Reflection+on+American+Stagnancy

I believe strongly that America’s will to change does not match our capacity to do so. America possesses great wealth, but this wealth is concentrated amongst pockets of people who resist change because they fear it will damage their own personal welfare. The help that is most often seen or done by most Americans is charity more than it is true change, and while charity may help the needy in the short term, it does not make any kind of long lasting change. For long lasting change requires the sacrifice of more than monetary wealth, it requires the sacrifice of pride, and Americans are not willing to sacrifice their pride. Americans are unwilling to change because someone else’s gain could mean our loss, and that loss takes us away from achieving our “dream”. We resist change because of its potential to damage what we have. The truly American view on change is this: change yourself, by yourself.

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