As a good government progressive, I find this discussion over Build Back Better, the debt ceiling and ways to avoid a government shutdown an example of just how ugly good government can be.
Man, it is damn ugly.
But I will stand by my belief that good government, which is the government of the possible, must be ugly in order to get anything done.
Indeed, the older I get the less ideological I become. I once was a flaming liberal. I took a two-year turn in the U.S. Army in the late 1960s, went to war for my country, came home as confused about that war as I was when I arrived, then got involved in presidential politics. I campaigned in my home state of Oregon for George McGovern in 1972. He lost big … remember?
Time went on. I grew up a bit more. We’re now watching the progressive wing of the Democratic Party battle with the more moderate wing. The progressives have made some good points about wanting to spend a lot more money than the moderates want to spend. However, I am going to await the end of this haggling to see how it plays out.
Thus, we are watching how good government might look ugly.
In reality, I believe it will produce a thing of beauty at the end.
The more of your writings I read, it appears you want government to control and manage basically all aspects of our lives. Whatâs ours is theirs seem to be the philosophy.
Good government canâtâ be anything, but, ugly. The âwillâ/wishes, plus countless corporations, of 330m people are considered.
A business can, appear to, run smoothly because decisions and âcoursesâ are chosen, often, by one person or, sometimes, an executive committee or a board of directors. Almost always there is ONE person leading the way.
A good government has to, either, be a majority or negotiate consensus. The first part is rare and the last part is the âbeautifulâ part.