Divide and then inaugurate—Inaugurate: “A ceremony to mark the beginning of something.” We certainly know the first part, “divide”; every four years we argue over the “Something” which is the essence of our every four year election and then inauguration.
Mostly, since the nation’s laws and its constitutional underpinnings stabilize us, the division is over more minor things. If, for example, we divide over whether there should be free or censored speech that would be a big thing. The Constitution has taken care of that although the courts have to interpret its application.
So like it or not much of what guides us day-to-day is both culturally and politically established. But our constitutional underpinnings do not resolve in any final way our foreign adventures. At least in theory the Congress is supposed to resolve the ultimate adventure, whether we should go to war, and it is supposed to guide our preparations for war or defense through the appropriations process.
Our most adventurous domestic affairs have to be authorized and funded by the Congress and we would supposedly be disciplined by the availability of debt capital at an acceptable cost since we are way over spending the money our taxes collect. A headline in Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal was foreboding: “Deficit Threats Drive Bond Yields Higher”. Simply stated, as our nation’s debt increases the costs of funding it increases and pushes our debt higher. To summarize: in most regards our most powerful institution, by almost all standards, would get failing grades,
So here we are engaged in the politics of angst (“deep anxiety or dread”). It is not pretty. Well, most politics is not pretty, but this time around it is seriously demeaning. I can imagine the propagandists of our enemies feasting on a treasure trove of our words to throw back at us. They too believe in free speech as long as it comes from us. They will stoke further angst and raise the temperature well above a healthy level. Damaging attacks by Americans aimed at Americans is much cheaper than missiles and attendant explosives.
What about the politics of resentment? How come the opposing teams meet at mid-field and shake hands? In sports the handshakes are important. They represent standards—this is a game not a war. And who knows, the players say, maybe we will be on the same team next year.
And, what happens when political campaigns feature loudmouth speakers spewing crude biases? Archie Bunker would be embarrassed at some of the words spoken. For my younger readers watch the reruns of “All In The Family”; the humor is razor sharp and you will get to know Archie.
The problem is simple. The concluding political campaigns have stoked hatred. Disagreement is fair game. We should, in a nation that honors free speech and competitive elections, encourage free speech. Government policies should not be assigned to public policy academics and pressure groups. But when the words and sometimes the theatricality devolve into hateful zones, the benefits of democracy recede. And the real threat of violence increases.
I have voted and as I was waiting for my ballot my impulse was to believe I should be voting with everybody on Election Day or Election weekend. Voting should be a collective celebration and should await the end of the campaign so that all of us go to the polls with the same information. Keep in mind, the signature events of the major party candidates, Donald Trump’s event at Madison Square Garden and Kamala Harris’ event on the national mall have just been concluded.
My generation is largely spent. I know that some of my musings reflect a different time and set of attitudes. How to translate? So, Millennials and Generation X, take over and right this ship of state. It’s quite wobbly right now. And do so with our national motto in mind: “Out of Many One.” Democracy demands what capitalism demands—a competition of ideas and leadership talents and attitudes. And in both cases we are the demand side of the market and in both cases we should not fall victim to shoddy goods.
Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al writes on themes from his book, Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.
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