Clint Eastwood says, “America Has Gone Soft”
Clint Eastwood sorely misses his tough youth, insisting America has gone soft since. The 78-year-old actor claims life was simpler and easier in his upbringing during the depression - when problems were solved using fists rather than a therapist’s couch. Eastwood tells the January edition of Esquire magazine, “Everyone’s become used to saying, ‘well, how do we handle it psychologically?’” In those days you punched the bully back and duked it out. People were tougher then.” I was a shy kid. But a lot of my childhood was spent punching the bullies out.”
I couldn’t agree more and I believe that all the whining and complaining that we do as a society is indicative of how soft America has become. Let’s face it no one likes to go through painful experiences but how the pain is managed individually, corporately, and as a society speaks volumes about the mental and emotional toughness that America has.
Individual Toughness
A person who is tough individually can recognize their own short comings and then takes the necessary steps to improve as a person, a parent, a mate, or an employee. A tough person doesn’t allow him/herself to be victimized by circumstances and takes responsibility for their life as it is right now. Tough people know that at some point in their life that they have made their own bed and now they have to lay in it. They don’t whine and complain rather they seek solutions to problems that have been created through their own poor choices and seek permanent help not temporary relief.
Corporate Toughness
Individuals run corporations and seek the same quick fix solutions to problems only at a corporate level. Go into debt until there is nothing but red in running out of your pen and then seek someone or something to bail you out. As individuals go so do corporations. Individuals have their problems today with their debt, employment, and home foreclosures and corporations are no different. Everyone is going broke, yet no one speaks about the reason. The reason no one can wait for something everyone wants something right now even if it means going into debt to get it. How many parents have bailed their children out of credit card debt because these kids want everything right now and don’t want to wait to get it? Parents need to teach their kids how to handle money rather than bail them out. Corporations that are tough have learned how to handle money and don’t seek the help of others to bail them out of a tough fix.
Societal Toughness
Like him or not President Bush has been the president for the last eight years. I know unemployment is high, and people are losing money hand over fist. Was he the best president? Obviously not. Maybe he wasn’t the best, but he displayed mental toughness through it all and that in and of itself was an example to us as a society.. I believe that the events of yesterday are indicative of Bush’s toughness. During a press conference in Iraq one of the Iraqi a reporters rifled a shoe at the president. He didn’t even flinch, he just moved his head. As fast as he moved his head the reporter threw another shoe at him, he ducked again. He stood at the podium and didn’t even move. He is not the best president but to me he has always remained, confident and tough during difficult circumstances. He didn’t even speak badly of the government or of the Iraqi security personnel when he was interviewed afterwards. He knew how to take the verbal hits that the country had to offer and he certainly knows how to take physical hits with dignity shoes or not.
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