Back to the basics again

We have an unseemly poor group of leaders in D.C. who have lost sight of the responsibilities to do the most basic things to promote our general well-being and provide for our common defense. What a shame because it did not have to turn out this way.

All the stories swirling around the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) provide the latest example. All the suggestions as to motivations and suspicions are worthy of a techno-thriller novel. Yet how many have actually read the “declassified version” of the Key Judgments of the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran’s nuclear intentions and capabilities. How many are qualified to interpret this obscure English language variant meant for a select few. And the key point is that what is in the public domain is the “declassified” version. While most citizens cannot read the “classified” version, our elected executive types and congress people can, and are expected to do this as part of their basic job. Yet this does not appear to be the case in earlier versions of the NIE being read before key congressional votes. And now it seems that decisions are being made by too many based on media “reports” and those who have not done their basic homework. Talk about an aimless herd. Where’s the congressional oversight and askance questioning of the people who produce the NIE. Will these congress people take the time to read what they are supposed to review, and pass advise on to their colleagues. This is so basic in job responsibility.

The NIE is just one example. How about other basics like food and drug safety, pet food safety, toy safety, bridge safety, and border safety. How about public policies to promote vaccinations, communicable disease control, clean water from the tap, sewage practices, and police and fire safety. These seemingly “boring” things are never on auto-pilot, but it appears like our seemingly poor group of leaders think so, even as budgets in these “boring areas” are being cut beyond inflation rates, voted on, and approved and signed into law.

What we citizens have in the USA is special, and worthy of defending and promoting. The recent decades long focus on improving things has morphed into tearing things down and misdirection, often displayed by our electing the politicians who compliantly go along, with some of the astute ones taking advantage. Even the politics of personal destruction and criminalization of politics has driven away many of those Americans who should serve, but won’t. And we and our politicians have also begun to let the castle crumble, and now is a good time to get back to the basics. For all the self-appointed socialists, anarchists, environmentalists, scheming politicians, and such, consider moving your goal posts back so as to keep the baby alive. For all the others, its time to vote in those Americans who can still do the basics, and balance things out. We should demand no less.