Bankruptcy of leadership

In my Central Valley neighborhood, I met a 75 year old single lady the other day, who had her entire savings in Bank of America. Now, BOA has cut its dividend by half. She is devastated. I came across a family of four who have been asked to vacate their rented home in a week's time, because the owners have defaulted. Meanwhile, these people have been religiously paying the rent. These are not isolated stories.


The recent events in the country have got to make everyone think long and hard. We have what may well be the world's greatest fraud perpetrated by powerful and greedy MBAs and PhDs. CNN has just begun showcasing the ten persons most responsible for this unprecedented meltdown. Watching the hearings in Congress was comical - AIG and Lehman bosses were subjected to the most mild mannered and gentle questioning I have witnessed. Hearing the debates was equally painful - neither candidate was asked questions on why they went back on their promise not to allow earmark spending and signed the bailout bill that had plenty of earmarks. Tom Brokaw seemed to be overawed by the candidates. And the commission on presidential debates may well be renamed 'commission on presidential banter'. Don't we wonder why it didn't hurt the consciences of Obama and McCain signing money off for wooden arrow makers? Indeed, why are lawmakers not being subjected to the same kind of questions by a TRUTH COMMISSION made up of ordinary citizens from the legal profession. When will lawmakers be held accountable? According to some estimates, lobbyists have paid lawmakers $5 billion. Why is that not being raised? The fox is in the chicken coop, masquerading as the chicken keeper.


Another vexing matter - why should lawmakers not share the pain of six pack Joe? why should their health care benefits not be cut by half? I understand their cover includes hair transplants and botox jobs. Why do they need such cover? Would John McCain like to apply his health care plan to congressmen and senators as well? Would either candidate be willing to donate a portion of their campaign funds to hurting families?


Anyone who watched Dick Fuld testify would have had to be mad. Mr. Fuld epitomized the Wall Street bandit in every manner. Are there are no leaders left to lead the country out of this mess? Where are the great minds hiding? Isn't it time they came out of their closets and cleaned up this chaos? Is it time we had a president from one party and a vice president from the other?


America has a lot of work to do to regain its respect. As a child, I went to a school run by priests from Boston. They were great minds, who showed great discipline; this in turn inspired the students. They were master teachers, whose teachings contained knowledge laced with passion. As an Indian, I grew up dreaming about America, hoping I would live there one day, and actually witness all this greatness I heard from people, saw in movies, and read in books - great stuff from Mark Twain, Tennessee Williams, Irving Wallace, Ernst Hemingway, Moby Dick, Donald Duck. Wallah ... I long for that greatness again.