I typically do not write about current politics, certainly not in the vein of endorsing support of one candidate or political party. In general, over the past 20-30 years, I feel that both current parties have strayed very far from the ideals of the Founders, and if you are a consistent reader, then you know I believe the Founders of the USA were generally brilliant, creating an experiment that should not tampered with. The values of those created the country set in motion what became our success; in this moment, I don’t merely mean the few men who signed our most famous documents, but rather I mean the 2-3 million people who carved out the country on the EAstern Seaboard, and then who subsequently put into action the values they understood of hard work, honesty, shared governance, community, Christian expression, economic freedom and a few other core attributes. Neither current party really understands our history, not based on their actions, and I haven’t voted for any winning President in almost 20 years (I have faithfully voted each election).
But as we come close to the end of this election cycle, I have found it harder and harder to stay silent. Most recently, my daughter asked my wife some questions based on misinformation she was given by an Internet friend. Thus, these next few blog posts will be an explanation about what is really at stake, what is really being asked of us as voters. With the two political conventions over, I think it is now clear that both political parties have demonstrated that they are talking about two distinct different plans for the country.
Both candidates (President Obama and Governor Romney) are out in front saying that they plan to strengthen the Middle Class. So, we’ve got that covered…both plan to make the middle class a happier class, probably a wealthier class…yet clearly how either party plans to get there remains the choice before us as a nation.
President Obama recently came out with a strong TV commercial, one that I saw actually before the conventions, called “The Choice.” I think it is one of the most clear statements the President has made in a long time. We indeed are facing a major choice in the election. That we are facing this choice should be of no surprise to my readers. Back in August, I pointed out that the pattern to the coming great crisis had one core aspect, the notion that a philosophical divide eventually splits the country to the point that there is no compromise possible. The President’s commercial makes this point exactly. Give it a listen:
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The President is right; it is a choice, but are we clear about what the choice entails? I mean, it’s not like the one guy is saying, “my plan is to kill kittens, and that will strengthen the Middle Class” and the other guy is talking about something to do with taxes or energy independence. In that case, everyone could tell the difference there between the two choices. This choice is much more subtle, but of so very critical to our national future success.
President Obama’s “The Choice” ad lays it out pretty clearly. He states that the Republicans plan is to “cut taxes for folks at the very top, roll back regulations on big banks, and he [Romney] says that if we do, the economy will grow and everyone will benefit.”
So, what does it mean to cut taxes “at the very top”? Well, to be clear, as I understand the Republican plan, they actually want to cut taxes for everyone, including those at the top. The Democrats want to raise taxes on everyone, and certainly on those at the very top. There is a possibility that the Democrats won’t raise taxes on those making less than a certain amount, with the range proposed being everything from $250,000 down to $75,000 (meaning, if you made more than $75,000, your taxes would go up). We’ll leave this issue alone of whether they would or would not raise taxes, but historically, government has rarely ONLY raised taxes on the rich. We were first promised that the Income Tax would ONLY be on the very wealthy, but at last check, in 2012 EVERYONE has something removed from their paychecks by F.I.T and F.I.C.A. So, even if a large percentage gets it all back, during the year, everyone has to pay the Income tax, unlike the promise made by Congress. And, since the wealthy (individuals and businesses) own most of the businesses, once their personal taxes go up, they raise the prices on the goods and services they own in order to meet those taxes….meaning, even if taxes were only raised on the wealthy, the middle class and poor would still feel the economic pinch.
So why does it matter about taxes? Well, this connects to an unstated issue of the election—who will be able to create new jobs, who will be able to repair the economy?
Both candidates & parties claim that they will strengthen the Middle class, and promise more jobs. Who is correct? Let’s be clear…neither party nor their leaders can see the future, so we can only really take a guess based on history. As is often stated, it seems history repeats itself, and the wise understand that happens because people forget to learn the lessons. Sadly, enough time goes by and before long, those making the decisions are unaware of what was done before.
So, to the point….most of us feel like the #1 issue in front of us is the economy. When President Obama was elected, not only did he bash President Bush for international failures that he, Obama, was going to change—NOTE, HE DID NOT CHANGE ANYTHING—but he, Obama, ALSO based President Bush for the poor economy. So, he promised he would fix our economy.
For the next two years, with a Democrat Congress behind him, Obama could not and did not make a dent in the economy. Make sure this is clear—the Democrats controlled Congress, both Houses. Now, things simply are not better. So, as we consider both parties promises to strengthen the middle class, we have to wonder why we should believe that the President has a magic hat to pull a rabbit out of.
The more fundamental question is “Do more jobs come from more government or less government?” Recognize, that more or less government is really more or less taxes. Or, if it does NOT mean taxes, then it means less or more debt on the country. And, the core issue is which was will create more work, more jobs? In my next blog posts, we’ll dig deeper into where jobs come from and whether this thing about regulations matters or not. For now, think about this–the point for you and I should be to look for whoever has a plan to lift higher the values of whatever made us successful in the start of the country. Sure, it’s a different world now than the 1790s, so I am not suggesting we go back to horse, carriages, slavery or women not voting. But there is that consistent list of values that drove the early Americans, and if those values and choices, actions, mores and opinions were the “secret sauce” of our success, then there isn’t really any good reason to not value them still.