Kindergarten Cops

I wonder sometimes how dumb they really think we are. Politicians make, in my mind, one repeated and crucial error: they think we are all dumb. There's little doubt that some of us are definitely dumb. We can be manipulated by words and the media and are all too quick to anoint or discount candidates based solely on image. But, for the most part, I think, we are not so dumb and are genuinely interested in politics and building a better America. It appears, unfortunately, we often seem dumb as we follow the lead of the intelligent politicians and candidates acting dumbly.

For example, as the economy slides into a recession and the housing crisis continues unabated, the candidates, along with the American public, have shifted their attention from the war in Iraq to the waning economy. Indeed, the economy always is, and rightfully should be, a key focus of both the American public and every politician. And so, in an effort to appear the candidate that is strongest on economics, those running for office quickly adopted positions on "economic stimulus packages." And on both sides of the aisle in Congress, entrenched members of both parties seeking to appear capable of bipartisan cooperation on the veritable eve of the national Presidential election, found common ground on the President's proposed tax cuts. But this is not solution at all. Shouldn't we be focusing instead on bipartisan solutions to larger economic issues that squarely face the long term challenges to sustained health of the US economy? What about finding solutions to the very real problem that more and more American corporations (and the jobs that go with them) are moving overseas for cheaper labor and tax benefits? Surely, it would stimulate the economy in the long term to bring jobs back to the US, and keep those that have no left yet here in the homeland. I would imagine this kind of message and a solution to this particular problem would resonate with the "dumb" unemployed citizens out in Detroit.

And what should we do about the overcomplicated, arcane, and punishing tax system? Surely, there must be a better, if not simpler, way of taxing the American public. Right now, the middle class, and especially the upper middle class, bears the largest portion of the tax burden. Why not develop a plan to diversify the tax burden? And what about focusing on a plan to slowly shift some if not all of the current taxation to a consumer-based tax system? If you want the tax system to reflect "freedom," surely there is not greater way to do this then to allow the citizen to control, to a certain extent, the amount of taxes they absorb by choosing where they spend their money. And wouldn't that allow some people live simply, opting instead to save and retire early.

And shouldn't there be a more intelligent discussion about how to deal with the immigration issues facing this country? Proposals like building a wall between the United States and Mexico, and separating parents from children in order to send some illegal people "home" play to the basest of American reactions and toy with the difficult racist and xenophobic tendencies in us all. Even if our already sputtering economy could actually absorb the loss of 11 million critical Mexicans, shouldn't our government elevate the discussion? In grammar school, I remember learning about the "melting pot" and reading the history of many of immigrant tearfully rejoicing as they first laid eyes on the Statue of Liberty. Once a beacon of freedom, we surely have gone a long way off course when the discussion of immigration revolves around erecting walls rather than installing beacons of welcome. My solution, move the Statute of Liberty from New York harbor to the Mexican border, and teach those Texans how to work an Ellis Island-type registration center. It's high time we re-opened our borders to the less fortunate, lest we lose our identity as a nation altogether in the name of counter-terrorism.

And speaking of counter-terrorism, how has this nation advanced, if at all, since 9/11 on the issue of homeland security? Perhaps politicians have so obfuscated the issue with the Mexican immigration saga to draw our already meager attention away from the fact that nothing has been done of substance to prevent another attack on this country. Even us dumb Americans can separate the issues. Even we know that the war in Iraq and the immigration issues are something quite apart from finding an effective way to gather and act on intelligence and from developing means of protecting our currently woefully unprotected ports.

Indeed, we who are so dumb know there are big issues facing this country that need intelligent people to find solutions. But how can we advance when all that is ever discussed are kindergarten-type solutions to our doctorate-level problems. We, the dumb an downtrodden, are happy to elevate the discussion, if only you candidates were too.