Economic Woe and Faith

I hate to sound like I’m just gratuitously picking on President Obama, but thanks in very large part to his incessant doomsaying and the very troubling sense that Tim Geithner seems clueless over at Treasury, consumer confidence hit a record low in February.

Anyone surprised? No one wants to buy anything; no one wants to make a move, anywhere. Everyone is terrified and uncertain. Except, apparently, the chutzpah-filled Democrats, who are now pushing for another 400 Billion to keep the government running. (Actually, do we want to keep THIS mess and THIS awful congress running?)

Not too long ago, people accused President Bush of “using fear” to push through his policies, but President Obama preached doom, doom, doom to rush through an unread – nearly trillion-dollar spending package with little “stimulus” attached, and it has anyone not slavishly devoted to the mainstream media running more than a little scared. It’s even got a few sycophantic media folk angry, too.

Americans are afraid to spend money, and that fear is going to lead to increased unemployment – among other things. We’re uncertain about the banks, our personal finances, jobs – everything connected with money – and confidence in our ability to prevent terrorism is also falling, possibly because we don’t know where the Gitmo detainees will end up.

America is scared, like I’ve never seen America scared before. After 9/11, we were frightened but together as a nation. Now, we’re frightened, and torn apart, as well.

Fr. James Martin, author of the great My Life With the Saints and a good friend of this blog made an appearance on The Colbert Report the other day, and managed to both crack up Stephen Colbert and discuss how tough economic times make us more open to God.

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Hey, to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.

I think praying for the president is a good idea. I always prayed for W. I pray for O, too. Be generous in prayer, for the good of the nation.