Who’s Fault?

I don’t see the word penitence being used much these days. Perhaps that is because no one regrets wrongdoing. I suspect that it may be more accurate to say that we all regret the wrongdoing of someone else thereby avoiding self-incrimination. As I watched Bill Moyers' August 15 interview with Andrew Bacevich I was struck by Bacevich’s repeated admonition for us to look in the mirror. Congress found it necessary to take time out from the bailout to observe Rosh Hashanah, but I can’t help but wonder if that’s going to include Yom Kippur which begins at sundown next Wednesday. We’re all pretty good at pointing the finger of blame, but we’re all pretty bad about accepting culpability. Through the representatives we elected to govern us we have saddled out children, grandchildren, and probably our great grandchildren with an incomprehensible debt just so that we that we can selfishly enjoy the now. We the People are responsible for our current predicament, and for as long as we deny that truth will we suffer the consequences.