My son Joey graduated from high school over the weekend. Pretty overwhelming.
In a million years my parents could not have imagined how my life would have played out and now I'm sitting here thinking of where my own son will be headed. I have two kids and I'm like you - everything I do, I do for them and without them there are a whole lot of important things I would have not done.
There's a lot of pessimism out there what with the fleecing of the taxpayer's by the banking industry, the continual fleecing of the taxpayer's by Congress, the fleecing of the taxpayer's by the Obama Administration, followed by – well, you get the picture. You can't make a move without reading about the grim job prospects for college graduates and with only a high school diploma – you might as well stay at your parents' house forever.
People think it's over for America, especially the kids themselves. There is an incredible amount of pessimism among high school graduates about what the future will be like. Unlike us, they flat-out do not expect to do better than the generation before them. These are not just a bunch of slackers wanting to lay around either – they want to work hard and do great things – but they truly believe it's stacked against them.
I don't believe that for a minute and in fact these kids could not be living in a better time. There is a destiny here that young people cannot see – but its right in front of them. Kids like mine who are going off to college, trade school or dipping their feet in the workforce on their own for the first time are about to see what it's like when America lights the fuse. This country is about to throw out the Maoist wannabes and send the other clowns packing.
My son Joey has no idea how good things are about to get.
Some background and cliché: This country outlasted the depression, defeated fascism, stared down any number of tyrants and armies salivating for what we have and beat them all back while liberating hundreds of millions of people along the way. In between we had some barbecue and watched a few seasons of Breaking Bad. You think they have Breaking Bad in North Korea? What are you, new?
Like any enterprise that gets a little fat around the waist, economic recession in America is a basic evil which keeps it a lean and competitive fighting machine. During a downturn, you find out what you really didn't need in the first place, the products that were a waste of time, some people who were taking you for a ride and money that was going out the door unnecessarily. It makes you come around.
I think we're wide awake here with this one.
You don't have to go too far back in history to find something similar to what we see here with these Republicans, Democrats and White House:
Many people point to Ronald Reagan as the hero who brought us out of the darkness that was the recession of the late 70's. The spending and mismanagement of Jimmy Carter and Democrat majority rule Congress that raised taxes, passed onerous job-killing regulations and made America the fool in the eyes of the world - spun the country into economic and emotional doldrums.
Reagan could not have done it without his homies: The American people.
The Republican establishment despised Reagan. The Fords, the Howard Bakers, the Bush family, the Karl Rove's of the day hated Reagan and didn't want him anywhere near the nomination, much less the White House. Reagan didn't have Fox News, the Internet, Talk Radio, or any media who didn't literally write and broadcast complete and utter abhorrence toward the man at every turn – yet he landslid their butts twice – armed with truth, justice and the American Way. I mean, people.
The first few years of Reagan's tenure were pretty much like the last few years of Carter's presidency, but the American people hung in there and believed. Things started to get exciting. The kids that were just graduating high school in the late 70's were getting out of college in the early 80's and did they have it made or what?
I don't need to tell you what happened when the Reagan tax credits freed up the capitol for the 90's boom and beyond. I don't care that Bill Clinton took the credit, so what? And if someone else takes credit the next time, big deal - I only care that it happens – and it will.
That's exactly what I'm telling my son, Joey. He's graduating high school at a wonderful time in America's history as far as I'm concerned. He's going to be part of a group of Americans who are not only going to turn this ship around, but are going to be riding the best wave to come around in thirty years. You will cut your own path because you live in a place of opportunity that allows – wait – insists that you find yourself.
Like a lot of people around here, Joey thinks things are so bad they will never get better, but this is America my son – we've routed worse villains than these weasels. You're in the sweet spot and I couldn't be more proud of you and what you're about to do.