As I watched President Obama’s address about the national debt and then House leader Boehner’s response to Obama’s address, they both made it clear to me that there was 2 options to raise the debt ceiling, A republican option and a democrat option. But what about America’s option that betters America as a whole and represents the general population of America and not one political party? My understanding of how the government should work is once the politicians are elected into office, they are supposed to come together and resolve issues together and be bipartisan. Not be so consumed with their ideology and thus say no to whatever goes against that said ideology when dealing with current issues. I’m not saying that people shouldn’t have their opinions but they shouldn’t be so consumed in an ideology that they can’t come together and compromise and give and take from each other to deal with an issue. It’s a two way street meaning one party can’t always get what they want.
Both parties agree on the debt limit should be raised, but one is for and the other against tax increases and are on different ends on how to cut spending. But the Debt Ceiling isn’t a republican or democrat issue, its an American issues that not only affects the people in Washington but every single American. A deal may or may not get done by August 2nd and I hope one does just for the sake of America in general, but the reason a deal may not happen is because of one simple fact, The Political Party system in general is the sole reason a deal might not get done and that is utterly awful in my opinion.
In George Washington’s farewell address he mentioned the harm of political parties.
“All obstructions to the execution of the laws, all combinations and associations under whatever plausible character with the real design to direct control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle and of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction; to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common councils and modified by mutual interests. However combinations or associations of the above description may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion." We all knew Washington was a great man, but who would of thought he could predict the future so well because what he discussed about political parties is what we have now.
The political party system has made our government fail. Once the elected official gets elected regardless of political party will first try and help out the interest groups that helped them get there, not the voter who actually voted for them even though the voter was probably swayed to vote for the said official due to campaign adds funded by those interest groups. Nowadays officials look the same and sound the same and the election process has turned into a popularity contest. Instead of dealing with the issues of how will the official help benefit the voters that voted them in, they are more concerned with helping out the interest groups that gave them money during the campaign. Do we really think that the stimulus packages really helped out the everyday American still? Politicians today are like that of a NASCAR driver, but unlike the NASCAR driver, they aren’t so visual with who is giving them money, just look at Jimmie Johnson.
I wonder who is funding Mr. Johnson here. Anyway politicians honestly don’t give a damn about the average American even if they say they do, we aren’t the ones who gave them the millions as they were campaigning. It looks as if the Debt limit will be raised and things will be ok, but there is still a problem with our government, its political parties in general and them being influenced by interest groups. Washington didn’t have a political party, he represented the United States, America was his party. Politicians need to get in touch more with the average joe and talk to them more and actually listen to them and not the interest groups. The tax system in America needs to be fixed as well, it should become a flat tax where everyone gets taxed the same with the tax percentage between 20 and 30 percent and the government should cut military spending. The US spends 500 billon more than the next highest nation on military spending. The US needs to return to its roots of isolationism and fix up the mess at home before helping out others. How can we help out others before helping out our own citizens? America needs to change now so the next generation may actually be ok because my generation of the early 90s is already behind the 8 ball.
Images from(listed in order as they appear):
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/59883.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington
http://finallapradio.com/2009/07/16/jimmie-johnson-grabs-best-driver-espy-award/
Ian with his take on politics
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