Since we are getting an eye and ear full of the way things can’t and shouldn’t be in this country, let’s make a bold step and take a real look at the way things ought to be instead. The United States of America is a country that exists and relies on a balance of competing interests that are meant to work together as a whole for a united interest. You have state vs. national interests, conservative vs. liberal interests, Congressional vs. presidential interests, legislative vs. constitutional interests, majority vs. minority interests and societal vs. individual interests. And guess what? At any given point in time they can all be right while they can all be wrong.
Right and wrong are misleading terms. We Americans like to banter them about as absolutes, yet right and wrong are actually based on subjective opinion, which is often based on the slightest of fact. Is anything ever truly right that we refer to as right or truly wrong that we refer to as wrong? Society may come to a general consensus about what it collectively views as right or wrong: murder, rape, abuse and torture are wrong and kindness, giving and love are right. But take a moment and think about it. Don’t we condone murder, abuse and torture within the scope of acts of war or self-defense? Don’t a large number of us feel that within the bonds of marriage there is no rape or that rape can be justified if “a woman asks for it?” Doesn’t a great deal of the anger of the independents and the Tea Party spring from the idea that their tax money might be used to benefit someone other than them and theirs; that it may be given to someone who is less “deserving” or “worthy” than themselves? Aren’t there a huge number of people who feel that it should be illegal, and even unconstitutional, for two people who love each other and wish to formally and legally commit to each other for life to have that love recognized by our secular legal system?
There are no absolutes in politics or in society unless you want to live under a dictatorship, where everything-including what is right or wrong- is solely decided by one human being. In any other circumstance, especially in any form of democracy, all things are part of a balance and subject to compromise. Sometimes the needs of the collective- society, national government or the majority- need to come first. Other times the needs of the individual- state, local community or the minority- need to come first. My take on a democracy is that since it is a representative of society, the collective interest of all Americans- the common good- must come first since it ensures the best chance of survival for us all. But where the common good is not affected or threatened by the actions of the individual, then the interest of the individual comes first. The need for quality education, health care, roads and justice system, for example, take precedence because they affect and benefit everyone- directly or indirectly. What someone chooses to read, do in the privacy of their bedroom with a consenting adult or who they choose to pray to do not affect anyone but the person or persons involved.
It takes thought to look at every issue and to balance needs. When we choose to live in a democratic society, we commit ourselves to the effort necessary to make this form of government work. We cannot leave it to others to do it for us and then sit back and criticize. We can also not think only of ourselves and equate what is good for us, what is right to us, to what is good and right for everyone. We cannot live in the either/or scenario that is currently dominating talk and politics; we have to live in an and/or scenario. Sometimes that means standing up for our rights or the rights of others; other times it means looking out for the needs of us all. We are a NATION of INDIVIDUALS, an amalgamation of our differences, with all of the beauty, complexity and obligation that implies. This nation, the United States of America, is an experiment for the ages and we owe it to ourselves and our children to do what we can to make it work.
To see more of Laura’s work, please visit The Left Turn blog at http://johnfesta.wordpress.com and her column Civil Discourse in Conducive Magazine at http://www.conducivemag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=19&Itemid=494 .
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
In case you miss it, I posted the best response I could, as promised.
I honestly thought I could encourage you by showing you your overly stated slant on our founders. Sadly, not to be.
I am bewildered at the intelligence of someone like Jefferson especially. Truly one of the greatest minds I have ever studied and yet so despotic in his practical personal life. His writings amaze and inspire, yet you rightly point, his life, like many founders, betray their high ideas and callings.
We on the right, hold dear those thoughts, but rightly do need to acknowledge the personal failings of our heros.
A bit of a lackluster answer. After much research, I must admit to things I do not like. Likewise, in spite of the validity of “some” of your points, I am sure you take no pleasure in hearing the validity.
If any of my conservative brothers could lend me a hand of enlightenmnet, something I’ve missed, I (and I’m sure Laura) welcome a more positive spin.
Laura,
“I don’t see anyone here looking at or suggesting solutions on what they as an American consumer and worker, can do to boost spending and jumpstart jobs, given that 90% of Americans who can hold a job have a job.”
Actual unemployment is just at 17% when you count properly. You and George sound alike. And the American consumer is out there doing what they can do. Which is only spend their money or start a business that employs people. Problem is most small businesses don’t take on employees within the first 2 years. And the credit freeze which is still happening only exacerbates matters. Those consumers not spending on new items are paying their bills off which also hurts the recovery. And if you are trying to calculate the employed are you taking into account the large volume of VISA workers? Saying 90% of the people who can hold a job have one. That’s a deceptive simplification of the facts and any economist will tell you an impossible number to measure.
Again with personal greed and corruption angle? The public deserves a government that owes itself 3.2 billion in back taxes? The people deserve tax cheats and pork kings? The American public doesn’t write legislation let alone with pork in it. The only people who deserve those are the voters that keep them in office. Several people on this site have offered simple but VERY effective ways the government can have fixed and addressed the issues at large. And all have been derided for it. In addition where has Obama and congress even BEEN for the last year on this issue? Oh yeah…. Pushing healthcare that after 5 months the people turned on. The American public donates the most to ANYTHING than ANY other country on the planet. You can see that from Katrina, Haiti, Indonesian flood victims, and countries that only like us when we are giving them money and supplies. That makes us the most generous nation around. If the public has a fault it’s not focusing enough on the needy within OUR borders.
I don’t buy the passive aggressive theme in your comment. After 6 years in Seattle I’ve learned the PA very well. We are victims because we deserve it is a CROCK of BS. The only problem the American public has is being gullible enough to buy into the political BS that is constantly shoveled on them like so much snow on global warming day. What you are advocating is the surrender of the American public to the greedy, corrupt, self-serving big government. Because that’s what we deserve. I also remember you are an advocate for public shaming of people. Would you as a citizen ALSO be willing to undergo a “public shaming” should you deserve it? I don’t think so.
I call Shenanigans on that plane and simple.
With appreciation for the kind comment from Swain, I also admire and appreciate the thought content and obvious depth of sincerity embodied in Laura’s article.
‘The Way Things Ought to Be’ is, on my take, something about which people who love this country and freedom can find a lot of agreement. It is young, hopeful and pragmatic; no small feat in these times.
We are faced with a personal question illucidated by Laura’sn reply to me. I couldn’t agree more about where the fault lies personally and generationally.
Those people who founded our nation demonstrated a willingness and courage of almost unimaginable proportion for our comfortable times. Men of means risked all on commonly held ideas of right. How many of us would be willing to stake our homes, possesions and very lives on a move to thwart actions of our government instead of just complaining about them?
That’s what it is you know. Imagine police appearing at your door to arrest you because your crime of today was your liberty of yesterday.
Laura is right in that regard. Who is prepared to actually advbocate a plan of remedial action and stake their very possessions and life’s accomplishments on it? There are many whiners and few ‘high rollers.’
It is something for us all, Left and Right, to contemplate in these perilous times.
L,
Working on response, sadly time is factor.
EVERYONE ELSE,
Please read the comments section of this article! Silverwun once again shows his excellence in thought and Laura’s response is unique in it’s persuasion for her side.
The comments pale the catalyst article. A great example of why this site is so worthwhile.
J,
Curious to see what you have to say.
Silver,
Whether it started with the people or the government is like asking which came first- the chicken or the egg. But a look around, this site for starters, shows everyone looking at the government to fix their problems and the nation’s problems instead of looking in the mirror, even those who claim to so value the “individuals in charge of their own destiny” crowd. I don’t see anyone here looking at or suggesting solutions on what they as an American consumer and worker, can do to boost spending and jumpstart jobs, given that 90% of Americans who can hold a job have a job. They are asking “what is the government doing to get us out of our own mess and the mess we permitted and encouraged Wall Street to create?” Until we fix ourselves, the limited government, etc. etc. people claim to want cannot happen and the US survive it. When people lose their jobs or retire without money, where is the first place they trun? Their savings account, where they placed 3-6 months worth of household costs? No, they go on the unemployment line and the Social Security office, just like countless numbers of FCINO (thank you Carly Fiorina) have done, not looking at the fact that they are at that moment contributing to and justifying the existence of the very system they claim to hate. They stop paying their mortgage and credit card bills and look for bankruptcy and government help with mortgage programs to fix it. But they’ve got a car and a big screen TV with TiVo and wii to play with while they are on unemployment or disability. The rationale is “I paid my taxes, I deserve my share,” which is the same line uttered by their neighbor who they claim has no right to any of their tax money and is nothing but a sucking drain. But when their neighbor says it, there’s a problem.
We Americans have been able to find money to spend before…And if we were wrong in how we handled money (which we were) then this is a necessary correction that was going to happen sooner or later. The government can’t be expected to prevent or fix it if they aren’t given the power to do it ,and if they are expected to prevent or fix it then the American people need to sit back and let them do it and foot the bill. Simple as that. But for the last 50 years, Americans want their cake and to eat it too. They want prosperity and excess with as little personal responsibility as possible. They want government to do and fix every problem- until it costs them something. That has not changed, as the ones who sccream about an out of control deficit yet don’t want to pay any taxes shows. Even if the government was dissolved today and did absolutely nothing, we still would have to pay taxes just to pay for what was already spent. And some entity would have to collect it and pay the bills. And sorry, but no one is going to volunteer for that job- at least no one you would want to have that job.
“Physician, heal thyself” has never been truer for the United States as a nation, who is rapidly depleting the vast natural resources that brought it wealth and power as a nation. The Europe that the Founding Fathers rebelled against no longer exists. When the natural resources are gone and we have no one left to define ourselves AGAINST, then what are we? Look in the mirror as an American, look at your neighbors, and see the answer- try not to choke when you do. The neighbor you claim is the root of all ills is you.
About a century before the science of psychology was born, the people who designed and enacted our Constitution were experts in understanding certain propensities of our kind. They learned from history and the laments and dreams of political philosphers preceding them.
The challenge was to successfully turn the tables on the old world way of things and guarantee that the people would be the sovereigns and the government the subject; not the other way around. A Bill of Rights and a three faceted, homeostatic balance of power were built-in as a means to protect us from each other and from a centralized government that would revert to the old paradigm of government as ruler and ‘the people’ as subjects.
Generations struggled and succeeded many times to serve the spirit of that document, with the result being increased liberty and recognition of equality under the law. Somehow in spite of it all, we lost the momentum and now are finding ourselves to be ruled. We are subjects and most of the protections assured in the Bill of Rights that we have left are being trumped by illegitimate use of congressional and executive power. ‘The common good’ is no longer something defined ensured and pursued by individuals but something determined from above and dictated to us as subjects of a centralized government run by an unholy alliance of party loyal intellectuals and the interests of banking and industry. Political parties and the press are so thoroughly corrupted that nothing short of political revolution can reverse the trend.
A fifth of our ‘enlightened electorate’ is functionally illiterate. Another fifth reads little more than product labels and tabloids at supermarket check-out stands. Another fifth or more is addicted to substances or behaviors that readily distract them narcissistically mining endorphins. Then we have the tremendous prison population, the mentally-ill and the homeless. Even considering the overlap, the picture is pretty bleak.
You state that we are a nation of individuals Laura. I agree that we were. Individuals are a waning minority. We were once a living, evolving nation and society of unicultural inclusiveness. Now we are a fractured society of multi-cultural exclusiveness. Individuals have been planned out and replaced by an officially supported enclave mentality. We no longer assimilating into an amalgam, but into ‘communities’ with divergent interests and reciprocal fears which are manipulated to serve consolidation of power.
Hope for the future acted upon by individual endeavor was once shared in common by our people. For a sensible young person today to maintain a hopeful future must be something like the proverbial ‘whistling as one passes the graveyard.’
The party is over. The youngsters are enjoying some of the dessert. Most have only known dessert. They haven’t a clue about the avalanche of dirty dishes that awaits them after we leave of the landlord who will be showing up for the rent.
Laura,
Rarely have I had such a good response to my views. The points you have made require an article. Rarely do my conservative fellows take the time to think of the points you’ve made. “Some” are hard and valid.
I need to give time and thought before I answer them in a short article form. Too often we conservatives choose to avoid or quickly dismiss the issues you mention.
You are right, however I see things in a different context. Perhaps I can persuade you a little bit if I take the time to chew one the bone of truth that you’ve tossed.
Article forth coming.
Good morning Consti. Nice to see that things haven’t changed and there are some things I can count on in this world…
J,
The Founding Fathers were decidedly liberal, but, while I don’t think it is quite so inconsequential as they seemed to think it is, the Bill of Rights was an afterthought tacked onto the Constitution as a bow to “special interests.” The Founders were imperfect men who also struggled with right and wrong, and what was and is the “common good.” Most of those men in that room KNEW that slavery was wrong (even ones like TJ that owned them and exploited them,) and that inalienable rights belonged to all men (and they took MEN literally,) yet they did not abolish slavery. They bowed to the economic pressure of the South, who needed the cheap labor for their very survival and the North to feed the mills that were part of the indpendance movement away from foreign British goods. They knew they could not get the Constitution passed with an Abolitionist clause. Later on, those same men and their children, all free men, justified this inequity in order to avoid civil war a few decades earlier by LEGALLY making blacks less than a man (the three-fifths compromise) while choosing to ignore women altogether.
Things were NEVER as cut and dry as you would like them to be, the Founding Fathers were not nearly as noble as you would wish and the concepts of right and wrong, and under what circumstances they can be compromised, are not nearly as clear. I gave some examples- there are plenty more. If life is the most fundamental right granted to all men, then why do we praise murderers every time we praise a veteran? I’m sure that will be taken that I am anti-veteran, but I’m not. I am making the point that there are no absolutes and if there are then they need to be absolute. The Declaration of Independance does not place boundaries on men as far national origin- it says ALL MEN are created equal. Then how is it that the right to life of men, women and children, including innocent civilians, are suddenly negotiable because they live in a foreign country? Please make sure you tell all tourists who pay good money to visit here that the second they enter our country they are no longer considered men. I think you might find it puts a crimp in tourism…but criminals who prey on tourists will LOVE you for it.
No one can have everything, so you make judgement calls and the best rule you can go by is to safeguard the rights of all as best you can while infringing upon the rights of the individual as little as possible…THAT was my point.
Laura,
Good to see another well thought article from the progressive mind of a true liberal.
I had a brief stay in London a few years back. I personally loved the weather, 40-50 degrees and fog so thick you couldn’t see 50 feet ahead in the early morning.
I bring this up because it reminds me of the progressive thought of a purest. Ideologically walking down a cobble street road of good intentions, surrounded by a cool blanket of comforting fog, curious what is coming around the next bend. Your route quite dependant upon what you see in the next ten feet. Walking with expectancy of what will come next, exciting and new.
Sadly, you don’t see that the path you take is an old and established road, well known to those who have studied the streets. You want a new route, a new experience and I understand that.
I love the sentiment, it draws many. But, I prefer to use a map. Those who have gone before us made one. It has been tested and is true. Not a living document to change, for the path remains the same.
That map that alludes the seekers is our Constitution, created by the map makers, Our Founding Fathers. It is a simple map. Created for the common man. Intellectuals often try to change, add and re-draw, but it is quite perfect in it’s simplicity.
Oh yes, and the map they used to draw this wonderful map, the foundational principles found in the Judea Christian tradition, where their right and wrong found an adequate compass.
Good to spar with you once again Laura, I respect a good heart and a well fought point of view.
The common good? Again with the common good? Who’s common good? Who decides who’s common good is good for us all? Democracy? This is a republic, not a democracy. If it were a true democracy we would all get to vote on ALL legislation and there would be no need for congressional representation. Common good. That’s a sham for when someone wants to take control of a situation to fit there needs. Read the article I wrote “For the greater good.”
So if my greater good includes Muslim law should Christians be held to that law? If the greater good called for Muslim law we would be talking about capital punishment (beheadings) and cutting the hands off of thieves. Muslim are the most populated religion on the planet so since there are more Muslims that anyone else wouldn’t that be “the greater good?” The greater good is a weak argument since no one can say WHO’s greater good is the right one.
Welcome back Laura. I thought you were done with people who disagreed with you. Or you just shilling for Jfesta’s new blog?