, but hardly anything in comparison for the millions of miles of public roads that short strip of pavement connects me to.
So I’ve always wondered why, for example, being supportive of higher taxes – or, in this instance, staying in the market rather than bailing out – isn’t considered an act of patriotism? Many a self-proclaimed patriot has lectured me over the years about their willingness to tender the ultimate price – a human life (although generally not their own, I’ve noticed) – for our country and freedom, but has recoiled at my contention that we should also be willing to pay for the American way of life with our checkbooks as well.
I think those are the days we are facing now, and I hope more Americans will show their grit – and patriotism - by staying the course, rather than making things worse than they already are.
Stay Cheap!
-Jeff Yeager
|
Threaded Mode
