Hard Choices: American Intelligence Test #11

Beware America! We are approaching the precipice of economic disaster. The nation is about to fail to have an adequate amount of money to pay its bills and obligations. Our political leadership has been unable to find a way to make the hard choices necessary to prevent the damaging consequences to inaction. These are the same politicians who vigorously campaigned and then blusteringly declared to any open microphone, visible camera or public forum that they were here to make the hard choices that the people of America sent them to Congress to make. With such illustrious personages representing the American people, one has to wonder why they have been unable – no incapable and inadequate to the task of setting the government on a rational and reasonable path to fiscal responsibility. The answer is of course simple, but first the obligatory questions; the opportunity to partake in an exhibition of societal competence.

While scoring your answers is a personal assessment responsibility, my answers are provided as a counter-point for your consideration. As always a willingness to deceive yourself, as to the correctness of your answers or beliefs, is a measure of actual intelligence demonstrated. To paraphrase Lincoln:

Some of us can fool ourselves all of the time, and all of us can fool ourselves some of the time, but all of us can not fool ourselves all of the time.

And we begin.

Q-1:   Who is responsible for ensuring the US has an adequate budget to handle its obligations?

A.      Executive (President)  
B. Electorate (voters)  
C. House of Reps.  
D. Senate    
E. OMB (Office of Management & Budget)

Context:  Before you choose to blame someone, it is reasonable to know if they’re responsible.

Q-2:  What do we require of our elected officials’ decisions in representing us?

A.      Adherence to political ideology and party position
B.      Holding to campaign promises or pledges
C.      His judgment even in opposition to your opinion
D.      Nothing
E.       Consideration of how his/her constituency alone is effected

Q-3:  When confronted with an impasse on an issue, what is the hard choice?

A.      Hold their ground and remain unyielding
B.      Seek an acceptable compromise among other parties that serves the public’s interests
C.      Present an innovative solution that addresses the problem better than the intractable alternatives
D.      Agree to some delaying tactic that avoids a hard choice
E.       Do something stupid and claim victory

Context: Don’t consider what our politicians actually do, think Founding Fathers’ judgment or what an intelligent person would do.

Q-4:   What caused the economic dilemma that confronts the nation?

A.      Democrats excessive spending
B.      Republicans excessive tax cuts and credits
C.      Partisan political intransigence
D.      American public’s irrational expectations
E.       All parties failure to understand the problem

Q-5: The media’s role in the national debt crisis and the debt-ceiling has been:

A.      Fair and balanced
B.      Insightful and informative
C.      Hacked and pedestrian
D.      Irrelevant and pathetic
E.       Up to the standards of the American public
F.       Wasn’t aware the media covered this

Context: Your assessment should be an aggregation of and inclusive of as many media sources as you experience.

Q-X (Special/Bonus):  Which options provide the best solutions to the national debt?

A.      Cut the federal budget
B.      Raise taxes
C.      Cut taxes
D.      Reorganize all government programs and operations based on delivery of value
E.       Curtail Congress’s involvement in implementation of federal programs

Your ordeal is over, and I suspect that you are confident in your answers. While likely of no value, my answers are:

1:  C  [See users-manual]

2:  C  [a Founding Father’s principle]

3:  C  [unfortunately requires intelligence, so B is a back-up for the ill-equipped]

4:  E  [the problem is not the debt ceiling nor government spending (budget); and no one group is to blame]

5:  E  [If the right questions aren’t pursued the answers are of no value]

X- Bonus:  D  [E is a poor second, and A,B,C are all just necessary levers and not solutions]

While the individuals in Congress are the showcase morons that we identify with such problems, and they are truly extremely culpable for a significant level of responsibility; in reality the absolute responsibility rests with the American people. Your representatives were only able to be as damaging and useless as they are because you chose them. The physics of politics and government are no less cause and effect driven than the law of gravity. Obviously a large mass of ignorance attracts other ignorance.