The whole debt ceiling debate has been nothing short of a disappointing reflection of our government's ability to get things done. As I tweeted earlier, it's gotten more coverage than the killing of Osama Bin Laden - an indication that we value Jersey Shore-style bickering more than good news. If a deal is not reached by the deadline it will confirm my worst fears, that our government has been hijacked by idealogues who value sensationalism over pragmatism.
I often hear more sensible members of the media reflect back on the "good old days" when republicans and democrats worked together to accomplish similar goals and pass laws that made sense at the risk of slighting some of their more zealous constituents. We are now in a place where congressmen refuse to compromise even the slightest for fear of retribution from their voter base when campaign season comes around. And their fears are justified; there will always be over-the-top demagogues and underqualified politicians like Michelle Bachmann or Sarah Palin there to play the "I won't ever vote for tax increases, I'm on your side" card against any incumbent who didn't fit their respective party's archetype. The fact that Bachmann and Palin are GOP presidential front runners (rather than more sensible choices like Pawlenty or Romney) shows how our voters have lost sensibility.
But here's the dirty little secret about archetypes; they aren't real. Only shadows of actual people. And they never pan out in the world of politics because it is always a game of give and take to get anything done. Which brings us to our current situation: our government would rather default on our debt then compromise in any way.
I don't think this is the result of a recent batch of congressmen, I think this is simply what happens with overpopulation and an ever-expanding government. The two party system doesn't work because there are simply too many damn people being represented to fall into just two distinct parties. I think term limits is a good start (it would force congressmen to focus on getting bills passed rather than preparing for campaign season), but I don't think it is enough. I honestly think the only solution is to decentralize the government. The larger we grow as a country, the more fractured we become as a culture. In his book Blink, Malcolm Gladwell comments on how the successful company Gore-Tex has a rule that once a location reaches a certain number of employees, its splits off and starts a new one. We are a tribal culture, we cannot fit into two distinct categories. Our best hope is to provide more options.
