It’s the Morality, Stupid!
Filed under Culture, News on August 9th, 2011 by Michael L. BrownIt was political strategist James Carville who coined the now-famous phrase that helped catapult Bill Clinton to the presidency, incessantly reminding him that, “It’s the economy, stupid.” Any candidate seeking to unseat President Obama in the 2012 elections will surely follow this same strategy.
After all, the economy is in shambles and Americans are fed up with the latest congressional efforts to reduce the deficit. Unemployment is nearing epidemic proportions, gasoline prices are outrageous, spending is out of control, and for the first time, our national credit rating has been downgraded. Worse still, if foreign money was pulled out of our economy, we would have a massive, coast to coast collapse.
Political pundits commonly warn candidates, especially Republican candidates, that voters today are not as concerned with social and moral issues as much as they are concerned with the economy. In that respect, Carville’s sage advice to Clinton is nothing new. After all, Hebert Hoover’s 1928 campaign slogan was, “A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage.” Has anything really changed since 1928 in terms of what Americans care about the most?
Surely, it still is “the economy, stupid.” Or is it? Could it be that there’s more to the story? Could it be that we make a serious and fundamental mistake when we separate economic issues from moral issues? Could it be that we are often treating the symptoms rather than the cause? There was bipartisan disgust as the nation watched the president and both political parties wrangling over a solution to the current financial crisis, and in the end, all we got was a very small, largely ineffective band aid. As one political cartoonist depicted it, the congressional “solution” was like slowing down the speed with which the Titanic was sinking.
Across party lines, there was a feeling that we were not really getting to the root of the problem, but few, if any were suggesting that it is impossible to separate economics from morality. Eventually, our moral choices will have a definite and direct impact on the money (or lack thereof) in our pockets.
A successful businessman recently suggested to me that some of the roots of our economic problems include:
1) Instant gratification. It was Jim Morrison of the Doors who once proclaimed, “We want the world and we want it now!” That was 1967. Today, we really want it now (as in “instant”; think “messaging” and “downloading” and more). If I want it, I will find a way to get it, and I will get it now. Yes, it’s true that I’m out of work, but I will get that iPad, I will be at the movie theatre this weekend, and I will find a way to buy the latest, trendy threads. Thank God for credit cards!
2) We have become consumers rather than producers. One website claims that, “Americans constitute 5% of the world’s population but consume 24% of the world’s energy. On average, one American consumes as much energy as 2 Japanese, 6 Mexicans, 13 Chinese, 31 Indians, 128 Bangladeshis, 307 Tanzanians, 370 Ethiopians.” And, “Americans throw out 200,000 tons of edible food daily, enough to feed 3 third world countries.” Of course, some of this has to do with the fact that we have a lot more at our disposal than, say, the average Ethiopian. But a lot of this also has to do with our selfishness, greed, and lack of discipline. Do our political leaders dare address those issues?
3) The breakdown of the family. Two generations into the sexual revolution (which has brought us to the point of sexual anarchy), and two generations into no-fault divorce, the “traditional family unit” is an increasingly threatened species, and at a high economic cost to our society. Author Frank Turek points out that kids raised by their mom and dad are: “a. Seven times less likely to live in poverty; b. Six times less likely to commit suicide; c. Less than half as likely to commit crime; d. Less than half as likely to become pregnant out of wedlock; e. Develop better academically and socially; f. [Are] healthier physically and emotionally when they reach adulthood.” You had better believe the breakdown of the family has massive economic implications.
4) Abortion. With all the concerns about Social Security defaulting, very few leaders are talking about the 800 pound gorilla missing from the room, namely, multiplied millions of working Americans who are not here to pay into the system and contribute to the economy because their lives were cut short in the womb. Yes, there is an economic consequence to abortion as well.
Perhaps, then, it would be wise for political candidates who really care about what’s best for America to change their slogan to, “It’s the morality, stupid.” Or is this slogan too true to be good?
Michael Brown is host of the daily, syndicated talk radio show, The Line of Fire, and author of A Queer Thing Happened to America: And What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been.
Tags: a queer thing happened to america, abortion, congress, election, family, Frank Turek, India
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The Republicans vs. Democrats system is an illusion… either way, the same party wins. They wreck the economy under Bush Sr. so Clinton can be a savior… they make problems and make the solutions (Hegelian Dialectic) … it is “WWF: Political Edition”.
It’s “…leading the chattel from one disenchantment to another…” so that we will cry out for a savior, and surrender our sovereignty willingly to their “global despot” “of the Blood of Zion”. You may recognize these words as being from the “Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion”; BUT, as is revealed by Doc Marquis — himself having come from a 200-yr family tradition in Illuminism [Illuminati] — “The Protocols” is actually a coded Illuminati document (not a “Jewish-religion” conspiracy; but a Luciferian-religion conspiracy).
I do not believe that the US economy is all that bad right now. Granted, it is not as good as it used to be. However, the US economy is stronger than most nations. Sure, cutting out the waste is important. However, the powers that be disagree on what is considered wasteful spending. Of course, it always costs money to make money. Still, I truly believe that the USA economic problems stem from a mismanagement of fund allocation and investment priority rather than anything else. For example, tons of money is wasted on foreign matters — many billions of USD was wasted in the last decade alone in this regard. In addition, the USA is still paying WW2 debts. Of course, the reason why there are more consumers than producers in any given society is because it simply is easier to consume. Many people do not want to risk becoming producers simply because of all the time and money invested that could lead to failure. I agree with you though that many USA citizens consume way too much. However, this is part of USA culture. Is it not? Socially, USA citizens are materialistic, greedy, and selfish. In fact, selfishness and greed are considered social virtues in the USA. Yes, these concepts have been considered social virtues for decades, not just since the new Millennium.
Interesting that you mentioned “instant gratification” here. Yeah I want what I want and I want it now — within reason, of course. After all, my life is my life. Correct? So long as I can afford it and am able to financially plan out how I will spend my hard-earned money, then yes I want what I want to buy as soon as possible. This attitude is the American Way after all.
I believe that I have already my position regarding the issue of whether one mom and one dad is necessary to raise a child successfully and this is simply not the case. Of course, abuse and neglect of the heterosexual parents to the child is immaterial to you — families should always stick together even in matters of life or death. Right?
Finally, you had to have brought up abortion: Do you carry babies inside your own body for 9 months at a time, Dr. Brown? Should the kid be born, are you willing to personally help pay for the child for his first eighteen years of life? If you say no to both questions, then you have no business having an opinion either way on abortion. No insurance of any kind covers abortion either, therefore the money does not come out of your own pocket: This fact alone makes the abortion issue none of your personal business anyhow. This is a nice piece of information also: According to the US court system, when the child is first born the baby de facto belongs to the mother and her alone. Of course, there are exceptions. However, generally speaking, children belong to their mother as far as US law is concerned. In utero, this is a different matter: If the woman is over the age of consent, it is completely at her discretion to terminate the pregnancy within a certain time frame. This is US law. So, basically you have no choice but to deal with that.
Since when has population increase in a given society either cause or correlate economic growth for said society?
I think we all have our opinions based on the mindset, we develope from what life throws our way and gives to each one of us, a set of experiences that will differ from one another and those experience will shape our life in such a way that hopefully will bring us to the truth. Unfortunatly, we will never be on the same page in this life, like we all would like, because of that.
Life will always be a struggle period to find truth and to become a better person. And because it is not a perfect world with perfect people or perfect parents, etc. etc. etc. BUT, it really doesn’t matter when it comes down to it all. Why? Because we feel hepless when we cannot change things for the better. But maybe we are without seeing it. Because God is very aware of everything that is taking place in our world and ALWAYS has been, and always will be. And with a beautiful purpose in mind. A perfect beautiful mind. (And has the perfect exit plan for the whole human race). Those words are in my song I have coming out soon.
No one can really pull it all together and make it happy and good for all people in this world, except GOD. Because we are all damaged, some less than others. So someone else has to pull it all together for us. Not that we are not somewhat capable of doing what is right. But strife exists and always will, that is what vacations are for. But more seriously that is what churches are for. There supposed to be anyway.
But because each of us is doing what is right from our own minds and are ruled by the mindset that forms our thinking. And life becomes a challenge to solve what is wrong is us and the world around us through two different set of eyes, our own eyes or GODS eyes. They both will be there inside us. One pulling us to do what we think is right and one through GODS eyes telling us HIS way to truth and to do what is right.
God wants to draw us to HIMSELF and HE found a way to do that. Through the tower of Babble long ago. When everyone was on the same page and when they put their minds together they could accomplish anything they wanted to do. Except, ONE THING. To find GOD, because all there attention would be focusd on them selves without struggle and without difficulty and miss the most important thing or (BEING) in the whole universe and Eternity. GOD.
So all I can say is: GODS wisdom is perfect wisdom and HE uses lifes struggles and the world events and every problem you can think of in this crazy life, to guide us to HIMSELF. So just like we have clean clothes in our closet, we also have a garbage can out side full of garbage that goes to the dump. God knows what HE is doing. And HE has it all covered. We WILL make a difference if we stand our post in HIM and where HE has placed us.. Maybe this was a little off topic. But I can’t help myself. I need a vacation.
So, as believers in Christ, where we look for personal daily participation and affirmation becomes paramount to our connection to Christ. We are pilgrims here, very aware of the inner dialogue with Him, as He
is as we daily participate in His present mystery Kingdom (mystery to nonbelievers, seen by believers everywhere–especially within). We pray always, confess often, repent indeed, and carry an expectation of the love of God shed abroad in our own hearts and minds. We are ever-ready to interface with other people from the standpoint of being in Him. It is amazing, the meaningful journey and care He grants in this world daily. Ever the abiding heart seeks to love as He does and has. Hear us Him!