A Greater Threat

In a poll released Friday and reported in LiveScience on Saturday, terrorism loses to finances:

In a poll taken during the first three days of the meltdown that began Sept. 29, 81 percent of the 802 people surveyed in a national poll agreed or strongly agreed that the financial crisis "poses a greater threat to the quality of my life than does the threat of terrorism."

I would agree. Terrorism cannot end our way of life unless we fall prey to fear to fight it. But a major financial meltdown that continues to spread could easily force unwanted and unintended consequences to our way of life. We could easily be on that track if we are not careful and, like with terrorism, fall prey to the fear.

But what about hope? There doesn't seem to be much of it as no one gets even 1/4th of the trust needed.

Who do you trust to meet the challenges?

Barack Obama: 23 percent
John McCain: 16 percent
President Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson: 5 to 7 percent
Business leaders: 2 percent.

FDR may have spoken a truly timeless truth when he said,

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.