Say It Ain't So Already

The Sobering Reality of the Future of the United States

December 11, 2010 at 10:56 AM 3 comments

Here is a frank assessment by James K. Galbraith of the precipice the United States is on.  It ain’t pretty but he offers words of wisdom and hope that are comforting, to me least, because I’m one who likes to live life with my eyes wide open.

His conclusion:

…[I]n the long run we need to recognize that the fate of the entire country is at stake. Its governance can’t be entrusted indefinitely to incompetents, hacks, and lobbyists. Large countries can and do fail, they have done so in our own time. And the consequences are very grave: drastic declines in services, in living standards, in life expectancies, huge increases in social tension, in repression, and in violence. These are the consequences of following through with crackpot ideas such as those embodied in the Bowles-Simpson deficit commission, as Jeff Madrick again outlined, such notions as putting arbitrary limits on the scale of government, or arbitrary limits on the top tax rate affecting the wealthiest Americans.

This isn’t a parlor game. The outcome isn’t destined to be alright. It will not necessarily end in progress whatever happens. What we do, how we proceed, and how we effectively resist what is plainly about to happen, matters very greatly for the future of our country, of our children, and of another generation to come. We need to lose our fear, our hesitation, and our unwillingness to face the facts. If we thereby lose some of our hopes, let’s remember the dictum of William of Orange that “it is not necessary to hope in order to persevere.”

The President should know that, as Lincoln said to the Congress in the dark winter of 1862, he “cannot escape history.” And we are heading now into a very dark time, so let’s face it with eyes open. And if we must, let’s seek leadership that shares our values, fights for our principles, and deserves our trust.

Entry filed under: America for Sale, Corporatocracy, Democrats, Including Blue Dogs & "Liberals", Dumbed Down, Financial Crisis, Our Tax Dollars, Progressives, We the People. Tags: .