The bad news about reforming America: time is our enemy

Larry Kummer, Editor

11 years ago

Summary: America has many people interested in reforming its politics and government. But not enough. And ever fewer as the Republic weakens, and the cost of opposing the government increases — and the risk taking the extreme measures necessary becomes severe. Every day these trends dig deeper tracks into our society. Time is our enemy.

The times they are a-changin’…
— Bob Dylan, The Times They Are A-Changin’, 1964

Content of this post

Time is our enemy
The evolving form of the Republic
Beyond the Republic
Other posts in this series
For More Information

(1) Time is our enemy

Ask me for anything but time.
— Aphorism attributed to Napoleon

Many posts on the FM website have spoken of the need to reform America’s political system, as the Second Republic (under the Constitution) appears to be dying. The first post in this series discussed a possible cause, the unwillingness of Americans to bear the burden of self-government (which includes working to retain control of the State). The second post looked at possible solutions. Here we examine the bad news: how much time do we have? My guess: not long.

Our weakness invites others to take the tiller of America. The nation must be governed — we must be governed — and someone else will take the controls if we find the burden of responsibility too great. It is happening right now.

The Tea Party Movement shows how easily the vital part of the American political spectrum — the Right — can be mobilized. With some seed money, lavish media support from Fox News, slack coverage from the rest of the news media — and a new political force emerged. Rank and file Republicans reforged into GOP shock troops to change their party and pull the center of US politics further to the right. The Tea Party movement was born opposing the Bush-Obama bank bailouts, then led to become supporters of pro-bank legislators. They were fanatical supporters of the Constitution, led to become its wreckers (excerpt for select detritus, such as parts of the First and Second Amendments).

Similarly, the Left was easily reforged from fanatical opponents of Bush Jr and all his policies — into the bedrock on which Obama has institutionalized the economic and national security policies of Bush Jr.

Both Left and Right were easily manipulated. I suspect that our disinterest and passivity in response to the revelations about NSA surveillance has been seen and understood. We can expect bolder, faster action in the future — taking us to a New America.

Time is our enemy.

(2) The evolving form of the Republic

Nature abhors a vacuum.
— Proposition 15 from Ethics Geometrically Demonstrated by Baruch Spinoza (1677)

Few realize how quickly the political center of the US has shifted. The accomplishments of President Nixon would make him a liberal today. Having a Democratic Party presidential candidates as far Left as Hubert Humphrey or George McGovern seems impossible today. Libertarianism, once a fringe political philosophy, has colonized both parties (this also shows the decline of Christianity as a vital force in our society).

Rising inequality of wealth and income (see #8 here) leads to concentration of political power. Our elites then use their power to further concentrate income. Rand Paul proposed revising the Federal tax structure to shift more of the burden from the rich to the middle class. GOP governors Scott Walker in Wisconsin and Bobbie Jindal of Louisiana have made proposals to do the same in their States.

Ahead lies more changes. Faster changes as positive feedback drives us down the slippery slope. Cuts to the social safety net. More tears to the Voting Rights Act (already under attack in many States, this week gutted by the Supreme Court). More power and reach to the security services (no longer accurately called “law enforcement”). Greater inequality of income, wealth, and political power. Less social mobility. More institutionalization of High, Middle, and Low justice.

(3) Beyond the Republic

The throne is never vacant
— Russian aphorism

I sense an almost tangible yearning among the American people for a leader. Many held great hopes for Bush Jr and Obama, delusional hopes unfounded on their pre-election history. But time will find a strong leader for us, but not necessarily one willing to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.” In the Secret Service he already has a Praetorian Guard. When he ascends we will be ready to cheer.

Who might we turn to? Who will we trust? Let’s look for clues in the Gallup Confidence in Institutions poll, conducted annually since 1973 (categories vary over time). Only two institutions still have our respect. Perhaps we’ll go the traditional path to tyranny.

Average percent of people saying they have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in each institution:

Years	Military	Court	Congress	President	Police	Medical	Criminal Justice Syst
2010 – 2012	76%	37%	12%	36%	57%	40%	28%
2000 – 2009	74%	43%	22%	43%	59%	39%	26%
1990 – 1999	68%	46%	23%	46%	57%	39%	20%
1980 – 1989	58%	50%	33%
1973 – 1979	56%	46%	39%