“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.”
— Sir Ernest Benn (Publisher, 1875-1954)
As I write this, there are only four days left until the mid-term election—it cannot come soon enough.
And so, with some trepidation, and despite our blog’s focus on economic and investment concerns, I am allowed, this once, at the risk of alienating certain readers, to banter in political discourse and comment on that which should not be discussed amongst friends.
Let me begin by first addressing the pollsters and ideologues who feel it necessary to categorize Species Americana Voter and box us into political affiliations and “liberal” or “conservative” leanings—I recently reregistered for “Other” writing in the Whig Party.
[The Whig Party existed from 1832 to 1856, and was formed to oppose the policies of President Andrew Jackson and the Democratic Party. In particular, the Whigs supported the supremacy of Congress over the Executive Branch and favored a program of modernization and economic development.]
This is just another way of saying I’m an Independent without inadvertently becoming associated with the American Independent Party, a party with a specific platform I do not entirely agree with.
But seriously, I’m in total agreement with Will Rogers when he said: “The more you read and observe about this politics thing, you got to admit that each party is worse than the other. The one that’s out always looks the best.”
And so there you have it; per chance you may even agree: something is rotten in the state of U.S. politics, as it seems all has become fair play with our representatives’ desire to win at any cost. That cost is getting very, very expensive, and I’m not just talking dollars.
Spreading hatred and lies about one’s opponent has become a routine and accepted part of running for office. According to factcheck.org, a respected website that reviews the accuracy of ads, this year stands out for the sheer volume of personal assaults.
No wonder some of the most intelligent and capable people in our country don’t want anything to do with politics.
Watch CNN, MSNBC and FOX regularly, and you cannot but admire the skill of punditry that permeates dialogue on all issues and even non-issues. Hyperbolic, distorted and divisive rhetoric is the rule along with blatant bias in anchors’ “reporting.” Guests with the loudest retort are implicitly declared the debate winner, notwithstanding any obvious hypocrisy in a particular “expert’s” positioning of “truth.”
Sure, it makes for good TV. But the next thing you know Rolling Stone is declaring Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert America’s most trusted “news anchors,” as a reprieve from the likes of FOX’s Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly, whose self-declared authority on everything under the sun conjures up a McCarthy-era redux of mistrust toward our fellow Americans.
Yet this malady of cynicism is not particular to our times. Davy Crockett (1786-1836) is quoted as saying “There ain’t no ticks like poly-ticks. Bloodsuckers all.”
Fact is, I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.
What we need is a return to the center. We need to quiet the shrillness emanating from the vocal minority and replace it with intelligence, moderation and mutual respect.
Unfortunately, the current trend in American politics is not encouraging in this regard.
A French economist by the name of Frederic Bastiat once suggested that when social policies turn out to be harmful to the citizenry, it is because politicians often react to problems that they can see, without any regard for the unforeseen consequences of their solutions to those problems.
Mark Twain also had a thesis about politicians and wryly wrote circa 1882 “Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”
No doubt both Twain’s and Bastiat’s sentiments apply to the 109th session of Congress.
Regardless of the outcome in the House or Senate races, there are many serious issues that need to be addressed. The biggest dirty little secret everyone in Washington knows is the budget deficit.
Politicians don’t like to talk about the nation’s long-term fiscal prospects—the subject is complicated and it reveals serious problems and offers no easy solutions. This is not a partisan issue. But the problem is tied to the country’s three big entitlement programs: Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. At the same time, the burgeoning cost of the war in Iraq is not helping matters.
Fortunately for us there are true patriots like David M. Walker, head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which makes him the nation’s accountant-in-chief. Walker’s job is not in jeopardy if he tells the truth (he is serving a 15 year term ending in 2013), and what he has to say is scary.
Washington has dug itself a fiscal black hole. Combine that with the “demographic tsunami” that will come as the baby boom generation begins retiring with the recklessness of borrowing money from foreign lenders (such as China) to pay for the operation of the U.S. government, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Not facing this issue, squarely and honestly, will irreparably damage our great country for future generations to come.
Given the current climate I have little hope anything meaningful will be accomplished in the next two years unless the rhetoric is toned down and replaced by sensible dialogue between those with contrasting positions. Worse would be another session of Congress that kowtows to the President and legislates without transparent and meaningful debate.
Luckily, voting anti-incumbent is a great American tradition. The focus should be on electing politicians who are willing to work more than three days a week and forge bipartisan solutions, not engage in endless fund raising and political upmanship.
However the election manifests itself, given the current state of affairs, what we need most is new leadership in Congress and a return to principles of mutual respect.
Long live the loyal opposition!
- Mack Frankfurter, Managing Director
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