commentaries

From the article: "The country's actual challenges -- how to rescue a faltering recovery and balance the government's books in coming years -- don't really lend themselves to a Great Debate. They're too small and easily dealt with. Instead of that discussion, the United States will be arguing about whether it wants to be Europe, or believes in fairness, or in individual responsibility, or in markets, or in governments." Getting the economy humming and balancing the books are small matters which are easily dealt with??? In that case, what's the hold-up?

Greed, pumice. Greed.

This discussion cannot happen until the media and the majority of the people are interested in having it. If in the campaign there was any type of suggestion in helping to fix the problem the other side then goes running to the media and say the sky is falling if that was idea was enacted. As it always has been true the government is as good as the people and that is true today.

This is rediculous , tell me were the freedom lies and I'll balance your freedom with freedom from the other side.

If it only was that simple. First we have to recognize that it isn't one problem. The system is too complex with to many interrelated parts for any single plan to really work. But lets just look at one part that "everybody agrees" entitlement reform. Well an entitlement was reformed Medicare, extending its life while at the same time enhancing the benefits benefits its members receive, Apparently that was wrong because you know using the purchasing power of a near monopoly hurts the wrong people. Unlike what CostCo and Walmart do to squeezes costs to provide lower prices, the government must restore the if not enhance the profit margins of the Drug, Insurance and Hospital corporations. Or look at the revenue side. Does not anyone else find it absurd that anyone let alone a candidate for President can proudly state (being careful not to indicate if it was only federal income taxes or just overall tax burden) that he paid at least 13% out of income derived from a blind trust? Is the money that money makes really that much more important and special then the money that work makes?

The author is correct about the magnitude of this issue, but to compare the debate in America today with the bickering of a married couple is belittling. The issues dividing America and Americans today not not so minor as compromising on a thermostat setting. This is a battle for the direction if not the outright soul of America, and will be nowhere near settled come Nov. 6. An Obama win merely energizes his opponents, and a Romney win merely guarantees four--or eight--more years of mindless muddling on the part of our government. The real battles are being fought not for the Presidency but in local, state and congressional elections around the country, and the direction those elections take will, in the end, control the direction of America. By 2020 we MAY have decided on a direction. But Election Day 2012 is merely the continuation of a process we started in 2010. We have a long, long way to go.

Envy, pumice, Envy. These issues are not small or easily dealt with. No one wants their program dropped or reduced. They want others to make the sacrifices because "someone else is better off than I am." Taxpayers want others to pay more...everyone should pay more taxes starting with those making a bit more than me...they can afford it.

The more fighting and debate in Washington the better off the citizens are. The founding fathers did not set up a system where creating and changing laws should be easy - it is to be extremely difficult. This is how government is limited in it's power over the people. More laws do not equal a better country or more individual freedoms. Those of you enjoying control over your lives by government are living in the wrong country.

Many issues, that are real problems, take care of themselves by merely not going away. Eventually responsible people know they have to be dealt with. Slavery, women's right to vote, civil rights. Politicians don't really care about these issues. They are narcissists who want only to get elected, then re-elected. They will throw anything out there to see if it sticks, create fear or confusion, do whatever it takes to get into the exclusive Senate or House, where the pay is good (and always goes up, never down), the benefits are the best, and laws are selectively applied.

America has been out of focus for the past 12 years, and each year that passes the focus gets worse.