History may record this as the most important election in a century; act accordingly

History may record this as the most important election in a century; act accordingly

EDITOR:

Historians may look back at the 2008 election as one of the most important ones of the past 100 years, more significant than the Reagan victory of 1980 and perhaps exceeding Franklin Roosevelt’s 1932 win in the depths of the Great Depression. The American economy is going sour at a time when the national debt has reached alarming levels. Retiring baby boomers are beginning to put strains on Social Security and Medicare that could bankrupt both systems.

Islamic militancy is becoming increasingly dangerous around the world, with access to long-range missiles and nuclear warheads a future possibility. China, with more than four times the population of the U. S., is gaining increasing economic strength and is using it to build power around the world. Our federal government is mired in partisan and ideological conflict and constant bickering in the Congress.

Add to that America’s loss of trust and respect among other nations, caused by the present administration’s incompetent management of an unnecessary war, and there is clear and urgent need for a new president with competence, vision, persistence, cool-headedness and well-developed political skills.

Charisma helps one to get elected, but it doesn’t insure post-election progress. The ever-optimistic Franklin Roosevelt deserves credit for boosting American morale and relieving suffering during the Depression, but he didn’t turn the economy around and there is reason to believe that his administration’s policies actually prolonged it. John Kennedy was an inspiring figure, but his legislative achievements were limited. Lyndon Johnson, Kennedy’s aggressive and politically adept successor, got important civil rights legislation passed.

It can be argued that leaders are formed by their life experiences and do not become great until they have known humiliating defeat. Winston Churchill suffered numerous setbacks in his career, but when World War II erupted he was ready to lead Great Britain through a time of suffering to ultimate victory. Harry Truman was considered a bumbling political hack when he became president after Roosevelt died, and he suffered a major humiliation at the hands of the U. S. Supreme Court, but he went on to earn a reputation as one of our better presidents. Which of our candidates this year have comparable experiences; which have not?

The next president will have to overcome the “no new taxes” mantra and work with Congress to get our fiscal house in order. That will involve controlling pork barrel spending, more effective prosecution of tax fraud and a major overhaul of our taxation system. All this will be fought by the many special interests that benefit from the system’s inequities.

One area where overall spending should not be increased is health care. Our problem is not under funding but undisciplined spending. Other industrialized nations get equal or superior overall results for one-fourth to one-third less money per capita. There is no shortage of published reports describing how they do it and how we could do the same. The problem is political: many businesses, institutions and professionals profit greatly from the present arrangement.

Progress can only occur if there is national leadership, taking advantage of the lessons learned in the failed 1993-4 reform attempt and building a national consensus to do what must be done. That may take several years, but it will be worth the effort. Health care costs over $2 trillion each year. Think how much good could be accomplished if a quarter of that — $500 billion annually — could be freed up for other good purposes.

A final sobering thought: this year, as never before, each nominee for president must choose a vice president running mate who is well qualified to lead the nation, not just someone who will balance the ticket. There have always been crazies who wanted to assassinate the president, but from now on radical Islamists will be out there with sophisticated weapons, eager to die, if necessary, to do that gruesome deed.

ROBERT D. GILLETTE, M.D.

Poland