A Time for Decision

With the New Year almost upon us, it is time to contemplate what lies ahead.  This coming year is apt to be a time of decision.  We, as a nation, will have to decide if we wish to solve our problems or indulge our fantasies.  Most Americans believe we are on the wrong track—but will they choose the right one?

Just over three years ago voters made a momentous mistake.  They re-elected Barack Obama despite four years of lies and incompetence.  Somehow they believed that he cared more about their welfare than did Mitt Romney.  Why they came to this conclusion is an enduring mystery.

By now it should be clear that Obama’s commitment is to himself and his ideology.  Time and again when confronted with a fork in the road, he chooses unwisely.  Bill Clinton assured us that no one could have done a better job as president.  In fact, a child with a dartboard would have had a better record.

Meanwhile Romney was dismissed as an extremist.  His depictions of Russia as a global adversary and the Arabs as trapped in a medieval culture were assailed as insensitive nonsense.  Nor were his business accomplishments appreciated.  As a rich man, how could he possibly care about others?

And so we got four more years of a stagnant economy and a perverse foreign policy.  Back then, people did not use their heads in evaluating the candidates.  They evidently went with the one who seemed friendlier.

Fast forward to today when voters appear to be leaning toward a bombastic real estate mogul or a failed secretary of state.  That Hillary Clinton has been caught in a series of lies plainly does not trouble many Democratic voters.  Having given us one demagogic president, they will happily give us another.

But the Republicans are even worse.  Many of them favor a casino owner with a talent for mimicry.  Apparently they believe that if he can commission tall buildings and luxury golf courses, he will be able to rescue our economy and magically deport twelve million illegal aliens.

Ordinary Americans are said to love Trump because they are angry and he “tells it like it is.”  That what he says routinely exposes his ignorance of foreign affairs and the Constitution leaves them unmoved.  That he too lies with verve is seen as a mark of authenticity.

I am reminded of the movie Network in which the unhinged news anchor Howard Beale declares, “I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it any more.”  Beale was exposed as loony.  Will Trump experience the same fate or will it be the rest of us if we vote for him?

Being angry is all well and good if we retain a sense of balance.  There is certainly a great deal to be angry about.  Nonetheless we will not feel less upset if we add to our frustrations.  If we do not fix what is broken, we will be in greater turmoil.

So this is my plea: It is time for Americans to calm down and listen to what the candidates say.  Instead of being persuaded by atmospherics and emotionality, we need to identify the candidate with the most sensible programs.  This is not Hillary; it is not Trump.

If we want our country to be strong again, we do not need someone who promises to carpet bomb civilians and to make a good buddy out of Vladimir Putin.  If we want honesty, we do not need someone who brags about successfully bribing politicians.

But neither do we need a person whose sole qualifications are that she stood up for a philandering husband and then used a private server that could be hacked by unfriendly governments.  Do we really want Obama Light or are we looking for a genuine change?

So please listen to what the candidates propose and judge them on qualities such as competence and honesty.  And then decide wisely.

Melvyn L. Fein, Ph.D.

Professor of Sociology

Kennesaw State University