Between Two Worlds

We won World War II, not because we had a huge, well-trained, well-armed military just hanging around the East Coast ready to charge across the Atlantic Ocean at a moment’s notice. We won because we were able to build up what President Franklin Roosevelt called an arsenal of democracy, and we could staff and train a military and then plan and executive the necessary strategy and its accompanying logistics.

We’ve cured diseases, build a great highway system, made tremendous advances in science and medicine, implemented programs to help the elderly and the poor, and even put a man on the moon. All coming when we opted for the Land of We Can Do Better, and we did better.

And we did it despite a system of government that often works against the greater good. Its flaws include a campaign finance system that’s nothing more than legalized bribery, an Electoral College that enables a candidate with far fewer votes to become president, a Senate that allocates power disproportionately to the smaller states, the ability for states to shape voting districts to thwart the will of the voters by gerrymandering, and the opportunity to tilt what’s supposed to be our ultimate level playing field – our judiciary system – by stacking it with ideologically driven judges.

The result of these defects is the ability for incompetent, corrupt, and stupid candidates to win, and the lack of appeal of political life for many of our best and brightest who choose other more lucrative paths over the road of public service.

Sometimes we’re our own worst enemy because the great things we can do are blocked by a government that too often fails to govern, laden with idiots who put their agenda and limited knowledge above the experts. Who are willing to politicize anything, including what to do about a pandemic that’s killed over a million Americans.

Do you know why the private sector is often more competent and efficient than government? One reason is government is so much larger, and the bigger you are the harder it is to get all the gears meshing.

But more so it’s because the private sector’s ass is on the line in everything it does. Better methods, better products, a better working environment that attracts the best employees and gives them the incentive and opportunity to excel. That’s what the most successful ones are looking for. Does our government do that? Do nepotism, political patronage, and the good-old-boys network advance these goals.

We’ve got some big issues in our country. Our immigration system, how to deal with Israel in its battle with Hamas, the war between Ukraine and Russia, how to maintain a robust, efficient social safety net, improving our educational system, how to provide better and more affordable health care, making our tax code fairer, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and addressing our national debt, for starters.

In government, for too many it’s just a game played with monopoly money supplied by the taxpayers, with decisions governed not by the best ideas and the greater good, but by political motivation and personal gain.

These are solvable problems. We’ve successfully tackled bigger ones before. The problem is our federal government is too often woefully deficient when it comes to doing something about them. It’s got too many flawed people who in their wildest dreams could never be called results-oriented.

Another election is right around the corner. Again, a bunch of folks from both parties will be out there trying to convince you they’re the best choice. How many of them are from the Land of We Can Do Better?

How many will step out of the mishmash of talking points, jargon, cliches, and canned positions listed in the issues section of their websites? How many can talk to you, explain things to you, show you they have the knowledge and a real plan? Even just show that they care about you.

Challenge them. Make them do better. Democrats in Red districts need to win over one voter at a time. They have to show they want to live in the Land of We Can Do Better. That they have a clue. Admittedly, that still may not be enough in some places.

There’s a group of voters out there that Democrats have lost, at least for the time being. The hard-core MAGA folks have no intention of joining us in the pursuit of better ideas and better results. Hell, they don’t even know who won the last election.

Democrats have to focus their efforts starting on the center-right and move leftward. There’s only so much time and so many resources available to accomplish this.

We’re facing the most important election of our lifetimes in November. The Land of We Can Do Better is in danger. If we put Trump back in power it will be blown to smithereens, maybe never to return.

I want to live in the Land of We Can Do Better. I want our great country to be even greater. To be the world’s loadstar when it comes to innovation, excellence, problem solving, democracy, and the rule of law.

I want us to elect candidates who have that goal. Who can see our endless possibilities but are honest about our flaws. Who want to achieve more and aren’t satisfied with the already picked fruits of a stagnating process.

Where are these people? We’ve got to find them, and we’ve got to register as many people as possible to vote for them.

Because after November it may be too late.

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