We’ve “Lost The Plot” (As A Country)

I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to what we should be looking for in our public leaders. Of course, the timing of the current election season plays a role in this. As a student of leadership, I also pay close attention to individuals in key leadership roles in both the public and private sectors. Obviously, for good or bad, the President stands above the crowd. I think we can all agree that there has been a dearth of leadership lately. Our country appears to be unraveling at a rapid pace.  People are falling into divisive camps, unwilling to listen to the other side. Finger-pointing seems to be at an all-time high. And, everyone is looking for a scapegoat to justify their discontent. The Coronavirus has also put us in a life-or-death situation, which is worrisome.

It hasn’t always been this way. I recall when I was a young boy, my parents held the presidency in high regard. I didn’t grow up with a distrust of the government. I was often reminded of all the good that the government had done for our nation. We made multiple trips to Washington, DC, to celebrate our country and visit our esteemed public institutions. I, personally, read countless books on our presidents and grew up mostly proud of who had led our country (regardless of party). We had our national challenges and tragedies, but we overcame them. Moreover, as we traveled, it felt good to be an American. To see the positive impact of the United States on the world, one only needs to read the history of the 20th century. Of course, we weren’t perfect. No country is. However, if you look back through the history books, I believe this country has done a reasonably decent job of managing its hegemonic position in the world.

Something started to go awry about 25 or 30 years ago. It became politically expedient to demonize the other side. Politics became a zero-sum game. Congressmen from different parties would often spend personal time together, and many became friends (e.g., John McCain babysitting Joe Biden’s children). Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill often had drinks together. In the current environment, our elected representatives have minimal interaction with their non-party colleagues unless it is absolutely necessary. Your opponent has become your enemy. I remember vigorous public policy debates when I was younger; today, all I hear are personal attacks and vitriol.

We currently have a sitting president contesting the election before it even takes place, which is difficult to fathom. It wasn’t that long ago that our electoral process was the standard for the rest of the world (e.g., Afghanistan and Iraq). How could it fall apart so quickly? Is there really this much distrust, or is it contrived? Upon his election, President Trump formed a commission to investigate election fraud and ultimately disbanded it, as it found no significant evidence of wrongdoing. Now, he routinely says the opposite, even though he knows better. Our military personnel and a large number of other people have been voting by mail for years, and it has never been an issue. Indeed, we received lectures emphasizing the importance of respecting absentee ballots and not undervaluing them, but now we find them untrustworthy. I honestly don’t know how some politicians (from both sides) manage to sleep at night, given all the damage they’ve done to this country. I suppose when one lacks a conscience, they are willing to do anything to achieve their goals. Sadly, many of them sleep much better than me with no self-reflection or remorse whatsoever.

Numerous talking heads have emerged, manipulating the facts to further their political agendas. We’ve elevated the views of the incurious and ideological over the objective and truth-driven. No one bothers to pay attention to the numerous non-partisan fact-checking resources that review content. Instead, we prefer to accept the lies or partial truths that validate our preconceived beliefs. We mistakenly lump all media into the same untrustworthy bucket, which is both unwise and unfair. It’s important to remember that many news outlets still adhere to journalistic standards, regardless of your personal beliefs.  Others print whatever they want without regard for research integrity and promote the nonsensical concept of ‘alternative facts.’ 

Our current public leader has been intent on delegitimizing any news source that doesn’t paint him in a favorable light, and people jump on his bandwagon without a second thought. It’s hard to believe and accept the questionable information resources some people use to make their points. I’ve had people counter the NY Times with a fledgling niche music magazine. Whatever happened to fact-checking your sources and validating them with other reputable sources? Sometimes you must read multiple dense articles to understand something. We are playing right into Russia and China’s media manipulation agenda. Without an honest, free, and fair press, a democracy is at risk. Real news is not meant to be self-justifying, nor is it intended to promote an agenda. It is there to help inform and educate us about the things that matter and affect the world around us, rather than make us feel good or validated.

Politics has become big business, and that is a shame. Why else would national campaigns cost so much money? It was never meant to be this way. Why is our congress full of so many multimillionaires, and how do they leave their positions wealthier? Our Founding Fathers worried this could happen. This is why they created our system of checks and balances. This is also why they wrote extensively about their concerns regarding the influence of interest groups in our political system. What they deemed possible has come true. Sadly, when seeking those responsible, we only need to look inward. We get the government we deserve. These events wouldn’t be happening if we all took our role as citizens more seriously and put the good of the nation above our own, often misinformed, and opinionated self-interest. We are asleep in the passenger seat while someone else is driving.

The good news is that our system may ultimately work, despite our efforts—we shall see. I hope we all see this obvious dysfunction as a wake-up call and collectively strive to stop our downward spiral. We’ve rallied before. More than 1.3 million people have died defending the principles of this country since our founding in 1776. Let’s not let it unravel on our watch. If we fail to take action, we understand the consequences of a deeply divided nation led by leaders who encourage disunion. To quote Abraham Lincoln, “A house divided against itself will not stand” for too much longer…

As you cast your ballot this year:

1. Vote for the candidates who will bring us back together, not further tear us apart. 
2. Vote for the candidates who will reach across the aisle and look to find common ground.
3. Vote for the candidates who welcome freedom of assembly and our right to protest but eschew violence.
4. Vote for the candidates who believe in facts over ideology. 
5. Vote for the leaders who respect science and expertise over political self-preservation.
6. Vote for the people who practice civility and model decent human behavior.  
7. Vote for the people who practice empathy and humility over those with false bravado and insatiable egos.
8. Vote for leaders who envision a brighter future, rather than those who resist the pull of human progress. 
9. Vote for the leaders who focus on solutions rather than making excuses.
10. Vote for our democratic republic over an increasing pull toward autocracy. 

Don’t be part of the problem; be part of the solution. Avoid succumbing to overt manipulation or misguided loyalty to a particular party. Please help us restore our fragile democracy to its rightful path. We need each other now more than ever.