A Time for Reflection

It is now three weeks since the elections and the USA is back to the usual things that occupy us at this time of year. Folks are finishing the leftover turkey and shopping for Christmas. Politicians in Washington are positioning themselves for an upcoming last minute deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. The media is breathlessly reporting every comment made about the fiscal cliff like they actually mattered, and few people are paying attention.

The sad thing is that the politicians did not get any clear message about what to do from the people. Obama won, but his majority was greatly reduced. In the senate, Democrats picked up two seats and remain in control, but in the house, the GOP maintained an easy control of that chamber. People voted for and against raising taxes on the wealthy. They voted for and against cutting federal spending in a meaningful way. They voted for and against severe cuts to defense spending. They voted for and against maintaining Obamacare. You get the picture. No matter which side of the issue one is on, one can find support in the election returns. It is a mess.

What all this means is that America must rely on the genius of our political system to fashion solutions to ongoing and major problems we face. That's the big problem. Right now, our political system does not seem to have any ideas sufficient to allow for a meaningful resolution.