Nota for President (5/26/07)
By Dean Hartwell
Does it really matter who wins the election for President in 2008? I want to believe that it does, but the United States is in such a mess both at home and overseas that the next president will be relegated to damage control.
Here is what he or she will inherit:
The continuing war in Iraq. President Bush has already said that the troops won’t come home until 2009. He is the one who can veto any measure that will do otherwise. As for the recent Senate vote on Iraq spending, it made no difference. If the Democratic leaders, who count votes accurately ahead of time, thought the vote was going to be close, most of those who voted no would have voted yes. See the late Speaker Tip O’Neill’s book Man of the House, which explains how the voting system really works on controversial issues.
A nation paranoid with terrorist threats. We have, thanks to Congress and the President, given up civil liberties in the name of fighting terrorism. Perhaps the greatest right infringed upon has been the freedom of people to question the official 9/11 story (which is the basis of the so-called “War on Terror”) publicly without being marginalized. Consider the recent Republican presidential candidate debate in which former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani asked another candidate, Ron Paul, to take back his suggestion that United States foreign policy had been a cause of the 9/11 attacks.
More pollution than we can handle. There is only so long before global warming deniers can stand behind their façade without acknowledging that congested air has been caused by poor environmental planning. Some people here in California have pushed high-speed rails to cure traffic and air pollution, but Republicans and Democrats alike have blocked the idea. [1]
Millions of people still without health insurance. These same people don’t go to the doctor because uninsured doctor visits cost too much for those who likely lack (good-paying) jobs as well. So their health problems build up until they have no choice but to go to the emergency room of the hospital. The insured pay the tab. But even the insured can’t always get the care they were promised. Neither party has a plan that will get enough votes in Congress to solve these problems. Neither party will compromise. If you want an example of how compromise could work, see The Two Percent Solution by Matthew Miller. I guess Congress did not read it.
Vast mistrust of government officials. Both the President and Congress are held in low regard according to polls. Personally, I have gotten so tired of the Bush Administration and its scandals that I have written about them less and less. Other recent administrations have had their problems as well. No one is going to bring back “honor and dignity” or whatever it was that Bush promised in 2000.
Widespread complaints of over-taxation. Whenever the topic of taxes comes up, all I hear from people, regardless of their income level, is that they are taxed too much. But no one says what enough is. Look at all of the problems above. Like it or not, it will cost money to solve them. For instance, we need tougher fuel efficiency standards for automobiles. That takes people (yes, bureaucrats!) to measure the level of fuel efficiencies for fleets and assess any penalties. A fast train system will cost money without any question. So will a comprehensive health care plan. If you want to sit around breathing polluted air without health care and no way to get to a doctor, keep on complaining about taxes!
Not everything is bad. For example, the rate of inflation and unemployment are low, but when Forbes magazine reports that only two percent of people in Los Angeles can afford the median level of housing there, it hardly matters. [2]
We need to wake up and stop hiding behind our parties and our ideologies. It is time to elect someone who will promise little. That way we will not be disappointed. Until this candidate either comes to their senses or enters the race, I recommend Nota (None of the Above). After all, nobody is perfect.
[1] http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/Content?oid=315531
[2] http://realestate.msn.com/Buying/Article_forbes.aspx?cp-documentid=4850945