These results were expected and yet they are unexpected because Obama
was supposed to take the country to the left. In fact, he moved it to
the right. And this is in spite of the fact that Republicans have
nothing constructive to offer. The Republicans didn't win this election.
The president lost it. Disappointment seems to be the reason.
Democrats are now arguing that Mr. Obama has to do a far better job of
explaining their vision and their policies. They seem to believe that
all essential problems are rhetorical and that Obama's opponents distort
what we should see as genuine progress: health care reform, a stimulus
that headed off a recession, financial reform.
In fact, Obama did explain his policies extensively. Yet, these policies
gave us a huge fiscal deficit without an economic recovery and high
unemployment. Health care reform looks like a trick pulled from a
command economy's magic hat, and "financial reforms" seem like nothing
else but transforming Wall Street debt into public debt. The same could
be said about wasting our money on "under water" mortgages which are the
liability of big financial institutions - all this, while one million
families face the prospect of losing their homes. It seems that the
fiscal situation forced Obama to protect the interest of a big financial
sector with taxpayer money.
NO ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND GROWING CONFUSION
Taxes must go up and yet we will not be able head off a deep recession
which is coming faster than most politicians are aware of. Congress is
paralyzed and the financial instruments are exhausted. It remains a
mystery where a kick-start to the economy is supposed to come from.
Meanwhile, growing income disparities, growing ideological division and
growing confusion adds to the picture. And, if you haven't noticed, the
big financial institutions are doing just fine!
Obama did not transform America because he is confused, too. In spite of
his rhetoric, his policies only uncovered deep inconsistencies which
thus brought a predictable result: the public took away his ability to
legislate.
This confusion is very obvious and yet no political party in power will
admit it. Democrats are blaming everything on right wing propaganda.
Republicans are angry over big spending, yet they are unable to offer
any solutions.
POLITICIANS SHOULD TELL THE FACTS
Obama, as well as the Republicans, should tell the voters the truth.
They could explain that the U.S. economy is not competitive and that our
state economic sector (health care and education) consumes more capital
than our economy can afford and that we must blame the wasteful state
economic sector for the economic problems. Obama could tell Americans
that the country is facing a much deeper crisis unless we reduce the
state sector and free up the resources to invest in innovation.
The issue is not whether we should have universal education and health
care. We all should pay for universal access to private schools and
health care. The issue is the role of government in economy. Taxes
always reduce economic growth. The wasteful state sector causes taxes
and deficits to go up - it should be replaced with the private sector.
Demands for a smaller government and less federal and state spending
have merits. But the state economic sector grows bigger in size and in
ineffectiveness.
The essential problems are not just rhetorical and it might be
impossible too for Obama to win in 2012 without changing economic
policy.
Jarosinski lives in Waitsfield.
