Keywords or Terms: Unemployment Problem; Wall Street funk; Bureau of Labor
Statistics; United States Congress; Moral latitude; Republican Party and
Nominee; President Obama and Administration; History; Anthropologist; Positive,
Believable, Open minded, Responsive, Integrative; and Forms of Government
The greatest challenge for the Obama’s Administration has
been keeping down the unemployment rate. Unemployment data released by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics for the month of May, 2012 hardly vindicate current public
policies designed to address this cyclical problem of our economic system. The United
States Congress, which has failed to accede to President Obama’s proposals for a
jobs bill, hardly has the moral authority or latitude to pronounce that, the Obama’s
Administration has not been doing much to fight the uncanny problem. Although Republican members of congress may
want to ride this complex problem since it plays very well to the advantage of
their party’s flag bearer, failure to appreciate the hegemonic unemployment,
hardly portrays these lawmakers as responsive to the immediate needs of the
electorate and the public. Policy discourse of tackling unemployment tend to
emphasize social economic deprivation of the masses; and when politicians in
congress or aspiring prospective opposition party nominee, attempt to pun on
an handicap or the failures of an existing administration, the scenario of public
understanding of where this group is coming from is rather blatant: Pure Politics! The fact that Wall Street is in a funk
is surreal and very discouraging at this time. Can opposition politicians continue to play on a singular failure of the current administration
hoping to unseat the administration with overwhelming criticisms? Can an opposition party be seen as
responsive, if their memberships in the primordial lawmaking body fail to address the
specific challenge facing the whole society? Can a flag bearer of an opposition
party be seen as visionary or inspirational, if his campaign strategy is to
deride current effort by the sitting administration without offering genuine alternatives?
From whatever source the Romney’s campaign team may be
drawing its energy to unseat President Obama, obviously their vision of this
nation hardly resonates with logical observers of economic indicators. Unemployment
is a cyclical problem unfortunately associated with our economic system. The
political realm of replacing a sitting administration every four years hardly resonates
with the trough years of greater unemployment; i.e., an unemployment
rate greater than four percentages. A President or a party's nominee may believe that he
could bring down unemployment by initiating bills to resolve the problem;
however, he still needs the backing of congress. Presumptive Republican
nominee, Mitt Romney, may think he will be ennobled by an effort to resolve the
unemployment problem, once he is voted into office; however, he still needs the
support of congress to actually make a difference. Change hardly comes without cooperation. The challenge for Obama’s
Administration has not been the failure of leadership or desire to bring about change in the unemployment rate; rather, it is that he has not received the needed support from congress to make a difference; as
many Republicans have vowed to make him a one term President. Thus, the issue
before the country is not the failure of President Obama to resolve the
unemployment problem, but the failure of our political system of government to
function as our fore-fathers conceived it.
Our system of government and politics are only strengthened, where there is
collaboration between at least two arms, or among the three arms of government, executive, legislative and
judiciary. And regarding the current unemployment problem, the collaboration is even more
important, when the executive and legislative arms are working closely together
to do the work of the people. When the legislative arm, the United States
Congress, is riddled with lawmakers determined to undermine the efforts of
the executive branch to solve a nagging national problem, then the whole system
fails. As Lord Pope said, for forms of government let fools contest, for what
is best administered, is absolutely best. And as surmised by John Adams, the
happiness of society is the end of government. If Republicans hardily communicate
ease, comfort or happiness to the greatest number of people in the society,
then they are least able to provide happiness to the people; and neither can
they be the better alternative.
The central symbol or engineering of the three arms of government
is based on the assumption that men and women, who end up as members in the
three arms of government, will not have, or hold malice. The highest level of
incivility experienced by the current administration could easily be traced to malice;
and if I am not wrong, although the jury is still out, my response will be
race. Now factor out the issue of race, the nagging unemployment problem has
been with the nation, since day one of the Obama’s Administration. And except
one has been living in space, the current inhabitant of the White House has
made several efforts to fight the unemployment problem, including spending money
to turn around the tide of fortune in jobs creation and reaching out to the other aisle of party politics. While he has made several
pleas with Republican lawmakers to cast aside their reservations, differences
or malice, his creative vision regarding solving the national unemployment problem
has met poor response and sometimes antagonism. Republican lawmakers have
stayed on the President's way to revitalize the American Economy.
Seasoned Republican
lawmakers and leaders do not see any benefit to their party, if President Obama’s
vision and initiative are allowed to work; and, have increasingly argued against
the President’s initiatives and proposals. Now, if the focus of
our lawmakers is to work in the interest of the voters who have elected them
into office, it should not be much of a problem, if the lawmakers pass the current
bill before congress that will help stimulate employment in the public as well
as private sectors. However, Republicans in congress are not ready to show
leadership in this area; their attention is directed towards helping their
party’s flag bearer to unseat President Obama. If the character of lawmaking is
to influence the future of the led for better; then the failure(s) of the
current congressional body has been monumental. If the construed intention of
the President of the United Sates, Barack Obama, is to get the backing of
congress to pass bills that will ameliorate the unemployment problem, the unconscious
making of partisanship in congress, is leaving the nation in the dearth, by the
failure to act or their abysmal effort.
The congressional indifference, is not only destabilizing the
economy, as it has increased uncertainties in the market, which has led to the funk on Wall Street and a
single day dip or drop in the stock market, two phenomenons hardly seen in close to
half a decade or more, it has created room for doubt in the effectiveness of the executive branch. The inaction of congress to work with the current White
House has led not only to the failure in the market, but also increased
unemployment from last month, potential increased mortgage loan defaults, increased
divorces and destruction of homes, and uncommon dislike for the current
administration. If the ambition of the Republican lawmakers is to unravel Barack Obama's Presidency, they may just find themselves holding the bag, if the voters turn against them out of frustration. If the image of future Republican Administration is to undo
every effort or bills passed by President Obama, then they are in for a rude
shock, as their dream will only come true; if at all, if the Republican Party obtains
majority in both chambers of congress. Without the last assumption happening,
no one can see Republicans making much of a difference, no matter how they tout
this promise in campaigns, or on the Republican Party’s platform come their
convention. The best form of political leadership is found where there is
collaboration; not unusual antagonism as we currently have with Republicans in
government.
Will Republicans be seen as responsive to solving the
problem of unemployment? If republicans continue to play evolving antagonisms,
if their memberships continue to fan hate for the occupant of the White House,
except he is a Republican, then they can hardly be seen as showing leadership
in this sphere of national concern or realm of public concern. To bring about
desired change, a party and its stalwarts must be positive, believable, open
minded, responsive and integrative. These common characteristics as espoused by
historians and anthropologists are essential for motivating constructive social
change. Without these facets, republicans can hardly create an optimistic
future for America, neither can they point a new direction for America and its
unemployment problem, nor will they be seen as responsive to the needs of the
country, nor integrative in their efforts.
One is already seeing part of this failure, in the
Republican Party’s campaign to unseat the present occupant of the oval office.
For example, the presumptive Republican nominee has not been able to truly
galvanize all his party’s member behind his candidacy. Just today, Candidate Ron Paul
supporters in Washington State were actively jeopardizing and
confronting Mitt Romney’s candidacy in their party’s convention. Not only are
there not enough positive vibes for Romney’s candidacy, there are still
elements of reservation in many past republican Presidential aspirants, who
contested against Mitt Romney in the Republican Primary, about the viability of his candidacy. While many Republicans
will like to believe that Mitt Romney is their choice candidate, many conservative
Republicans and tea party faction, least buy into the flag bearer’s candidacy.
Becoming truly integrative Party is an ethos of a forward looking party, the
Republican Party has or continue to ostracize the LGBT community, disown
minorities like the Hispanic and pro-choice groups; and still insist, it is a
forward looking party.
Providing a place for every shade of American is a sure way to
revitalize a party; antagonizing to the extent of bringing down the whole
political system, especially in the aspect of passing bills, is a sure way to
define, a less than open institution. The nation’s experience of how Republicans
have stood in the way of congressional progress in the past four years is a
sure definition of a besieged culture within the Republican Party. If the
primary goal of the republican leadership is to remain obstructionists, then
the party is due a cataclysmic explosion. If the image of the Republicans Party
is to be dynamic and responsive to the need of Americans, then there is a
future for the party.
The economic problem that bemoans America is at this time,
more than unemployment. There are mired of challenges considering the failing
European economy; an economy that ours is remotely tied, even when we attempt
to deny it. The unstable economic failure or monetary policies in Spain,
Greece, Italy, Portugal and more, is pointer to something untold: if your prime customers
are in debt or failing to make their note payments on time, it is unlikely they
will be able to buy from you. When your major customers are under tight credit
situation, it is unlikely, they will be increasing their orders and that means,
huge factory inventory in America and consequential unemployment. At this time,
can America afford a non-visionary or inspirational leader? Hardly so, if you
ask me! If Mitt Romney is running an Etch-A-Sketch campaign, his leadership
could hardly be visionary or inspirational. If he stands too much like a
picture without the energy to communicate his plan for and to America, he is not the
ideal person at this time. If all he can offer is standing before a company
that failed because of reasons beyond President Obama’s Administrative actions,
then, he is more of a finger pointer rather than a problem solver. He will
likely point finger at what failed and not at the lessons learned!
One of the greatest qualities of a leader is someone with
the ability to confront the challenge of a society with a vision hardly matched
by an opponent or events surrounding him and the society. He must be someone
who is always seeing the cup half-full rather than half empty. The absences of optimism
and ability to articulate a plan forward by Mitt Romney, are making many
voters, especially in the Republican party, still refusing to throw their
weights behind his candidacy. Can a party’s nominee, who is unable to
motivate his party members or set out new direction for his party’s membership,
able to carry the weight of burden of national leadership during austere time?
Can Mitt Romney as presumptive Republican nominee generate enough enthusiasms to
carry the day come November 6, 2012? These are questions for Republicans to
answer. They are also reasons why the Republican Nominee, Mitt Romney, may or
should not be celebrating the ticking up of the national unemployment rate; nor
deriding efforts of the Obama’s administration?
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