Watching Ms. Bachmann on Meet the Press today and paying attention to the direction of the government overall with respect to the economy, I can't believe how few people are screaming from the rooftops that we are totally off course. This piece in today's Post draws the contrast clearly between where we're going and what our direction ought to be:
The fact that the proper action may seem counter-intuitive to many of us shouldn't prevent thinking people from making healthy choices. But that's exactly what's happening. Our national economy does NOT work like our family budgets, in spite of how widely that mistaken logic is being trumpeted. It's a critical piece of a global system -- a system whose moving parts are much more complex and require more expertise to manage than paying the mortgage and the Visa bill.
The sad truth is that a great number of Americans are ignorant -- worse, they even embrace and defiantly take pride in ignorance. People like Ms Bachmann are building their identities on that ignorance. Can they themselves actually be that ignorant themselves, or is this the most extreme example of opportunism and manipulation of the public to occur in my lifetime?
This morning, in response to some deft questioning by David Gregory, Michele Bachmann held as an absolute that the insight and experience of elected officials, economic experts, and others with established credentials on fiscal matters have NO STANDING in the face of what the average person may believe about how the economy works. Then she proceeded to reinforce dangerously-stupid but now widely-accepted statements about what's happening with the economy and what should be done to fix it.
Although I expect that Aqua Velva Man -- sorry, Mitt Romney -- or (even more likely) Rick Perry will still get the Republican nomination, the reality is that Ms Bachmann and a number of others to whom many voters listen are validating ignorance and a tragic direction for our country. Although Ms Bachmann is the one who's scaring the apple juice out of me this morning, Mr Romney and Mr Perry play the stupidity card as well. Indeed, the Palinization of the United States has taught ALL the Republican candidates that riding the ignorance wave is key to their planning.
All this makes the challenges for President Obama, the Democrats in Congress, and every American with a functioning brain greater with every passing moment. Ben Franklin said "The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is a knowledge of our own ignorance.” Yup.
Well said, Joe, well said.
Ben
Well said, Joe, well said.
Ben
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