By BOB STIMSON
By BOB STIMSON
In a previous letter, I averred that America is sick and that it needs a strong dose of salts. I have consulted the doctor.
The United States government has painted itself into the ultimate economic corner. It seems that we need to stimulate private and corporate spending in order to prevent the Great Recession from sliding into another Great Depression, but cut government spending in order to avoid bankruptcy — we won’t address here why we can’t simply print money — and the resulting demise of the nation. This problem seems intractable. So how do we save America?
I don’t know. Maybe we can’t. Certainly we won’t save ourselves with the tiny measures being advocated by both primary political parties, even if our dysfunctional Congress could implement them. Our financial woes seem rooted in, on the one hand, our refusal to pay enough taxes, and on the other, excessive expenditures such as those incurred by escalating health-care costs, the rapacious financial sector, and our war-mongering Defense Department, more aptly named when it was called the Department of War. As I said, I don’t know how to get us out of this mess. I doubt if anyone does.
But I can suggest a course of action. When I was learning to fly, my instructor told me that if I got in a tangle, as a first action I should take my hands off the controls and give the plane a chance to right itself. Of course, it might also go into a spin, in which case more advanced measures would be necessary. I don’t know whether, in our present situation, we can take our hands off the controls and expect to recover. I do know that we can’t let the incompetent flight crew — our government as presently constituted — continue in the cockpit. So we need to change it.
I believe the fundamental problem lies in our federal structure. In the United States, the states have more power than those in any other advanced democracy, which allows them to gridlock the government. This structure is rooted in our constitution. We can’t — and probably shouldn’t — change it. And it used to work, back when senators and representatives stayed in Washington all week, hobnobbed in popular watering holes, played golf together and regarded each other as colleagues and even friends. They could, and did, work together for the good of the nation.
Now they demonize each other. And they won’t prescribe even an ounce of bitter medicine for fear of losing votes or incurring the wrath of the party.
Our Congress worked even better before we ignored President Eisenhower’s warning about the military-industrial complex. Now the politicians — sorry about the dirty word — work only to get re-elected, while pocketing poorly disguised bribes from super PACs and corporate lobbyists. These venal pigs are committed to feeding at the political trough, not to serving us. Thus, the national death spiral. No matter which political party we choose, the end result will be same — a fatal nose dive.
What to do? Let’s (gulp) try “taking our hands off the controls.” We need a competent Congress. If we chose honest, truthful congressmen, unaccountable to the party line, committed to the good of the nation, and advocating sensible domestic and foreign policies, it’s possible — just possible — that the nation might dig out of its hole.
Chaos would reign, you say? What reigns now? Since we can’t tinker with the structure of our government, let’s deal with the evil presence that animates it — the political parties.
Yes, they are the underlying cause of our headlong dive. They don’t care about us. Their only goal is to perpetuate themselves. They’re willing to preside over the nation’s demise as long as they’re in charge until the final second. Let’s send the Republicans and Democrats to the big graveyard in the sky!
I urge you to take the first step toward rescuing the United States from certain death within a few decades. This November, please help rid our Congress of leeches. Vote only for independent candidates. Vet your choice. He/she should be someone who has proved he will work for the good of his employers — us. She should be honest, have shown competency and common sense, and be willing and able to think outside the box.
Save America!
Robert Stimson is a resident of Hilo.