"My dueling columnist colleague Stephen L. Goldstein and I rarely agree on anything, but today we do: Real political leadership is next to non-existent in America, and the US faces a threat to its existence because of it.Yet, democracies are based on the consent of the governed, which means all citizens bear responsibility for their nation's successes and failures. So as the New Year unfolds, perhaps Americans should take a look at the role they have played in creating the existential crisis in which the United States finds itself.
We could start by reflecting on an observation by the Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville, who toured the United States during the 1830s and wrote the classic political treatise, Democracy in America.
Unlike in Europe, Tocqueville found, people in the United States tended not to look to a central government to address problems. Instead, they banded together in communities and in civic organizations to work for a better quality of life, and this impressed Tocqueville.
In contrast, we live today in a society of crony capitalism, federal business bailouts, individuals clamoring for more and more government financial assistance, and communities and states calling on the federal government to pay the salaries even for teachers and police officers. As a result, the United States has accumulated a $16 trillion national debt and $120 trillion in unfunded liabilities.
Here's a novel New Year's resolution for individuals, businesses, cities and states: "We pledge not to ask the federal government to do for us what we should be doing for ourselves."
Read more: Guy: Instead of leaders, we elected circus clowns - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
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