American Partisan Political Viciousness Needs to Stop

By Bill Gay

John Dingell, Democrat has represented a Detroit area district for many years. Known as a strong party man, Dingell is nevertheless appalled at the state of politics in his own country. I agree. During the debate on the debt limit, vote was 100% on party lines until the bitter end, when pragmatic Republicans, and most Democrats allowed the critical bill to pass. Never mind the fiscal fall out if the bill failed. The object is to cater to extreme elements in both parties with a view to the next election. Dingell looks with some degree of wistfulness as he recalls his earlier days on the Hill when members of both national parties worked together. "We learned how to draft good bipartisan bills. Most members of congress wouldn't remember those days. Democrats and Republicans came to the table ready to work, debate and negotiate."

Dingell goes on to say "We in Congress are tearing our country apart, and weakening the foundation established by great leaders before us." Does anyone think this mob rule is the Congress can produce legislation that will return prosperity to the world's greatest country? To do so will involve kicking the Tea Party extremists to the curb and getting on to providing good, well paying industrial jobs to American workers. President Barrack Obama is a top flight politician and a great orator. Who on the Republican side is his equal? Surely not the George W. Bush clone, Perry of Texas.

One of the keenest analysts of domestic politics in both Canada and the United States is Dr. Trevor Price, retired from the Political Science Department at the University of Windsor. He likens today's situation to the beginnings of the United States. "The Federalists believed in a strong central government, while the states rights Whigs, later identified as Republicans based in the Midwest believed in virtually no government at all." Sound familiar? Many Americans of this stripe believe government to be the cause of their problems (for instance health care) while most Canadians, coming from the very different parliamentary system, believe it the government that must provide the leadership to deal with the great issues of the day. Remember it was the Federalists from the eastern part of the country that bitterly opposed invading Canada to "liberate" us from the British in 1812. In Canada, Price says that the NDP will have a hard time finding a "big picture" leader to replace the fallen Jack Layton. Layton was ready to co-operate with the minority Harper Conservative government in its last days in order for measures to help working people, albeit of a compromised nature, to go through the House of Commons before an election. Others could see blood, and scorned the NDP leader for collusion with the Prime Minister. Who was right? The lower unemployment numbers in this country are due to opposing viewpoints working work together. And despite the wild accusations being thrown around in the current Ontario election, the Liberal McGuinty was able to work with the Conservative Harper to keep Canada's economic heartland alive.

I would point to the fact that we have weathered the storm and have three modern auto companies that could have disappeared without help from Canada and Ontario. We're talking 4500 jobs at Windsor Chrysler Assembly alone. Dr Price points out the "World is in a place of turmoil" and that strong leadership from all nations including powerhouses like the United States. the European Union and China are needed.  To read more go to www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com.