Dysfunctional Democracy

Our current stalemate in the debt ceiling / deficit mess (embarrassment) comes down to two systemic problems:

1. For the past 30-40 years our two political parties (why there should be only two parties is an adjacent systemic problem) have moved from each having basically three wings – conservative, moderate, and liberal (albeit to differing degrees) – to the Republicans having only two wings – a large conservative and a meager moderate – and the Democrats having their own two wings – a large moderate and a meager liberal. Where once there was a possibility of cross-party consensus on any given issue, almost every issue now is dominated by a clear and virtually full partisan divide, conservatives (Republicans) versus moderates (Democrats). So when neither party controls both houses of Congress and the Presidency, nothing but shit can result.

2. The fundamental underpinning of our democracy is deliberation, debate, and compromise. But in the current situation (see #1) there are a significant number of Republicans who follow the commands of Rush Limbaugh and refuse to compromise (let alone deliberate or debate) on the canard of “principle.” (Shouldn’t democratic compromise be a primary principle to hold, even above ideological principle?) More important, the notion of deliberation, debate, and compromise rests on an agreed upon goal. And in the current economic fiasco each side is pursuing a different goal: The Democrats are seeking to raise the debt ceiling; maintain the safety nets of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; cut spending; and begin to reform the tax structure and cut the deficit. The Republicans are seeking to shrink the government to nonexistence (“Starve the Beast” as they like to say), radically cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; cut education, health care, and social services; and maintain tax cuts and loopholes for the (especially very) wealthy. Compromise requires first agreement on what the mutual goal of action should be. And right now we just don’t have that agreement.

So that’s where we are. It’s not a pretty sight. And I can’t imagine it getting any better any time soon. The consolation of the cynic and pessimist is that they are most often rewarded by being correct. It’s not much, but it’s something.