I re-read Jane Eyre for the third time. It's not a perfect novel. There are some unlikely coincidences and (spoiler alert) Jane really should have known that Mr. Rochester's crazy wife was living upstairs. Despite its weaknesses, the prose and touching romance shine through, making it my favorite novel. Yes, I also like chick flicks.
That's what America is like. Alarming headlines and negative campaign rhetoric constantly draw attention to our country's imperfections. But despite America's shortcomings, the brilliance of its traditions, individual freedom, and can-do spirit shines through. It is by far my favorite country.
So how do we deal with the imperfections of a country made up of 335 million flawed human beings, each with their own opinions about government and society? The left wants the government to do everything perfectly. The right often takes fiscal conservatism to the extreme and opposes any spending that the left desires. As a result, the spirit of cooperation and compromise that could lead to substantive improvements in existing policies is lost.
There are some strange approaches from the right to address America's shortcomings. Some hope that by sanitizing school textbooks and banning unpleasant discussion of the subject, we will forget the “lesser” stains of our nation's history, such as slavery and Jim Crow. The MAGA slogan is catchy, but when was this ideal time ever in the past? All of us who love our country know that America is and will be great despite its flaws. I know.
Liberal misfortune due to imperfection is troubling because many progressive ideas are extremely expensive and we are already saddled with a national debt of $34.6 trillion. Constantly expanding government is a threat to everyone's freedom. According to the International Monetary Fund, local, state, and federal government spending in 2022 amounted to more than 36% of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). Each new spending bill increases debt and reduces attention to existing programs. And this is money that could be left with taxpayers to boost the economy through consumer spending and investment.
Many of the left's proposals have merit, but the list of problems to be solved seems endless and daunting. Progressives need to better embrace imperfection and focus on a short list of improvements that are affordable and yield the greatest return on government investment. The adage that “perfect is the enemy of good” is a warning that the search for perfect solutions will only hinder the cooperation needed to enact sensible laws.
Our free market economy is a great example of how you don't have to be perfect to achieve very positive things. Today, our economy is outpacing nearly every other country in growth and job creation, but many people cannot credit the success of the free market. They instead focus on the shortcomings and look to the government to intervene with socialist solutions.
The 2024 World Happiness Index was released in March, and most of the headlines focused on the US dropping out of the top 20 countries. More importantly, the U.S. ranks 10th among those 60 and older, but only 62nd among those 18 to 29.
In The Sweet American Heart, authors Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff suggest that we have created a vulnerable generation by shielding them from adversity. Perhaps young people are unhappy because of their unrealistic attitude towards dealing with the imperfections of the world. Our future leaders need optimism and realism.
What really bothers people is that each political party is sending the message that things will be perfect in America if the other party just gets their way. Moderate citizens admire humble candidates who don't claim to be some great man (or woman) who will fix everything, but instead promise to pursue cooperation and affordable progress.
I've convinced my friends in the Midwest that life in Summit County is perfect, but the locals here are well aware of the problems we face. Despite our disagreements about taxes, regulations, and priorities, we seem to have a healthy and pragmatic attitude to improving. There was a local election recently, and voters weren't looking for the perfect diamond, just people who would work hard and help make their community a better place. Let's recognize what we need to improve on, but more importantly, recognize what we're doing right.
Paul Olson's column, “A Friendly Conservative,” appears every other Tuesday in the Summit Daily News. Olson has lived in Breckenridge since 1995. Semi-retired, he works at his REI in Dillon and enjoys snowboarding, Nordic skiing, and hiking. Please contact pobreck@gmail.com.
