My contention is that our government is a reflection of us. Congress is dysfunctional because we are dysfunctional. We are dysfunctional because as a society that is overworked in many instances or depressed from our current economic condition we tend to just accept information from whatever source we are comfortable with at face value. This allows those with the power to control those sources of information the ability to misinform us to their liking which in turn make us dysfunctional. Those with power monopolize on said dysfunction to ensure they get policies to maintain or increase their wealth and power.
Irrespective of one’s political stripe, I am sure the above mentioned facts can be agreed upon. What is important is how the government mitigates these facts. Solving these problems require sound policy. Rhetoric get to our guts while to many policy is boring or time consuming. In order to set our country on the right track we will need to be bored and spend the time to really discern what is best for the country. Simply watching Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS is not enough because these are all corporate entities whose messages seem controlled by political spin more often than not.
We currently have two presidential candidates who claim to have the answers to our economic woes. I have listened to all of their stump speeches, the rhetoric from their surrogates, and the statements they make when they think no one is listening. I read President Obama’s “Blueprint For An America Built To Last” and Paul Ryan’s Path To Prosperity A Blueprint For American Renewal. Everyone should read these before they vote. These documents present two very distinct philosophies for America. President Obama’s document, rhetoric, and speeches believe in an America where government continues to play a necessary role in our lives with investments in people (education, future technologies, and healthcare) and a real free enterprise economy. It asks the wealthy to pay more in taxes as well. Mitt Romney in stating he supports most of Paul Ryan’s document supports an America where there is very little government and even lower taxes than we have now. They believe in the privatization of much of education, Social Security, Medicare, etc.
There is nothing wrong with either philosophy as long as everyone understands the consequences and they are acceptable to most. My contention is that most would rather our safety net (Medicare, Social Security, etc.) be government run given that while we can change policy by un-electing the bombs, a system based on a myriad of privately controlled entities do not answer to the voter but to the few shareholders. One must remember “we the people” as the most patriotic statement and that government is “we the people”. Irrespective of the “I built it” rhetoric that has become vogue on the Right, every American that spends, work, & fight wars are directly responsible for the success of every millionaire & billionaire. As such most Americans including many of the wealthy believe the wealthy must pay more in taxes in times of budget deficits to keep the country that gave them the environment where their innovation could be realized fiscally sound. Most importantly the path we decide to take must be at minimum plausible.
Unfortunately when Mitt Romney’s plan is examined it presents a mathematical dilemma. Even with maximum cuts to social programs and other discretionary spending, it is simply impossible for the numbers to add up without further increasing our budget deficits. President Obama’s plan can at least be scored but mostly it does not leave middle class America to fend for itself or to be at the behest of a growing plutocracy.
I want to leave you with one economic reality. Further tax cuts will not save our economy because of a simple economic tenet, the marginal propensity to consume. If tax breaks and credits go to the wealthy, it is unlikely to be spent in the economy because they generally need nothing more they cannot afford. If tax breaks and credits go to the poor and middle class, they will spend it and create demand. That increase in sales means factories are activated or built to supply that demand which means more employment. It is for this reason that supply side/trickledown economics never worked and in fact is causal for our wealth and income disparity where the top 20% owns more than 85% of the nation’s wealth.
PS: I may be asking a some of my readers closer to the election with assistance on certain political actions outside the scope of the Coffee Party. If you like what I write or in somewhat of agreement please LIKE my Facebook page by clicking the link below. This is an important election and you are essential. Thank you so kindly. Egberto Willies.