Open Season: Part II

This second part of my election year opus started out as a look into the economy and the various promised approaches that each candidate has towards solutions for improving the current dangerous situation. But then I began thinking that no one office holder has enough influence to make significant changes. And then it occurred to me that the whole political process is out of whack and the economy, as big a problem as it is, is not the biggest problem we have.

So I scratched the economy article for now and I’ve decided to explore the bigger issue. And this, unfortunately, is not a joke. I’m just one moderately well informed individual in one small town in a very large country. As I listen and look around I sense that the nation is in deep trouble in a basic and essential way. It may be a collective mental illness. It may be a moral failing of massive proportions. It may be an apathetic attitude that is crippling the political process. Or it may be all of the above.

Just look at the craziness that we read about or see in the news every day. I used to think that the craziness was at normal levels (weird thing to say, I know) and that modern media was just disseminating the information more widely. But now I’m not so sure. It may be partially true that we’re more aware of the insanity but I think reporting on the incidences actually inspires more of the behavior. In fact I’m beginning to believe that there is a certain level of insanity in paying so much attention to the weirdness being reported.

When considering moral failing it would be difficult to deny the preponderance of evidence that hits us from every direction. We see case after case of people killing children. We read of child abuse of every heinous type. Normally responsible business people are committing thefts that are insidious in their scope and magnitude. Fraud is occurring at all levels of government and business. Millions of people are controlled by drugs and crimes related to addiction fill police reports. Even blatant disregard of traffic laws seems to point to societal breakdown.

Apathy is not only one part of our dilemma but it forestalls any movement to repair the breakdown. Voting statistics reflect this apathy. In the 2008 election 56.8% of the eligible voting population cast a ballot. And that was the best turnout in almost fifty years. Another measure of determining how interested folks are in important issues are periodic polls that compare answers to questions about various events in the news. I heard one recent poll result that showed that far more people were aware of Tom and Kate’s divorce than the Supreme Court decision on the Obama health care plan. A quick glance at any newspaper, online news source or television news program will show that much more time is spent on celebrity gossip than on real news.

All of this makes me very uneasy. As the election season rolls along I’ve seen more mudslinging by an incumbent candidate than I can ever recall. Even old Richard Nixon didn’t spend as much money on early attack ads as Mr. Obama and his team. Most real concerns are swept aside for pettiness and character assassination. The challenger’s side is at least focusing more on issues tied to the record of our incumbent president. But that will probably change, I’m sure.

Another facet of this election is more disturbing than in years past. It seems that facts can be disregarded as if they don’t exist or as if they mean the opposite of common sense interpretation. Are the unemployment numbers good or bad? Is the deficit increasing or decreasing? Will Obamacare cost the average taxpayer more or less than their private health plan? Will the cost of running the government, thus raising taxes, go up? Have jobs been created or are government payrolls being padded to approximate real job growth? Is the current administration trying to enact policy while abrogating the roles of other branches of the government? When we try to search out the answers to questions like this we hit a wall of confusing and conflicting statistics and opinions. It takes more than patience to find the answers. It often takes some common sense guesses to separate the fact from the fiction.

Now I’m almost done here so hang in there with me. This year we can see a clear division in the philosophy of governance between the two major parties. One side is clearly determined to bring governmental action into every facet of our public and private lives. From health issues, to parental issues, to economic issues and on and on, the progressive Democrats feel they have the obligation and the right to make policy that gets into our lives and that they believe is good and righteous. The Republican side sees the role of government in a different way. They feel that less government is better, individual responsibility should be encouraged, free markets will bring more prosperity to more people and everyone should have equal opportunity under the law.

If we have a free and open election and the people decide that the current path is one we should stay on then that’s okay. The people will have spoken and resourceful Americans will figure out how to deal with the situation. If they disagree with the outcome then they will start working towards change in the next election cycle. But if the election is choked by apathy, manipulated by media presenting only gossip and slander or distracted by ramped up reporting of irrelevant madness then we will continue on a path to national decay and dissolution.

Now try and have a fine day.

OPEN SEASON

The big election season has officially opened and the mudslinging, backbiting and out and out lying are in full swing. Yes, I follow this stuff. While I manage to avoid television news in all its various forms I do read some newspapers, magazines and internet articles. I try to balance things out by choosing from sources on both sides of all the questions. And I’m always trying to find the fabled unbiased source as well.

I think it’s our duty to be informed and to exercise our voting privilege. And I’m not above trying to influence folks to vote along with me. That’s called “grass roots politics”. So now and then I’ll post an opinion piece on my blog site which will hopefully be a reasoned attempt to look at an issue or a candidate. In truth, these pieces are as much for me as for my faithful readers. It helps me if I write things out as I ponder voting decisions.

Today I’m thinking about the presidential race and one particular issue that seems to have disappeared this year. This one issue spreads out into others but I’m already losing readers so I’ll try to stay focused. Let’s think about the “War on Terror” and America’s military position in the Middle East, Afghanistan and neighboring areas. During the 2008 campaign this was a big deal. Mr. Obama was making some big promises and some big claims. He claimed to be a peacemaker, a negotiator and a broker able to bring all the warring factions to the table. He claimed that he understood the issues and the people involved. He promised to reduce American presence in that area in a victorious and honorable way. And he promised to do all of this in a transparent, open way without the “usual” bullying tactics of previous American administrations. It seemed that Obama was saying that he was smart enough, wise enough and persuasive enough to end war over in that part of the world. So, let’s think about how that has worked out.

On the plus side the Obama administration has reduced American military presence in the areas mentioned. My research shows that there are about 85,000 troops in Afghanistan, a substantial reduction. It has been announced that all military forces have left Iraq, though the American embassy in Baghdad has about 10,000 troops assigned there along with about 20,000 private security personnel (military outsourcing) in the employ of the government. There are two aircraft carrier battle groups, one in the Mediterranean and another in the Indian Ocean. Each of those involves about 20,000 sailors and airmen. There are also smaller naval contingents in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. So while the numbers are down overall we’re still there and the war goes on. Terrorism continues to be a threat throughout the world with atrocities being committed every day. This includes attacks and threats here in the USA.

How do the folks waging war against the United States, democracy and the other facets of the free world feel about us now, after four years of Obama’s efforts at diplomacy? Do they like us better? Do we have more allies? Have new and enlightened attitudes and leadership come to the fore as old dictatorships fell during various uprisings? And didn’t the US supply arms and advice in some of those revolutions? Are those nations that experienced the “Arab Spring” more receptive to peaceful co-existence or are they on the same radical Islamic path of imposing clerical regimes with an stifling set of twelfth century laws that dissolve eight centuries of civilized progress?

Answers to all of those questions will show that the Obama administration did no better than the previous leadership. In fact in some areas they have done worse, allowing a wider sphere of influence for the truly radical people who have no intention of getting along with western nations.

Well, my personal opinion is that the promises for hope and change in foreign relations have done nothing for the stability of the planet or for the good of America. The administration has been apologetic and ready for concessions. They have snubbed our real allies and made ineffective overtures towards our enemies. I’m not a foreign policy expert but I don’t see any successes. And when it comes to positive American influence in the economy of the world things aren’t looking any better. But that’s another issue.

In future postings I’ll try to examine other issues of interest. Meanwhile, I encourage all of you good and sincere folks to do your own research. Don’t just depend on Fox News, CNN or the big networks to inform you. Dig deeper and examine how things look measured against your own personal values. Then make your choices for candidates at all levels of government. Okay. I’m done for now.

Have a fine day.