The Stakes
The Stakes
Washington precinct caucuses start in about five hours. In the end, the choice is about the future. Choosing a president–any elected official, for that matter–expresses hopes and fears for the future. What is past is done and cannot be changed. The future offers limitless possibilities. When it comes to choosing a president, I am choosing how I want my country to act in the world and here at home. That choice is based on hope and fear.
My hope is to leave future generations with a sustainable society that offers opportunity for all, a society that continues to succeed in preserving a democratic republic under the Constitution, a society that is open and tolerant. I sure as hell do not see that America now and my fear is that we will not bequeath anything like a sustainable, open society to future Americans. Will our great-grandchildren ask “How could they have been so stupid?”
Right now I look at Obama and Clinton and do not see any great differences on issues that address sustainability.
• Neither is challenging the idea that America is in a permanent state of war. Both are equally committed to continuing the National Security State that has consumes vast resources and endangers civil liberties while raining death and destruction on other nations.
• Neither has addressed the federal government’s $54 trillion future liabilities for Medicare and Social Security. Remember how ga-ga the media was about a three trillion dollar budget. I’ve seen virtually nothing about the very much larger number looming in America’s future.
• Neither is aggressively addressing the gross inefficiency, waste and gaps in America’s health care system, a system that robs productivity, endangers public health and denies care in the name of profit.
I am not an isolationist nor a worshiper of balanced federal budgets but I am a strong believer in sustainability. It’s pretty simple, if an enterprise or effort is not sustainable, it cannot continue. If that enterprise or effort is something important, then you better damn well figure out how to sustain it. That is the challenge I see facing America today.
America has been in a more or less permanent state of war since the end of WW II. In years past we could pay for it on our own. More recently, we’ve just borrowed the money, racking up the debts as the bombs fall. Here at home, future obligations far exceed our ability to pay. One obvious solution is to spend less on war. That doesn’t mean leave our nation, its allies and interests at the mercy of a dangerous world. It just means being smart about how we protect ourselves. War is not smart. It’s costly, unpredictable and usually sows grievances that will lead to future war.
When it comes to the future, I would de-militarize American foreign policy and its many incursions into our domestic life. I would stop speaking to the world from the barrel of a gun and offer cooperation and assistance. At home, I would look for practical solutions to the changing economic and social trends that affect all Americans. I ask that candidates for president tell me in some detail how their policies will adapt America changing national and international economy and how they will promote that policy in a fair and equitable manner.
I haven’t heard that yet, so I remain undecided. Of course, the candidates will tell me what I want to hear, or something closely resembling that. Somewhere along the line I will need to see something in a candidate that inspires me to believe in what he or she says. I’ll be very surprised if that happens which means that I’ll have to make a calculated choice, if any at all. I think that either Clinton or Obama will be an improvement over CheneyBush. I just don’t see any reason to hope for much more yet.
If the nomination race is going to be as close as the pundits *cough* predict, then maybe my undecided vote will make a difference. I see no reason not to try.
posted by Rez Dog at 8:22 AM
3 Comments:
This election cycle is such a pain in the ass, isn't it?
The Dems suck. But they suck a lot less than the Republicans. Should either Clinton or Obama be inaugurated, they won't have any choice except to address the sustainability issues you mentioned. They'll do it. What worries me is how they'll go about doing it -- I don't think the concerns of We The People are going to factor too heavily into whatever decisions they make. But if it's McCain we have to deal with, I'm pretty sure our concerns won't matter at all.
It really is all about the future. At 37, I'm barely old, but there are people just young enough to be my own children voting now, and seeing them stand up and make themselves heard en masse goes a long way in mending this bitter Gen Xer's fractured spirit. As it turns out, they're voting for Obama in droves. I didn't mention it at the time, but I had this in mind when I wrote my post endorsing Obama.
But we all go to our voting places with our own beliefs, opinions, desires, and beefs. You'll do what you think is right today, I'll do what I think is right on Tuesday. And then, I don't know, I guess we'll just have to see what happens...
If the new generation is beginning to actively think about their future and think that Obama will serve that future best, I will listen. The future is theirs to live so I think it's important that we make sure they are in on the discussion. Obama seems very able to tap into that enthusiasm. But can he de-militarize America? I think that building and creating instead of destroying would go a long way toward a sustainable future. I don't think I am unreasonably presupposing future generations when choose non-aggression over war. But, hey, I'll discuss it with anyone else who has cares what becomes of our grandchildren and great grandchildren. Disclosure: I will have no grandchildren or great grandchildren since I skipped out on the children bit. Still, I have friends who can expect future progeny and I know that many unknown to me will also spawn into the future. Those generations are the ones I am thinking about.
JackWms said...
You pose some excellent thoughts on our election process. At the present time, a majority of our people are fed up with the Iraq war, our current economy, the country's deficit spending,and many other factors (health care,erosion of personal liberties,etc).
So, they look to the candidate(s) who promises to change all that.
On a more negative tone,I doubt that the future will change to everyones liking. But, the enthusiasm created by a new icon like Barack Obama may "jump start" the process and head us in the right direction.
We won't know unless we give it a try.
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