Wiston Papers

Settling for Mediocrity

America was a great nation.  But no more.  

We have squandered the legacy and inheritance of “the greatest generation”--the veterans of World War II.

TV commentator John Stossel labeled our decline as “The Whining of America.”  Former Pennsylvania Governor says we are “A Nation of Wusses.”

I call our fall from preeminence “Settling for Mediocrity.”

What happened?  Let me count the ways:

First, we coddled our post-WWII offspring by failing to demand that they repay the privilege of American citizenship by fulfilling a national service mandate.  We abandoned the draft.

Previous generations accepted the obligation of conscription as a rite of passage.  Actor Jimmy Stewart was a pilot in the Second World War; singer Elvis Presley put on an Army uniform in the late 1950s despite his stardom.

Baseball legends Ted Williams and Bob Feller were war veterans and NFL football star Roger Staubach gave up five years in his prime to serve in the Navy.

Can you imagine either NBA star LeBron James or actor Johnny Depp sacrificing any portion of their lucrative entertainment careers in exchange for  bootcamp?

Second, we allowed too many American products formerly manufactured here to to slip away to foreign shores.  Television sets, Levi Jeans, Mattel Toys, Gerber Baby Food, and Rawlings Baseballs are just a few items no longer “made in the USA.”  We failed to take the necessary steps to remain competitive.

Third, we surrendered our borders to illegal entry by foreign nationals and an uncontrolled infestation by international drug dealers.  Despite years of debate, our security today is rhetoric rather than resolve.

Fourth, the federal government spends far more than we earn.  Our national debt is nearly 16-trillion dollars and growing.  There is no political courage in Washington to take the necessary steps to reverse the flow.

Unless our elected leaders take decisive action, the borrowing splurge will continue resulting in higher interest rates, slower economic growth, and anemic job markets.  

Republicans call for reduced spending but no new taxes.  Democrats propose higher taxes but no reduction in expenditures.  Each party blames the other for inaction and the finger pointing symbolizes political leadership more interested in finding fault instead of fixes.

Fifth, large corporations reward poor executive performance with undeserved bonuses.  Wall Street financial giants run amok while federal regulators like the Security Exchange Commission look the other way.

Sixth, mortgage lenders gave money to unqualified home owners resulting in the inevitable  and foreseeable collapse of the housing market.  Washington rewarded this financial profligacy by authorizing the Treasury Department authority to bail out these institutional miscreants to the tune of $700-billion.

Seventh, the President proposed and the Congress passed the  Patient Protection and Affordable Car Act that neither protects patients nor is affordable for millions of Americans.  The law requires residents to buy health insurance.  But it fails to improve the quality of medical care and, in fact, makes some treatments more expensive or unavailable.

Eighth, we have permitted Congress to become a virtual House of Lords by foolishly re-electing to multiple terms Representatives and Senators who are more interested in perpetuating their tenure than in helping their constituents.  

As a result we have an increasingly geriatic-laden Legislative Branch that is short on good ideas, too entrenched with the Washington elite, indebted to well-oiled lobbyists, and out of touch with the very voters they purportedly represent.

I could add more examples of how America has Settled for Mediocrity.  But the trend is clear.  A once great nation gradually declining in power, influence and respectability.

In 1787, Benjamin Franklin reportedly said in reply to a woman who asked “What kind of government have you given us?”

“A Republic, madam, if you can hold onto it.”

Sadly, we have not.   We have betrayed the hope and promise of our founders.  

Steve Coon

June 06, 2012