This week’s Fed decision to try to stimulate the economy confirmed what many already suspected: economic conditions are not good. Official statistics show that the rate of growth on the economy os slowing, and analysts are concerned about a long-term. Japan-style meltdown.
Despite a 10% rise in the Dow, unemployment remains stubbornly high. Nevada (14.2%), Michigan (13.2%), and California (12.3%) together represent over 3 million unemployed Americans. Some 128 cities have unemployment rates over 10%, and 12 have rates over 15%– ten of these are in California.
In the short term, analysts expect this to translate into an advantage for the GOP in the fall elections. Despite the GOP getting us into this mess, the failure of the Dems to get us out has hurt incumbents. And a desire for change means “the other guy” wins.
WSJ‘s Peggy Noonan has a darker assessment:
[D]o our political leaders have any sense of what people are feeling deep down? They don’t act as if they do… In Washington they don’t seem to be looking around and thinking, Hmmm, this nation is in trouble, it needs help. They’re thinking something else… They don’t seem to know or have a sense of the mood of the country. And so they make their moves, manipulate this issue and that, and keep things at a high boil. And this at a time when people are already in about as much hot water as they can take.”
She warns that we’re in danger of “boiling over.” And she’s right.
Rural America is outraged that “their” administration betrayed their values in favor of corporations, then got defeated by a bunch of liberals. Urban America is outraged that after eight years of corporate conservatism, “their” administration gave them not change, but more of the same. In short, Washington has alienated almost everyone outside the beltway. Their biggest fear should be that we figure out it wasn’t rural conservatives or urban liberals who did this to us– it was our elected officials of both parties who looted the treasury while they had us fighting each other.
Americans Left and Right are disgusted with the state of our national government. States from Arizona to California are passing legislation that defies federal law. And even some of our largest states have become dysfunctional– California can’t even pass a budget.
If we are to survive as a nation, we need change– and not just some political slogan by a guy the corporations have already bought and paid for. We need to stop looking for a one-size-fits-all solution to impose on our rivals. The Federal government isn’t going to fix us.
Let’s recognize that we have regional differences. What works in Los Angeles won’t work in rural Arkansas or Utah– and may not work in San Francisco, either.
Let’s recognize that power is the problem: so long as we’re fighting over who has it, we can’t get anything done. The federal government is too big and too intrusive.
I’m not suggesting that we eliminate medicare, social security, or the EPA, but I am suggesting that the assumption that everything can be and should be regulated by, fixed by, and funded by our central government deserves another, more critical look. Are we willing to sacrifice our liberty for some temporary (and elusive) security? I hope not. Are we willing to alienate our neighbors by forcing our religious views on them, be they for or against abortion, school prayer, same-sex marriage, or recreational drug and alcohol use? I hope not. Have we become so selfish that we imagine success means we have to have everything our own way, no matter who it angers? I hope not.
As a nation, we are on the verge of losing our cohesiveness. We need to find our common ground again– and that common ground is that we believe in the self-evident rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We are Americans. We have always overcome adversity. And we have, since our inception, looked to our neighbors in our communities (not some distant power center) for our strength and support.
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