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Condemnation Mindset: Bad Habits Are Hard to Break
When November 8 arrives, I thought I would be one of the happiest people on the block. Finally, the bickering, nastiness, and bitterness would tone down, and we would be able to enjoy what I think will be a victory of sorts and even a new beginning.
Or will we feel victorious?
Like many people at Ricochet, I have probably been as critical of the political Right as I have been of the Left. We have experienced so much disappointment from our leaders and have little to no reason to believe that the future will be different. I’m beginning to wonder if we are so conditioned to finding fault with our leaders that even if they do some things well, we will complain about just about anything they do.
For example, we may be delighted to see the Republicans start investigations. But they aren’t the investigations that we’d prioritize. Or they focus on new legislation, but the content is weak and ineffective, just to get it past Joe Biden’s veto. Or they will bribe the Democrats with costly bills to pacify them, just to get them on board for other legislation. Or they try to give the fossil fuel industry a boost, but they offer the wrong kinds of incentives.
In other words, they will give us even more reason than ever to resent, even despise them.
When I think of the aftermath of the election, I want so much to be assessing the results incorrectly.
Please tell me I’m wrong.
Published in Domestic Policy
I was not the side complaining. I wanted us all to celebrate. I thought the election of a GOP president would be good times. They were not because people onnour own side betrayed us.
I will never forget who that was. Never.
I hear you, Bryan. And I think it’s important to keep those lessons in mind. I wasn’t saying let’s just forget the past. And we should keep an eye on those who might betray us. And yet move forward. I really think we’re on the same page.
People need to have realistic expectations. Do you think that hard-core progressives are happy with what they’ve gotten? They’ve got a $10-20K break on their student loans (providing no court rules Biden’s action on this illegal), but the progressives wanted all college loans forgiven, and free college for everyone in the future. They want Medicare for All. A punishingly high income tax rate on the rich. Some want a wealth tax, which would tax the rich on money they have already paid taxes on – just because. They want an elimination of fossil fuels yesterday. Federally mandated paid parental leave for . . . what was it, a year?
This is essentially a 50/50 country. Neither side is going to get everything it wants even following a very successful election year. I would love it if we could return the federal government to the size it was prior to the New Deal. But that’s not going to happen in a short period of time, if ever. It doesn’t mean Republican politicians are a bunch of weasels. It means most Americans want some change, but they don’t want radical change. Maybe over the course of generations we can persuade a whole lot of the American electorate that the federal government is grossly over-powerful and we need to return authority back to the states on a host of issues. But it’s not going to happen quickly.
Any politician running for Congress who says they are going to be able to turn everything upside down is lying, as surely as Joe Biden’s campaign promise that he will cure cancer if elected president.
I’m all for sure and steady, Randy. I hope their actions are strategic and wise.