2008 Woodie Awards
The overwhelming distraction in American politics
How moral issues affect us on a national level
Drew Lewis
Issue date: 9/7/07 Section: Campus News
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The state of the union is abysmal, and every branch of American politics is in upheaval. Many in power would argue that this statement oversimplifies the complexities that are involved in the American government, but the truth is that they themselves cannot relate to the plight of the common American man or woman. We are a people driven at the current moment by admirable morals and common values, yet we can be deceived by overzealous politicians that are consumed with the desire to better themselves at the expense of both the name of our country and predominantly the livelihoods of the middle class. With the Bush tax reforms set into place by the juggernaut of Corporate America, typical Americans have seen their normally adequate salaries become insufficient to cover their expenses, particularly when compounded with current inflation.
It would be na've to say that the problems we are seeing now are only a product of serious mismanagement and lackadaisical planning on the part of the current administration - in fact, the former adviser to the president, Karl Rove, made it quite clear that his "ideal" reforms in American government were the product of decades of planning and years of wielding power. In fact, his aim as chief adviser was to overturn the reforms and programs set forth by Franklin Delano Roosevelt during his tenure as president. That would include the formation of the FDIC, Social Security, the mass unionization of workers, and so forth. Instead, the current problems reflect the manipulation of American politics starting with the "moral majority" movement of Ronald Reagan's administration. Not only did his administration restrict aid to college students by cutting the amounts available by government loans, but his reforms also put many out onto the streets and stifled the country on a whole because of the principles of "Reaganomics." As opposed to Keynesian economics, the basis of "Reaganomics" was to cut federal spending on domestic programs and instead reallocate the money to defense spending, even as the Soviet Union went into its final death throes as early as 1983. In addition, the championing of moral issues trumped the economic and social woes the nation faced, particularly with the fiery tirades of the televangelists Jerry Farwell and Pat Robertson. They still vehemently advocate the addition of moral issues into current politics, traditionally focusing around the same three areas: the heated stem-cell research debate, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and the legalization of gay unions in certain states.
It would be na've to say that the problems we are seeing now are only a product of serious mismanagement and lackadaisical planning on the part of the current administration - in fact, the former adviser to the president, Karl Rove, made it quite clear that his "ideal" reforms in American government were the product of decades of planning and years of wielding power. In fact, his aim as chief adviser was to overturn the reforms and programs set forth by Franklin Delano Roosevelt during his tenure as president. That would include the formation of the FDIC, Social Security, the mass unionization of workers, and so forth. Instead, the current problems reflect the manipulation of American politics starting with the "moral majority" movement of Ronald Reagan's administration. Not only did his administration restrict aid to college students by cutting the amounts available by government loans, but his reforms also put many out onto the streets and stifled the country on a whole because of the principles of "Reaganomics." As opposed to Keynesian economics, the basis of "Reaganomics" was to cut federal spending on domestic programs and instead reallocate the money to defense spending, even as the Soviet Union went into its final death throes as early as 1983. In addition, the championing of moral issues trumped the economic and social woes the nation faced, particularly with the fiery tirades of the televangelists Jerry Farwell and Pat Robertson. They still vehemently advocate the addition of moral issues into current politics, traditionally focusing around the same three areas: the heated stem-cell research debate, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and the legalization of gay unions in certain states.