It Didn’t Begin With Trump

While the dysfunction in government today is presently being blamed on the Trump Presidency, and while this is in no way meant to either ignore or not blame Donald Trump with the current dysfunction, it is important to put things into a proper perspective.  While I do not know the exact date America lost sight of the most important requirement of government.  That is the requirement for GOOD government...not small government, not liberal government, not conservative government, and surely not Democratic or Republican government; but first, foremost, and only GOOD Government.  Good government requires putting the needs of all citizens first in any and all legislative efforts of government.  Good government means not writing and passing legislation that benefits only a few, gives special tax considerations to few, or appoint judges that only benefit a few with their interpretations of existing laws and the existing Constitution.  Good government means eliminating things like the Hastert rule” where legislation would only be brought to the floor of the House if there was a majority of the majority party in the House of Representatives. Good government also requires eliminating obstruction in the Senate by failing to bring measures voted on and passed by the House of Representatives to the floor of the Senate for a vote. Good government also means Presidential appointments requiring Senate confirmation only be confirmed if the appointee can demonstrate past experience and competence in his or her new appointer role and not based upon political reasons or campaign contributions.  Good government requires compromise and bi-partisanship and recognizes there will never be legislation enacted that is perfect and gives one side everything that side wants while giving the other side either nothing it wants or, at best, crumbs.  The United States of America is presently in a very deep hole.  This is a hole that is the graveyard for over 275,000 former citizens that will longer walk on this earth.  This hole was not just dug by the present political parfty in power, Republicans, but to some extent, whether large or small, Democrats have been complicit as well.  The way to fill this hole and solve the Covid-19 problem is not to spend a scintilla of energy placing blame or finding fault but only directed to solutions to eliminate the problem either by vaccines, changes in behavior, or both.  Any legislative efforts to stymie or delay immediate solutions to both the health and economic problems Americans are suffering until the threat of Covid-19 infection can be dramatically reduced needs to be eliminated.  The same is efforts by the courts thatg my, in the name of freedom, may rule on government actions to minimize the threat of Covid-19 to either individuals or to others individuals may come into contact with and may infect is infected themselves with Covid-19.  This final requirement of good government is a free press.  But a free press is a press that holds those in power responsible for failure to provide good government. And, most important, is a fre press that bases opinion and suggestions for solutions to science and fact rather than to lies, misinformation, and conspiracy thepry that has no basis in reality.  A free press also requires broadcast media that favors neither Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or any other political party but does favor only good government and is driven to inform America of bad or not good government.  Good government is very difficult but the United States has been without good government for too long and it is questionable whether the country can afford to continue on the path of ignoring the need for good government and longer.