Myopia Utopia

Perhaps you are surprised that I have not posted regarding the forthcoming election, perhaps not. I have remained above the fray, resisted the wallow in the political mud, and even person-cotted the debates. I know for whom I will vote and why, and have seen little reason to succumb to the daily punditorial rhetoric regarding who’s gaff is damaging, who’s presence is most Presidential, and who’s statement fails to pass Fact Check. The details of those minutia matter not to me. What matters to me is that we are engaging in such discourse prior to an election with significant long term implications for our nation. What matters greatly to me is the current model of American political decision making. If we are to have a democracy where decisions are made of the people, by the people and for the people then it is critical to delve into who is deciding what and how. My current thoughts on this leave me with concern.

If you are undecided or consider yourself a political independent I have little tolerance for you and am mystified that you would take any pride in such a position. If you believe that you will vote for the “man” then I have good news and bad news: both candidates are men, they are both flawed and precious, they both view the world through their own particular lens and they are both willing to spin any topic to a perspective that best suits their agenda. They are human. You will never know either man, you will not attend church with them, be their neighbor, see them when they are down, know what lurks in their hearts nor understand their secret fears or motives or dreams or foibles. You cannot know them. They are characters on a large political stage. Deciding for whom to vote on the notion that you want to pick “the man” is ludicrous. You cannot know them. (I disdain from even addressing those who may pick a candidate based on race, ethnicity, religious preference, etc. That is so far below our ideals that it merits no comment save “shame on you”.) Sadly, as a voting bloc, you have become the center of attention. Candidates pander to the undecided. From my point of view, that is focusing on the least thoughtful, least democratic voters among us and it has forever shaped our decision making.

I do not like reality TV. The underlying message of such shows is that anyone can pick a winner regardless of expertise and call a phone number to influence the competitive outcome. I reject such notions. We are not all qualified to pick the best singers or the best dancers. We are living in a time where everyone perceives themselves to be an expert, and we are not. Friday night football games are stocked with coaches in bleachers, and they are not qualified. The Congress, state legislatures and school boards make important decisions regarding education and they are not qualified to do so. If we do not honor expertise then there is no reason to gain such. If any fool can sway the outcome of reality TV or public schools than there is no reason to get an education and learn and practice and grow in wisdom and experience in your given field. The Presidential debates are reality TV and I loathe them. Quick public opinion polls after the debates determine who won and who lost and it doesn’t matter. But reality TV has sadly shaped our electoral decision making and promoted the notion of the political independent; that is, I have to see the contestants before I know who I will vote for. Poppycock and balderdash.

Political candidates run for office by political party. Each of the parties has a platform, those planks in which they believe, those policies they would enact, those ideals on which they stand. Obama stands at the head of the Democratic Party and Romney at the head of the Republican Party. If elected, they will follow through with the ideals espoused in their party platforms. The personal characteristics of the candidate matters little. What matters greatly is their own belief system, those values and policies and practices for which they have chosen to stand for and seek to enact. A vote for either candidate is a vote for the philosophy of the party they represent. We somehow get that with 3rd party candidates, those folks who throw their hat in the ring, are little known, and seek only to accomplish their own set of beliefs. Why do we miss that on the larger stage?

There is a huge difference in the party platforms on virtually every issue we face. Yes, they are written in ways to sound appealing to all, but the underlying belief systems remain apparent. Republicans believe that the government that governs least governs best and would shrink our government and the service offered. Democrats believe that the government should serve the people, solve problems, ensure equity and fairness and provide a safety net for citizens in need. Republicans believe that the best way to improve the economy is a top down or trickle down approach and place their faith in free enterprise. They promote reducing regulations on producers, promoting profit, increasing the wealth of the producers so that the “workers” benefit by being employed and working for the producers. They promote reduced taxes on the wealthy. Democrats believe that left to its own free enterprise will run amuck in the pursuit of profit, workers may be treated unfairly and paid poorly, working conditions need to be monitored, limits need to be imposed on practices that benefit producers and harm labor, that the unemployed should not starve or go without health care. Democrats believe in trickle up, not down. Corporations and wealthy persons should pay their proportionally fair share of taxes not merit additional breaks. Democrats do not perceive that promoting producers at the expense of workers or the unemployed is fair and equitable. Republicans promote a large military, Democrats believe the military must be equipped and ready, but expenditure should be situational. Republicans oppose government supported programs like food stamps, interstate highways, Medicare, social security, public education, monitoring the safety of food, water, drugs, etc. Democrats believe the government should support those with less and ensure the safety of all that we consume. Republicans support the wealthy producers, Democrats support the have-nots. Republicans would enact law to support their social values; Democrats would enact laws to protect belief systems and separate church and state. Republicans will enact policies to restrict those who can vote, Democrats will not. Etc., etc., etc.

Whichever candidate wins in November, and whichever candidates win across Congressional, gubernatorial and state legislative elections will shape how we will address the issues confronting us.

As I talk with my fellow citizens I get a clear message. What they want is to reduce taxes and have more services. They want the debt to go away. If they are fundamentalists they want their religious believes to be the required thinking of the land. They want great services at no expense. They have been lobbied to believe that is the Republican Party platform. They are myopic. They dream of utopia that cannot be. More services cost more money. Costing more means raising taxes, especially on those best equipped to pay more.

Clearly, I am a Democrat. I do not support every single plank in the platform, but I deeply support the philosophy. I remain amazed that people who are not wealthy, people who are Latino or Black, people who receive government subsidies for food, education, and health care would vote Republican. I remain amazed that our memory of 2008 is so short lived. (We had 8 years of Republican philosophy and it about did us in.) I remain amazed that Americans would want their version of social values to become public law. There is only one way I can explain it.

Myopia Utopia.