We are at the center of world events with global ramifications for our every action, but we don’t seem to have the wits, the vision or the will to correctly lead.
In politics, especially, myopia is with us at all levels of leadership. Perhaps it has always been that way, but the world is infinitesimally smaller than it ever has been.
Our wishes, our actions and our governments have been too often self-centered, short-sighted and fallow. Business and political leadership have marketed profligacy until the criminal behavior of Wall Street brought us to our knees economically.
Even many economists, all Republicans and too many of other stripes have eschewed Obama’s economic stimulus program, even in the face of economic Armageddon, saying it is too much deficit spending. Cautious Democrats watered it down to the point of tax breaks, pork, and a little stimulus.
Of course, fearing deficit spending is totally ludicrous in the face of Bush borrowing for a needless war. Somehow Democrats failed to mention this. The impact of these actions on the dollar and the global economy were never considered by the feckless BushCo.
Many applaud the progress of the two houses of Congress in passing two highly flawed, health-industry-friendly health care reform bills. From the start the thought was to placate ConservaDems, neutralize tea-baggers, solicit obstructionist Republicans, and negotiate with greed-Meister health care giants. The cost efficiency of the health care system, its fairness, and the health of Americans are secondary; self-absorbed and emotional views were primary.
But this narrative of self-absorption continues.
Yesterday Bay State voters filled the Senate seat for Massachusetts, a seat vacated by Ted Kennedy’s death. A generic demagogue, with a generic name, has won, vaporizing the patchwork veto-proof majority Democrats had in the Senate, a troubling development for even a mediocre health care bill.
Massachusetts voters obviously felt hurt with the flagging economy and unheard in the echo chambers of Congress. Perhaps, with their own better health care system, they could be excused for not seeing the national repercussions of electing the narcissist, Brown.
Brown is handsome and savvy, especially regarding the right things to say in swaying the voters. That of course is the mark of a good politician, whichever party he or she represents. He lauds his independence while his voting record is 97% Republican as a Massachusetts state senator. Voters had a choice of two: Brown promised change, something that the Democrats have not delivered for things that count, especially the economy and Wall Street’s rip-off of the people. The reality of Brown is a negative stand on all legislative endeavors of the Democrats.
This includes the global-warming front. Conservatives are girding their loins to fight against any meaningful global warming legislation, and the energy industry monoliths are hacking at cap-and-trade, the current Obama plan. “Global warming is a hoax,” myopics say.
Never mind that the Arctic is melting or that most mountain-top glaciers are gone – or going, or that average global temperatures are 1 degree C higher. “Look at that huge winter storm,” they say, “that is proof that global warming is a hoax.” Ridicule Al Gore and say he is a hypocrite, but offer no constructive plans.
Wall Street in its power-greed quest almost took down the global economy. There is ample documentation that a few of the most-well-placed executives helped engineer the whole debacle, profiting wildly. But the Obama administration and Congress still genuflect before them. The administration says they’re too big to fail, but we wonder if their power and money make them untouchables.
Scott Brown won in Massachusetts! It must feel like a slap in the face for Democrats, especially considering that it is a seat held by Ted Kennedy who spent a career trying to get health care reform passed. Brown says he will vote against reform. Since his vote represents 41 in the Senate, Democrats no longer have the 60 they desperately need when the bill comes out of the conference committee.
You can argue that Scott Brown is using the same rhetoric for change that Barack Obama used when he ran for president. It can be argued that Obama did not deliver, for many decisions still seem to put special interests ahead of the people.
Probably the one that chafes the most is Wall Street bailouts have taken precedence over help for the people. After all, the reckless policy of Wall Street bankers left one out of five Americans out of work or underemployed, and help for the unemployed seems minimal in the face of billions to bail out Wall Street and billions in executive bonuses.
The 2.8 million foreclosures last year make suffering Americans feel like chopped liver in the face of the arrogant and clueless bankers who took our money, used it to kill banking reform, and then gave themselves bonuses. In contrast, real wages of average Americans have not increased since the 1970s. Obama still appears weak in dealing with them.
Much of the plutocratic privileges we associated with the Bush days are still there and much of the suffering of the people still seems to be ignored.
This is the message of the Scott Brown election -- one which wimpish Democrats should heed. Many progressives see Brown as phony and unqualified, but how phony are the promises of Democrats from the last election, including those of our president.
I don’t think there is any doubt that Scott Brown will join the obstructionism of the Republicans and will be proven another demagogue, but does it help our long-term prospects to say that?
If Democrats heed this wake-up call, we can improve our prospects for the future.
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