Changing the Culture of Politics

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Change begins at the local level, but simultaneously, we must be also working at the national level. The election of 2010 that saw a landslide in favor of the Tea Party in the House of Representatives, an increased conservative presence in the U.S. Senate, and an incredible turnover in favor of the GOP in State governorships and legislatures, was a huge step in the right direction. But if we are not also working to change the system back to its constitutional foundations at the local levels as well, all of that work is for naught. The State and Federal politicians of the future often come from the local governments. If we continue to allow the same old political establishment with its line of succession, and elitist circles, to maintain control of our local governments, the clean-up at the top will only be temporary.

Spending is the primary issue that seems to be emerging. The Tea Party freshmen we sent to Congress in Washington was sent there to cut spending, and return the federal government to the limiting principles set forth by the U.S. Constitution. But instead of making real progress with real cuts in spending, we are witnessing compromises that give us only thimble-full cuts in spending, and a plan to raise the debt ceiling.

The argument used against the conservatives is that with too big of cuts, or a failure to raise the debt ceiling, the entire system will topple, and plunge us into an economic tailspin that will result in another Great Depression. The GOP, and many of our fellow members of the populace, hear the threats, quiver in fear, and give in.

This is not what we sent the freshmen to Congress to do, and to allow these threats to have this kind of impact continues to set the template used by local governments as well.

Granted, the debate has shifted, and the politicians claim they are working to get spending under control. Cities, as well, are looking to reform pension plans, and get their budgets under control. We are having an impact. But understand that the establishment of the political elite won't give in that easily. They will appear to agree, and do a couple things for show, but ultimately we must ask, "Will there be any real progress?"

So far, the political cockroaches have been unwilling to make serious efforts toward cutting spending or consider much needed reforms, and that charge is being led by the Democrats whose very existence in government depends on a continuance of heavy spending and a whole slew of entitlements to remain in place. They get their votes from the bottom feeders because they promise to continue to give gifts from the treasury, whether the government can afford it or not.

As we have seen recently in the threats by Standard and Poor, and as we are watching with our still struggling economy under the weight of such extreme government spending, if things don't get turned around soon, and that means cuts in the trillions, rather than the billions, the United States is headed for a new role in the world. . . as a nation functioning under a second-class status.

The liberal and Republican establishment approach is clear: Spend, spend, and then spend some more. Any serious cuts to government spending is countered with claims that the fiscal conservatives are trying to shutdown the government, kill women, stop cancer research, and take benefits away from the elderly. Then many of the GOP establishment cower, mutter "okay," and nothing changes.

Hence, House Speaker John Boehner's compromise that, though the deal is being spouted as the largest spending cut in history, still fell way short.

The Left knows its strategy well. Make threats, personally attack, and then continue to do as they have been doing. The Democrats work to protect their entitlement programs, the labor unions work to maintain their power over this nation, and the takers in the nation continue to take and take and take from the producers and achievers in this nation.

And if the fight was this brutal over spending cuts that are nothing more than spittle in the ocean, then God help us in the fight to stop the increase in the debt ceiling, or the fight to pass budgets like Paul Ryan's.

This is not to say our goals are out of reach. This is just to say that the fight to get everything back on track will not be an easy one. To achieve victory we must remain consistent and persistent, while working to change the culture of politics from the ground up - beginning at the local level.

If we allow the politicians to continue to avoid responsibility, if we allow them to continue to spend, the results will be devastating. Simply put, we don't have the money to continue as we have. We cannot continue down this unsustainable path. We need real entitlement reform, real spending cuts, and local changes with local people that understand that they will be next to continue the fight at the State and National level.

Cutting a few billion does not steer our boat away from the "point of no return," it only slows our progress towards disaster. Turning this around requires serious changes, and cuts in the trillions. Any less is simply slowing down our plight - not stopping it.

Our victories right now are small, but at least we are turning it around. Now is not the time to rest. Now is the time to demand more. In the future, these fights will become more difficult, and the battle over entitlement and budget reform must advance to spending cuts in the trillions, not billions. But this won't happen until we begin to truly change the culture of politics from that of an establishment that believes it is there to rule, to a system of statesmen that understand they are there to serve.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary