Each time we embark on a new election season, I can’t help noticing that red vs. blue has given way to establishment vs. outsiders.
In recent years, during their campaigns, politicians have marketed themselves as the candidate who will bring change to Washington, or in other words, the establishment. Yet once they are elected, they succumb to the political machine. Their transformations once in office leaves the door wide open for anti-establishment sentiments to grow and fester.
A disturbing side effect of this political cycle is this stink is now being applied to capitalism. I read a survey during the 2016 presidential campaign stating 43% of Americans under the age of 30 favor socialism over capitalism. At some point in history, I thought the socialist experiment proved it was a disaster. Have we forgotten that when the Berlin Wall came down in 1990, marking the end of socialism, 43% of the world lived in extreme poverty? Today, after country after country has abandoned socialism, that number is about half of what it was. In fact, only 22% of the world currently lives in extreme poverty, according to the latest statistics gathered in 2013.
You only need to look at North and South Korea to see how capitalism can make life better. Capitalism has proved to be a huge force for good for the human inhabitants of planet earth.
Being a baby-boomer and having made several trips to Germany growing up, I have seen first hand the stark contrast between the prosperity of West Germany and the destitution of East Germany when the wall first came down. As a nation, we have made great sacrifices in terms of lives and treasure to help the world remove the shackles of socialist regimes and embrace capitalism. I can only surmise that the millennial generation is just too far removed from experiencing any personal sacrifice and tragedy to have a clear frame of reference to contemplate the oppressive nature of socialism.
With the popularity of an admitted socialist candidate like Bernie Sanders, I’m reminded of the story of the Pied Piper. Since current public officials have not made the progress the electorate expected, Bernie Sanders enters as the Pied Piper to march our kids into the sea of socialism to drown.
When President Obama was elected to the country’s highest office, it was not based on his resume since it was pretty thin. He was elected twice primarily due to his charisma and ability to talk a good game. The 2016 election cycle had a lot in common with the past two presidential elections. The voters are willing to forgive an absence of detail in the hopes that simple solutions will work.
What are your thoughts about the direction candidates for president are taking our country and how it might change the business climate?
