How Green Moms Will Save The World

Catchy title huh? Okay, maybe we won’t save the world, but our kids might. And when my kids leave their mark on the world you can bet I’ll be standing next to them going, “yeah! That’s my son/daughter.”

Today I got about as ticked off as a woman can be. I was watching the big three auto makers (weren’t there five when I was a kid?) re-approach Washington and ask for a bailout. Why re-approaching? Because they were shunned by the Senate, who thought it fiscally irresponsible to bail them out of a mess they’d created for themselves.

Now they’re asking the President. 

Screech

• » See also: What Is the Matter with Us? Lead and Other Toxins into the Mouths of Babes
• » Get Eco Child’s Play by RSS or sign up by email.

Here’s where my head begins to spin. W doesn’t give a shit, he never has and he never will. W has no sense of fiscal propriety, he’s a poor little rich kid who couldn’t find oil in the Great State of Texas and managed to lose money with a baseball team. He’s going to hand these fools the money too. He’s going to shake their hands and say, “aw gee, shucks, try again men.”

Mothers of America I’m going to ask you to stop for a moment and really think about how we got into this situation. Why are our businesses failing? Why isn’t America the fiscal powerhouse we once were and what can we do?

The Automobile Industry: With massive subsidies (tax credits) and a (moronic) dive into home mortage the big three have lost their way. There’s been no innovation because they’ve relied on the American People to “buy American”. The world is flat and we love our auto workers, bless their souls, Honda and Toyota are employing them now. I’m sorry big three, we’ve got to buy the best product at the best price and many of us are willing to spend a little more for a product that’s respectful of the Earth and our wallets (Prius waitlist anyone?).

Automobile Leasing: Since when is it more cost effective to not own your car? When did America decide that even the very poor should have new cars every three years? Must our cars be disposable? If the big three fail, I’m not sure that every manufacturing plant would close, how about keeping a car just a few years longer than your last hairstyle? You can’t convince me that every new car needs to be on the market.

Attacking the ocean with a teaspoon: Do automakers need subsidies/bailouts or do they need to stop, restructure and have a plan? I am vehemently opposed to a bailout for Chrylser and GM who don’t seem to have a plan in place. On twitter I was told that the lack of a plan by GM is a “red herring”.

What has happened to us America? Since when do we lack foresight and planning? Why do we feel a need to react emotionally and “buy American” when Japanese car makers have plants here anyhow? Tell me why we rescue brands that ruin our cities, borrow against retirement and fail their workers?

Tell me when we started thinking so little of our fellow Americans that we believe they won’t survive without a corporation that refuses to adapt?

Moms. Teach your children to balance their checkbooks. Teach your children to buy what they need. Show your children that they can innovate and work at jobs that bring them joy. Model social mobility for your kids. Let’s not leverage their future once again to save a failed industry in the short term. 

I believe with my heart and soul that our country’s fiscal failure is a direct result of a bunch of spoiled kids running big corporations.

Stop the gluttony.
Stop the handouts.
Have a little shame. 

Can we all commit to raising children who don’t feel entitled to shiny new toys they can’t afford?

Tweet This Post