9/11/2001 – 9/11/2006 by Jeffrey H. Corbett

Published In C&K Magazine: Vol. #1 – Issue#2 – Date: 2006

“In the beginning God created the heaven and earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water. And God said, let there be light; and there was light.”-The Book of Genesis

No matter your personal religious beliefs, an unspeakable darkness fell upon the civilized world five years ago on September 11, 2001. Shock, disbelief and rage overwhelmed us. Some of us lost people we knew. Others were more fortunate. It was heartbreaking. The problem we now face as a global community is the same we confronted then and far from one-dimensional. Politics and business have perhaps never been so tightly woven. In addition, the rhetoric of religion has been used, yet again, in a manner that is self-serving. Once perverted and brought to a boil, it is easily fed to the uneducated and impoverished masses. For those of us that long to struggle with the morning alarm clock in peace, hold no grudge against our neighbor and wish to business commentary build rather than destroy, it is time to come to grips with the new reality. We have to weed through the hate and look for opportunity. For freedom to flourish, the spirit and drive of the international entrepreneur must survive. Capitalism is not perfect. It is simply the only system that works. Not everyone gets to start at the same point but at least we all can run the race. Business must collectively “pick itself up by the bootstraps” and move forward. And while we naturally seek security, we cannot turn a blind eye to our leaders. McCarthyism, Watergate, and the Iran Contra scandal are burning examples of where complacency will lead. May peace and prosperity be with you.