Perhaps Stupid Is To High A Bar

The political, economic and social arenas in America are roiling and churning over issue after issue, problem after problem. And what do we get from our political leaders in these particularly uncertain times? Is it wisdom, intelligence, or even the ability to think? No, we get the idiotic ideology of the incompetent. In other words, we get politicians.

They all have solutions to the problems. Not the same solutions, not solutions based on rationality, not solutions that will serve the American people, and certainly not solutions that require them to make any sacrifice or do anything challenging. They have faith that their solution will work because it is founded upon something they believe it. It has to be the right answer, or else their faith would be misfounded. And it’s not like we have any examples in our lives of people who have an absolute faith in their view of what it right and how to go about making everyone else accept their view.

Obviously this must mean that both sides of the solution spectrum cannot both be right. In party terms, the Democrats and the Republicans cannot each be correct. So they would have you pick sides, preferably their side because what other choice do you have. Of course, it has not occurred to most people that there is at least one other interpretation of the situation.

Consider some of the positions that divide the populace.

Cut taxes vs. raise taxes. The cut taxes side maintains that only by cutting taxes can the economy be turned around, only then will business be able to create jobs. This position is not a guarantee of course. If you believe that cutting taxes will create jobs then all you have to do is hope you’re right. Or take the raise taxes position, people need to make sacrifices to return the country to a stable fiscal position. And of course, they are both wrong. I don’t think anyone would disagree that raising taxes is always unfavorable and difficult; except that there are reasons and conditions that justified it in the past, and there have been notable benefits that were derived from people actually paying taxes. There is something to be said for paying your way, it is an American value or at least use to be.

Small government vs. big government. This is a favorite issue, and I mostly enjoy that as with many divisive issues in America, it is mis-phrased and a misdirection of what should be the question. Big vs. small allows everyone to think it’s just a question of cost. That question really isn’t a big vs. small question but one of value vs. price. The real question is what functions do Americans expect their government to deliver. This is a much more complex and difficult question, and thus why it must be avoided by the clueless.

Health-care: Save Social Security and Medicare vs. privatize and rely upon the market-place to control costs. This issue has two major dimensions that confound the politicians and so they pick an answer that can’t work but sounds like it will. The two dimensions that are not discussed are: you have to pay if you spend, and the free-market doesn’t solve your cost problem.

So for the next eighteen months we will get to hear the debates about how each parties’ candidates will address these and many other issues. The faithful will rush toward the lemmings’ reward with no consideration that the promise doesn’t deliver; it just dangles the bait within sight of the salivating hordes. Not exactly the standard that you want people to aspire to, not the height of the bar that you want leaders to overcome.

This is not leadership, this is not vision. What we are witness to is the ascendancy of the mediocre. This is the triumph of the ideologues to spew their lunacy and direct the parade down the dead-end alley. Who is responsible for this situation? It’s the voters who cannot see beyond the smoke and mirrors and the choice of the lesser of two evils. We can all welcome the dissolution of American greatness because we would not do the one thing that has always made America a great nation. We use to stand up and be responsible for doing what needed to be done, even when it was painfully hard and required sacrifice.

If you can’t find someone worthy of your vote; then you must look farther afield.