Adam Oliver: What's there to be afraid of? Well ...

Commentary

So, I've been listening to the news. I know, I know, bad habit.

But it's like a drug; I can't stop. I told myself I had a problem, so I started fact-checking the more depressing stories.

Unfortunately, I found out that they're true. So I live in a state of fear.

I tried to write down my fears, as that generally helps alleviate them (if you can name it, you can fight it), but it just depressed me more.

As an individual, I have no legal action I can take to stop the derailment of the American train in any time span that does any good.

So, my fears, and some elaboration on them:

Fear for my children and their future. If the dollar collapses, my children can look forward to a quality of life that will be less than my own.

How have we willingly put ourselves into a situation where we know we're making it worse for the next generation?

Fear for my parents and their retirement plans. I think that anyone in the baby boomer generation will find themselves in trouble. A fixed income won't go far when things cost triple what they do today.

Fear of the government taking more of my money. I'm not a nut, but when I look at Wisconsin, Indiana, California and the federal government, I see where this country is headed.

Entitlement in the dictionary has "see public union" next to it; if you examine the premise of a Ponzi scheme, you are reminded of federal budgeting, and foreign entanglements "for the good of the people," but not American people, pop up all the time. (Libya? Really?)

Fear of my children being pulled into the military to fight an unnecessary war. Egypt. Libya. Next-Middle-East-Hot-Spot.

I think we started down this path with Somalia, using our military to enforce morality and ethical behavior, right through Bush Jr. and Obama. Show me the clear and present national security threat, and I'll kiss my kids as the draft bus picks them up.

I'll try to get in myself. The hyperbolic rhetoric about moral obligation is reprehensible.

The military should never be used in pursuit of "soft" goals. Its job is to destroy enemy assets and kill combatants in pursuit of our defense. Sorry, Libyans, you're on your own.

Fear of hyperinflation. Read about this as the consequence of the dollar losing reserve currency status.

I believe I live in the greatest country on Earth at the greatest time in history. But our leaders are giving away our prosperity in the name of ideology (left or right, they've both contributed).

I mourn the fact that members of Greatest Generation will probably live to see the collapse of the America they ensured would survive.

So, what do I do? I write a note to the Star Tribune and hope one person reads it who can think of something to do before the next election to pull this country back from bankruptcy and disaster.

Adam Oliver, of Becker, Minn., is a website developer.

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