I'll be honest--I love NPR. Most of my likeminded Republican friends think that is crazy but I feel that NPR is a good choice for me for two reasons. Number one, I can't stand talk radio. It is really biased (because it is supposed to be) but when I used to listen to it I felt myself feeling very rageful. Not good. Number two, although NPR definitely has a bias, it seems to be a little more center leaning with the bias. Also, I just love the human interest stories, especially about other cultures.
My favorite show is Marketplace. I'm not entirely sure why. I have scant business education (unless you count Intro to Business where I got 30 extra credit points for just writing a resume). But I am drawn to this show--I podcast it since I'm not able to listen when it airs in the evening. I love to hear what is going on in the financial world, who is winning, who is losing, what things going on globally mean for us.
But lately, I'm starting to freak out a little. It really sounds like our economy and environment is just crashing down around us. Oil is up, cost of food is up, honey bees are disappearing, looming global food crisis....blah blah blah. So far I haven't really felt the pinch of all this personally, besides paying more at the pump (which is FAR less than most other places around the world) and paying a little more for groceries. But what happens when it gets to the point where we just can't afford to fill up our cars? This country, especially the Midwest, is designed for driving. I can't just hop on my bike to run errands. Plus, it is below freezing for much of the year--it is not practical to be outside for extended periods of time. And what happens if we are unable to buy enough food to live healthfully? Or unable to pay to heat our homes in the winter? You can see why I'm starting to freak out. Logic would dictate that I quit listening but I just can't! I love it.
It kind of seems like we are starting to think the industrial revolution was maybe not such a good thing. More and more people are thinking that small scale, sustainable farming is the way to go--some farmers have even reverted back to using horses to plow their fields. Is this how far we've come? We mechanize everything only to come full circle, back to doing things manually? Does anyone else find this incredibly interesting?
As long as I'm writing about things that I would normally never write about, allow to voice my opinion on the foreclosure crisis. I have no doubt that there were shady mortgage brokers and Realtors out there. I have no doubt that they operated very unethically. However, when getting a mortgage to buy a home, it should not matter how shady your broker or Realtor is. YOU are responsible for reading the fine print and crunching the numbers. If someone tells you that you can afford a $500,000 mortgage but you know that you really can only afford $300,000---don't buy anything more than that! For the most part, I have a hard time feeling bad for people who are losing their homes. Yes, that makes me sound like a horrible person. But in my mind, blaming it all on the brokers and realtors is just another example of our culture pushing off the blame onto others. You spilled hot coffee on yourself? Better sue McDonalds. We have to take responsibility for our actions. You signed up for a bad loan that you couldn't afford, especially when the teaser rate ran out? Take responsibility, learn from it, move on. I hate the idea of people being forced out of their homes but at the same time, I don't want to be responsible for their mistakes. NPR profiled a woman who bought a home with a monthly mortgage that was TWICE her monthly income. She said she wasn't sure about it but her realtor assured her she could afford it. She is now getting foreclosed on. That is just crazy--you don't take your realtor's word for it when it comes to whether or not you can truly afford a home. The bill that is trying to get passed right now to bail out homeowners is good on the surface but in reality, it is just another way for the people who didn't make bad decisions pay for the ones that did.
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6 comments:
i totally agree Rach. Its just another example of everyone living above their means to have the biggest, best, most expensive, most current thing on the market. We would all love to have it but we just can't!
You know that you can trust this Realtor!!!!
Rachy-
Fun to see you dive into some big topics...you have plenty of opinions to offer and should do it more!
My Responses:
1) I get why NPR is appealing. It isn't as much debate or controversy and I too have found myself getting too worked up over talk radio. Many people (myself included) on the right that have a problem with NPR are not upset that they have a bias...every media outlet does. It is that NPR and especially those who listen to it claim it to be unbiased "middle of the road" If nearly no one on the right considers their views to be well represented than how can it me centrist? Of course, we will be labeled radical right wingers and that shuts down all conversation. Bottom line is everyone should be upfront with their agenda and go from there. They should state that they "lean left" but attempt to have fair dialogue.
2) Regarding economy, planet, food, gas issues- These are real concerns. First of all, fear sells. I'm reading a book called "Scared to Death" and it's all about the fears that have been pushed on us that had no merit in creating such hysteria (remember the scares like: mad cow disease, heterosexual aids, listeria, salmonella, Y2K...these scares came and went with little impact) there is money to be made and bureaucracies to be built by fear. But even if all the fears come to pass, we have the luxury of trusting God's hand in history and our life.
Psalm 46:2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea
3) Couldn't agree more with people's personal responsibility regarding their loans. However, to have our beliefs and standards does not have to come at the price of our compassion. Beliefs and compassion are not mutually exclusive. The arguement can be made, however, regarding the bail out of foreclosures that it is in the interest of all of us who own real estate that this problem recieves some bailing out.
just my thoughts!
oh, I have to say I agree, great intellectual post.! Amen to people needing to be responsible for their actions. I wouldn't call myself insensitive, but really?...a mortgage twice your income. Did you really think that would fly,? come on!
Realtors on the other hand...Watch out for that Doug character! :)
---- j/k he's the best!
I totally heard that same piece about the woman who's mortgage was twice her income. And she was boo-hooing about losing her dream home. That was insane! I couldn't agree with you more.
Rach, after this blog, I would listen to a radio show with you on it any day. As long as you're not on NPR. ;)
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