Quotes of the Day

The Upside of Danger
There have been many words said recently about the state of America, but I have not read anything as concise and as truthful about the state of the nation and its future as "That Was Then ... and This Is Now" [April 6]. Andersen's analogy — likening the U.S. to a substance abuser who must acknowledge his problem and enter rehabilitation — perfectly captured our situation.
Anna Riley-Pate,
Lexington, Ky., U.S.

Over the past 20 years of excess, millions of American families have lived prudently and within their means, even as incomes stagnated and good job opportunities vanished. Most of us know what is good for America; we used to live there before the Washington – Wall Street axis of greed wrecked it for so many of us. By declaring that "there is plenty of blame to go around," TIME has now joined Washington in excusing the government's negligence and creating the crisis.
Ray Damani,
Spartanburg, S.C., U.S.

Andersen lays the blame for all our ills on Reaganism, the exuberance of the '80s and the American Dream itself. I beg to differ. The cause for our ills is not the American people and culture that created the greatest nation of all time. It is Washington. The lawmakers who now wag their fingers at the "evil Wall Streeters" were the ones who created the conditions for this crisis. We do not need to become a socialist utopia to dig our way out. We need brash, hardworking, risk-taking, ambitious Americans guided by prudent regulation by their government.
Charles van Ravenswaay,
Houston

The difference between rats and human beings is that rats learn from experience. Excess will be back. It's just lying low until the storm passes.
William Shallcross,
Winter Park, Fla., U.S.

Let's hope that those with an overabundance of "things" will recognize that because of a pervasive sense of greed and entitlement, many have lost all they worked for. Maybe as a nation we will develop a conscience and realize the harm we've done.
Mary Jo Lisborg,
Fayetteville, N.Y., U.S.

Why is it that america has become the pothole of the world economy? I think it's because the American people, losing their frontier spirit, sat back, relaxed and enjoyed their opulent status quo. They wallowed in their country's No. 1 position in the world too long. They have to reawaken themselves in a belt-tightening way, not in a nebulously optimistic one.
Il-Hwan Lee,
Seoul

Yes, the crisis is a good thing. having hit bottom, Americans have a solid foundation from which to leap upward. After I graduated from college in 1992, a car accident claimed my lower left leg. I chose full-time Paralympic competition in cycling and the Ironman triathlon for the next 15 years. Without the initial physical and emotional pain — followed by years of financial hardship — I wouldn't now be enjoying a new career as a professional speaker. True contentment comes from applying a solid work ethic toward our passions, not from the wealth this also happens to create.
Paul Martin,
Natick, Mass., U.S.