There is something very serious happening in America. It is not just to do with money, although money is the catalyst. It is to do with democracy and government. It is not to do with government at every level. Democracy is the engine of almost every strata of public administration and leadership at State and local level and it works very well. What does not work any longer is Federal government. It was set up by people who could not agree either its function or its reach, who settled on a compromise which is so full of checks and balances that only if one party is in the majority in all its institutions can it function. This produced turmoil initially ending in civil war. Lincoln established the Washington government as the power in the land, but without reform of its instruments. These are now unable to cope with the complexity of a modern state in a globalised world.
Thus there is dysfunction, which the world sees with far sharper clarity than the United States herself, causing paralysis of decision and arbitrary outcomes. The world does not like what it sees and thinks less of America because of it. The most powerful man in the world is it seems no such thing. Only in foreign policy does he yet have the power to act, leaving the impression that unable to do much at home, the President, whoever it is, turns to meddling abroad. Even here Presidents prove powerless in the one place where it counts the most; forcing peace and reason upon the Israelis to give the Palestinians a fair deal and making the Palestinians accept it. The world watches in frustration as the Israeli lobby in the US hobbles any President who dares to try and step out of its line.
Set against this serious challenge to the way America runs itself, are the financial measures thus far passed into law this year. Both have merit; Obama’s tax increases and the current cuts. Both are going to have to be repeated many times over if revenues and expenditure are to be brought into line, which is an essential requirement before the mountain of debt can be tackled. Of all these measures, the cuts to the Pentagon’s over blown budget may well do more to help America forward than anything else. The massive over-spend on defence not only de-stabilises a world which is now less focused on military power and much more concentrated on economic clout but will, unless checked, prove to be the undoing of America’s power, influence and well being. Ironically this is exactly what brought the Soviet Union down.
You’re absolutely right, and it reminds me why I get so annoyed, when British nationalists spout about how immigrants are a. stealing all our jobs, b. rinsing the benefits system, c. creating literal and cultural ghettos within our society, etc., etc. Why do these people insist on being racist, when it is clearly the system which needs changing, if anything. All of these issues can be changed, if you change the way procedure works through government. It’s a little myopic. I like your post, as I have many friends who seem to forget what you have written, and/or act as if one is out of their mind, for bringing it up. Honestly…