We have been told before about times that try our souls. We have been told that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. We have been told that what we obtain too cheap, we esteem to lightly. I am here to say that we have forgotten those words.
In our defense, Thomas Paine told us these words over 230 years ago. And in the meantime, America has succeeded beyond his wildest dream. We have entered many a crisis and through our own ingenuity and perseverance we have emerged bloodied, but unbowed to stand victoriously on the other side.
Now, our souls are tried once more. This time instead of being under siege from a cruel and burdensome English yoke, our crisis is far more complicated. We have military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. We have a healthcare system that is insufficient for our country’s needs. We have an energy predicament that seems to have no immediate solutions. We have people losing their houses to unwieldy mortgages. We have a national debt that is so large that no one can truly comprehend the number without holding an advanced degree. We have an aging country with a social security system that will be insolvent if it maintains its current course of action. We have problems and these are just a few.
In the most recent of days the world has been engulfed by a financial crisis staggering in its totality. On Wednesday, the Nikkei 225 dropped over 9%, the Hang Seng was down over 7%, and French and German indexes were down over 3%. This all followed a Dow Jones loss of over 5% on Tuesday. The world’s financial markets are burning and no one can find the water.
There is a vacuum where there should be a fiscal leader. No one has stepped up and said this is the problem and this is the solution. I have heard that so and so is the problem and we think this will help the situation. We deserve better.
America has made sacrifices before and we will need to make some right now before this financial crisis overwhelms our country and the world. Yet, most of the plans I am hearing are for levies to hold back a flood. When what we need to do is move the entire river. Thomas Paine wrote, “If there is trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.” Someone needs to tell our leaders we are in the next great American crisis. Trouble has come and unless everyone assumes the burden trouble will visit our children’s children.
Bill Doyle, Massachusetts
10/6/08
On The American Nobility
A paradox exists within our government that makes me question the system we have established. We want and need the best and brightest individuals in this country to be our leaders. This necessitates that we pay them a fair and honest wage. Along with other benefits, the President of The United States is paid $400,000 annually. Senators and congressmen make just under $170,000 plus benefits. Majority and minority leaders and the speaker of the house make even more. For all that we expect of our representatives, I believe that this is a fair wage. They may even deserve more with all that is required of the offices they hold.
However, the average American household income in 2007 was just over $50,000. The average senator makes more than triple the average American family. They also receive a pension and healthcare with their office, which is much more than the average American family can say. It is tough to expect men of such wealth and stature to truly understand the plight of the people they are sworn to represent. I have a hard time believing that all of our leaders know the price of a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. Do you think they clip coupons out of the Sunday paper? Frankly, the way our government is set up, they shouldn’t have to. They are far too busy and their time is far too valuable. Their position inherently means that they are not like the people the represent.
Many of our leaders weren’t average Americans even before they took office. Arnold Schwarzenegger was Mr. Olympia and a box office sensation long before he was the governor of California. Bill Bradley won an NBA championship with the New York Knicks before he became a senator for New Jersey. The list of the rich and famous that have ran for or held office is quite long. Steve Largent, Sonny Bono, Al Franken, Jack Kemp, Ronald Reagan, Fred Thompson, Jesse Ventura, Tom Osborne, Gerald Ford, Richard Petty, have all run for or held a prominent position in our government. That is just naming a few. While some of these men may be famous for being a politician, they were also well known before running for office. How can they truly understand the plight of their constituency? While they made their living as actors and sports stars, the average American wakes up and grinds for a living. They are as different as night and day.
The American people expect that their government be full of the upper echelon of society. The best of the best. However, they also expect that their representatives also understand the plight of the common man. Unfortunately, these two traits are not often found in the same man. The scarcity of this type of man should be a sign to everyone that the system we have set up has a grave flaw that needs to be remedied urgently. Can there ever be a government where the power given to those elected does not create a new class, a new way of life, a new person?
Bill Doyle, Massachusetts
However, the average American household income in 2007 was just over $50,000. The average senator makes more than triple the average American family. They also receive a pension and healthcare with their office, which is much more than the average American family can say. It is tough to expect men of such wealth and stature to truly understand the plight of the people they are sworn to represent. I have a hard time believing that all of our leaders know the price of a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. Do you think they clip coupons out of the Sunday paper? Frankly, the way our government is set up, they shouldn’t have to. They are far too busy and their time is far too valuable. Their position inherently means that they are not like the people the represent.
Many of our leaders weren’t average Americans even before they took office. Arnold Schwarzenegger was Mr. Olympia and a box office sensation long before he was the governor of California. Bill Bradley won an NBA championship with the New York Knicks before he became a senator for New Jersey. The list of the rich and famous that have ran for or held office is quite long. Steve Largent, Sonny Bono, Al Franken, Jack Kemp, Ronald Reagan, Fred Thompson, Jesse Ventura, Tom Osborne, Gerald Ford, Richard Petty, have all run for or held a prominent position in our government. That is just naming a few. While some of these men may be famous for being a politician, they were also well known before running for office. How can they truly understand the plight of their constituency? While they made their living as actors and sports stars, the average American wakes up and grinds for a living. They are as different as night and day.
The American people expect that their government be full of the upper echelon of society. The best of the best. However, they also expect that their representatives also understand the plight of the common man. Unfortunately, these two traits are not often found in the same man. The scarcity of this type of man should be a sign to everyone that the system we have set up has a grave flaw that needs to be remedied urgently. Can there ever be a government where the power given to those elected does not create a new class, a new way of life, a new person?
Bill Doyle, Massachusetts
10/4/08
On The Resolute & Infirm
There is a certain regard we give to our elected officials if they are unswerving in their convictions. This holds true whether their convictions are in the right or in error. We celebrate the steadfast leader with his unblinking gaze and disdain the leader who flip-flops or waffles.
John F. Kennedy and his handling of the Cuban missile crisis is a sound example of a president who was unyielding in assuredness. He initiated a policy of surveillance and quarantine of Cuba, which proved an unqualified success. He is and should be celebrated for the firm direction he provided America in a tumultuous time.
In contrast, Woodrow Wilson would be considered a flip-flopper by abandoning his isolationist policies and entering World War I in 1917 with current logic. Now you may say, “Well, the situation changed which necessitated American involvement.” That is precisely my point.
Many situations are fluid and demand a policy as dynamic as the circumstances themselves. With modern communication channels and a leap in technological innovation over the last three decades that is nearly incomprehensible, this dynamism is possible. However, we continue to vilify the flexible leader. In these situations, the circumstances should dictate the course of action and not the other way around.
There are absolutes in this world and our nation has laws and policies that reflect this. On the other hand, circumstances arise which force the hand of our leaders. Obviously, we also have leaders in this country who change their personal stances in order to gain votes or appease lobbyists. This is a subject for another time.
It is absurd to continue to malign our leaders who have realized their errors in judgment and have amended their stances on certain issues. We all have made grave errors that we wish we could undo. Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia has been in office since 1959 and is the longest-serving senator ever. This is a man who filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and in 2004 received an approval rating of 100% from the NAACP. In certain situations, changes to policy are not only prudent, but also essential.
Enough of the unblinking, statuesque figures that need only their convictions to support them. No more of the flip-flopping, wafflers who can’t decide on what their favorite color is, let alone a national platform. Let us hear what our leaders believe and why. No more. No less.
-Bill Doyle, Massachusetts
John F. Kennedy and his handling of the Cuban missile crisis is a sound example of a president who was unyielding in assuredness. He initiated a policy of surveillance and quarantine of Cuba, which proved an unqualified success. He is and should be celebrated for the firm direction he provided America in a tumultuous time.
In contrast, Woodrow Wilson would be considered a flip-flopper by abandoning his isolationist policies and entering World War I in 1917 with current logic. Now you may say, “Well, the situation changed which necessitated American involvement.” That is precisely my point.
Many situations are fluid and demand a policy as dynamic as the circumstances themselves. With modern communication channels and a leap in technological innovation over the last three decades that is nearly incomprehensible, this dynamism is possible. However, we continue to vilify the flexible leader. In these situations, the circumstances should dictate the course of action and not the other way around.
There are absolutes in this world and our nation has laws and policies that reflect this. On the other hand, circumstances arise which force the hand of our leaders. Obviously, we also have leaders in this country who change their personal stances in order to gain votes or appease lobbyists. This is a subject for another time.
It is absurd to continue to malign our leaders who have realized their errors in judgment and have amended their stances on certain issues. We all have made grave errors that we wish we could undo. Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia has been in office since 1959 and is the longest-serving senator ever. This is a man who filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and in 2004 received an approval rating of 100% from the NAACP. In certain situations, changes to policy are not only prudent, but also essential.
Enough of the unblinking, statuesque figures that need only their convictions to support them. No more of the flip-flopping, wafflers who can’t decide on what their favorite color is, let alone a national platform. Let us hear what our leaders believe and why. No more. No less.
-Bill Doyle, Massachusetts
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