SAVE!

SAVE! AMERICANS NEED TO SAVE BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. GREED (COVETOUSNESS) IS A CAPITAL SIN IF PRACTICED WITH CAPITAL ENJOYMENT. AMERICANS ARE ENVIED (ANOTHER EVIL) WORLDWIDE FOR THEIR CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION.

U.S. CONSUMERS ARE STILL SPENDING; THEY NEED TO SAVE. THEY NEED TO SAVE EVEN THOUGH THE ECONOMY WOULD COLLAPSE AND IT WOULD LEAD TO A SLOWDOWN IN THE RETAIL, HOUSING OR ENTERTAINMENT MARKETS. GOODS WOULD BE UNSOLD, HIGHER PRICES WOULD ENSUE, JOBS WOULD BE LOST, FEWER TAX DOLLARS WOULD BE COLLECTED, TAXES WOULD BE RAISED OR SERVICES CUT. NEVERTHELESS, SAVING IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. THE BEHAVIOR OF AMERICANS ALSO BETRAYS A PRIDE (ANOTHER DEADLY SIN) IN THEIR ABILITY TO SPEND MORE THAN IS EARNED, TO PLUNGE INTO NEEDLESS DEBT, TO WASTE NATURAL RESOURCES AND TO GENERALLY, PLEASE THEMSELVES. LUST, ANGER, GLUTTONY, ENVY AND SLOTH ARE WAITING IN THE WINGS AS BIT PLAYERS IN AMERICA'S LONG-RUNNING DRAMA CALLED AFFLUENZA.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY (DOING THE RIGHT THING) PRETTY MUCH MAKES ONE MESHUGGANAH TODAY. IT'S CRAZY TO INDULGE IN SELF-CONTROL, TO SAVE AND EVEN INVEST FOR THE FUTURE AND TO WILLINGLY JOIN THE 20% MINORITY SCORNED FOR NOT 'HAVING IT ALL.' IT'S CRAZY TO 'GO IT ALONE' AND BE LONELY IN A LIFESTYLE OF COMMON SENSE SPENDING AND UNDER-INDULGENCE. LUCKILY, THE CRAZIES, WHO HAVE MONEY IN THE BANK, INVESTMENTS IN THE LARDER OR WANTS UNCONSUMMATED, RARELY DISPLAY, SO THEY DO NOT CONSTITUTE A PUBLIC EMBARRASSMENT. IN THE LONG RUN, HOWEVER, THEIR SELF-SUFFICIENCY KEEPS THEM HUMBLE.

WHETHER OR NOT SHAKESPEARE TOOK HIS OWN ADVICE, HE OFTEN WISELY GAVE IT. IN A POEM (THE RAPE OF LUCRECE ), HE WRITES THAT "THOSE THAT MUCH COVET, ARE WITH GAIN SO FOND,/FOR WHAT THEY HAVE NOT, THAT WHICH THEY POSSESS/THEY SCATTER AND UNLOOSE IT FROM THEIR BOND,/AND SO, BY HOPING MORE, THEY HAVE BUT LESS." IN OTHER WORDS, THE GREEDY ARE NEVER SATISFIED WITH WHAT THEY HAVE; IN THE END THEY LOSE MORE THAN THEY GAIN. WINNING COUNTS, SO AMERICANS NEED TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND SAVE.