The Electorate as Spoiled Children

...can be seen in the ease with which the press reports that the economy is tanking or in "meltdown". Here's the latest bit, a throwaway line in an article about Obama and the possibility of Romney as McCain's VP.

If (Obama) can convince a reasonable number of blue collar white Democrats that are racially doubtful about him that he can do more to soothe their economic woes, this could trump the racial doubts of many about him. That and the Bush albatross of the war and the economic meltdown around him is a tough one for McCain to get around

Emphasis mine. 5% unemployment, the Dow at 12,800 and inflation around 4% is meltdown only if you're a spoiled child.

Say you're the head of a family. You've got an income and you have normal things you spend discretionary income on such as trips to Disneyland or a vacation. One day, your car breaks down and needs a ton of work. It costs a lot to repair. If you cut back on your expensive fun, you can get by, if you do not, you have to go into debt. If your kids are spoiled, they will scream and cry at the thought of not being able to go to Disneyland and if you are in turn weak, you'll go anyway and spend money you don't have so you can mollify the kids.

That's where we are right now, the press is encouraging it and this election season has been filled with it. Global competition in the labor market is driving down wages all over the world. The economic realities of China and India modernizing have shown no favoritism for one nation or another. Increased consumption in those countries has driven prices of commodities up. That's just the way it works and all the government programs in the world can't stop it.

Instead of showing maturity, the press is giving voice to the petulant among us, helping us scream and kick about how terrible this all is. In turn, all of the politicians, even the normally stingy John McCain, are giving in to the spoiled brat routine and are promising to burn dollars to create a smoke screen so we don't have to see reality. Barack Obama's campaign has been the absolute worst of the lot, showing not even the slightest comprehension of the global forces inexorably changing our economic landscape. Instead, he promises to burn mountains of greenbacks to shield us from reality. (See also: Republic, Weimar)

Further, as our population ages and retires, we will enter a period where our financial obligations will quickly overwhelm our resources. Both Obama and Hillary want to add to those obligations and massively, with monstrous health care programs. Pile that on top of the ongoing global changes and you've got the car breaking down, the water heater leaking and the drains backing up while the children scream to have the family double the number of vacations it takes.

What frightens me the most about this election are not the choices, but the foundation of the issues. Many nations before us have tried to shield their citizens from reality. Despite all of the information available to us, we're doing it, too. Long after the election has passed, the childishness that seems so embedded in our culture will be with us. At some point in time, we will have to pay for it. In the meantime, the press eggs us on to cry about the mildest of economic slowdowns and kick and scream for more goodies.

The house burned down. Let's buy that jet ski we always wanted!