The seriousness of what is at stake in the election of 2008 could hardly be more stark. The American Republic faces some of the most grave fiscal threats and threats to civil liberties in generations. Already it is too late to avoid significant pain. If there are 4 more years of no activity or worse, counterproductive activity, untold harm will befall those of us alive today, and those of succeeding generations of Americans as well.
And yet, gazing around the media, and the blogosphere as well, what do we see? Almost endless discussions of the peccadilloes of the GOP vice presidential candidate. Discussions of lipstick on pigs, teaching sex education/good-touch bad-touch to kindergartners, celebrity status, empty promises that unspecified "change is coming", the personalities of the presidential and vice presidential candidates -- in short, almost anything but discussion of which candidate can best address the profound issues facing this country.
Amid the circus that is the campaign season, below the fold let me set forth a reminder of just how grave are the stakes in this election.
A reminder of what is really at stake in this election:
- On September 11, 2001, in the most deadly attack on the mainland US by outsiders since the War of 1812, over 3000 people were killed.
Osama bin Laden has neither been brought to justice, nor has justice been brought to him.
- A unilateral war of choice was launched under false pretenses in Iraq. Over 4000 American servicemen and women have been killed, plus untold thousands of Iraqis. Hundreds of billions of American treasure has been spent.
There is still no plan to end the war and remove American troops.
- The American middle class is in the worse shape since at least the 1970s if not the Great Depression. Collectively it has no savings and a staggering amount of debt.
There is still no "new New Deal" to rescue and rescucitate the average American family.
- The US is almost $10 Trillion in debt, an amount equal to close to 70% of its GDP, equal to or worse than at any time since World War 2.
There is not now nor has there ever been any credible plan on the table from the current Administration to balance the budget. For the first time in over a century, a creditor nation (China) has ordered the US to take action to pay its debts in the form of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bonds.
- The US financial system is facing its worst crisis in 70 years.
There is no plan under consideration to fix the banking system.
- 4 of the 9 Justices of the Supreme Court form the most extreme reactionary bloc since the "horse and buggy court" of the 1930s. Justices Stevens and Ginsberg are old and cannot be expected to serve much longer.
Just one more reactionary Justice likely spells the end for Roe v. Wade (abortion rights), Lawrence v. Texas (gay rights), Griswold v. Connecticut (contraceptive rights), and possibly even venerable New Deal economic legislation.
- The Executive Branch has arrogated to itself all powers related to search, seizure, and surveillance of American citizens including their actions on American soil.
There is no plan on the table to restore Habeas Corpus, and revivify the Fourth Amendment.
- Close to 50 million Americans have no health insurance. America has the costliest and least efficient system in the developed world. Skyrocketing medical costs threaten the very solvency of Medicare and Medicaid in the next few years.
There is no credible universal health care proposal under consideration in Washington.
If, despite all of this, if despite the fact that 80% of all Americans believe the country is fundamentally on "the wrong track," the citizens of this country spend the next month and half deciding on who to vote for as if this were the contest for king and queen of the high school prom, and if we let them do it, America will truly deserve its fate.