Feeling safer? A significant majority of Americans believe the nation is headed in the wrong direction. Consumer confidence is hitting new lows. It is not just a staggering economy, or national security or energy or the environment, health, insurance and education: the next president of the United States is inheriting a gargantuan mess.
Over a long period of time--not just the Bush terms--representative democracy has been deformed. That is the scariest part of the mess: it is a massive challenge to know where to start untangling it.
Wrap up all the appeals to fear, all the trillions of dollars of toxic mortgage debt quietly foisted by financial institutions onto the backs of taxpayers (while executives walk from the carnage with billions in fees and compensation), even the treasure squandered in pursuit of oil security in the Mideast: to my mind, none is as serious as the fact that hiring at the Department of Justice has been calibrated to ideological affiliation.
This is the truest picture of the abyss.
And not just DOJ: the US EPA, the Department of Interior, the US Department of Commerce, name your federal agency and take your pick: the legacy of the Bush White House is the insertion of ideologues in the operation of the federal government.
The next administration should immediately launch a massive overhaul in standards and practices for political appointments and senior management ranks of federal agencies. To represent the public at the highest levels of government should require the best and the brightest, not political flunkies, ideologues and industry lobbyists for the regulated taking their turn at the revolving door with regulators.
The presidential candidate with the best plan to do that will get my vote.
3 comments:
When are we going to have some discussion on the County Budget???
I believe that the next President should fire every political appointee and start over. Even if it means rehiring those few who are competent and non-political. And yes the erosion of democracy in this country is even more important than our one County.
I guarantee you that if Obama-longa-Ding-a-long is elected. Our problems will be solved overnight according to the media.
Iraq will now be a successs (HE IS NOT PULLING TROOPS OUT and comments he made recently reflect a moderation of his earlier positions).
The economy is in a cycle and it will pull through and it will be much stronger for it.
Yes, we have problems, but our standard of living is the best in human history. If you doubt that go and take a look at how we spend our weekends in South Florida. In the mall, at the beach, boating on the water, responding to dumb conventional wisdom written by bloggers online.
The good news about Obama being elected is that on January 20th, I can travel the world and I as a US citizens will be loved again.
Under George Bush the world witholding their affection to me personally has seems to have been dependent on this man in the White House.
Once the Messiah is inaguarted I can walk the streets of Madrid or Cologne and instantly feel the love from my fellow world citizens.
It will be an exciting time until Obama informs the world it is vital that we stay in Iraq or we have to join Israel and bomb Iran.
Reality has a weird way ruining our fantasies!
Post a Comment