The State of the Union

I started the year on a positive note, but quickly became so disgusted with our government and our society that I had to take a break from writing. I'm back and I hope what I post makes you think and act. 

President Obama recently gave his State of the Union address.  The US Constitution, Article II, Section 3 requires that he give a State of the Union to Congress, but it does not say in what form or specify details on the content.  Ever since Woodrow Wilson, US Presidents have given the State of the Union in the form of a speech to a joint session of Congress.  Nearly all of them take the form of an argument in favor of the president’s policies, emphasizing what seems to be working and ignoring or placing the blame on someone else for what isn’t working.

President Obama’s 2014 State of Union address was no different.  He spoke of the new jobs created during the past four years, implying that this is the result of his policies.  He bragged that, “our deficits cut by more than half,” while failing to acknowledge that the deficit is larger now than when he took office. He also pointed out that more than nine million Americans have signed up for health insurance or Medicaid coverage, a seemingly positive sign for his Affordable Care Act.

The President’s speech was not all sunshine and rainbows, though.  He did point out that the economic inequality is greater and that upward mobility has stalled. But, he assured us that he has proposals that will speed growth and strengthen the middle class, and he is willing take steps to enact these proposals, with or without action from Congress.  He also stated that he is willing to use his authority to protect our pristine federal lands and strengthen protection of our air, our water, and our communities.

I allow that the President’s State of the Union is based on his perspective.  But, I have a different perspective, so I believe the actual State of the Union is much different than the President’s view.

I see a Senate that, until late last year, failed to pass a budget every year since 2009.  I see a Congress and President that are willing to expand government to provide more social insurance and increase deficit spending to unsustainable levels.  I notice a President and Congress happy to increase the extent to which the federal government is involved in the everyday life of its citizens.   But do they make our lives better?   The EPA significantly increases the number of regulations with which businesses must comply, yet the rationale for these increases are based on unproven science or no proof of benefit is forthcoming.

At the President’s urging, Congress has passed a set of health insurance coverage laws that may benefit a small segment of the population, but increase the health insurance premiums for many Americans.  Additionally, the many people who previously had health insurance have been dropped by their carrier because the government has judged their policies as substandard.  Furthermore, because of the nature of the laws, many will lose jobs or have work hours slashed so employers can avoid costly penalties.  Medicaid eligibility was expanded to allow more people to receive health care at taxpayer expense.

I regard many of the things happening within the Obama Administration as abuses of power.  The targeting of conservative organizations by the IRS, and the failure of the Administration to enforce immigration laws, yet suing a state that tries to enforce those laws are just two examples.  The President stated in his State of the Union address that he is willing to use executive power to bypass Congress if it doesn’t pass legislation that he wants enacted.  He’s altered the work requirements of the 1996 welfare reform act and postponed enforcement of certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act.  Even his Attorney General, Eric Holder, stated in a New York Times interview that state attorneys general do not have to enforce laws they disagree with.  If the US Attorney General, who is the chief law enforcement of the United States, says others do not have to enforce laws, do citizens have to obey laws they don’t agree with?

Other actions, such as the FCCs proposal to monitor print and broadcast media organizations, the NSA’s surveillance and collection of phone data, and the National Labor Relations Board’s case against Boeing for moving part of its manufacturing to a non-union state are other examples of abusive or, perhaps, illegal government behavior.  But wait, that’s not the most disappointing part of the State of the Union.

What disappoints me is the state of our American society.  We are more divisive racially, culturally, and ideologically than ever before.  We won’t engage in open and honest discourse over issues such as race, economics, or culture for fear of offending others.  We are so afraid of being labelled “racist’, “hate monger” or “bigot” that we shun any chance to honestly discuss issues and we miss opportunities to find solutions to problems.

Far too often, I hear people speak of tolerance and embracing diversity, yet when someone has an opinion that runs counter, tolerance goes out the window.  If a person wants a smaller government that provides less social insurance, is he really a terrorist or anarchist, as members of Congress have suggested, or is he a concerned citizen who may have something of substance to say?  If a Christian does not embrace the gay lifestyle, is he a hate monger?  Or perhaps he is merely living by the tenants of his faith.  If a Muslim does not embrace the gay lifestyle, does that change things?  What about a wealthy business owner, who worked and scrimped and saved to get where she is today? Is she a greedy “one percenter” or is she an example of someone achieving the American dream?  Name calling and ugly labels have replaced intelligent and articulate communication.

Most disappointing of all is our willingness to sit by and let government expand beyond its constitutional boundaries.  I’m not sure why this is happening.  Could it be that we don’t want to work and provide for ourselves and prefer that someone else provide the care and feeding and other “free” stuff, even if it means a loss of liberty?  Are we so envious of others’ accomplishments that we would rather take or destroy what they’ve earned instead of earning it ourselves? Perhaps we are so acclimatized to mediocrity that we simply rather wallow in stupidity and ignorance instead of trying to make a difference.

Yes, my vision of the State of the Union is much different than President Obama’s.  And I fear that if we don’t do something to change the present state of the union, the future state of the union will look a lot like the dystopian society that Orwell presented in the novel 1984.  I plan to fight that future by being an informed and active citizen and voter.  Will you?