Frustration at the nearsightedness of the Republican Party and the Tea Party has pushed me into a literary corner, and writing about the not-so-obvious flaws in their respective platforms is the only way out of the corner.
Republicans and Tea Party supporters are fond of announcing that they are against "Big Government," and "over-regulation," and "over-taxation." What is Big Government? What is Over-Regulation?
First, what do I mean by Anarchy?
Anarchy is defined as the "lack of or freedom from government." Some sources also state that anarchy is "lawlessness and disorder due to the lack of authority." I personally make a distinction between "chaos" and "anarchy." They are not the same thing. With anarchy, rule by small groups can exist and thereby compensate for the lawlessness or disorder that many seem to equivocate for anarchy. Chaos, on the other hand, is clearly defined by lawlessness and disorder, with no element of organization.
Government needs to exist. A Federal Government needs to exist. Furthermore, a strong Federal Government needs to exist. But, Why? You might ask. I do not want the Federal Government in my business. Why should I be in favor of a Strong, or Big, Federal Government.
The Economic Traits of the Global Marketplace are not the same as those present in the 1950s. Yet, many in government, and many in everyday society carry on as if the year is 1951, and not 2011. The United States is no longer a Manufacturing Center of the World. In fact, many of the economic strengths enjoyed by the United States in the 1950s and 1960s have altered considerably.
The problem is, the United States has become entrenched in self-love and in doing so, has succumbed to a flaw suffered by many regimes, Historical Inertia.
Historical Inertia, put simply, is moving in the same cultural direction without affecting any change, or, not moving at all. No ability or flexibility to re-direct course, or move, for that matter. The Automobile Industry in the United States is perhaps the best example of Historical Inertia, and the episodes of mismanagement that permeates that industry.
Another egregious example is that of our Educational system. We test students, yet not the administration, or teachers. The American Federation of Teachers, as with other unions, protect ineffective teachers, protest against merit pay, and almost seem to work against producing an effective learning environment.
Government, in its best form, helps chart a future course for the betterment of the lives under its jurisdiction. The Government should pay attention to changes economically, politically, academically, and culturally, with a global perspective. The Government should research and analyze trends and develops to assist in the planning of effective policies and programs that ultimately lead to benefits for the people under their jurisdiction.
Individuals are simply not capable of doing that. You, me, the family next door - that is outside of our ability to contemplate and factor into our lives.
To keep our country abreast of changes, educated, knowledgeable, and employed, we need a Government that has the ability to research and promote effective policies that help the country maintain a healthy, robust, and competitive environment.
That Republicans and Tea Party supporters seem to favor "small government" and, especially the Tea Party, which seems to support greater powers for states and communities, is not only contrary to good national policy, but is potentially extremely injurious to the future of the United States.
For the United States to continue as a viable geopolitical power in the face of growing economic influence from China and India, our American society needs a plan. We need to have a singular vision. We need to be organized. We need goals, and be goal-oriented.
Republicans and the Tea Party, from their rhetoric, such as the Tea Party platform for the dissolution of the Department of Education, in essence advocate for the fragmentation of our Federal Government, and some of its powers, into state and local chunks, i.e. Anarchy. Education decisions should be made at the local level, the Tea Party platform supports.
Republicans balk at any mention of Federal Government involvement in technology, high-speed rails, or alternate fuel exploration.
Together, the two parties work against the development of a national vision, national goals, and a national drive to recover, sustain, and augment the work and efforts of those people from the 50s and 60s who helped make the United State what our country is today.
Republicans and Tea Parties, rather than work towards national goals, for education, technology, industry, and energy, want to hold onto the traditional views based on poor economic policy, and ignorance of the Constitution.
Their basic tenets, should any of the come to pass, may make people feel good as individuals. Individual U.S. citizens should they be availed to the changes that the Republicans would like to make, might feel more empowered, as local communities would have more power to implement change.
And, then, China and India will rule the world.
China and India will drive the world because people at the local level are nearly powerless to study events abroad, and to identify strengths and weaknesses of those international programs.
That fragmentation, this anarchy that I describe, reduces or would completely eliminate any competitive effort budding in the United States. And, we would never see the Chinese coming. Or India. Or any other global change for that matter. Moreover, we would be in no position to implement change on any level but local levels. After all, if we do away with Federal Government policy making bodies, like the Department of Education, and decisions are then made at state or local levels, then, at minimum, we could have 50 different education programs, rules, or policies. Each state could implement different policies to accommodate local diversity and local needs. Again, anarchy.
In the meantime, China is pushing more students through high schools and colleges, educating engineers, chemists, physicists, etc., using policies and procedures developed at the top, and pass down to colleges, universities, high schools, etc. Those students are already spend almost 2x more time in school K-12 than our kids do. Have more discipline. Earn higher grades.
And, I believe, both the Republican Party, and the Tea Party, have lost sight of the global big picture because they are pandering for votes and support.
Democrats, too, error on the other side of legislation. Democrats want to limit or restrict freedoms that have nothing to with national geopolitical goals, such as handgun ownership, and the levying of taxes that are simply nothing more than income redistribution, pandering towards the "poor," and providing crutches that allow able-bodied people to misuse taxpayer dollars.
Both sides, perspectives, are motivated completely out of self-interest, or some flawed sense of social honor, or a flawed sense of social justice.
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