The common denominator is a triumph of electioneering over governing. Every campaign is an exercise in make-believe. All the good ideas and good people lie on one side. All the “special interests,” barbarians and dangerous ideas lie on the other. There’s no room for the real world’s messy ambiguities, discomforting contradictions and unpopular choices. But to govern successfully, leaders must confront precisely those ambiguities, contradictions and choices.
The make-believe of campaigns now increasingly shapes the process of governing. Whether this reflects cable TV and the Internet — which reward the harsh hostility of extreme partisanship — or the precarious balance between the two parties or something else is hard to say. But the disconnect between policy and the real world is harmful. Proposals tend to be constructed more for their public relations effects than for their capacity to solve actual problems.
Samuelson’s column is essentially a “pox on both houses” slam. Essentially, this is why I suspect that this is shaping up as a “throw the bums out” election. The fact is that we need real fiscal discipline – fast – or we are going to be in real trouble. Does this mean that there will have to be severe cuts in spending? You bet. Does it mean that there will have to be some tax increases? Well, unless you’re willing to endure truly draconian cuts in spending, yes it does.
We cannot continue down the path we are on. We must tie any spending increases to a small percentage of real revenue growth. And we are going to have to radically reduce entitlements. If we do not, we are heading for an economic collapse.
The current crop of Washington politicians need to either grasp this or we are going to have to make some changes, very, very soon. Or we are doomed. More importantly, our children are doomed. We have to stop this.
