With the world in turmoil, it is clearer than ever that America can no longer afford the preening, over-the-top, partisan trappings that masquerade as leadership in Washington today.
As our leaders bicker incessantly, we lose sight of our country’s most critical goals, our national priorities, our place in the world, and our global responsibilities.
John F. Kennedy defined leadership as “an honor mortgaged to no individual or group, and involving no private obligation or objective, but devoted solely to the service of the public good and the national interest”.
Such lofty idealism seems quaint at best in our increasingly cynical nation’s capital, but it is exactly what the current moment in American history demands. As our nation wearily looks ahead to 2024, I hope Washingtonians will embrace five pearls of wisdom that have historically helped guide America’s best leaders.
1. Your failure is not necessarily my success
Washington has lost sight of this idea over the past decade and the result has been almost disastrous.
The most important laws in U.S. history have often been developed through cooperation between Democrats and Republicans, including the Social Security Act of 1935, the Medicare and Medicaid Act of 1965, and the Health Quality Act. looks like 1970.
Then, of course, there was the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Credit for these laws is often, and rightly, given to Dr. Martin Luther King and the civil rights leaders who forced Washington to act, as well as Lyndon Johnson. , the Democratic president who shepherded the bills through Congress.
But the bill never would have passed without Senate Republican leader Everett Dirksen. Imagine where we would be if Senator Dirksen refused to support these bills because he did not want to hand a “victory” to a president of the other party.
This would have been tragic, short-sighted and destructive – and yet it is standard operating procedure for achieving “success” in our politics today.
We need to rediscover the virtues of the win-win deal – in which everyone at the negotiating table walks away with something to feel good about.
2. Perfect is the enemy of good
In Washington, we often see members of Congress walk away from a deal because it doesn’t give them everything they want.
But in life, getting 100% of what you want is not on the menu – not in a marriage, not in a friendship, not in a business transaction and certainly not in any piece of legislation.
It is important to have strong principles and core beliefs that you do not compromise on. But let us remember that this country was founded on a great compromise.
The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 nearly collapsed because small and large states could not agree on how to share power. The impasse was not broken until two delegates proposed the Connecticut Compromise, which created a House, with representation based on population, and a Senate, which gave each state two senators.
It wasn’t perfect. But it was a good thing, it was the right compromise to solve the problem and it has been going on for 250 years.
3. Act now or face dire consequences later
It is essential that we address problems as soon as they arise and avoid dismissing them later.
Between America’s founding in the 1780s and 2008, we accumulated $10 trillion in debt. Over the next 15 years, we accumulated another $24 trillion. All of this has been masked by a decade of historically low interest rates. But now rates are going up and the bill is coming due.
In 2020, the yield on 10-year Treasury notes fell well below 1%. Now it’s approaching five percent, meaning the government pays much higher interest on new funds it borrows.
In fiscal year 2023, Washington spent $659 billion on debt interest payments alone. For comparison, that’s about 80% of what we spend across the entire Department of Defense.
America’s debt as a percentage of GDP is now higher than at any time since our government had to spend whatever it took to win World War II. The difference between then and now is of course that we knew World War II would eventually end, whereas our current debt explosion has no end in sight.
The question is when, not if, America will face a debt crisis if we continue on this path. I believe that we can and must still demonstrate the will to avoid it. But we cannot continue to wait.
It’s like a pilot flying into a major storm 300 miles ahead. If they start to deviate slightly from their path, they avoid the storm. But if they wait until the plane is only 20 miles away, they’ll need some pretty skillful maneuvering to get through a lot of turbulence.
We know this fiscal storm is coming, and we know that avoiding it will require making difficult choices. But if we delay making tough choices for too long, let’s buckle up, because we face a turbulent future. To quote Bette Davis: “Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be an eventful night.” »
4. The Sumpums must give
Herb Stein, who chaired the Council of Economic Advisers under President Nixon, once insightfully said, “If something can’t last forever, it will end.” »
The most unsustainable trend in our country right now is how Americans treat each other. Politics has always been a difficult game. But what is happening now is different and scary.
A few years ago, political scientists asked Democrats and Republicans a series of questions about how they viewed members of the other party. One of the questions was:
“Have you ever thought, ‘We would be better off as a country if a lot of people from the opposing party died’?” Nearly one in five respondents said yes.
In response to another question, more than 40 percent said they viewed the opposition as “downright evil.” This hostility colors Americans’ view of our entire democratic experience.
Fair bench did another study finds that trust in government is at its lowest level in 70 years.
This cannot and will not continue. Throughout its history, America has experienced several moments where a broken old order was replaced by something new.
We are approaching one of those moments again. I believe we are on the cusp of a generational shift in our politics when new coalitions, alliances and leaders emerge.
It will be up to these new leaders to decide whether an emerging order will be constructive or destructive.
5. We live in the greatest country in the history of the world
Our country today can seem paralyzed by divisions, inequality and anger. But it still has the resources, intelligence, funds and know-how to create the greatest inventions and breakthroughs. We continue to be a destination for people around the world fleeing oppression or seeking opportunity.
In the early 1900s, my great-grandfather had to leave Ukraine to escape the pogroms that threatened him and his family. He didn’t know much about America, but he knew it was a country founded on timeless values like freedom and equality. He therefore passed through Ellis Island in 1904 to become an American.
This is one of the many reasons why I will always be proud to be an American. Without this country, I would never have had the opportunity to succeed or fail, or realize my potential.
Of course, America hasn’t always lived up to these values, and lately we often feel like we’ve lost our way.
American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan performs at the BBC TV Centre, London, June 1, 1965. (Photo by … (+)
Recently I went to a Bob Dylan concert in New York and remembered a different time, 60 years ago, when the path forward was equally troubling and unclear and a young Dylan sang:
Come senators, congressmen
Please answer the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block the hallway
For the one who is hurt
Will be the one who stalled
There’s a battle outside and it’s raging
It’ll soon shake your windows and shake your walls
For the times they change
We have lost our way before and have always found our way thanks to dedicated, talented and patriotic leaders who have renewed America’s promise. I firmly believe we will do it again.
