To the Editor:
I read Mr. Paul Weidman’s “Don’t Vilify Wealthy” response to my recent “Rhyme or Reason” column (Aug, 31) as an encouraging sign in the necessary debate for a  “hopeful” future of our economy, society and nation.
Even if he completely missed the point, I am proud to have created the impetus for his response and hope that it can evolve into something constructive for everyone’s future.
Recognizing that I must have hit a “nerve” regarding my portrayal of “wealthy individuals and corporations” from his perspective, it is imperative as a country that we clear the air about what the last 30 years have done to our country.
It is equally important that we know where our opportunities for a national rebound are and that we quit doing the same things over and over expecting a different result (the definition of insanity).
Coming to a resolution requires that both extremes of the political spectrum go through the five stages of mourning on failed economic ideologies:
1) Denial and isolation
2) Anger
3) Bargaining
4) Depression and
5) Acceptance.
It appears that too many people are stuck in stage 1 and 2. This is most likely because they elevated their ideologies to beliefs, which makes it harder to move forward.
Once we accept and generally agree on the situation, as well as the causes and the general direction for solving our problems, then we’ll be moving in the right direction. This is our heritage as Americans and we should all be up to the task.
By the way, sitting on your cash is not investing to create jobs by anyone’s definition of investment.
It’s the same thing as putting it under your mattress. I suggest that Mr. Weidman pick up and read “All the Devils Are Here” by Mclean and Nocera.
This is a good source of information on how, over several decades under Republicans and Democrats, “creative” capitalism, human behavior and poor governance worked together to create our current malaise.
– Rodney Gibson, Saluda