The Last CSR Please Turn The Lights Off

President Obama gave a passionate speech in his inauguration about us having to change our attitudes and pitching in to save America. I haven't seen much change -- at least not for the better. It seems most businesses are running on a skeleton crew these days. It used to be that you would get good service in most places, but with personnel pared down in all businesses, it takes longer to get service and staff is too busy to assist you. It didn't used to take me 30 minutes to check out in a grocery store, or have to wait two weeks to get an appointment for car service. The frustration level of employees is high, too, both because of unbearable workload and the fear of being laid off. I'm starting to see the Soviet Russian "nye rabota" (not working, on a break, "I don't give a damn") attitude in more and more places. This is sad, because it's not what America is about. Have we become so spoiled and disenfranchised that we, as a nation, will just roll over and give up?