We are a unique country. There is no other nation in the world that has the turmoil, freedom of action, and devotion to the principles on which the country was founded with the same intensity that we have. We are truly a nation of immigrants. And, it has worked very well for over two hundred years. 

Our political system is one of the principles of democracy, or at least representative government, free speech, etc. The Bill of Rights has put it very well, and it has stood the test of time. Court decisions have reinforced this with each decision. The concept of “one man, one vote,” has become and remains the watchword of how we think of our selves and our representatives. There are many difficulties with our system of government, but it is, to paraphrase Winston Churchill’s comment, way ahead of whatever is in second place. The path to political power in the United States is based upon ambition, capability, and other spurs to human endeavor. Birth is not the path to political power; in fact, it is frequently a drawback. But if you are ambitious, educate yourself, work hard, and to some extent, lucky, you can rise to the top of the political ladder. President Obama and Speaker of the House Boehner are wonderful but not unusual examples of the opportunity to be masters of their own destiny. There have been many who climb to power, and that is exactly how it should be. 

But the current situation is dangerous, and shows itself to be potentially of great harm to our nation. Let me step back for a moment and point out a little history. We have not been a ideal place in which to live for all of our citizens all of the time. Slavery was a major issue, and only in the past half century or so has the concept of Civil Rights truly risen to provide almost equality among all races and all religions. Things are not perfect, but much better than before, and, they seem to be getting better. Perfection is always a goal, but never achieved. We can always do better. 

The history of labor and business has been checkered. Child Labor, no support for working immigrants, family sickness, work place injuries and death, were a way of life for a long time. But in the 1920s the Labor Movement caused major changes in the law and in the operation of American Business. Unions grew to great power, and sat as equals in the Boardrooms of American Business. That is not the case at the moment, but changes occur and there is always an ebb and flow in American society that seems to settle things reasonably well over time. 

Is the process perfect? Absolutely not. But it works reasonably well. Now, however, we come to the current political scene. It is not pretty, and it is not beneficial to us as a Nation. 

We are moving forward to another national election. Occurring every two years, it keeps the policy makers and eager political players chomping at the bit. So, what is wrong? First and foremost, I think that the politicians, of both parties, more so than usual, are spouting their solutions, which are primarily attempting to draw voters for them. There are simplistic solutions presented by all sides from the ultra-liberal wings of the Democratic Party to the arch-conservative Republican Tea Party members. The use of modern technology to attempt to communicate with the American voting public is continuing to be in evidence, and it needs to be used. In the 1790s the knowledge of what was espoused by the local politicians was limited to a single newspaper, and that had a reading public radius of perhaps twenty miles. The family across the mountains, but still in the state, had no idea what was proposed by eager senatorial or congressional candidates. But in today’s world, we do. 

What is being proposed? Simplistic, easy solutions with potentially grave consequences. I am obliged to quote H. L. Mencken at this point: “There is always an easy solution to every problem—neat, plausible, and wrong.”

The economy of the United States must come under control. Any logical analysis of the problem will note that we must restrain our spending, and increase our income. The spending restraints must be in areas which will not unduly affect the quality of life in this country; the increase in income must come from those large areas which have sufficient funds to help the country. For example, it is clear that entitlements must be considered, reviewed, and controlled, because they are a major expense. So are the programs of the Department of Defense. Can major cuts be made in each of these two example areas? Of course. The amount we spend on Foreign Aid is minuscule compared to other expenses. Looking for substantial savings in Foreign Aid is simply not going to work. Where could we increase our income? Increase taxation among the population. Who should be taxed the most? The most wealthy, of course. Will this solve the problem? No, it will not. But it is a step in that direction. Giant corporations (think oil companies) should be taxed to pay their fair share for living and operating in the United States. 

There is a process in mathematics which requires that first order effects be balanced by first order effects. No matter how you try, second order effects can not balance first order effects. 

Do I have detailed suggestions? I do not. I am not an economist, nor a politician. I do know that I, as a voter in all elections, local and national, will support politicians of any stripe who will take logically defensible positions to help the United States economy and the job situation in this country—now! All who suggest nonsense solutions can, as far as I am concerned, go down to defeat and good riddance. In fact, I am even willing to support the campaigns of courageous politicians with good ideas who actually, regardless of the  risks to their political careers, work to implement actions which actually address our real, not imaginary, problems. There are probably many other citizens like me. 

I will have more to say about how small changes in our political structure might help us bring things under control. But that is for another day.