JCL Blog

The Economist: Is America Ungovernable?

Last week the Economist magazine posted the question to its readers:  Is America Ungovernable

Their main point was that the party in power had more power than any administration in memory and still could not get anything done.  The comments back from readers followed the lines you would expect:  the R's blame the D's and visa versa.  The Economist circled around and said that in fact the government is working.  A very interesting debate indeed.  

I would say that we are generally not worried enough about the future of our country.  Properly motivated we know we can solve any problem.  Each entity involved today is mostly focussed on getting some for themselves -- the political parties want more power, the politicians want to be re-elected, industries want the paying field tilted in their favor, and companies really cannot do anything but look out for themselves.  Everyone must know the trend is unsustainable, but so did everyone when they were buying tech stocks in 1999 or real estate in 2007.  Sure it will end someday, but I will get mine and get out before it happens.  

We can only hope that we will wake up to the precariousness of our situation and turn our attention away from personal greed and to fear for the survival of our country.  Then we can get down to the business of governing.