Political Thoughts

I know I am not the only one a bit disappointed with the current direction my country (the US) is going. While I do not agree with every action the US has taken over the years, I believe that it has been a very net positive in the world. My teenage years were largely in the late 1990s. In those days, the US was strong, respected, and the economy was prosperous. Today, I feel my country is slipping away from what it once was. The economy is in shambles due to mismanagement, we have a looming energy crisis, and our national image is in tatters due to foreign policy blunders. I'm wondering if it is even possible to turn back the clock. Can America revive its former glory? Or have we forever squandered our greatness?

All of this is dispiriting. I consider myself deeply and try to serve my country as a professional servant. Somehow, though, I feel America is deeply ill. While there are many things, I feel there are two things that come to my mind as deeper systemic problems.

1) Hyperpartisanship. America is divided into "red" and "blue" states. I consider myself a moderate on most political issues, but really I am a pragmatist. While I do have some ideology, much of it is driven by getting the best result done as efficiently as possible regardless of whether they are "liberal" or "conservative" ideas. I find that most people are driven by key wedge issues and as such our politicians fight each other rather than work together. If America is to be restored, we will need to set aside our differences.

2) Anti-Intellectualism. It seems to me that large numbers of Americans are deeply suspicious of educated people. I work in nuclear science, and this problem is very clear to me. The more I learn about my field, the less credible I seem to become. This is understandably frustrating because it is essentially a Catch 22. If I lack the education, I am not trusted because I am unqualified; however, if I have the education, I am not trusted because I am supposedly biased. Ironically, I have found many people give more credibility to those who have less qualifications. This person example illustrates a broader point. We are more likely to elect leaders "who are like the average guy" rather than ones that those most qualified to solve our most difficult problems. In a country where knowledge is seen as a weakness, how can we hope to succeed?

I will admit that the Obama-Biden candidacy gives me some hope. I believe Obama to be sincere in his desire to bring change to Washington, but I remain skeptical whether or not he (or anyone) can truly do it in a place where the political parties are deadlocked and there is no respect for talent. As for McCain, I used to like him, but he seems to have drifted away from the Maverick he once was and his tendency to be bellicose and treat war as casually as he does gives me serious reservations.

I suppose by this post, people can call me an "elitist" just like they call Obama. Nonetheless, I am who I am and I feel no need to be ashamed of it. Just because I might not "be able to relate to the ordinary Joe Six-Pack" does not make me unpatriotic. America must be restored. I just wish I knew what I could do to help.