It’s confusing at best trying to follow the debate over the economy these days. Democrats blame Bush and his regime; Republicans point out that Congress has been in Democrat control for a while now (though Bush seems to enjoy his veto power) or somehow blame the current situation on President Clinton. And of course President Reagan (God rest his soul) is still getting cussed for his economic principles.
Who loses when our politicians debate the economy? Yep, you guessed it . . . we do! College professors like me as well as “Joe 6-pack” (which I resemble from time to time).
A top McCain aide is quoted as saying:
“It’s a dangerous road, but we have no choice,” a top McCain strategist told the Daily News. “If we keep talking about the economic crisis, we’re going to lose.”
Is it really fair to title an article that way? Not really. Of course if either campaign really spends a LOT of time on the economic crisis, the risks might outweigh the benefits. Really it probably depends on how well the world and US markets do in this last quarter of 2008. How low can it go? Let’s not ask that question aloud.
Anyway, I just think it’s a bit unfair to suggest that McCain would LOSE if he talks about the economy. Republicans tend to support deregulation and trickle-down economics. Are they evil for this? No, it’s their philosophy. I’m not sure how philosophy in and of itself is evil. Are the Democrats immune from the “debate” over the current state of the economy? Surely no one thinks as much. Our current predicament is wrath inflicted from multiple sources – the “fed,” Wall Street, Main Street, politicians, you and me, bankers, borrowers, and the like. We’ve been groomed to believe that we deserve to live in $300,000 homes when we can’t really even afford a $100,000 investment. Our parents bought their first homes when a house cost a couple of years of salary… that is not the case nowadays.
It would be so nice to find some sources out there that were truly objective. Why does everything have to polarize? What good does that do? Are all issues black & white? Is it all that simple?
If wishes were horses I’d have flown to Pluto by now . . .
1 Comment
October 6, 2008 at 9:56 pm
I was reviewing some of the blogs and came across with yours. Very well written.
I wish time was a local phenomenon. This would allow us to stop the time in one county, city, or country and isolate the issues, devastations, and crisis in that local area. Time would never be visible to others, never global. Economic crisis will not be contagious, a crisis in wall street will not spread in to main street.
Lovely dream. Yep…