Americans are increasingly losing faith in the ability of our nation’s institutions to address the numerous challenges we face as a nation. An increasing number of Americans believe that the American Dream is out of reach for them. The Obama Administration’s record of failure on so many fronts including most importantly the economy, health care, immigration and national security created a substantial advantage for Trump and the Republicans enabling them to win in 2016. The people elected a true outsider as President in reaction to the both the ongoing political stalemates in Washington and the overt failures of the Obama Administration.
From election day and continuing on a daily basis, President Trump has led the way working at a furious pace and demonstrated leadership by executing numerous executive orders to reverse many the worst decisions and policies of the previous Administration. He has consistently kept his campaign promises to his supporters. However, the series of signed Executive orders by the President has limitations so far as to ensuring permanent changes to our political system. The most difficult work lies ahead and requires Congressional approval for passage of the most important items on the Trump Agenda.
A political impasse remains in effect in Washington DC
Trump voters and many other Republicans have been especially disappointed with the ongoing lack of tangible results starting with much needed Obamacare repeal and replacement due to the continued infighting and impasse in Congress. The difference so far this time around is that the inhibiting force of resistance to moving ahead on the Trump Agenda is being presented by many members of the Republican Party with efforts being mishandled and poorly led in the House by Paul Ryan. A persistent political impasse continues in Washington even after a strong plea for action and a change in policy direction was called for in most demanding terms by the voting public in November.
Under the Obama Administration’s direction, America seemed destined to follow the path of European Style Socialism leading to our overall decline and resulting in a permanent lowering of our standard of living. With the necessity of decisive action so evident to reverse the Obama Agenda, why is there such a lack of Congressional leadership in Washington at this time?
A rigged political system
Adding to the current environment of discontent, is the perception by many Americans that many people associated with politics have granted themselves economic immunity through special privileges and access to power in order to shelter themselves from the worst effects of slow economic growth. Americans have traditionally believed our nation offers opportunity for ambitious individuals and economic success was open to the majority of citizens that apply themselves in positive and proper ways. These traditional notions often exercised in the pursuit of the American Dream by individuals are being challenged by today’s headlines revealing a seemingly corrupt and rigged system whereby well-connected political and business insiders have special access to economic and social success.
$400,000 pay checks for Obama and much more for Hillary Clinton
In the news are $400,000 paydays for speeches offered by Wall Street to former President Obama. He is being publicly criticized for potentially accepting these offers by Senator Elizabeth Warren. For the record, Elizabeth Warren and her husband Bruce Mann are insiders who are both connected to the elite Harvard Law School and have amassed fortunes estimated up to $10 million placing the couple in the top 1.0% of American’s wealthiest people. She supposedly fights for middle and working class Americans without any tangible connection to any of them.
Not to be outdone with benefiting from political connections is the recently defeated Democratic nominee for President – Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton and her family through the Clinton Foundation ran a “pay to play” scheme leveraging her position as Secretary of State during the Obama Administration to actively solicit payoffs by all sorts of questionable foreign and domestic players to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. To this day, she and the rest of the Clinton family remain unpunished for their blatant displays of official corruption and virtual treason orchestrated on such a massive scale.
Bernie Sanders continues to be the everlasting idol of the Left. He and his wife Jane have been virtually off limits by the idolizing left wing media of any type of personal scrutiny regarding their personal and financial life. Bernie Sanders is a severe critic of American Capitalism, however, he is really just another politician living well beyond the means of the majority of Americans and enjoying a secure and comfortable life style as a beneficiary of his position in Washington and the Democratic Party.
The increasing role of Government in our economic affairs
While Washington’s influence regarding economic matters has always played a key role in our country, the model was more decentralized in the past. In the past, economic decision-making was diffused across the country and more prominently residing in the hands of the private sector and individuals. The private sector traditionally played the primary role in the allocation of our economic resources resulting throughout most of our history in a rising standard of living for all Americans.
All through the Obama years, the Public Sector on both the Federal as well as State and Local levels have increased their control of power over the economy and our lives exponentially through the influence of ever increasing taxation, spending and regulation and the concentration of power which all inhibit the competitive nature of society therefore reducing the overall productivity of our economy over time. With government so extraordinarily intertwined in the American people’s economic and daily lives, political influence plays a key role in determining our nation’s economic winners and losers.
One Party: Road Blocks to Change
Republicans and Democrats in office often in effect work as one party; a party that opposes change at all costs and this often works to supersede the interests of the American voter. Our elected representatives have failed to take significant and meaningful action regarding what obviously needed to be done over the last eight years and this inaction seemingly is continuing into the early days of the Trump Administration from members of both the Republican and Democratic Parties. Many reasons can be offered as explanations for these failures to act or at least get started in working more vigorously by moving forward and taking positive action.
An important explanation that cannot be overlooked is that the majority of our elected officials including those in both parties are positioned literally as insiders. The motivation by our political leaders to act more decisively to agree to solutions for our nation’s most pressing challenges is tempered by the fact that our elected officials are themselves generally suffering limited personal distress. Republicans and Democrats in office often in effect work as one party; a party that opposes change at all costs and this often works to supersede the interests of the American voter.
A political establishment that is inherently unrepresentative of the American people
As compared to the average American they are representing, the vast majority of our elected politicians whether they are Democrats or Republicans are much wealthier, are better paid, have access to better healthcare benefits, enjoy a more generous pension and retirement plan. All of the benefits listed are all paid for by the American taxpayers. More importantly, these same elected representatives work directly with Interest Groups and can enact policies that are often beneficial to their own personal careers and personal financial fortunes. Due to the power of incumbency after election to office, they often enjoy a level of job security that would be the envy of most Americans.
Enjoying an extraordinary lifestyle, it is no wonder our elected representatives consistently fail to demonstrate the courage and determination necessary to provide leadership regarding solutions to address our nation’s most pressing challenges. Our public officials have personal access to too much money and privileges – causing consistent failure to act on the tough issues. Maintenance of the political and economic status quo while unacceptable to the average American is acceptable to the majority of our representatives. The reason for this is that they create for themselves ever greater access to personal fortune, great career prospects and outstanding personal lifestyles by consistently increasing their power by expanding the size and influence of government.
Follow the money trail in politics
Running for political office is a very expensive endeavor. Members of the House face reelection every two years and Senators face reelection every six years. Millions of dollars are necessary to run for election and reelection and this money for campaigns must be raised on a continual basis.
With the Federal Government playing an ever more prominent role in almost every major issue of the day, therefore influencing the outcome of legislation and regulation is crucial to protecting a whole host of numerous organized interest groups. A mutually dependent relationship has developed linking elected public officials and lobbyists. This ongoing conflict of interest and level of codependency is a major contributor to the failure of the system to uphold the interests of the electorate versus the interest of these groups. These Interest Groups are sources of crucial funds required for these elected representatives to run their increasingly expensive and numerous election campaigns.
Our very last chance to ensure the ultimate well-being of our country?
Citizens had the power in this country to act decisively in 2016 with their choice to elect Donald Trump our President. His election reflected a significant discontent among many working and middle class citizens across the country. They voted to reclaim the government from the established elites, the insiders and to change the status quo.
They voted for a Government to become more reflective of traditional American values and most importantly break the monopoly of current politicians mired in a system dedicated to maintaining their own power. The voters were envisioning a Trump Administration’s policies able to reclaim a level of greater freedom for each American thereby decreasing the role of Big Government and the elites. They believed that enhancing the power of individual Americans is necessary for our rescue rather than continuing to grow an increasing large and all-powerful Federal Government.
Trump voters were counting on that the ultimate outcome of his election would create a better future for all of us. If our elected officials in Congress continue not to respond to the strong messages directed their way that political changes are required and support for the Trump Agenda is necessary to fix our country – our future is in serious peril. The success or failure of the Trump Agenda may be our very last chance to ensure the ultimate well-being of our country.
The RightQuestions 