Another dead-on column by Thomas Friedman of the New York Times entitled Anxious in America. His makes the point that the economic problems we are having as a country will soon supplant Iraq as the major issue in the current campaign, and basically says that nation building should begin at home.
My fellow Americans: We are a country in debt and in decline — not terminal, not irreversible, but in decline. Our political system seems incapable of producing long-range answers to big problems or big opportunities. We are the ones who need a better-functioning democracy — more than the Iraqis and Afghans. We are the ones in need of nation-building. It is our political system that is not working.
And then:
That’s us. [The economy is] at a 34-year low. And digging out of this hole is what the next election has to be about and is going to be about — even if it is interrupted by a terrorist attack or an outbreak of war or peace in Iraq. We need nation-building at home, and we cannot wait another year to get started. Vote for the candidate who you think will do that best. Nothing else matters.
As is often the case, Friedman is right. What I am having difficult imagining, however, is a politician with the guts to say something along these lines:
“I know you are concerned about terrorism. Our government has made a promise that the events of September 11 will not happen again. I intend to keep that promise. As your president, I will work tirelessly to ensure the safety of all Americans.
“All countries of the world, however, are fighting an even larger foe—global warming. It is now time to take our heads out of the sand, and carefully evaluate what is now not debatable. The world is warming up, and it is due in large part because of what we are doing. We need renewable sources of energy. We need to cap CO2 emissions. We need to tackle this problem quickly and decisively.
“And we need to do more. We need to make certain that America remains a country worth protecting. Our economy is failing. We are no longer the world leader in manufacturing, and the main driving force of our economy is consumer spending. The recent economic events clearly show us that this is not sustainable in the long term. If we do not correct these problems, the negative effects on this country will far exceed any that would result from terrorists.
“The beauty is that we can attack both of these problems together. By making the US the world’s leader in alternative energy research and development, we can create billions of dollars of new investments, as well as reaching the long term goal of alleviating our dependence on natural resources from other countries, some of whom may not have the best interests of our country in mind. We can change our infrastructure to accommodate more public transportation.
“This won’t be easy. It will require a lot of tough choices. It will require strong investments in education at all levels. It will require a fundamental change in the way our government currently operates. It will require sacrifices by all of us, both in terms of our time and our pocketbooks.
“How will we accomplish these goals? I have a number of ideas in mind. But I am not arrogant enough to believe that mine are the only ones that work. We need to get the best minds on the planet together to think clearly and deeply about what needs to be done. As politicians, we need to sit down together and work with determination to achieve a workable plan that will allow us to the accomplish the goals that we have laid out.
“And all of us, my fellow Americans, need to stop listening to the chattering heads on cable TV. Let us no longer seek out only those voices that agree with our own. Let us challenge ourselves to critically evaluate all the information that is out there. Let us agree that there are common problems that need to be solved, and let us have wisdom to work together to find the best way to make America a vibrant, tolerant, and strong force well into the next century.”
It could happen, right?