PANIC POLITICS/POLICIES
One of the advantages in life is achieving senior status. You are certainly a lot slower, and often the mind does not respond as rapidly. But, senior status does imply that one has a history to rely on to give perspective to current events.
As a youth, I was enamored with JFK. My father was a Goldwater supporter. Sixty years later, I, and others, have a much better understanding of what each of those gentlemen stood for. Kennedy and Goldwater both put the nation first, even though they disagreed on the path. Everet Dirkson and Paul Simon in Illinois were opposites, but both wanted the state and nation to prevail and succeed. Richard Daly and Jim Thompson were certainly not political cohorts, but they both wanted Chicago and Illinois to flourish.
Today, and for the past 20 years or so, it seems that the era of debate and compromise has delved into simply a quest for power by both political parties and their candidates.
RUSSIAN COLLUSION—Hillary Clinton’s campaign against Trump was based in large part on the accusation that Trump was essentially an agent of the Russian government. It took years for that accusation to be proven a hoax, but it placed many in a panic and determined the votes of a large part of the American public. This was a campaign based in large part on fear and it almost prevailed.
TEA PARTY & DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS—Both of these political groups tend to lead by fear rather than promoting ideas for discussion. The Tea Party sought to change the Republican base as the Democratic Socialists are currently seeking to change the Democratic base.
Neither the Tea Party nor the Democratic Socialists have the votes mathematically to change their respective parties. What they have is political will and the force to put their respective parties into internal chaos. Hence, they can control or influence the legislation that furthers their agenda.
By and large, the Tea Party has been absorbed into the mainstream Republican Party. The Democratic Socialists have certainly flared up in this election cycle. We will soon see if the American public buys into the panic they are sowing or reverts back to the mainstream politics.
COVID—Covid is a classic example of fear politicized. Covid is certainly a serious disease, but it was politicized beyond its ability to harm. Much of the western world simply lost two years of education and production to the fear of a virus. This is not to say that one should ignore pathogens that are out there, but one needs to understand which are catastrophic and which are simply serious. In contrast, one can place Ebola in Africa as a catastrophic virus that needs attention.
DATA CENTERS/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE—Computers are a mainstay in our lives today. The bottom line is that a computer simply processes information and completes tasks at a much faster pace than most humans. Our economy and lifestyles have simply accepted them.
Now, many are saying the end of the world is coming because of uncontrolled artificial intelligence. The drama is great. Are we simply falling for panic policies? Yes, there are risks. Here in DeWitt County, there was concern with building the Clinton Power Station. Those concerns were met and the power station has been a tremendous asset to the community. DeWitt County residents need to always remember that much of our tax base and local wealth is anchored in nuclear energy and garbage, the power plant and the landfill.
Historically, we have had many inside and outside of this community who originally sought to stop or remove both of these entities. Common sense and oversight has made both a real benefit to DeWitt County.
Yes, there are serious issues and health concerns that are facing the American public and its local governments. We don’t need to politicize/weaponize those issues. Our form of government is designed for debate and compromise. Debate the issues without malice and let science and common sense prevail. For 250 years Americans have resolved significant issues without violence at the legislature and council halls. Let’s keep it that way.
APPLE ‘N PORK—It’s that time of the year again. Enjoy a beautiful weekend at this festival, which is the financial base for many of our nonprofits. Apple ‘n Pork showcases Clinton and DeWitt County as well as you can ask for. Support our local community and have some great food. Enjoy.
Richard Koritz is an Illinois native, attorney and former DeWitt County State’s Attorney.
