Sink or Swim

In life’s challenges, we will either sink or swim. Work, sport, game, and politics – they all must end with either success or failure. It’s a harsh but exhilarating fact of life that fuels our competitive nature and keeps us coming back for more.

Outwit, Outlast, Outplay, right Mark Burnett? Survivor's producer couldn't have adopted a better tagline for his hit TV show. But this concept transcends Survivor. We watch bar fights, sporting events, and political campaigns understanding that the competitors will do whatever it takes to win - and there will always be winners and losers. We strive to get accepted into the most prestigious universities and start our careers in Fortune 500 companies to position ourselves for success. This is competition. This is capitalism.

When we lose, we admit defeat. It's back to the drawing board. Sport teams sign free agents, recruit new talent and make trades to get ready for next season. Reality TV rejects return to their normal lives and are sometimes lucky enough to use their recently found fame to pursue new careers. And what about us? What happens when the circumstances cause us to lose our jobs or force us to shut the doors of our businesses? Some seek additional education, some hone their trade skills and polish up their resume, and others explore new ventures.

We we win, we prepare for the challenges ahead - the next season, the next immunity challenge, the next project.

In today's wild financial climate we see unprecedented foreclosures, layoffs, and plummeting 401Ks. Why? In short, banks lent to unqualified borrowers, unions bled corporations, CEOs took exorbitant bonuses, and investors went running scared. Companies like Lehman Brothers, AIG and General Motors failed. For all intensive purposes they should be out of the game. "The Tribe has spoken."

Whether it's AIG, GM, or Fajita Grill, a bailout is unjustifiable. Where's the capitalism? Where's the competition?