A Response To: The No-Accountability Moment
By Dan Froomkin
Washington Post
Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005; 11:10 AM
Editorial Link: Here
-----
My Response:
It's not about the WHAT...
...but the HOW the administration does things.
Here is the problem:
The public has allowed themselves to be swayed by the WHAT of his agenda as opposed to the HOW.
Even if you buy into the "crisis mode" management approach, elevating everything you want to accomplish into a crisis to get reaction, it causes some very short-sighted thinking and simple minded solutions - not to mention a whole host of unintended consequences. Of course we want better healthcare and a stable social security program (although the idea of what "stable" is to this President resides firmly in the unfettered free market that is anything but stable) and a strong defense against terrorism...but do we really want those things in such an ideologically driven, simple-minded, bullying, risk irrelevant, no contingency planning sort of way?
This problem has been exacerbated by the media's approach and the approach of his political opponents who cannot seem to articulate the difference between WHAT is done and HOW it's done. The media and the political world, to include the voting public, have allowed the spin-meisters to turn any criticism of the HOW into opposition of the WHAT and that simply isn't true or helpful.
For instance, if one criticizes the current plan for changing Social Security (is there a plan?), then they are accused of wanting to stick with the status quo, that will result in nothing being done. THAT is simply misleading and unhelpful when trying to solve a problem. IF a problem indeed exists that must be mitigated, then it is NOT unimaginable to think that there are many approaches (read HOW) to finding a solution. And, many of these approaches will be better suited to the constraints of the current environment.
By allowing this administration to continually couch the debate as an either/or proposition, the media and the political parties are doing the voters a great disservice. Do you want to fix the problem or institute change in order to align an issue with your ideology? Has anyone explained the risks to the idealistic "ownership society"? What does a truly FREE market mean to the average working American with regards to swings and dips? Haven't we seen all of this before in our own history? Has ANYONE asked these questions..until the get a definitive answer?
When one tries to solve a problem they should:
- Identify and DEFINE the problem.
- Identify and DEFINE the constraints.
- Identify and DEFINE the risks and associated mitigation strategies.
- Identify approaches to solution.
- Identify the costs associated with each solution.
- Debate the merits of each solution based on the above.
- Choose a solution and work to implement it.
THIS IS LEADERSHIP! Leadership does NOT stop at loyalty, enthusiasm, charisma and decisiveness. It also involves integrity, judgment, justice, knowledge and tact. And of those, which is more important?
By allowing this administration and the people to ignore the HOW of its approach to the WHAT, the media and political parties have allowed the administration to appeal to emotion rather than reason; all the while wondering why the President seems to not use reason in his approach - irony or cognitive dissonance?
My request is that you and others start to push the HOW and the effects of the HOW and then to ensure that alternative HOWS are NOT all cast as a NO vote or opposition to the WHAT. My request is that you INFORM the public of the COSTS and RISKS to the HOW of this administration. If reason backed by facts and information cannot overcome our collective, emotionally-driven cognitive dissonance, then we indeed get what we deserve. But...if we are not given these things clearly (read hammer to the head) then we condemn ourselves to the unintended consequences of our own ignorance.
Please help.
By Dan Froomkin
Washington Post
Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005; 11:10 AM
Editorial Link: Here
-----
My Response:
It's not about the WHAT...
...but the HOW the administration does things.
Here is the problem:
The public has allowed themselves to be swayed by the WHAT of his agenda as opposed to the HOW.
Even if you buy into the "crisis mode" management approach, elevating everything you want to accomplish into a crisis to get reaction, it causes some very short-sighted thinking and simple minded solutions - not to mention a whole host of unintended consequences. Of course we want better healthcare and a stable social security program (although the idea of what "stable" is to this President resides firmly in the unfettered free market that is anything but stable) and a strong defense against terrorism...but do we really want those things in such an ideologically driven, simple-minded, bullying, risk irrelevant, no contingency planning sort of way?
This problem has been exacerbated by the media's approach and the approach of his political opponents who cannot seem to articulate the difference between WHAT is done and HOW it's done. The media and the political world, to include the voting public, have allowed the spin-meisters to turn any criticism of the HOW into opposition of the WHAT and that simply isn't true or helpful.
For instance, if one criticizes the current plan for changing Social Security (is there a plan?), then they are accused of wanting to stick with the status quo, that will result in nothing being done. THAT is simply misleading and unhelpful when trying to solve a problem. IF a problem indeed exists that must be mitigated, then it is NOT unimaginable to think that there are many approaches (read HOW) to finding a solution. And, many of these approaches will be better suited to the constraints of the current environment.
By allowing this administration to continually couch the debate as an either/or proposition, the media and the political parties are doing the voters a great disservice. Do you want to fix the problem or institute change in order to align an issue with your ideology? Has anyone explained the risks to the idealistic "ownership society"? What does a truly FREE market mean to the average working American with regards to swings and dips? Haven't we seen all of this before in our own history? Has ANYONE asked these questions..until the get a definitive answer?
When one tries to solve a problem they should:
- Identify and DEFINE the problem.
- Identify and DEFINE the constraints.
- Identify and DEFINE the risks and associated mitigation strategies.
- Identify approaches to solution.
- Identify the costs associated with each solution.
- Debate the merits of each solution based on the above.
- Choose a solution and work to implement it.
THIS IS LEADERSHIP! Leadership does NOT stop at loyalty, enthusiasm, charisma and decisiveness. It also involves integrity, judgment, justice, knowledge and tact. And of those, which is more important?
By allowing this administration and the people to ignore the HOW of its approach to the WHAT, the media and political parties have allowed the administration to appeal to emotion rather than reason; all the while wondering why the President seems to not use reason in his approach - irony or cognitive dissonance?
My request is that you and others start to push the HOW and the effects of the HOW and then to ensure that alternative HOWS are NOT all cast as a NO vote or opposition to the WHAT. My request is that you INFORM the public of the COSTS and RISKS to the HOW of this administration. If reason backed by facts and information cannot overcome our collective, emotionally-driven cognitive dissonance, then we indeed get what we deserve. But...if we are not given these things clearly (read hammer to the head) then we condemn ourselves to the unintended consequences of our own ignorance.
Please help.
posted by Mike at 11:13 AM
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