President Obama has asked the new Congress to come to Washington with a commitment to get things done. He wants the Republicans and Democrats to set aside their differences and just do the people’s work. Sounds simple enough, right? When one examines this request more closely, one comes away with a different conclusion. I am reminded of the old statement, “Be reasonable, do it my way.” In order to set aside differences both sides must suspend their philosophies and take on the beliefs of the other side. Republicans must think like Democrats and vise/versa. Is it just me, or is this a potential problem?
First of all I believe both parties want what’s best for America. Both sides want to see the economy grow and unemployment greatly reduced. Both sides want a secure and a safe America. The problem lies in the way each of them would accomplish this goal.
In general Republicans want less government, less taxation, less regulation, and more private and individual initiative. Republicans, for the most part, think government is the problem, not the solution. Democrats on the other hand see the government as the savior of the economy. They seem to believe that the government is the better and wiser spender of your money. They see extensions of programs and projects as good for the economy. They want to centralize power in the halls of Congress and basically lead the way.
Call me crazy but I don’t see a lot of room for compromise in these two different philosophies. The question becomes, “Are we doomed to two more years of the same bickering and fighting, or is there any middle ground on which the two sides can agree?”
I am sure you would agree that the electorate as a whole was quite dissatisfied with what had been done in the last Congress. So dissatisfied in fact that they threw out a lot of career politicians of both parties and clearly stated, “Do a better job or whomever is left is next to go.” That seems clear to me. So, can it be done? Can people of such diverse opinion come together for the good of the country, or will they just continue to toe the party line? The first answer is, they had better. The second answer needs a bit more reflection.
In the history of our country, diverse thinking has always existed, but that hasn’t stopped our country from succeeding. On the contrary, our differences have in many ways made us stronger and wiser. We can do that again. The President and the Congress have to understand that. We are not an absolute monarchy. We are a republic. We are citizens, not subjects. We just fired a large crowd of people who had not satisfied their constituency, and that certainly could happen again in two years.
Here are some thoughts. Give and take. Co-sponsor legislation between the parties with compromise as the theme, and America as the beneficiary. Put the country ahead of your party. Utilize the talent and intelligence that exists throughout the country and not so much in Washington. To create jobs their must be a need for a product or service. Artificial shortages create artificial solutions. We have enough government workers. We need long term answers. Get out of the way of entrepreneurs. Let business happen. Don’t get so regulation happy. Allow the tax base to increase. In other words, do the job you are being paid to do. Finally, re-read the Constitution and pay particular attention to that part about the limits it places on Congress.
This job is doable. The greatness of America will shine through. Just get out of the way and let it happen.
Ron Scarbro January 4, 2011
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2 comments:
A well thought out post Ron.
I thought I would share with you comments from my friend:
I like your Dad's article but he concludes his position with right-wing solutions, which supports my position, i.e., to NOT compromise a damn thing if you feel you're Constitutionally right. Today's Left is not the Left of our Father's era. They are not fiscally responsible, constitutionally responsible, nor do they understand, I feel, what our Founding Father's created. They don't get how our system works. They see the governments of Europe and envy & want their past accomplishments (art, social developments, etc., over ages) to hold dear for ego's sake, I guess(?) but don't realize their silly dream is just that...a silly dream. They are part vapid children who 'feel' but don't 'think', part socialist who tries to lead because he can't 'do' (hence, reliance on centralized Government) and part idealist who sees the world as a Star Trek episode, where everyone has a honorable task in life and is taken care of by the 'ship/replicator'. Worse, some are social & governmental arsonist who want to burn down our way of life...I am not convinced of their collective altruism, thinking that they're "all good men & women who want what's best for our nation". That, as my Grandmother would say,"is just too much sugar for a dime!".
The world is repleat with out of work PhD's who think but can't do, who envision but can't see, who are only adept at "playing bird dog and pointing". Likewise, we are also labored with those who do despicable acts against others because they thought they were right. Both seem to suffer from a sense of self-importance and mis-guided conviction of rightness. Just ask Nancy Pelosi, Charlie Rangel...and Susan Smith.
Personally, I hate the Left and could never compromise my position on a Right vs Left argument, just because there's a clause for "a new highway to go through my district", etc. The only appropriate Government is 'responsibility & truth'. If we forced and rewarded both, the Right wouldn't be so focused on legislating morality and the Left wouldn't be dangerous as all Hell...and government would operate as a well-oiled machine!
But that's just my 2 cents...
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