By Isaac Yetiv, Ph.D
LA JOLLA, California — “When the Athenians wanted not to give to Society but Society to give them…, when they wished freedom FROM responsibility, then the Athenians ceased to be free.” (Edward Gibbon: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire)
Two scores ago, I became, by choice, a U.S. citizen. No, it was not for material pursuit; nor was I seeking refuge from persecution.
As a student of the American political system, which I saw as the source of the success and prosperity of the United States, I marveled at the wisdom of the Founding Fathers who concocted a genial system of government that became the envy of the world and a magnet to millions of people from all continents. I admired the checks-and-balances that prevent concentration of power in a few hands, the separation of powers learned from Montesquieu and improved upon, the separation of church and state, the rule of law, the protection of minorities and the rights of individuals in a very open society, all enshrined in revered documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution,the Bill of Rights, and others.
But for a multitude of reasons, breaches and fault lines appeared in the shining armor of he Republic and are now threatening democracy and the very fabric of our society. Today there is an ominous disconnect between the people and their elected officials. A majority of citizens do not trust their government and less than half participate in the elections.
President Kennedy’s famous admonition, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country'” has been turned on its head. There is a proliferation of groups and organizations that claim very loudly their “entitlement” to money and services, and a corresponding number of onerous, inefficient, and wasteful government programs to satisfy their demands.
The only raison d’etre of the elected representatives is to get re-elected. That explains their largesse in delving in the public treasury, taxing, and borrowing, to “redistribute the wealth.”
The federal government has become the sugar daddy of the world (not only America) and its hated international policeman, two very expensive and thankless propositions. No wonder why, once the largest creditor in the world, the U.S. has become its largest debtor.
This year, our annual deficit is close to 1.5 trillions, and our accumulated national debt is close to 14 trillions (14, 000,000,000,000 ! !) or about 46,000 dollars per person, and growing because we continue to borrow and spend, to borrow and give away, which makes us economically and politically dependent on other nations and, as a consequence, militarily weaker, which endangers our national security.
Vital issues have been neglected for decades by the White House and Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, and left to fester and worsen, again because of the fear of the elected officials to antagonize and alienate this or that special interest group and lose their votes. What was difficult has become almost intractable, and kicking the can along the road is no longer an option.
I hereby distinguish between what is called “third rail issues” (by analogy with the high voltage third rail of the electric train that kills anyone who touches it) and regular issues that a debate and vote could easily resolve by the rule of the majority.
Let us be real : There are five “third-rail issues” that no Democrats alone or Republicans alone will touch with a ten-foot pole. The responsibility for the needed hard decisions must be shared by both parties. How can we effect this tour de force? I will here attempt a proposal of a solution, to my knowledge unheard before:
I hereby propose that the President and the leaders of both parties in Congress appoint five agreed-upon Commissions of non-partisan (not bi-partisan ! ) experts who will tackle them in-depth and come back with an optimal solution that will be debated like any law, and a resolution obtained, with the extreme urgency.
Here is a list of the five “third-rail-issues” followed by the enumeration of the most urgent “regular issues.” I will later in the future discuss and propose solutions to a select few among them:
1) Reform, and simplification, or replacement of the 64,000 pages “Tax Code” that was justifiably called “an abomination.”
2) Review the “entitlements” (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare etc…) that are already insolvent and which, when 78 million of babyboomers become eligible soon, will bankrupt the country (according to GAO Director Walker.)
3) The Health Care System Law, which was passed against the will of the majority of the American people, thanks to shameful arm-twisting, threats and bribes, and on strict partisan lines, needs to be reassessed by the non-partisan commission, and resubmitted for a debate and a vote.
4) The arduous problem of immigration with millions of illegal aliens that the nation can neither swallow nor regurgitate.
5) The annual deficit and the national debt, as mentioned above, that mortgage our national security. A balanced budget constitutional amendment may be needed to force governments at all levels to”live within their means” and spend no more than their revenues.
We should start paying back the national debt, and substantially reduce the trade deficit with other countries until it is balanced.
Here are the most urgent “regular issues” that do not need the non-partisan commissions: limit the electoral campaigns’ time, spending and financing; abolish, by law, all earmarks and “pork;” achieve energy independence in 5 years; ban lobbying of retired elected officials prior to 5 years after leaving the government; close obsolete foreign US bases; stop and reverse the de-industrialization of America and repatriate the millions of jobs; encourage the study of math and science and discourage others like law for example; give foreign aid to allies and friends only; end foreign wars now and multiply defense capacity on home front; reform the tort system; reassess our relationship to the UN; enforce the 10th amendment and limit the federal government to the functions enumerated in the Constitution.
These lists are by no means exhaustive but I limited myself to what is statistically desirable for the majority of Americans (70 to 80 %), having in mind Edmund Burke’s criterion of “the greatest good for the greatest number of people.” The Tea Party revolt limited itself to excessive spending and deficits and national debts. Here, I add to them some “rules of the game” that need to be changed too.
No change will come from the beneficiaries of the present system, special interests, takers, and politicians. It must come from the rank-and-file, as it did with the Tea Party. In fact, I envisage a Tea Party enlarged, which I would call “S.O.S. America,” that will force the powers that be to do the will of the people in the interest of the whole nation.
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Yetiv is a freelance writer based in La Jolla.