Continued Change in America

With the election of Scott Brown, the first Republican Senator from Massachusetts in over 35 years, it seems clear that change is still taking place in US politics. One year on from President Obama's inauguration, this surprise Republican win is being reported as the death nail in President's health care plan. What remains to be seen in the face of 10% unemployment and renewed security threats to the US Homeland is whether Republicans and Democrats can put their partisan differences behind them to attack these real issues. Republicans could seize on this opportunity to regain power, which is what politics seems to be about these days. It has always been about power. But at times, there have been glimpses of bi-partisanship in tackling major threats to the US way of life.  The economy will eventually rebound and America will create new jobs as it re-invents itself. But tackling issues like health care and social security are great for getting elected, but apparently nothing more.

In my life time I've heard politicians speak endlessly about fixing health care and social security. But these issues are better at dividing people and when they are used by the opposition party, they become the means by which control of the White House or Congress is regained. If these issues were actually resolved, what would the Republican and Democratic platforms look like? If the Republicans didn't have the health care issue to use against the Democrats at the moment, would Scott Brown still have won Massachusetts? We'll never know. What I do know, however, is that if these issues are fixed in this generation, the next generation will bear the consequences. Unfortunately, I fear that we've put off dealing with these issues for far too long. The long term consequences for America could be devastating.

In comparison, the New Zealand Government recently received the findings from the Tax Working Group who was asked to review the country's current tax system. The TWG made some radical decisions for the Government to consider. It will be interesting to see how the Government responds. Will they predictably put off making unpopular decisions that will benefit the country in the long run so that they can win the next election? Or will they risk making the tough calls now and face the wrath of wealthy property owners who are fearful of what the tax changes will mean for them?

Whether in America or New Zealand, it seems that political leaders continually do what is best for them and the party so they can get re-elected. The argument goes something like this, "If we don't get re-elected we can't make the positive changes that the country needs." But the change a country needs often require hard calls that aren't popular with voters. Tough decisions require sacrifice.

Peter Drucker, in a Harvard Business Review (HBR) excerpt of his book Management Challenges for the 21st Century (1999) wrote this of a certain project manager:

"Like so many brilliant people, he believes that ideas move mountains. But bulldozers move mountains; ideas show where the bulldozers should go to work."

Ideas will get you elected. They can inspire or frighten people. Our leaders need to be full of ideas on how we face the multiple threats to economic and personal security and a variety of other issues like health care. But at some point, in some generation, someone needs to get in the bulldozer and make things happen. I hope that Scott Brown is one of these leaders. I hope that he won't just go to the Senate and play the same political games. I hope that he will take his bulldozer (a.k.a his 2005 GMC Canyon pick-up truck) and get things done.

Sources

Drucker, P. F. (1999). Managing Oneself. Harvard Business Review, 29-40.

Hornick, E. (2010, 20 January @ 4:59p.m. EST). Scott Brown: From pinup to pickup- driving populist.   Retrieved 21 January, 2010, from http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/01/20/scott.brown.profile/index.html

Victoria University of Wellington. (2009). The Centre for Accounting, Governance and Taxation Research - VUW Tax Working Group.   Retrieved 21 January, 2010, from http://www.victoria.ac.nz/sacl/cagtr/twg/