70th Edition
I’m trying to think of one important institution that hasn’t been politicized. The following have all been politicized and sometimes even weaponized when the situation warrants an attack on an opponent. The list includes the media, the entertainment industry, most of our elite colleges and universities, and agencies within the federal government, including the IRS and the Justice Department. One could also make the case that major sports, like the NFL, PGA, and NBA, have also been politicized.
Politicization invariably leads to polarization, which in a nutshell, describes the state of our country. One unfortunate byproduct of polarization is that most people try to remain off the radar screen. What this means is that individuals with exceptional talent, character, experience, and leadership skills will NEVER run for president. The best of the best in our country have zero trust in the system, nor any faith in the administrative state and its ever-growing bureaucracy. When institutions become politicized, trust in them plummets. It’s really that simple. The end result, as I’ve written before, is we end up with serial liars and narcissists running for president. It isn’t good for our country today and it isn’t good for our future.
All this makes me wonder what the next fifty years might look like in our country if we continue to be led by individuals of questionable character and a deplorable lack of integrity. Let me try to describe what that scenario might look like. Cynicism becomes the dominant culture, if it hasn’t already. Polarization thrives, inequality expands, and tribalism squashes every remaining civic-minded organization. A sense of community all but fades away as gated neighborhoods spring up everywhere and inner cities continue to decay, even as they become overcrowded with illegal immigrants and those struggling to climb the economic ladder. Most of the affluent don’t care, and those that do feel powerless to do anything substantive about it. Sounds like a wonderful environment, doesn’t it?
What forces could make this dire prediction inaccurate? Would taxing the rich work? Or at least getting the rich to pay their fair share? Would eliminating the carbon-based economy do the trick? How about a complete embrace of socialism? Let the elites and powerful own and run everything, make all economic decisions and control where we live, what we buy, and most aspects of everyday life. Would that make things better? How about we turn the reins over to some international consortium that rules beyond national boundaries for the good of all, producing universal equality, finally. All these are ideas are being promoted today. And all of them will be ineffective at best and more likely to create other problems while they destroy economic growth and threaten individual freedom.
I really don’t mean to sound so cynical, or like an alarmist. I’m just struggling to identify any trends in our country that seem beneficial to our future. Perhaps the deployment of artificial intelligence will lead to innovative solutions to all kinds of problems. I think current expectations will prove overly optimistic but perhaps not.
One scenario that is possible is for more people to essentially tune out. Disengage from the daily political vitriol. Take the air out of the sails of the mainstream media and talking heads whose sole purpose is to keep people angry. This could be an important first step to more frequent, serious, but respectful conversations about politics, the economy, and the future of our country. A welcome return to civility and reasonableness. A movement in this direction might be subtle at first, maybe even undetectable, but over time, the percentage of people on either side of the political aisle who are obsessed with making sure the other side loses may decline.
This would be a very hopeful trend if it occurs, and I think it just might. Why? No matter which side wins the 2024 presidential election the worst fears of the side that loses will not be realized. Since fear and the power of our imagination are almost unlimited, reality will likely unfold that might not be ideal, but it won’t approach Armageddon. As our country adapts to the 2024 results, perhaps after protests and even isolated civil unrest, things will settle down and move on. Eventually, the adults in the room in Congress and in the business community may find a way to work together. Hopefully the younger generation of political leaders will realize that polarization and weaponization are a path to disaster. In a nutshell, our country is growing tired of the political madness and the pervasive lack of integrity. I remain hopeful that we will find our moral compass, and reaffirm core values, while keeping in proper perspective all our failings, challenges, and opportunities.
Our future isn’t linear. Collectively we have tremendous potential to impact our future, either positively or negatively. Should be fun to witness and even more fun to write about.
Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, say tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks
Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.