Response #3: Left of Center Politics: The Long Road to Change

Philip Oliver Roibas Sharkey

Eng 102 – J010 Michael Benton

Left of Center Politics: The Long Road to Change

The introduction to Dale Maharidge’s Someplace like America, depicts the book as a people’s history of the current economic recession and what has led to it;  ultimately suggesting that America will eventually recover from this depression by moving towards an economic system that, although the article never says this directly, is more leftist. It will be the intention of this response, to discuss the ways in which this is a fallacy.

            The United States has had a long lived inclination towards right of center politics. This is evident not only because “There have been 18 Republican presidents and 14 Democratic presidents,” (www.wisegeek.com) but by the general American assumption that the Democratic Party is leftist; when nearly everywhere else in the world they are considered centrist. In fact, many (including myself) would argue that America is missing a leftist party.

            Most Republicans want to limit the size of the government, claiming that it would lead to more personal freedom for Americans. The problem with that concept is that they are not trying to limit the laws that inhibit such liberties.  The most logical reasoning behind this move, would be that it would give their party and the elite among their constituency more power; by, for example, limiting governmental influence over the economy.  Reducing the size of government alone, could not possibly lead to the changes they claim they are trying to entice.

            How then, is it possible that the masses are motivated to vote for such a party?  I figure that it is not entirely because they agree, or even truly understand, the economic views of the party; but, are motivated to vote for them based on their social beliefs. (Take for example, that most republicans are Christian, pro-life and anti-homosexual.)  For some reason I cannot fathom, many people believe that these are the most pressing concerns for America and her welfare. Obviously, with our tanking economy, this is not the case.

            It is suggested in ‘Someplace like America’, that “We… will begin the long process of rebuilding an economy that works for everyone, but this can happen only if we relearn some lessons about caring for and relying on one another. And relearn we will, for we have no other choice.” (Maharidge 7)  The fundamental flaw in this premise is that it suggests that America will in fact rebuild its economy.  I believe that if this were to happen, it would not be for at least another decade; America has a long way to go before it hits rock bottom and I postulate that only then will its citizenry be pushed towards changing its economic principles towards something more leftist, as this quote suggests.

            Perhaps the most candid aspect of this quote is that America does indeed have a choice, as is evident in the ways we got here in the first place. Living in a democracy should allow us to make the political decisions that will better our country. Instead we decide to do the same thing over and over again in the hopes that it will lead to different results; this is insanity. Especially, because the changes we have made over the past few decades have pushed us in the opposite direction of every other developed country.  Why is it that we are one of the most developed countries without universal health care?  Why do we not offer equal rights to all of our citizens?  Why do we not try to better the lives of the people living in the lowest income levels?

            The culmination of this evidence and these principles, leads me to believe that not only is United States not going down the path towards becoming a more leftist state that cares for its people, but that we are going in the opposite direction entirely.  I hope that the optimistic view of where our country is going, that is made in Someplace Like America, will come into place; but I do not see how it is possible.

Works Cited

"In the US, Have There Been More Democrat or Republican Presidents?" WiseGEEK: Clear Answers for Common Questions. Web. 29 Aug. 2011. <http://www.wisegeek.com/in-the-us-have-there-been-more-democrat-or-republican-presidents.htm>.

Maharidge, Dale, and Michael Williamson. "Someplace Like America An Introduction." Introduction. Someplace like America: Tales from the New Great Depression. Berkeley: University of California, 2011. Ix-10. Print.

All other information provided is taken from personal experience and prior education.