Monday, March 16, 2009

Would an apology be enough?



As nations across the globe frets about extricating itself from the financial crisis, there is one group of people to whom the rest of the world owe the most sincere words of apology.

That group consists of the oldest of our fellow citizens. The men and women who had went through the Great Depression when they were young, who fought and endured World War II when they were just a little older, and who had hoped for a sense of peace and tranquility in their final years on this earth.

Yes, they don't deserve what they are going through.

I am sure these men and women who had endured the Depression and World War II had played it straight when it come to putting their trust in financial institutions. They didn't believe in complicated money schemes. I bet, they were cautious, because the two defining national events of their lives taught them that they can never really count on anything. They have watched their own parents suffer during the Depression, and some went overseas for years on end when their nation asked them to save the world, and when they came home, they crossed their fingers and hoped the good times were not an illusion.

We all know by now that the mistakes and tricks and reckless gambles of the supposedly sophisticated masters of Wall Street did not only bring down America’s economy, but also to countries overseas, thus wounding old citizen across many countries, many of whom, had never even heard the names of the men who ran the biggest investment banks and brokerage firms.

This is so unfair. Because once more, in a lifetime that has been filled with sacrifices, they are having to pay the terrible price for decisions in which they had no say.

All that our senior citizen had asked for, in their final years, is a sense of safety, of stability. They already knew what it was like to go to sleep night after night with their stomachs knotted in fear. What we the present generation owed them was nights, at the end, when they never again had to feel that dread in the darkness.
Now they are feeling it, and there is nothing that their sons and daughters, their grandsons and granddaughters can do to convince them that their fear in the night is groundless. What they are being forced to go through now is in the most elemental sense of this word - SHAME.

I hope they know how sorry we all are.

12 comments:

Tracey said...

What makes me mad is... in this country the elderly can't afford to stay warm! The government say, there is some help and to make sure they are claiming all they should be claiming....It shouldn't be up to them to trail through difficult forms and put up with snotty people on the end of telephones.. they should automatically receive help without any hassle whatsoever. I could go on!!!!
Love Tracey x x x

Odette Bautista Mikolai said...

Tracey,
I am more concern about the insurance policies that most of these senior citizen had bought. These insurance companies had lured them into believing that they have the old people interest at heart and that in their twilight years they can just sit back and relax. Back then it was pretty reassuring.
But right now, many of these insurance firms are collapsing like bricks of domino. Pretty scary, huh!

MEDICALBOOBOOS said...

Brilliant post. The sickness is, the fact these amazing citizens believed they were going to war for a cause. They come home scarred mentally and physically, find out that their mates died because of a need for financial gain and profit for fighting that war for their country. I am mainly speaking of the U.S.
Where also its a great way for them to recruit lower classes etc with promises of a stable future, when they were simply used for target practice in the front lines.
The elderly have financially supported their countries for many years to end up alone, in nursing homes, or as Tracey says suffering in freezing conditions. So sad:(
Love kirst xoxox

Odette Bautista Mikolai said...

Kirst,
yes in fact i have heard of a sick joke in America that says the elderly now are treated as second-class citizens to serious criminals. in fact, about $5.70 is spent on a prisoner's meals each day, while some aged care homes spend less, as little as $5 to feed an elderly patient for a day.
this is very sad...

Anonymous said...

I get so frustrated when i respond to blogs, but the butterfly asked me to respond (grin)

What gets me frustrated is trying to make sense of the greed and neglect of the wealthy and powerful to those that think that if WE feel, that everyone feels...

The US government and past, as well as current administrations claim that they care about those sacrificing in war and past wars, and that people not agreeing with useless oil wars and wars for business are just whiners and dont respect those in uniform, etc... It's propaganda, nothing more.... It's designed to sway and cloak the truth, as is everything they do...

Everyone is being used, for the sole benefit of the wealthy and powerful. Period! It threads through every facet of life, so in this case, Its older folks that get screwed out of retirement and such, as well as having what little income they have left, being sucked out into pockets of the shareholders of said pharmacudical co.... executives and brats out of ivy league schools take the cream from the top and walk away, laughing all the way to the bank when the sh*t hits the fan, then they wreck another company or capitalistic system where sh*t rolls downhill and money rolls up!!!

The economy is being tanked on-purpose from the rich and powerful behind the curtain. They want the US to merge with Canada and Mexico, and the reprocussions are echoing throughout the world accordingly... Its planned... Its the start of the North American Union. They have wanted to force that for years... Europe went, now its North America, then it will extend to Asia. You will see...

There is no politician or administration spent on doing good, only profit for those on top, it sux, but its what is... Everyone suffers and everyone is lied to... Untill we grab our guns and stop it, it WILL continue... And if we try to stop it, we will be labeled as anarchists and shot etc, so its a bad trap... evil sux and evil has placed itself in a strong position of guile, deceit and control.

Its tough to say what should be done... Love yourself, your family, and your neighbors, and who knows what works for retirement investments, because the *ssholes in control of the money have gone nuts, and will continue to do so. Trust?? what's that???

People with advanced education, degrees, pay scale, and social lifestyle are lying, stealing, and acting like children, and calling YOU worthless, unjust, and unworthy... Its sickening....

I hate em all!!! SO I dislike blogging, because I have so much distrust of ALL in control and in higher, honorable positions. I am never suprised when they continuously make poor decisions that take money from us and put it in THEIR pockets

I feel bad about whats being done to seniors and wonder how bad it will eventually become if I live that long to need something that is deteriorating already.

ED

Odette Bautista Mikolai said...

Ed,
Your outburst didn’t surprise me. I know how you have felt towards those who had plundered your country’s wealth. You are not alone in this.
Hey, I always love to read your comments, as you speak through your heart. Don’t quit reading blogs ( especially mine, hahaha), just look at this medium as a way to vent your frustrations, ok?
PS: Are you flying again?

Angry American said...

Ed, you've said it all. There's nothing I could add to that comment. All I can say is, THANK GOD I'm moving to the Philippines!

Tracey said...

When is he moving to the Philippines?!

Odette Bautista Mikolai said...

tracey,
when America will be pissed enough to deport him to other counrty, hahaha!
but then he fear that airlines won't allow him to board as he is always carrying a deadly weapon - his ostomy bag.

Tracey said...

Ha Ha! Please put some photo's of your country, and local areas of where you live, on here. I really would love to see them.
Love Tracey x x x

Odette Bautista Mikolai said...

Tracey,
i already did.
go to my profile and click on my other blog - metarl...
i haven't been using it so i thought of posting it there.
hope you will like what you will see. i'll post more pics next time, ok?

Angry American said...

Ostomy bag? You have no clue.

If I could, I'd bottle this gas and sell it to the military as a chemical weapon. I'd make a fortune. In it's original "formula", it'll drop a horse from 5 paces.

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