A CALL FOR MODERATION IN POLITICS

Victor Bloom MD

As we approach another presidential election, campaign issues are in the air and platforms are being built. As we traverse the time to November, debate invariably becomes strident and opinions extreme. The relation between the two major parties becomes adversarial and as a result, the country is divided as the discourse becomes divisive.

The basic divisiveness is of historic origin, it is between the haves and the have-nots. The haves want to 'conserve' what they have, and so they are called 'conservatives'. The have-nots want what the haves have, and so they are called, 'liberals' as they want government money liberally spent on them, so they will no longer be the have-nots.

In the past the workers were exploited by the industrialists in free-enterprise, laissez-faire capitalism. Eventually they formed unions and gained entitlements, such as the minimum wage, higher wages, medical and pension benefits. The needy poor obtained welfare entitlements, such as Medicaid, and the retirees got Medicare. Foodstamps and school lunches were to insure that nobody would go hungry. Taxes and the costs of groceries went up to ensure that there would always be a degree of inflation.

With the advent of the sexual revolution and the civil rights reforms of the sixties, there was a breakup of the family, the advent of drugs and babies born out of wedlock. In spite of Roe v. Wade, the number of kids having kids rose exponentially, producing generation after generation of welfare cases. The haves revolted against increasing taxes to pay for a Welfare State, and eventually they gained control of both houses of the legislature, after years of Democratic control with Republican presidents. Now we have the reverse situation with a Democratic president who appears to be a shoo-in for re-election and a Republican-conservative Senate and House of Representatives.

The Democrats want to retain control in order, in their mind, to keep liberal reforms and federal control, while the Republicans would like to have the power of a conservative president as well as legislature to enforce state's rights and local control. The Supreme Court has a slight conservative edge, which the Republicans would like to preserve.

Each side would make you think that only their side will preserve the American way of life. Each side would argue that only they will uphold the highest moral traditions and protect your interests. But the case is made, over and over again, that the Democrats care about the poor and the Republicans care about the rich. The rich argue that their best interests are also good for the poor, and the poor argue that they should have the same amenities as the rich, including unlimited medical care and welfare. The rich say that the poor are too expensive, that they cannot compete on the world market with the costs of higher salaries and entitlements. And so it goes.

In between the rich and the poor, is the growing middle class, who realizes that it may be exploited by both the rich and the poor. The federal government subsidizes the rich as well as the poor, and the middle class is paying most of the taxes and doing most of the work. The middle class is thereby susceptible to the extreme positions of a Pat Buchanan, who wants to stop illegal immigration, as well as abortion. He talks as if only the return of religious fundamentalism will solve the problems of society. He promotes economic and political isolationism, and he has a significant backing of the electorate.

Our system of government is founded on the principle of the separation of powers, which leads to a certain balance. The founders of this nation did not want the federal government to become too powerful. They wanted the individual to be relatively free from incursions or control by a central power. And so we have the perennial discourse about federal control verssus states rights.

History has taught us that extremism leads to violence and violence leads to pain, suffering and further dissension, with repercussions into the distant future. Violence sometimes leads to war and war to the death of millions of innocents and vows of vengeance. In a time when violence leads to terrorism and terrorism endangers the lives of millions, we must be rational, we must be moderate, and tolerate differences of opinion. The rich, the poor and the middle class are all made up of people like us. We all want our interests to be protected, but at the same time, we must consider the legitimate interests of others.

No matter who is voted into office, everybody deserves consideration and has a voice. We will remain strong as a nation only as we work toward unity, rather than divisiveness. Just as the poor and needy deserve compassion and help, the rich are in a position to provide leadership and power to maintain a status quo that is still the envy of the rest of the world. Of the millions of immigrants that have settled this country, some have gone on to make fortunes and others have slipped down the socio-economic scale. And so it shall always be, as we have not all been created equal. In a world where moderation rules, the poor will serve the rich, the rich will serve the poor, and the middle-class will make it all possible.

Victor Bloom MD is a psychatrist in private practice in Grosse Pointe Park. He is Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Wayne State University School of Medicine and a member of the Amercan Academy of Psychoanalysis.