They did this to us...

On the CBS Early show this morning, there was a news report about the possibility of Standard and Poors downgrading the European Union's credit rating. While the story itself wasn't unexpected, the anchor's reaction was.

Erica Hill said, "We over here (in America) know what that's like. They did it to us."

They did? We had nothing to do with it I suppose. Standard and Poors arbitrarily assigned a credit rating to the U.S.


It is my hope that Ms. Hill just misspoke and meant to say that we know what is it like to have a downgraded credit rating.

Unfortunately, I suspect she honestly felt that "they did it to us."

This line of thinking is akin to the student (or parent) who believes a teacher "gives a grade."

When I was younger, I tried that argument on my parents which didn't get me too far. "She gave me an 'F,'" I would say. To which my dad was quick to correct, "You earned that "F,' son."

The United States, through its borrowing and spending, earned the downgraded rating. And, if the European Union receives the same fate, they earned it as well.

Until we take responsibility for the consequences in our nation as the result of our decisions, we will never begin to solve our problems. The buck has to stop somewhere.

May the Blog Be With You.